Video and podcasting brings yet another dimension to Web 2.0 Marketing as it adds sound and moving pictures. Fred Barnard, journalist, has been credited with writing “A picture is worth a thousand words” sometime during the 1920s. This often used adage has endured because of the truth it holds. However, a video adds hundreds of pictures (frames) and sound, making it much more valuable than just a picture.
Today, creating a video and/or podcast is really quite simple. Gone is the need for large, bulky and expensive equipment, large batteries or electrical cords and analog tape. For less than $200 you can purchase a Flip Mino video camera that records in HD. It is about the size of a cell phone and records to an internal hard drive. Considering the size and price of this video camera, it really produces amazing quality! There are also many accessories available for it. It comes loaded with software that makes it easy to transfer files to a PC, upload to YouTube, add to an email, or create a clever greeting card. (I love my Flip!)
Editing videos is pretty easy as well. There are many software applications for this task. Some are as inexpensive as $15 after upgrade (e.g. Pinnacle VideoSpin). More expensive software with additional features and higher quality is also available. The point I am making is that the barrier to creating video is very low. After that it is up to you.
So, now that we know creating videos is easy and inexpensive, how should we use them in Web 2.0 Marketing? Well, there are several exiting applications.
YouTube – Create your own video channel and build a community around it. You can use YouTube as a host for your video to accomplish a number of purposes. Other hosts include Vimeo, eCorpTV, etc.- Email Marketing – Embed video in your email marketing content and send to the community you have built with your mail list.
- Blog/Website – Embed video in your blog post or web page and share with the community you have built around these tools.
- Smart Phones/Video iPods – Videos can be downloaded to iPhone or iPod for viewing and sharing among friends.
- DVD – For very large videos, you can save them to a DVD for mailing.
- Can you think of some other good marketing applications?
What objectives does a video help you achieve? Here are a few that come to mind:
- Illustrations – Sometimes it is easier to demonstrate something via a video than trying to explain it in text.
- Demonstration – “Seeing is believing” – a video engages several of the viewer’s senses; providing a more realistic and compelling case for your message.
- Personal Message – Sometimes a speaker can be more persuasive on video than with text.
- Consumer Content – Can you come up with creative ways to get your customers to submit videos about your product/service and have their friends vote for their favorite video? Think of the traffic that will drive to your site!
- Can you think of other good reasons to create a video?
Before we move on to podcasts, I thought I would embed a video here so you can see how easy it is to do and how it might make explaining something much easier to understand.
Podcasting
Podcasts work in a similar way. They can be downloaded into an iPod or MP3 player for listening while driving, jogging, exercising, or even while sleeping (sleep learning).
Podcasts are great for recording short stories, short books/ebooks and blog posts to mention a few applications. The main idea is to record something that people will want to share and that will eventually drive traffic to your site.
There are podcast hosts just like video hosts. A couple that come to mind are Gcast and PodBean, but I am sure there are others. These are designed so you can build a community around your channel just as with YouTube.
If you are really creative or lucky, you can create a video or podcast that will sweep the world. As an example, I am reminded of the recent Kevin and Jill Heinz wedding here in St. Paul where the wedding party danced down the isle. At last count their video has been viewed over 31 million times (and still climbing).
Now that I have raised your awareness about the value of video and podcasts, have you noticed any of your readers using video and/or podcasts in clever and creative ways?
As we continue our series on Web 2.0 Marketing covering the tools listed in the graphic above, you might consider subscribing to my RSS feed by reader or by email so you don’t miss a single article.
Those that enjoyed this article, also enjoyed:
Web 2.0 Online Marketing Series – Overview
The Elements of a Web 2.0 Website
Web 2.0 Blogging For Business
Web 2.0 SEO – Search Engine Optimization
Web 2.0 Email Marketing & Autoresponders
Web 2.0 Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Web 2.0 Online Press Releases & Articles
Web 2.0 Forum & Blog Commenting
Web 2.0 Professional & Social Networking
Web 2.0 RSS Feeds and Widgets
Web 2.0 Wikis & Open Source Marketing
Web 2.0 Bookmarking & Reviewing Sites
Web 2.0 Affiliate Marketing Programs
If you would like to contact me, you can do so by emailing me at mike.clough@bestbizpractices.org or visiting my LinkedIn page.
Posted by: Mike Clough
