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A Blog Post About Online Video & Biz… So Good I Should Plagiarize It

It’s been a very long time since I’ve discovered an article about online video that made me shout “Amen.” Courtesy of ReelSEO, here’s “Three Types of Online Video for Business.” I especially like this visual below (the chart not the head shot, mkay). It helps simplify the relationship between the location of a video and its intent  — whether it’s on a brand’s website to drive trial or increase purchase, or whether designed to drive awareness, trial or website visits.

daniel_sevitt sevitt sevvitOnly after I was done reading did I realize it was written by Daniel Sevitt — a WVFF reader/commenter who “discovered” me when he oversaw content at Metacafe, long before I had more than 100 YouTube subscribers. He liked my hippo and “annoy my son” videos there.

Sevitt is now with EyeView (check the blog) discovering that there was more to life than “unmanageable UGC, unimpressive CPM and unaccountable ROI.” Zoing!

I think when I plagiarize his article for my book I’ll turn this image into a funnel, where the “viral” content’s goal is to get someone to a website, and the video on the website is designed to convert them to a measurable action. Of course now that I’ve joked about this, Daniel, I’m going to have to spend five hours getting permission from you to satisfy Wiley requirements. 🙂

Online Video for Business: three types (Daniel Sevitt)Simply put, you want a lot of content on YouTube and other video-sharing sites to hedge your bets on search. Then ideally you’ve got a user path…

  1. We captivate them with a funny or engaging video (or via a known weblebrity).
  2. We invite them to take an action (usually a site visit unless the ad is dynamic). Maybe 1-5 percent will do so.
  3. We convert some portion from grazers to customers (on website or with some lead-generation CRM tool).
  4. I’m not sure I’d invest much into loyalty, but I’m a jaded product director who found that (despite conventional wisdom) it’s sometimes easier to find new customers than bend the loyalty curve of the tiny base of customers that would be prone to loyalty-inducing video content. We could debate this over a beer or five.

I’d provide two additional thoughts I don’t think Daniel would dispute.

  1. I might even suggest that many sales can be consummated without dragging someone to a bloated product.com website. How many products are in your house? Good- have you been to any of the products’ websites?
  2. Although it’s ideal for businesses to create custom video content for various audiences and locations (online-video websites, blogs, product.com, or internal use), it’s a bigger crime to NOT post anything on YouTube or other popular sites.

It makes me crazy that brands have loads of engaging, informative, persuasive content… sitting in file cabinets or agency eRooms. Meh.

While you’re trying to find a way to engage audiences in entertaining ways, at least post your promotional or educational content on YouTube (provided it’s not archaic or horrible). If for no other reason this helps your search-engine performance (yeah, um, don’t sit on your ass hoping Google spiders will find some Quicktime video buried on your website).

Ideally your video is related to the search terms (which will tell you if a customer is exploring a category or ready to buy) or customized to a site’s context. But better something decent than nothing at all. Chances are your video won’t get a lot of “viral” views, but you want your message served upon Google and YouTube search results… not your competitors or a sour customer.

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9 Comments

  1. No love at all for the head shot? I had to borrow the spectacles to make me look grown up.

    The diagram is yours. Being plagiarized by Nalts would be the zenith of my online career!

  2. So funny. I love discovering things like that.

    Luckily for me, I left MC before Daniel, but I still read his stuff, even though I’m technically not in the online video field anymore.

    Good luck with everything, Kev!

    (P.S. Remember me? Do ya? Do ya? Huh?)

  3. The educational/loyalty video could be worth something if your product is the first of it’s kind – not something that happens often.

    But that is why people latched on to Snuggie so well. It is stupid as all hell, but it is unique and I would say requires explanation (not necessarily in “how to use” but “why a normal person would ever own such a thing”).

    I’d say in THAT case, on-the-website-educational-loyalty-building is a good idea. Someone has to say “I have a Snuggie… I even like it” at the office.

  4. Mkay! We have Daniel commenting (nice to finally figure out what you look like) and TAYLA is back in town. What next? Micki from Revver surfaces (she did last night). Hey Peter- forget snuggie… that Snuggle bear needs some satire.

  5. Dude! It’s like a class reunion!!! 🙂

    I took a detour from community management to product management, but I’m back in community at Sparkeo.com – we launch next week.

    Hope you’re doing well – you were adorable with Sam’s girls.

    Happy holidays!

  6. Hi Nalts,

    I completely share in your enthusiasm over Daniel’s post. If businesses don’t take action after reading this post, then it’s their own fault.

    You mentioned turning that graphic into a funnel and I couldn’t help but mention a recent guest post I wrote and illustrated:

    http://www.findresolution.com/2009/11/video-marketing-takes-army.html

    Had I read Daniel’s post before writing this it may have turned out a little different, but I thought you might enjoy the video related artwork (complete with funnel). Feel free to use it if you’d like.

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