The Website & Video Audit
Roaming the Internet are harmless Elves and Sprites, mischievous Goblins and Kobolds, and the all-powerful, menacing Google and his Genies. The Website Video Genie was released from his bottle some time ago. He is growing day by day. Neither your competitors nor you are going to be able to put him back into the bottle.
"Aladdin finds the genie in the cave."1
With some creativity startling results can be achieved. For an example, click on Dodge Monaco. The video is in the spirit of the classic British Monty Python series in the early 1970's. (The real singer is Susan Boyle.) Granted the video is over the top, but it certainly shows the potential of video editing software. And perhaps the videos on the company website could be a little more entertaining after all?
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Contents
A. The Website Audit
I - The Context
II - Ask Your Staff
III - Ask Your Customers
IV - Website Critique Services
V - Resources
VI - What Hinders People From Buying On-Line?
B.The Website Video
I. Introductory Video Questions
II. On-line Marketing Comments
III. The Do-It-Yourself Option
IV. A Suggested Approach
V. Some Technical Terminology
VI. Eight Video Launching Pads
VII. Webinar Software - two suggestions
A. The Website Audit
I. The Context
The website is an integral part of your marketing strategy. It both reflects and determines your positioning and branding. It is also a major advertising medium. The subpage on the marketing audit expands on these subjects.
II. Ask Your Staff
The first question is how important is the website for your business anyway? Is it a key business driver, or is it merely a calling card one has, because nowadays one is expected to have a website?
If the website is crucial, then one should audit it periodically as part of reviewing one's marketing strategy. The audit would begin by asking for feedback internally. An excellent document to use to give that feedback structure is Web Site Review Procedure, written by Gary Polson, an engineer and market researcher. (He is also the author of Market Research, Industry Research, Business Research, How to Learn about an Industry or a Specific Company.) The lengthy, thorough procedure can be used as the blueprint for organizing a project team for an in-depth analysis of a major website.
III. Ask Your Customers
The more specific your questions are, the better will be the answers you get. Do not ask: "Did you like the meal?" ( = do you like our website?) Rather ask about their purpose (business meal, celebration), their general dining preferences (usually eat at home, fine restaurants, at fast food chains), how often they have been there, the menu (ease of reading, foods offered), the prices, the taste and presentation of each dish ordered, the wine, the waiters, the time from ordering to being served, the tablecloth, napkins, silverware, glasses, porcelan, the table and chairs (how comfortable), the decor (paintings on the wall), the cleanliness - especially of the bathrooms, the general noise level, the background music, the room temperature, their impression of the other diners (for their level of comfort - the Hell's Angel feels threatened surrounded by tuxedos), the ease of making a reservation - and how (telephone, computer),the area, the building, the parking lot, the advertising.
The combination of such factors makes for the total restaurant experience. That experience determines whether one returns, and whether one recommends the restaurant and to whom. Similarly a variety of factors make for the total website experience, including the browser the viewer uses. Of course one should not ask too many questions all at once. Instead organize them into a series of short surveys. Consider what incentive to offer for completing each one, perhaps a coupon, free pdf download or a prize for the best suggestion.
A survey could be devoted to only:
- the landing page (including how one came upon it)
- product/service descriptions
- the website videos
- the payment procedures
- on-line customer service
- content, specifically helpful information on the website, and navigating to it
- only the English, only the German, etc. version of the website
Conducting the surveys could be a good task for a computer-savy student intern.
IV. Website Critiques
1) Forum critiques - for free!
There are many forums where one can ask for a free website critique, beginning with those relevant to one's own industry, as well as marketing forums. Just two examples are given below.
1.1 - PHP Freaks is a forum devoted to free website critiques. Again, one gets the best feedback by asking specific questions.
1.2 - MarketingProfs offers a brief informal website critique as one of 19 question categories. To obtain it, one opts-in by joining the MarketingProfs, which is free. The know-how exchange of this marketing site is the most active English language one in the world. Upon joining, one receives 250 question points, which one can use for the website critique. As a member, one earns points by answering questions, and spends points by asking questions.
2) Tools, brief examples
Google tools are an excellent beginning. These should be supplemented by ones from other sources as a cross-check.
