By Maribeth Kuzmeski
Are you using video to connect with prospects, clients, referrals and potential alliances? Did you know that, according to Forrester Research, a website with a video is 53 times more likely to come up on the first page of results on Google than the exact same page without video?
Video is an incredibly powerful marketing tool. But in order for it to work you have to get people to watch.
You may have video that you have shared on YouTube, on your website, in a blog or on social media sites. Here are eight quick tips for engaging people so they will want to watch your video and connect further with you.
1. Create good, interesting content. This is easier said than done. What would people in your target market actually want to learn or find out about you? Ask clients and centers of influence for their feedback on what content would be valuable.
2. Title the video so people know what content they will be watching. Give them a good reason for viewing. Also give your video a full description that answers clearly why someone would want to watch.
3. Make sure the thumbnail picture associated with your video looks like you are someone they’d want to watch. The thumbnail can sometimes be a not-so-attractive, in motion, eyes closed type of screen grab of your video. Don’t be afraid to choose different thumbnails.
4. List the running time of the video when possible. YouTube will automatically do this for you. Under 3 minutes is a palatable amount for a prospect trying to find out about you or learn something. It seems awfully short, but more than 2-3 minutes and the potential viewer has to really want the information you are sharing.
5. Tag your video with as many key words in YouTube as possible. People will find your videos with these tags.
6. After uploading your video to YouTube or your website, share a link on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. Let people you are connected with know it is there!
7. Send out an email newsletter with embedded video or a link to your video. Sharing your new videos with your connections is a great way to directly give people the valuable content you have created for them.
8. Use your video as a referral tool by telling advocates and referral sources that they can direct people to a new video you’ve posted or share a link. Give them a reason to introduce you to someone else!
The key with video ultimately is to have valuable content, share the content with potentially interested people and engage them to view and share. Video is definitely a great way to get “face-to-face” with clients and prospects and share just how great you really are!
Maribeth Kuzmeski is the president of Red Zone Marketing, a marketing and management consulting firm devoted to business development. She is the author of seven books, including …And The Clients Went Wild! (Wiley), The Connectors (Wiley), and Social Media For Financial Advisors: A Step By Step Guide for Creating a Social Media Presence and Driving Traffic to Your Firm. You can find out more about these books (and other resources from RZM) here.
