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.

Feed Your Appetite for Video Story Telling

"In his presentation at SocialMedia.org‘s BlogWell conference in Los Angeles, Kaiser Permanente’s director of digital media and syndication, Vince Golla, talked about how the company brought its fans’ genuine, unscripted stories to a bigger audience without hiring an expensive production company." See full article and video links here.

One of iFilm's clients recently described our journalistic style of corporate video production as "more engaging and tells a better story than our scripted corporate videos." Although we make scripted corporate videos too; we agree that storytelling is frequently best found in real sound bites from the people most passionate on a topic. Your budget does not have to be huge to tell a real story. 

A recent sample of our storytelling video is here.  Contact Dave to start your project today. 

Online Video SEO ~ Best Practices for YouTube

Great article on YouTube optimization from Blue Sky Marketing ...  

Properly optimizing your videos on your YouTube channel can greatly increase the chances of them showing up in organic Google search results ~ which is the “holy grail” for  most marketers. However, it’s important to remember that Google is typically driving video based search results to YouTube.com instead of corporate websites or landing pages. This means that your channel needs to reflect your brand.

Below are some specific steps corporate marketers can take to optimize their videos on YouTube.com.  Full article here.

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.

Seven Tips for Marketing a Business with Video

Great article on video marketing from Entrepreur:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220593

My Favorite Highlights:

• Video connects customers on a deeper level because it covers and reaches out to different types of learning styles
• Videos also help sites show up higher on the search engines. Use relevant keywords in the video titles and descriptions when you upload them to sites like YouTube.
• Include a call to action in your video.  
• Pick a focus. Make sure the video has the essence of your brand personality and carries a single message or story. Do not try to cover 15 things in a 60-second video.

Law Firm Marketing: 5 Advantages of Using Video on Your Website

The use of video is becoming important to staying competitive on the web. As more law firms develop an online presence, it’s imperative to differentiate your firm by including video on your website.

While nothing guarantees an increase in business, the use of video is a smart and relatively inexpensive way to market your law firm. Here are five advantages of using video on your website.

1. Introduce yourself to potential clients.

The process of meeting with an attorney for the first time can be unnerving for some clients. Introducing yourself through an online video can remove this anxiety. Potential clients will be looking to get an idea of who you are and what you can do for them. A brief video that introduces you and describes your law firm can accomplish that. Another advantage of introductory videos is the amount of time they save you. Instead of physically meeting with every potential client, the video can act as a filter to bring in primarily clients who have already decided that they might hire you.

2. Convey emotion and personality.

You can show only so much emotion with text and images on a website. Video, on the other hand, gives you an opportunity to show viewers the way you look, sound and act. It is a wonderful way to project emotions such as empathy and compassion to potential clients. A visitor who is sold on what you say in a video is more likely to choose your firm over a competitor. Videos also are incredibly helpful for firms that practice personal injury or criminal law. Someone who has been injured or arrested may want to hire a lawyer with a bold, assertive personality, and simply put, video is the best way to convey your personality to viewers online.

3. Improve search engine rankings.

In the near future, video will be an integral part of search engine result pages. Google already has begun to factor in the presence of video on a page when determining where the page ranks on Google search results. Posting videos on your site sooner rather than later will put you a step ahead of other firms competing for top slots on search engine result pages. After posting a video to your website and optimizing it for search engines, potential clients will more easily locate your site and its video content. Seeing a video on a search results page instantly gives the searcher a good reason to visit your website rather than a competing site. Make sure your search engine optimization service understands how to take advantage of your video content in getting your site the best possible search engine results.

4. Improve overall website experience.

If done correctly, putting video on your website will improve the browsing experience of your visitors. For maximum effectiveness, it should be integrated seamlessly into your site. An introductory or biographical video typically is placed on the homepage. Similarly, a page dedicated to your firm’s bankruptcy practice might include a video explaining basic aspects of bankruptcy law. The more that potential clients use your site to learn about the law and how it affects them, the more likely they are to give your firm a call.

5. Impress potential clients

Let’s face it, a law firm website with embedded video looks impressive. At present, few law firms use video, so those that do give a clear sign that they’re a step ahead of everyone else. Quality video on your site indicates to potential clients that you are a quality law firm. Of course, not just any video will make your website and law firm look impressive. The most effective videos utilize well-prepared content, shot on high-definition video in a properly lit studio. Top-quality post-production work, including editing, graphics and sound effects, is also crucial to achieving results that will impress visitors to your site.