2.1 - At Google Webmaster Central submit your XML sitemap in order to receive website diagnostic data.
2.2 - The Google Analytics tools allow one to examine your website traffic. Important note for German (.de) websites: One must inform the viewer that the tool is being used and let him opt out (at the Impressum). Apparently one should also sign a contract with the Hamburg Internet authorities.
2.3 - The Google Website Optimizer lets you run experiments, including multivariate analysis. The ability to test different website designs, from the landing page onwards, at minimal cost and with real customers is a tremendous advantage of the Internet.
2.4 - At Open Site Explorer you can check backlinks, which are critical for SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
2.5 - In Occam's Razor, a blog by Avinash Kaushik, you will find good tips about web analytics.
3) Modestly priced critiques
Google the phrase "website critiques" to find current offerings. Below are three results, July 2011, by way of example. Be sure to conduct due diligence before spending any money. As a minimum, verify the testimonials and check the guarantee.
3.1 - Soleil Web Solutions offers website critiques for $50 and $200.
3.2 - Darren Slaughter offers website critiques for $200 with two outstanding features, and one marketing blunder. Outstanding is that his service is only for the construction industry. He uses a 38 item checklist about your website, and, again outstanding, sends you a video about his findings. The blunder is that not only does he not offer a guarantee, he states that the payment in advance is non-refundable.
3.3 - Ideally, you want to find a website professional who concentrates on your industry. Another example would be Kathleen Allardyee, whose firm Build Real Estate Results offers website services for real estate brokers and agents.
4) SEO critiques
There are a great many SEO experts. Ask a number of them a question, and you will get as many different answers as there are experts! Two firms to use as benchmarks that offer on-line marketing services with strong SEO capabilities are:
4.1 - hubspot in Cambridge, Mass. (close to M.I.T.) and
4.2 - seomoves in Florida.
4.3 - CGMK Consulting offers a website SEO analysis for $200.
5) Off-shoring
Another good way to receive website and specfically an SEO critique is to put out an RFQ (request for quote) on outsourcing sites such as elance, which also has a German language site. Do this only if you really intend to have work done on your website! As part of the selection process, ask people to indicate what, specifically, they would correct/improve.
Jerry West has written an excellent short article "How to Interview an Outsourced SEO Person," which appeared as a StomperNet blog July 1st, 2011. He emphasizes starting someone out with a small trial project. The eight questions he asks are summarized below. One should read the article for his expert take on what constitute good versus bad answers.
- SEO tools most used
- strategies implemented
- how SEO campaigns are evaluated
- which other SEO experts are followed
- what forums and blogs are read
- biggest SEO failure
- SEO strength
- SEO weakness
V. Resources
1) Continuing education
Consider sending someone on your staff to courses on website design, SEO, etc. These are offered by community colleges, by, in Germany, the IHK and the Volkshochschulen, etc.
2) Books
2.1 - Web Marketing All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies, 2009 was written by a team: John Arnold, Ian Lurie, Marty Dickinson and Elizabeth Marsten. This 850 page reference book includes a section on what to look for when hiring an SEO professional.
2.2 - Search Engine Optimization for Dummies, 2011 by Peter Kent is one of the better introductions to SEO.
VI. What Hinders People From Buying On-Line?
Six main reasons are:
1) Understanding the need: They do not really understand how the product or offer satisfies their needs. Their doubt ranges from "What is it anyway?" to the more common, "Do I really need that?"
2) Value: Even if they need it, they may not particularly value your offer, or believe they can afford it.
2.1 - The price/performance ratio is not convincing.
3) Alternatives: They see themselves as being able to solve the problem or build the product on their own, or with another provider.
4) Trust: Value (price/performance) is there, but they do not really trust you.
4.1 - Risk: There is too much risk. For instance, you are an unknown provider.
4.2 - Track record, testimonials and guarantee are not convincing.
Video testimonials have more power than written runs. The "best practices" guarantee is the awesome one of Land's End: "Guaranteed. Period." Benchmark your guarantee against that, and also consider using services such as etrust, BBB and verisign.
5) Urgency: Both value and trust are there, but urgency is not. The purchase is not a priority.
