Mark Goodman
This morning I spent some time running through the analytics that are provided by YouTube. The challenge with analytics is not getting the information, but drawing wisdom out of the tons of information that you receive.
I was looking at one of the channels that we built, that gets over 100 views a day. For the last month, 28% of all of the views came from related videos. That means that a viewer was watching a YouTube video (in most cases was from another channel); then chose to watch a video from this channel afterwards.
When you watch a video, additional videos come up on the right and then at the end. If the viewer is looking for more, YouTube chooses your content as a recommendation
An instant referral.
I have worked in organizations where the sales team has been pushed to make one or two presentations every day. In this channel, YouTube is making an average of 25 to 30 presentations every day.
The results for this organization? Sales for one key product line is up 19% year over year. Another line is up over 6%.
So, if you build a channel, they will come. But it’s not a short term effort. This organization has been working at it for over a year. Has over 300 videos up. But over time, has a relationship with YouTube that allows for their solutions to be recommended hundreds of times each month.
Get YouTube to make your sales presentations for you!
September 27th, 2010
Can You Create Search Optimized Video Yourself?
September 24th, 2010
Mark Goodman
We sometimes get asked, “Why should I pay e-Conversation Solutions to do videos for my company… can’t I just do this myself?”
It depends. First, think about the message you are trying to get across. If you are looking to convey a personal message/experience, doing it yourself can work fine. For example, I am working on building messaging materials for an owner of a condo in Maui. We spent the last week documenting the condo experience. Here are a couple of “do it yourself” iPhone pictures:
Maui Sunset. Wouldn’t you just love to sit outside in the evening and relax – we stayed at the Best Wailea Condo.
We went to an organic farm. Got some fresh ingredients and made a condo dinner -fresh squash and eggplant.
These pictures work pretty well for an amateur. I may not be professional, but have had enough training to at least have a good sense for composition, etc…
Travelers also like user created content because it is authentic. Nick has made the observation that every hotel has great pictures, but what you see is not always what you get.
But if I was a real estate developer, or a food professional portraying my business, these pictures simply wouldn’t work.
A business or professional services company is attracting customers and prospects because of their expertise and their image. First impressions are lasting. People don’t want to hire an amateur accountant or lawyer. As a purchasing agent, you are not looking to purchase parts made in a home workshop.
So, when it comes time to create video to present your business, think about how you’ve crafted the other parts of your corporate image. Chances are, you have nice office space, your employees dress well when meeting with clients, and you have a professionally designed website.
Why should your video presence be any exception?
The Benefits of a YouTube Channel: More Time + More Content = Many More Views.
September 10th, 2010
Mark Goodman
We had a great view week on the SCORE Chicago video YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/scorechicagovideo. Best day ever, over 350 views. Interesting, nothing was viral, it was a combination of continual programming. Here’s the breakdown:
Out of over 300 videos, these 8 were about a third of all views. How did they get to the top? There are 3 categories demonstrated. The first category is search. When you get a channel established, Google and YouTube find you as a trusted source. Every day, they refer viewers to these videos. Second, the SBA video was a new video that was promoted through a blog. Lastly, the Constant Contact emails were part of an email campaign, for a workshop. “emails opened” was the featured video, but viewers who watched that one, watched some of the other ones. We constructed the channel to encourage the watching of multiple videos.
Every video you post will not be a blockbuster. However, a well constructed channel with engaging content, will allow you to attract customer and prospects on an ongoing basis. Your expertise is found, referred and promoted.
Take your experts, put them online, save money.
September 8th, 2010
Mark Goodman
I did a whole web initiative in the mid 1990’s. The web proponents said going online should save you money. The skeptical looked at the internet as a marketing effort. One person who worked at an overnight package carrier said that “no one wants to track their orders online, people like to call us!”
Fast forward to 2010. Not only do I really miss spending hours on the phone with shipping companies, but I have had two interesting discussions over the last month about mobilizing company expertise and featuring it on line with video. The feedback from a manufacturer was “we really can’t spare the time of our experts” or “the resources are not available”. But when we probed, it was determined that one expert was off to South America for two weeks. Another one was in Asia.
In professional services, pulling an expert who has billable hours can be problematic. We hear, “how can we afford to have someone who bills $250 per hour, spend 4 hours on a video?” But the video done effectively should cover 10 times the cost in personal sales visits that the expert does not have to make.
Yes, the video does need to be supported by a good website, and integrated into your marketing efforts. But you are spending that money anyhow.
Do the math. A trip to Asia can easily cost $20,000. An “in person sales call” with a billable expert may cost as much as $2,000. How many calls does it take to close a sale? What is the impact if you can eliminate one call per week?
So, putting your experts on line with video should save you money.
Great, they found you online. What next?
September 5th, 2010
Mark Goodman
Congratulations. A searcher found your company online.
It’s what you do with the searcher, once they find you, that counts!