Article Source

Make Better Promotional Videos

Businesses of all sizes are turning to videos to drive conversation, traffic, and sales. According to Internet Retailer, e-commerce website visitors who view product videos are 85 percent more likely to buy than visitors who do not. As with most marketing tools, originality is key to the success of any video. Finding inexpensive ways to create high-quality videos is any company’s best bet to get the most for its money while ensuring that the content is original. Keep the following tips in mind:

1. Know that production quality matters. While the majority of the most well-known viral videos are home videos, most consumer-focused viral videos often have solid production quality. Don’t even try to fake shaky-camera "homemade" film. Do it straight, or don’t do it at all.

2. Understand "relative virality." Don’t get caught up in creating a video you hope will be seen by millions. Pay more attention to the quality of views rather than the quantity. In the end, your ultimate goal is to promote your product or service, so make sure your video appeals to the end customer and your marketing goals.

3. Have fun with it. Your goal is to have people talk about your company, product, or service, so give them something they will remember and want to share.

Article Source

What video means to your SEO efforts

Video is an often ignored component of search engine optimization, notes Marty Weintraub. "It is amazing to me that there is so little discussion of YouTube as a search engine. Most marketers seemingly don't view activity in YouTube as SEO. That's the disconnect. YouTube is very much a search engine," he says. Read the entire interview here.

http://smartblogs.com/socialmedia/2010/10/04/driving-real-results-with-youtube-questions-for-aimclears-marty-weintraub/

There, I Said It: Screw Viral Videos

"Stop chasing viral, and start looking closely at online video that delivers repeatable, measurable and sustainable views. When putting dollars behind video projects, make sure you understand exactly how the audience-development component works. You don't want to pay for views that never actually get watched. And remember, just like with the Tortoise and the Hare, steady and consistent wins out over jackrabbit view spikes every time."  Whole article here:  Ad Age Article: Screw Viral Videos.


"Great content, well planned and well executed will trump the chasing of viral propagation." 
Dave Henry, iFilm Productions

Have you Ganked? It is time for GankIt 2.0

iFilm Productions' newest client, GankIt, took their 2.0 version of their website live overnight. We produced their home page web movie that explains their service - a hybrid penny auction.

Many thanks to Dan Pratt of RiotMotion and Bob Vance of Audio Bob for their work on this project.

If you haven't Ganked yet, the time is now. I will post a link to the video on my blog and site later today but for now, I want everyone to head on over to GankIt.

  

Did Shopkick Just Change The Check-In Game? You Be The Judge [Video]

Good article here:  http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/03/shopkick/
Company site here: http://www.shopkick.com/

Love seeing how powerful video can be as an online tool.

As a long-term video producer and director, the explosion of video merged with quality motion graphics allows me to do great work for client getting away from the traditional formats required for TV commercials and allowing constant ongoing updates to encourage consumer engagement.

Good stuff.

If You Build a Web Series Around It, Will They Come?

For Some Brands, the Answer Is an Enthusiastic Yes; for Others, Not So Much 

(Read the entire article here at Madison & Vine or read the synopsis here.)

"In the past three years, it seems "Make me a branded web series" has become the new "Make me a viral video" for marketers, with brands as varied as Ikea, Procter & Gamble, Toyota, Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese and even Poise incontinence pads all trying their hands at branded storytelling online. But as these webisodes clamor to find audiences in increasingly fragmented numbers, a larger metric for success pervades: Did they actually deliver on the hoped-for ROI for the brand?

For marketers, the typical web series consists of a half-dozen five-minute episodes costing an average of $100,000 to $1 million to create -- a paltry sum considering a typical 30-second spot can cost more than three times the price the most expensive web show.

Yet the bar has been high ever since "In the Motherhood," an online sitcom co-created by Mindshare Entertainment on behalf of clients Sprint and Unilever, became a massive hit on MSN, accumulating more than 16 million views by its second season and eventually becoming a sitcom for ABC. But its swift broadcast cancellation forced advertisers and producers alike to re-evaluate the ultimate metric for determining a web series' long-term success: Instead of being picked up by a TV network, why isn't re-investment by the brand the new barometer for success?"

Dave here: Web Series are enticing, it seems you can create a personality, create a buzz and see long-term success. Good production values remain key in winning at this game.  

Wil this trend continue? Soap operas were called such because P&G was selling dish soap so yet again they are leading the way and they have a long history of success. Web series are here to stay. If you want to start your own web series, contact iFilm Productions so we can be your production guide. 

Inject interactivity into your video

Many thanks to David Kaiser for this thought.