6) Call to Action: They are ready to purchase, but the website does not have a clear call to action leading to a smooth and easily navigable way to place an order.
B. The Website Video
for more customers and revenues
A website tells the story of your company and its products and services. More people are inclined to watch TV or go out to see a film than to pick up a good book to read. Similarly, more people are inclined to watch a website video than read its content, or even to skim it by scrolling down, let alone downloading a pdf file. To be successful, to capture and hold someone's attention, the same criterion applies to both the movie/video, the book -- and to your website.
The story needs to capture and hold interest, as Scheherazade does with her story of Aladin and the Genie in the Arabian Nights.
"Scheherazade went on with her story."2
Contents
I. Introductory Video Questions.
II. On-line marketing
III. Some Technical Video Information.
IV. Eight Video Launching Pads
I. Introductory Video Questions
1st Question - Why Video?
The impact of a video on the landing page and for sales is widely accepted, but not yet widely spread. The proliferation of highspeed Internet access since 2009 has made viewing videos on one's computer practical for most. Yet as soon as one leaves the Fortune 500, the majority of businesses do not use website videos. One estimate is that less than 10% of on-line marketing incorporates a video. Another estimate, specifically for the U.S., is that as of 2011 ony 3 of 7 companies use website videos. Why doesn't every website use videos?
1) Viewed as complicated, do not even know how to load a video onto the website.
2) Concerned that an amateurish video would detract from the professional appearing website.
3) Do not know all that much about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for the website in general and nothing at all about SEO for a video on it.
4) Assume a professional video would be exorbitantly expensive.
Therefore many companies view a website video as a "nice to have" someday, but not as a priority. No formal analysis of the options is ever made. Interestingly, this attitude is similar to what businesses had when the telephone was introduced, the computer, websites, and now, website videos. Therefore an opportunity exists to get a step ahead of one's competitiors.
The Answer
Take a hard look at the different options to improve one`s website, specifically including the use of video. Looking at video in the context of on-line marketing is treated in Section 2 of that name below.
2nd Question - Capturing Attention
The classic U.S. sales acronym is AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. How long does one have to catch someone's attention, five minutes, two minutes -- five seconds, two seconds? What really gets the attention of customers nowadays anyways?
Before the industrial revolution and mass media, the pace of life was slower, attention spans longer. People on a farm in Western cultures have been estimated to have had attention spans of 15 minutes or more. With radio, TV and now the web, attention spans have become shorter and shorter. As far as Internet surfing is concerned, our attention spans have been reduced from that of a curious cow to about that of a goldfish.
Quandary: How do I best get customers' attention? And hold it! A key metric is what percent of viewers watch the video to the end.
An Answer
Sally Hogshead explains how long a goldfish's attention span is and the implications for your marketing campaigns, in "How to Fascinate," a presentation at TED.3 Her thoughts make an excellent point of departure for considering one's marketing campaigns and how best to use an advertising and PR budget in general, and one for the web in particular.
Note that in 2008 Google was estimated to have one trillion web pages indexed. Let us make a high estimate for YouTube of 10 billion videos. For the purposes of simplicity, assume equal traffic. In this case a video is faced, compared to reading a webpage, with only 1% as much competition for a viewer's attention.
3rd Question - Have video, will travel?
You have read that a video is a powerful sales tool for two reasons. First, it captures people's attention, drawing them into your website. Second, it can be set up to be an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) magnet, attracting viewers to the website.
Your story needs to be told to a receptive audience. In other words, you need to put your website in front of people who are looking for exactly what you have to offer. They already want to buy. Therefore you do not sell them. Rather you help them make an informed purchase that meets their needs.
Quandary: how exactly do you make your video travel to your targeted customers locally, and all over the world if you are selling on line?
The Short Answer
Optimizing SEO for the video(s) on your website entails a little more than downloading to YouTube. One needs to use (1) Video Sharing Sites, followed by script entry with backlinks to the video(s) at: (2) Social Media, (3) Blogs, (4) Article Directories, (5) Bookmarking Sites, (6) Forums, and (7) Press Release sites.
The Long Answer
Some comments about each of the above seven with lists of starter sites are given below at V. Seven Launching Pads for Your Video. Naturally these steps need to be in congruence with the SEO for the website itself. For further information about SEO, see the preceding subpage, The Website Audit.