I was having a discussion with a business thought leader last week. She remarked that a business person can choose the e-Conversation Solution of search optimized video (SOV) solution rather than pay per click (PPC). While SOV works very well when coordinated with SEO (multiple use of both content and questions), using it as an alternative to pay per click was intriguing. She noted that either pay per click or using video to get on page one achieves the same result.
But, as a second derivative, I pointed out to her, is that once you are found, it’s what you present that counts. With SOV, you have an opportunity to immediately present your company as an expert. A trusted source. A targeted video both provides information and conveys trust. It differentiates you from the competition, and suggests additional content.
SOV says “how can I help you?” and “Here is a way to solve your problem”. Pay per click says “buy from me”. If you are selling commodities, “buy from me” might work. But, if you are working to establish a long term relationship in today’s world, the best first step is answering a question and solving a problem.
Consider this video, from manufacturing expert Paul Heinze:
So, once a searcher has found Paul, he provides a helpful answer to a question that potential clients must be asking. He doesn’t sell. As a result, he becomes an expert and someone that prospects want to do business with, instead of just another person selling services.
Who is watching YouTube, anyways?
September 2nd, 2010
Mark Goodman
The 55 year old purchasing manager doesn’t watch videos on YouTube. The business owner in Pakistan is not online. It is mostly the younger male business people who watch internet video. Right?
Not true! Here is the data from the last two weeks on SCORE Chicago Video, which provides help for small business. This data summarizes around 2000 views.
Think about what the customer acquisition process is for your business. Who in that business is in charge of looking for a new supplier? What tools will that person use to sell your company to the decision maker? How can your company showcase your expertise and build trust?
Who’s actually on YouTube?
August 23rd, 2010
Mark Goodman
Who is searching for video answers on the internet?
When we talk about Search Optimized Video, we often hear comments like, “I sell to 55-year old purchasing managers who don’t watch videos on YouTube” or “Company owners abroad won’t be looking for my firm on the internet!” So why is Search Optimized Video valuable?
I did an interview on Thursday for a young woman from Pakistan who is in a journalism program in Chicago. Her husband is a graduate student in economics. Her father owns an industrial distribution company. Will her father be searching the internet and watching YouTube videos? Maybe not. But if her father wants to find suppliers, or purchase from the U.S., who is he going to turn to?
His daughter. Who was raised in an internet age. And who uses YouTube.
These young people are the future. They are the decision influencers of today, and the decision makers of tomorrow. Your company needs to reach them, and become their trusted source. If you don’t, and your competition does who will be the supplier that they choose?
How can you use Search Optimized Video on your website?
August 9th, 2010
Mark Goodman
Any website can use SOV. Given that the content is tied to a company initiative, featuring the video on your website can supply new content. Tying the content to an event will also update the site. Check out this use of e-Conversation produced Search Optimized Video by Warady & Davis LLP:
And, if you are thinking about updating your site, here is a short video that answers the question “How do I know if my website having search engine issues?”
Most companies will show up in the first set of searches on the company name… so, how will SOV help? The SOV process determines a set of key questions that customers and prospects are asking about a company initiative. While that content is key to creating video, it can also be integrated into the website. Put the questions and answers on Page One. Create a Frequently Asked Questions page. Integrate the questions into a new page crafted around the initiative.
And, for companies that are not quite ready for video, the creation of questions and answers is a great first step. It gets you thinking about the next generation website and how it will be integrated into your conversation with customers and prospects.
Uncertain about Search Optimized Video?
August 4th, 2010
Mark Goodman
Uncertain about Search Optimized Video (SOV)? It’s OK to be a maybesayer.
The idea of featuring Search Optimized Video as a cornerstone to your customer acquisition process in a new concept to many sales and marketing executives. As we review the concept with them, most initial meetings yield a resounding “MAYBE” .
We’ve been there before. The sales executive who announced, “I don’t think I really need a cell phone to stay in touch! That’s why I have a personal secretary.” or the air freight exec who declared “people don’t want to track their packages on line, I think they would rather call” Lastly, when setting up an on line ordering system for a dealer network, a large company VP stated “they can order what ever they want on line, but we won’t ship until we get a signed hard copy purchase order”
If you are a maybesayer about SOV, here are 3 things to do.
1. When you talk to customers and prospects, make a list of questions they are asking… and how are you answering those questions
2. Follow companies in Twitter, subscribe to videos on YouTube, read some blogs
3. Think about your sales / prospecting process… how could it be improved
For more information on Search Optimized Video, please check out our new white paper.
Let’s Go Global
July 21st, 2010How can your video portfolio take your business around the world?
Mark Goodman
When you create compelling content, companies will help you distribute it.
Here are two examples:
TerritorioScuola is an Italian content aggregator. They target a specific audience and find programming that appeals to that viewer. If your company creates quality content that would be useful to their viewers, you can appear in their channel.
Here is another version of content aggregation. Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to A.C. Nielsen ratings. In recent years the network has reached even parity with America’s five major English language television network.
Also note on these links how the whole series of videos is featured – the concept of aggregation at work.