"While interactive or "hypervideo" is still the exception versus the rule, major strides are being made to create more immersive online experiences. To help the process and create more dynamic video experiences, here are some ways content creators can bring more interactivity to their online content.


Contextualization
One of the biggest leaps into interactive content is the ability to present information in context. Publishers and brands can now enable viewers to enjoy truly immersive experiences with content, fostering longer viewing times and more focused advertisements that speak to consumer interests. Here, online video can include points of interest, such as the ability to click on a product and purchase it. This not only extends a brand by creating interactivity on a commerce level, but also creates new engagement avenues for brand loyalists. In the realm of linear content, imagine how product placement can reach new consumers in the form of fans of a program, as well as new environments for a brand to live in the digital world.


Encourage participation
Interaction does not only need to be about using a mouse. Social media makes it easier than ever to get the word out about online contests and participatory ad campaigns, and of course to directly engage with consumers.
By allowing consumers to "take over" your brand and make their own statement, you might be surprised what creative life a Flip cam, some ingenuity, and brand loyalists can bring to your product. Brands are also discovering that loyal fans can breathe new life into products and make memorable ad campaigns from the ground up.


Participation can also come from the business side. Want to share some tips or talk about your latest product innovation? Get personal with a simple webcast to provide an authentic, first-person account about your brand.


Software solutions
With the launch of the iPad and other devices that use physical touch as the primary way to use these technology products, true "hypervideo" experiences are a natural complement to this increasingly popular way to interact with our computers.


I define hypervideo as the convergence of online video, social media, weblinks, and commerce into one immersive experience. For both traditional PCs and touch-based devices, software solutions with cross-platform creation and playback tools bring interactivity to new heights. Beyond two-dimensional clicks, hypervideo at its best combines one part web with one part video to form a singular experience.


With an enhanced online ecosystem, content creators can make one-of-a-kind video experiences for audiences and further customize them with demographic data such as gender, age, and personal preferences.
Hypervideo represents the best of what's to come in creating immersive, online experiences. It's the most dynamic platform to engage so-called "superfans" and to seamlessly integrate logical brand representation into both linear and viral online programming. This can include anything from delivering Facebook profiles straight into the video viewer to presenting related content, such as a profile of the director, actor, or lead costume designer of a show. These additional features also provide ways for programmers to create "sticky" content and prolong audience engagement.


Online video presents exciting new ways for audiences to interact with programs, brands, and businesses. With new interactive software and other engagement tactics available, the sky is the only limit to how rich we can develop online content."

Video Sitemaps: Making Your Videos Searchable

Great starter introduction from Google on Making Your Videos Searchable.

Don't want to learn all this yourself? Contact a video production firm who can assist you in completing, like me ...  at iFilm Productions.

Live streaming: The video ad opportunity of the future

"Live internet video is on the verge of exploding. Learn how you can capitalize on this fast-growing medium." Read more>>>


My most recent projects are all for online applications, shooting and creating for the small screen is a different sort of challenge than shooting for a 50" TV screen - in a good way.

"How I Saved My Company" Video Competition

A new video project asks small-business owners to share their survival stories. 

Almost every successful small-business owner has survived a near-death business crisis. Today, the NY Times is beginning to collect these personal stories in a series of video contributions called How I Saved My Company.

They are looking for business owners who have struggled and survived and who are willing to submit a short video telling about their experience.  Read More>>

Have a story you want to share with them? Let me know and maybe we can work on it together. 

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Haiti: 8 months later

Haiti is a distant memory in the sense of media coverage. Yet people there are still struggling to get by and need the most basic item -- clean water.

Publishers with a Purpose is out to prove that the media can do more than just highlight disaster -- it can help rebuild. We are mobilizing our network to donate a collective 40,000,000+ ad impressions for the Unshaken campaign and are committed to raise $95,738 for the community of Nan Simon in Central Haiti. This project will serve almost 2,500 people.

Check out this site.

I produced a video in Haiti for the US Agency for International Development (US AID) years ago and was moved then by the people in that country and if this post can help, then I am happy to do it.

Americans love their online video.

According to eMarketer, 147.5 million of Americans, 2/3 of U.S. Internet users now watch online video at least once a month. Click through for more on its latest stats.

Whether long-form for watching their favorite show or short form for entertainment, online, video is the communication media. Your company, whether B2B or B2C, has a message to tell its customers, shouldn't that message be done in video?

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.

Social media tips for affiliate marketers - iMediaConnection.com

"Plainly and simply: If you're not already using video, you could be leaving a lot of revenue on the table." View Article>>