II. On-line Marketing Comments
Introduction
Internet marketing has become increasingly important for just about all businesses. The on-going transition from "bricks and mortar" to "bricks and clicks" is global. The single most powerful entity in the on-line world is Google, referred to by many an Internet guru as The People's Democratic Republic of North Google. They whisper in awe of its dreaded neutron bombs, nicknamed "the Google slap." These are launched with cause, but also arbitrarily, apparently at mere whim. A single "slap" can vaporize a thousand, or ten thousand, websites -- or, if not making them disappear completely, banish them to page 50, 100 or even lower in the rankings on a Google search.
Multinational corporations have the resources to negotiate with the politicians of North Korea and the managers of North Google. However even they are wary of the effort it will take. Smaller companies that venture into the domains of these power mongers are pretty much at their mercy.
Three on-line sub-categories rapidly gaining momentum are (1) social media, (2) mobile clicks and (3) website videos.
1) Facebook now has over 700 million users (2011), and with other similar sites, such as Twitter, and also Linked-In, is an advertising medium that should not be overlooked. Associated with that is the popularity of group purchasing, such as via Groupon.
2) Mobile clicks refers to the increasing amount of Internet surfing done on smart phones. Searches for local businesses are especially common. The offers of electronic coupons by local businesses are increasing correspondingly.
3) Websites have become ubiquitous, as common, and as necessary, as having a business card. Most business cards are o.k., get the job done. Some are pretty bad, and a few are really great, elegant and memorable. The same three categories of bad, o.k. and great apply to websites. However the percentage of websites that really "get the job done" is much smaller than for business cards. First, there is a little more involved in designing a website than a business card. Second, most websites serve a much larger purpose than merely providing contact information. The website is a key sales driver. That is true for both B2B and B2C sales.
A key requirement for a website which does, in fact, "get the job done," is that it capture the visitor`s attention -- and then holds it. The initial "accept or reject" decision takes place in less than a minute, in fact, in much less (cf. the video by Sally Hogsworth, linked above). Accept means the visitor (prospective customer) decides to stay on the website and learn more. Reject means he leaves the website. "Bounces" is the term used in website analytics.
The empirical evidence from sources such as Google Analytics supports the statement repeated by a variety of Internet gurus: a short, well-done video on the landing page, front and center, is by far the best introduction, best attention-getter, a website can have. Just as the website has become a key marketing tool for bricks and mortar businesses, in the transition to "bricks and clicks," videos have become a key driver for a successful website, i.e. one to which visitors "stick." The "stickier" the website, the more likely a visitor is to become a customer, or, if already a customer, to make another purchase -- and to recommend the website, forward a link, mention it on Facebook or Twitter.
III. The Do-It-Yourself Option
Viability
This option is absolutely legitimate and viable. It can lead to excellent results, not, however, through "point and shoot" with your smart phone camera. Yes, one can "point and shoot" a video for friends and family, but it is unlikely to be adequate for a TV documentary, or a website either. Of course amateurs can do much more than "point and shoot."
An analogy is to a serious hobby photographer with good equipment and experience. He too can take award-winning photographs. Naturally there is a little more involved to shooting a video, let alone a film, than a still photograph. That is why the admissions for a leading film school, such New York University (NYU's Tisch School and Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & Television) is so fiercely competitive, even though the six years from freshman to a graduate degree will run you, just for tuition, $47,000 a year. (Furthermore living expenses in New York City are high, and the course materials are not cheap either.)
Granted, one learns much more than one needs to know to shoot a website video. A more relevant option would be the excellent course for website videos periodically offered by Andy Jenkins. A graduate of the NYU film school, he has worked on Hollywood films. The on-line courses he offers as The Video Boss run 9 weeks and cost $2,000. (The one for 2011 is sold out.) They are considered the best value for money in the U.S., quite possibly world-wide. Someone already interested in photography and film who takes that course (or an equivalent one) and follows up with "learning by doing" should definitely be able to shoot high quality videos for your firm. Furthermore, he will also know a good deal about SEO for videos.
