Ten Online 2012 Video Stats That Will Amaze You

Online video ad viewing increased dramatically in 2012, with audiences choosing to watch video ads 4.6 billion times, or about 13.2 million times every day.

Records were broken by the likes of M&M’s Superbowl Ms Brown or Kony 2012, with the former getting 85% of online views driven the ad’s virality (not by paid ads) and the latter counting 41 millions video views in just one day.

Online videos are effective for branding and can deliver your message on any platform and any scale, from internal communications to global campaigns. Read about other outstanding videos trends in 2012 here.

And your company? What does your video communications plan look like for 2013?

Ready for the next level? See the  iFilm portfolio and let's schedule a meeting to discuss the next project. Email Dave Henry or call 713-504-5765.

Five Reasons Video Can Help in the B2B Sales Cycle

Five Reasons Video Can Help in the B2B Sales Cycle

Feel like you need to work on your video content but haven’t gotten started?  More B2B marketers than ever are developing content marketing strategies to engage potential customers early in the decision making process.  Below are five reasons that video should be a key component for your content marketing strategies and specifically on social media channels.

        Research

Today’s consumers are tech savvy and their first impulse is to “Google” up a solution. There is a good chance they will begin researching products and solutions to solve their business problems long before they contact potential vendors. Videos do a great job of introducing your company or explaining exactly how your solutions solve specific business challenges. Video can help your brand and content get noticed ahead of the competition.

Real People

Yes, you are selling to other businesses but your target audience is made up of actual human beings with emotion and bias built in. Visual content, specifically video, is simply more engaging on social networks than text based content. People prefer watching to reading.

 Spreading the Word (Multi-Channel Messaging)

Many B2B marketers naturally think of using video content to use at trade shows, presentations or on their websites. They also need to consider a YouTube channel for their company. Benefits of a YouTube channel include search engine optimization. Marketing videos can easily be shared everywhere your company maintains a social media presence including Facebook, Google +, LinkedIn, Twitter and Tumblr to name a few. 

Social Sharing

Videos are shared on social networks 1,200% more than links and text posts combined. Most marketers would agree that a personal recommendation is still one of the most powerful influences for a potential buyer.

Mobile

When was the last time that you left home without your smart phone? They are ubiquitous and B2B marketers must find a good way to deliver content across a wide variety of mobile devices. With video it is simpler as most videos play in “full screen” mode on most mobile phones, solving the screen size challenge of accessing content on social networks.

Video is a very powerful tool for engaging potential customers across a wide variety of media.  If you are a B2B marketer trying to find an effective way to make use of your company’s video archive, consider the use of video to better communicate your message to your social media communities.

Broaden your video's reach

From Christian Arno:

"In this global day and age, savvy marketers are directing their efforts overseas. It's now easier than ever to appeal to a multilingual market. It just takes a translation here and there, modification of your SEO, and bingo -- you're appearing on screens all over the world." 

The rest of the article can be found here but very good thinking about global video.


At iFilm, our clients are frequently large multinational or global companies that need to convey their messages. In some instances, we simply add different audio tracks. In some, we have to trans-create the video so that it crosses cultural barriers. Fortunately in a city like Houston, we can find the resources for our projects that can participate in that dialog.

What videos are you making and how do you ensure that they speak to your audience in the right way?

Awards Season

Hollywood can have the Oscars.  Houston also rolls out the red carpet each spring, for both the ADDY Awards and Marketer of the Year, and iFilm Productions will proudly accept accolades (without the long speeches) at each.

The American Advertising Federation Houston holds the ADDY awards each February to "recognize creative excellence in the art of advertising."  It's the biggest night of the year in Houston advertising.  Winners advance to regional and then national competition.

iFilm Productions will bring home a coveted ADDY at the big gala (silver? gold?) for producing an animated web movie for GankIt.com.

 

The American Marketing Association Houston gives out its Marketer of the Year Awards (MOTY) for "innovative and effective marketing programs."  iFilm submitted a detailed report for vote by AMA Houston members and a judging panel of local marketing professionals.

 

iFilm Productions won in the Business-to-Business Services category, and is now a finalist for overall Marketer of the Year in Houston.

Other finalists include CenterPoint Energy, ConocoPhillips, Rice University, the Houston Rockets, MD Anderson, and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.  It's an honor to even be mentioned among them.

CMC Construction Services Web Video

iFilm created this simple yet effective video for local construction company, CMC Services. It will be added to their homepage soon.

You know you have a great marketing idea when ...

You know you have a great marketing idea when...
#1. You love talking about the idea with anyone, anywhere.
#2. You have no fear someone will steal your idea.
#3. You feel giddy knowing others view you as a smart marketer.
#4. You know the more you work on the idea, the better it gets.
#5. You poke at potential flaws in the idea, knowing it’s an opportunity to make the idea stronger.
#6. You have researched the idea and know no one has done it like you plan to do it.
#7. You know the idea is tactically doable and strategically reliable.

Many thanks to Brand Autopsy for this thought.

When I meet clients who show these signs, I know it will be fun like my newest client, GankIt.

Good article on Online Video Tools

A summary of tools to make any video you produce be more useful online.

The tools are constantly changing.

Dave