In the original ‘Chinese proverb’ the quotation, “A Picture’s Meaning Can Express Ten Thousand Words,” has over the years been wrongly translated into, “A Picture Is Worth One Thousand Words.” Regardless of the exact quote, the fact remains, an image can do much that words cannot, especially video images.
Speaking of videos, the real Oscars will be handed out in a few days (Hurt Locker is my selection for Best Picture), here are a couple videos that attracted millions of viewers and created a viral buzz for their companies and if virtual Oscars were given out, they may have won.
With over 25 billion videos watched each and every month, web video offers an important opportunity for businesses to connect with a wider audience and at relatively inexpensive format. Here are three reasons why business should use video on their website and in electronic marketing:
Videos make the content more believable since the viewer can see it in action. This can be a new product or technical training. Through using video on your website and in electronic marketing, you can demonstrate the before and after effects of your product and services and feature testimonials from your customers. This all helps lend credibility to your business, which could increase your sales.
Video is more precise than text. Why describe something to visitors when you can show them? Videos explain or present information and products more effectively than plain text or still pictures and graphics. Visitors will be appreciative that you chose to take the more direct approach which makes them all the more likely to become engaged and take action.
Video can also grab the viewer’s attention. In an electronic world filled with text and pictures marketing new things, a well-constructed video really stands out to consumers. It tempts them to take action on your words, and it helps you build a relationship with them by adding a personal touch to your campaign
Here is a recent example of a client turning to video to share attendee and exhibitor testimonials to expand their marketing and communication efforts, Trade Show Video.
So, videos can make complicated and boring material an entertaining multimedia experience. Videos can also promote shared viral marketing. And, making a video is more than just filming information. Add a touch of humor, something unique or just plain amazing as it can help create a viral hit that spreads like wildfire. Do you remember this virtual Oscar classic Spraying Fountain? Plus, a lot of search engines push multimedia rich websites to the top of their rankings.
In the end, adding videos has become an industry standard, and rejecting it means throwing away potential sales opportunities.
As I sat glued to the TV screen watching the “flying tomato” Shaun White soar to another gold medal, I realized there are several MarCom “truths” that I learned from spending hours watching the world’s best athletes compete.
Social Media Rules – As if we needed another reminder of how prevalent and relevant social media is, just look at all the Olympians that were Tweeting – several right before they performed. Many of the big stars like Lindsey Vonn, Shuan White, and Apolo Ohno use social media as a key strategic tool in their very successful, multi-million dollar marketing machines. Everybody is doing it and if your company isn’t, it will be left behind at the starting gate.
It’s The Story That Sells – Oh sure, we all like to see the figure skaters do their thrilling triple toe loops and salchows (whatever those are) but after all the competition is finished, what are you going to remember most? It’s the personal stories of the performers. Just think of the Canadian skater who competed after her mother unexpectedly died two days before. Millions of people around the world watched with lumps in their throats and tears in their eyes as she gutted-out an incredible performance. Are your products telling an interesting story or just one of the many also-ran performers.
Ultimately – You’ve Got To Perform – Lindsey Vonn came into the Olympics as the “Golden Girl”, even before she won her gold medal. Even if she would not have won a medal, she would still make millions in endorsements and speaking engagements – for a while. Within a few months her shining star would quickly fade and she would eventually become another ex-Olympic skier. However, by winning the gold medal she not only ensured her place in history, she added millions of dollars in endorsements and speaking engagements. As professional marketers we can drive sales by strategically and creatively promoting all the wonderful features and benefits of a product. However, if the product isn’t as good as we said it was, it ultimately it will fade away or fail. Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that superior marketing will keep an inferior product alive forever.
Break Away From The Pack – Strategically – Watching Apolo Ohno break away from the pack at the very last moment to win a medal proves that you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. If you watched the Olympics for any length of time, you undoubtedly saw several commercials from General Electric that very effectively promoted a variety of their products in a very personal, story-telling manner. They could have easily spent their ad dollars as many other Fortune 500 companies did by buying a couple commercials during the Super Bowl. Instead, they probably got a great deal from a traumatized NBC to run several ads many times during the 10 day Olympics and received a much greater ROI. Great strategy, smart thinking.
Don’t Over Promise – It’s great to be confident and to build a multi million dollar campaign around a catchy theme, like the Canadian’s “Own The Podium”. However, with condolences to my Canadian friends, you’ve got to be able to deliver on your promises or you’ll look rather silly. The Canadian team did very well this year (especially in the gold medal standings) but they set the bar a little too high and bragged too much (sounds like the Americans, eh?). How often have you designed campaigns that over promise?
Since I’ve run out of sports cliches, the final lesson I’ve learned from the Olympics is that hard work, perseverance, and dedication will win the day. At H+A International, we follow those principles and have helped our clients win marketing “gold medals” for more than 25 years.
In today’s economy, where companies across all industry segments are operating with reduced staff and necessarily forced to do more with less, one of the easiest ways to gain economies of scale is to recycle the content your company creates. Following are just some of the ways you can get the more mileage out of your marketing communication messages.
For less than $200, a Flip video camera can help capture original content from a myriad of sources. Interviewing willing customers about their favorable experiences with your company’s products or events can not only lead to glowing testimonials for your company, but new insights to merits and advantages of your products or services that you may not be aware of yet.
Apply those favorable quotes to news releases your company distributes about new product launches or your events, and enjoy the added credibility they lend to news media beyond staple quotes from your company’s senior management.
Exceptionally strong quotes can also effectively be showcased throughout your marketing collateral and advertising materials. The first-hand experiences of happy customers speaks volumes – where sales messages alone can often fall short.
Did your video interviews reveal new insights you hadn’t considered about your company’s products, services or events? Why not blog about it, and invite reader comments to continue the information-sharing and content creation cycle?
Are you a marketer that’s found other creative ways to repurpose original content? Drop us a line – we’d love to hear about them!
I just returned from two very successful expositions last week that were held on opposite coasts for completely different audiences. The 2010 AHR Expo (world’s largest heating and air conditioning event) was held January 25-27 in Orlando, Florida and attracted more than 45,000 HVAC professionals. At the same time, the CHA Craft & Hobby Trade Show (largest craft & hobby show in North America) was held in Anaheim, California and attracted close to 10,000 crafting professionals.
Although the participants and products on display couldn’t be more different, the events shared one thing in common – they attracted more attendees and exhibitors then they had anticipated. Given the current economy, both the show organizers and the exhibitors expected attendance to be significantly down from previous years. They also expected fewer “power” buyers from around the country and the world due to many companies’ restrictive travel policies.
Fortunately, these fears were unfounded as thousands of qualified buyers from around the world filled the aisles and booths at all three shows. I believe there were four major factors for this better-than-expected turn out:
Pent-up demand for new products is building
Buyers were interested in the many ”green”/sustainable products that were being shown
There is a sense that the economy is finally starting to improve.
Show management had the foresight to continue their marketing communication campaigns uninterrupted, while many other events cut back on marketing.
There was a definite sense of optimism throughout the show floors. And as we all know, an optimistic outlook is one of the first steps to an economic recovery. What are you seeing/hearing out there?
March 5, 2010 | Posted by Tim Ward 
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Categories: Marketing Communications, Social Media Marketing, Trade Show Marketing, Video | 
Tags: business, communication, marketing, seo, testimonials, Video, website
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