Do It Yourself Hints and Tips
A smart phone is not adequate for shooting a website video. A full-blown professional video camera easily runs over 1.000 €. Furthermore it requires some expertise to take advantage of all its features. Two good compromises are given below at (1) Camera.
Generally, one should shoot a video in HD (high definition). A significant advantage of HD is that picture quality is not lost when one compresses the FHD (full high definition) 1400 by 2900 format to, say, 720 by 576, to use on a standard DVD player. The latter format is the standard one for TV. If you have cable TV with an Internet bandwidth of 15,000 you can receive FHD. On a website FHD is irrelevant. However it is preferable for a presentation projected on to a screen for a large audience, for instance at a trade fair.
1) Camera
1.1 - The Sony Bloggie MHS-CM5 video camera new is about 200 Euro. It is available used at amazon.com for about 125 € and, with some luck, on E-bay for perhaps 100 €. The link is to a review of the camera in German on YouTube. A number of other reviews of it are also on YouTube in English.
It is small, light, easy to use, and can hold its own with cameras up to 800 €. Actually, a significant difference in quality really comes with the over 1.000 € professional cameras. Because the camera is light, it is best used with a tripod. Or just set it on a table and let it run automatically.
One would also want to purchase a back-up battery, about 30 €, and probably an expanded memory card as well. A nice feature of the camera is that it is pre-programmed for downloading a video onto YouTube. One negative not mentioned in the review is that the internal loudspeaker is quite weak. One needs to attach earphones to it to hear the audio playback.
1.2 - The Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera costs about $180. The link is to an English language review. A negative is that you also have to buy an SDHC memory card, which costs about $100. Attractive features are a) the size, about that of a full screen smart phone, b) external microphone slot, c) supports SDHC, d) a macro mode for close-ups and e) three HD recording modes. (Using 30 fps/720p makes sense for videos that will be shown on YouTube.)
2) Microphone
A good microphone is the Logitech ClearChat Comfortable USB Headset, for about $40.
3) Editing
3.1 - Hardware
Your computer needs to have at least 2 Gigabyte storage capacity and 4 Gigabyte is better. (If you were going to edit a Hollywood film, you would need 300 Gigabytes!) You can open two windows on your computer screen. However life will be a lot easier if you use two computer screens. A good way to get a second, large computer screen is to buy an old flat screen TV. Of course you first have to make sure about its compatibility - the ease of connecting it with your computer.
3.2 - Software
There are two low budget alternatives. The first is to get editing software and learn how to use it. That is by no means a trivial task. The "big three" (2011) are CyberLink Power Director ($50), Corel Video Studio Pro X5 ($50), and, for Mac, Adobe Premier Elements ($100).
A fourth choice is Magix (100 €). The link is to the German language version of the website. With the software one should buy a manual. A "minimum cost" alternative would be to look for an older (but completely adequate) version, such as Magix Video deluxe 2006/2007. Note that Magix takes up a lot of space. A clear, well written German manual of the same title has been written by Ingo Lackerbauer, Markt + Technik Verlag, 16 €.
The second alternative is to look for a professional editor offshore. Given the huge Bollywood film industry in India, there will certainly be competent professionals there. One can look for them over sites such as Elance. (The link is to the German version of the site.) Before submitting an RFQ (Request for Quote), one needs to do some research on how best to choose and manage an offshore engagement, as discussed on the subpage "Outsourcing, Hints & Tips" under Tools und Techniken. References need verification and payments should be as milestones are reached.
There are also good video products from Adobe, Vegas, Pinnacle. Leading providers of screencasting software are:
- Camstudio - Jing
- Camtasia - Quick Time X
- iShowU HD - Screenflow
A nice feature of Camtasia is that one can edit at pauses, setting input and output. The iShowU HD product is available at www.shinywhitebox.com.
4) Music
Sources include (all are .com):
- animation
- digitaljuice
- gema
- musicbakery
- royaltyfree.
5) Uploading Your Video
You will want your video on YouTube (at the very least) as well as on the website. There is good guidance at "How to upload a video" to YouTube, a 2 and 1/2 minute video with screenshots. If you want to upload a longer video, say from a webinar, the best way to do this is to break it up into a series of short videos of 9 or 10 minutes each. (Also some of the video sharing sites, such as blip.tv, accomodate longer videos. Sample sites are listed below at "V. Seven Video Launching Pads.") After having uploaded at YouTube, click on its Share button. Then click on the Embed button that appears below the link. Copy the code and paste it into your website HTML code where you want the video to appear.
The Professional Option
The obvious advantage is known quality -- one can view samples of the firm's work on its website. The obvious disadvantage is cost.
Hollywood films cost millions. Twenty hours of film simultaneously shot by 10 to 20 cameras (for different perspectives) can be edited down by a team in a week at a studio to a 5 minute scene -- or eliminated entirely, just cut and discarded. There is a trickle down effect for videos for business as well. Four hours of film shot by two cameras can be edited (e.g. with Magix software) into a 5 minute video in two days. That is not the millions of a Hollywood film, but can still easily run in the thousands.
Consequence
Before one goes down the video road, whether it be a simple dirt path or an eight-laned superhighway, one should consider the marketing, branding and sales objectives.
- How does the video reflect marketing strategy?
- How does it support branding?
- How can one make it a useful tool for the sales force?
- What other purposes could it serve, for instance in support of the business plan in seeking debt or equity capital?
In the preceding link using a video instead of a written business plan is suggested by Jeffery Gitomer is probably te leading sales trainer in the U.S. (The link is to further information about him at "Eminent Referrals" at About Us.) In the following YouTube link, he suggests using a video of key sales calls instead of a business plan. The idea has merit. However if one goes to the trouble of organizing it as he suggests, taking the further step of quality shooting (not with a smart phone camera) seems reasonable.
All too often videos are created in a marketing void. After the video is produced, one then decides how to incorporate it into the existing strategy and campaigns. (1st - "Fire!" 2nd - "Aim!" 3rd - "Check to see if it's loaded???") Examine some of the questions associated with The Blue Star Strategy Audit as a catalyst to your own review.
IV. A Suggested Approach
First, one builds a bridge to cross the gap between the video as "idea" to its being a practical, powerful image and sales tool. This marketing dialogue is among Bridges, the client and a "bridge architect," viz. web designer. Revising a website often raises larger questions about marketing strategy. The initial dialogue is based on first considering the W´s, as elaborated upon below.
The W's: Why, What, Who, Where, When, Wherewithal
The video project should be planned in the context of one's marketing strategy.
- "Why do you want to shoot this video?"
- "What are you trying to accomplish?"
- "Who is the audience, the targeted viewers?"
- "Where are they - culture (language)/country?"
These are the strategic questions: the video goals and how they fit into the overall marketing strategy. Note that implicit to these questions is the role of SEO. A wonderful advertising campaign or compelling video is irrelevant if only a handful of people view it, having stumbled onto it by accident.
The strategic questions are followed by tactical ones: how best to make -- and distribute -- the video.
- "When should the video - as part of the on-line marketing campaign - be ready?"
- "Wherewithal - which marketing resources (management time, budget) should be allocated?"
V. Some Technical Terminology
Terms
- aspect ratios - FLV
- bit rates - frame rates
- blue/green compositing - H.264
- Codecs (compressor/decompressor) - kHz
- encoding software (& mistakes) - Mp4
- Amazon's CDN distribution - output formats
- white balance - muslin & seamless backgrounds
- contrast ratios - B-roll
- Dutch angles - timeline edit tools
- keyframe effects - Audio Suite Plug-in FX
- audio mixdowns - color correction wizards
- exploring the Avid - the clipboard monitor
- nesting videos - sync locks
- eye line performance line readings - lighting (Tungsten vs. Fluorescent vs. LED)
The two main options for uploading videos are a) 640 wide by 480 tall and b) 1280 wide by 720 tall. The bandwidth or bit rate for the video is 1500 kb, and for audio 128 kb. These specs are for external distribution. They are about double of those for doing your own hosting.
Split Testing
A tremendous advantage of the Internet is that it so easily - and cheaply - allows split testing. One can target specific pages of one's website to split test, or put up parallel websites. Five of the main sites to assist with split testing are:
- google.com/ads/displaynetworks (but the templates are not easy to use)
- www.google.com/websiteoptimizer (including multivariate analysis)
- advertising.microsoft.com
- advertisingcentral.yahoo.com
- MyDisplayAdvertising.com (is a customized offering by John Arnold, one of authors, with Ian Lurie, Marty Dickinson and Elizabeth Marsten of Web Marketing, a book in the Dummies series which is linked above in IV. Resources of 2. The Website Audit.)
Mobile phones
The U.S. is significantly behind most of Europe in mobile phones. Yet even in the U.S. about 19 out of 20 people have a mobile phone, one third of which are "smart" phones. For B2C marketing optimizing the landing page for mobile devices is therefore important. One should also consider the use of mobile coupons such as the Starbucks gift card.
VI. Eight Video Launching Pads
A good system for video distribution is offered by Traffic Geyser in California. The first link at "video distribution" is to a 21 day trial version for one dollar. The second link at the firm's name is to its main website. This third link, traffic backup, is again to the trial version if the first link does not work. Use Traffic Geyser as a benchmark against (1) doing the work in house, (2) subcontracting the work to a local service, (3) considering the offers of firms competing directly with Traffic Geyser and (4) off-shoring.
The launching pads follow:
1) YouTube
Issues to pay attention to include:
- the HD option
- getting backlinks
- using related videos to increase one's ranking
- how to switch out (for free) YouTube ads in your videos with your own
2) Other video sharing sites
YouTube accounts for about one third of all video viewing on the Internet. The other two-thirds is done over sites such as the ones below. Unless otherwise noted, all sites in this and the succeeding sections are .com ones.
- blip.tv - megavideo
- bofunk - photobucket
- daily motion - sevenload
- ecoup TV - veoh
- graspr - viddler
- kewego - viewtube
- livevideo - vimeo
- mediacafe
N.B. The video script, with a link back to the video, should be entered at sites such as those listed in the next six categories.
3) Social media sites
One should past the script on a Facebook fan page and also feature it on Google Profile and sites such Linked In, Tweeter, Xing and Google Plus. A video can help raise your interactivity score on the Facebook algorithm, which is captured by search engines. (A facebook entry of "I had toast for breakfast" can actually hurt your rankings.)
4) Blogs
Examples are:
- google profile - squido
- google site - tumblr
- livejournal - typepad
- mybloglog - wordpress.org
- posterous
5) Article Directories
One should google "article directories." The link is to a vretoolbar list of the top 50 directories. (There are at least one, possibly over two, thousand.) A top ten list is:
- articlesbase - ezinearticles
- associatedcontent - hubpages
- buzzle - knol
- ehow - squidoo
- examiner - technorati
6) Bookmarking sites
Examples are:
- Connectedy - Spotback
- Digg - Spurl
- Feedmaker - StumbleUpon
- Folkd
7) Forums relevant to the video
One finds these with a Google search.
8) Press release sites
Press releases cost money; therefore the sites should be selected carefully. Be sure your choices allow video links, including double checking that the examples below still do.
- openPR - PRWeb
- PRLeap - WiredPRNews
VIII. Webinar Software
1) GoToWebinar offers screen sharing, presentation recording, standard and VOIP call-ins, polls and chat. A 30-day free trial is offered.
2) Ryan Lee's Presentation Domination webinar software has similar features. Particularly well done is the one for pre-recording your webinars for future use.
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1 "Aladdin finds the genie in the cave," © Virginia Frances Sterret, Arabian Nights, 1928, public domain, age, Wikipedia
2 "Scheherazade went on with her story," © Virginia Frances Sterret, Arabian Nights, 1928, public domain, age, Wikipedia
3 The quality of Sally Hogshead's 18 minute presentation "How to Fascinate" at TED reflects the 100 hours she spent preparing and practicing it. The first TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference was held in California in 1984, and since 1990 it has been an annual event. It is run by the non-profit Sapling Foundation.
Speakers are given 18 minutes to present "ideas worth spreading." Among them have been Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Al Gore, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and a slew of Nobel Prize winners. The events are held in Long Beach and Palm Springs in the U.S., as well as in Europe and Asia. Over 700 speeches are available for viewing on-line. These have been seen more than 500 million times (June, 2011).
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