The Video Marketing Sales Process for the Small Business Owner

August 26, 2010 By 2 Comments

The Video Marketing Sales Process for the Small Business OwnerVideo marketing is hot, hot, hot in today’s small business world. However, it’s not enough to shoot a video, load it into Youtube and sit back as the sales roll in.

In order to launch a successful video marketing campaign, you need to follow a step-by-step process that encompasses solid marketing strategies.

If you follow the proven tips and strategies below, you’ll not only create brand awareness, but generate more quality leads and eventually make more sales.

The 5 Step Video Marketing Process:

Step One: Educate And Inform Your Prospects. Remember, you never want to aggressively “sell” yourself or your products/services.  If your video is one big “sales pitch,” your prospects click off your video faster than you can even imagine. Instead, offer valuable information in order to educate your prospects. When your prospective customers and clients watch your videos, they should learn something that they didn’t know before.

Step Two: Brand Yourself And Your Business. As you educate your target market, you naturally begin the branding process. Ultimately, you want to position your small business in an important place in the minds of your prospects.

Step Three: Drive Traffic To Your Website. Believe it or not, the goal when using videos as a marketing tool is NOT about making an immediate sale. The purpose of your videos is to drive prospects to your website in order to find out more about you and your company.

Step Four: Build Trust and Credibility. Once visitors come to your website, they should be able to supply you with their name and email address in exchange for additional information about your company. (ie. a free report, ebook, tips booklet, etc.) Once you have “captured” your visitors’ information, you can continue to market to them over and over again. Most prospects need to see your offer up to twelve times before they make the decision to purchase from you. Therefore, it’s imperative that you continue to build a relationship with your prospects.

Step Five: Increase Your Sales. Remember, individuals want to do business with people whom they know and trust. So, continue to offer them valuable information, access to important resources and free, helpful advice. If you adhere to this rule, your small business profits will skyrocket.

So, if you are going to use videos as part of your overall marketing strategy, make sure to take the time to implement a rock-solid marketing process.

Filed Under: small business marketing, social media marketing, video marketing Tagged With: , , ,

5 YouTube Time Management Tips

August 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

YouTube Time ManagementVideo marketing through YouTube can be an incredibly powerful way to attract new business and customers for the small business owner operating on a shoestring marketing budget.

One of the reasons that video marketing is so effective is that prospective customers can actually “see you” which immediately helps establish a sense of trust for the consumer.

However, many business owners find YouTube to be too time-consuming and overwhelming. To keep your marketing time to a minimum, here are five tips that will streamline the time that you spend marketing on YouTube:

1) Shoot Five Videos in One Sitting

One of the most time-consuming parts of video marketing is setting up your camera, the lighting and other essentials. Instead of shooting five videos on five separate occasions, shoot five videos all at the same time. Each video only needs to be between 3 and 5 minutes.

Overall, if you spend 15- 25 in one sitting, you will save loads of set-up and take-down time.

2) Use An Outline

Never sit down and start talking. You need to have some sort of a plan before you begin shooting your video. Although you definitely don’t need a full-script, you do want to have a basic outline to follow. This will save you time, energy and plenty of frustration in the end.

You can type up a few bullet points and hang it from your video camera. This allows you to follow a general outline and sound more professional.

3) Upload Five Videos At Once

Instead of uploading a video on Monday and another on Wednesday, make it a point to load five videos in one sitting. The process of loading videos all at one time will save you roughly thirty minutes every week.

4) Do Not Be a Perfectionist

One of the top mistakes in video marketing is that individuals become overally perfectionistic when it comes to their videos. Then of course, they start over – again and again. I once had a client who shot 150 takes before he was happy with the results. Obviously, shooting videos over and over again will destroy your time-management efforts. Remember that your goal is not to shoot professional quality videos. Your goal is to relay important and relevant information to your audience.

In fact, many people appreciate the small quirks and imperfections that accompany video marketing. So, if you say a few “ummms” while you’re shooting your video, don’t despair. Your video will still perform just fine.

5) Don’t Get Lost in the YouTube “Black Hole”

When you log into your YouTube account, remember that you are there as a small business owner. You don’t want to fall into the trap of getting sidetracked with that cute little dog video or the latest Britany Spears debacle. You should log into Youtube with a sense of purpose.

In conclusion, don’t allow the YouTube marketing process to consume hours upon hours of your valuable time and energy. Because, if managed effectively, YouTube is a goldmine for marketing your business and can literally bring hundreds of free visitors to your website every single month.

Filed Under: small business marketing, video marketing Tagged With: , , ,

7 Tips For Marketing Your Small Business On YouTube

May 24, 2010 By 5 Comments

YouTube is taking the industry by storm. It seems that anyone and everyone is beginning to make a statement on YouTube.

So the question is, as a small business owner, should you market your small business through YouTube? The answer is a qualified yes!

According to Computerworld, YouTube is the 12th most visited site on earth and receives over 20 million views every single day. In addition, YouTube is now the 2nd most utilized search-engine (right behind Google). These statistics are absolutely staggering.

Furthermore, many researchers believe that a top-rated video on YouTube will reach 40% more people than a commercial on a national TV station.

So, obviously if you aren’t marketing on YouTube you are clearly missing the boat. Plus, we’re talking about a free boat ride to boot!

The best part of all, is that if you are a small business owner on a shoestring marketing budget, Youtube is certainly your dream come true.

Marketing on YouTube is similar to marketing elsewhere. You want to stand apart from your competition. You want to make a statement and have people remember you. This can be accomplished if you follow a few simple steps:

1) Your video should not be a blatant advertisement. Most people that watch YouTube aren’t looking for a “sales pitch.” Instead they’re looking for relevant and helpful information.

2) Make it crystal clear what product your represent. As prospects view your video, you never want to make them guess what product your represent. Go ahead and insert a URL back to your website at the end of your video.

3) Use adequate lighting. Dark videos are a sure way to turn off prospects.  You should shoot your videos in a well-lit room, preferably with natural sunlight.

4) Check your audio. It’s important that people can hear what you are saying. If your video is too quiet, too loud, raspy, or filled with static your prospects will leave immediately.

5) Don’t expect perfection. Your videos won’t be perfect and you shouldn’t expect them to be. YouTube is certainly not about perfection. In fact, most people find that a few quirks and quibbles will give your video a less “staged” feeling.

6) Have some fun! You should smile and look like you are having a good time while you shoot your video. Add some energy to your voice and a bounce to your step.

7) Don’t over-worry about your appearance. It’s absolutely fine if you aren’t a Skinny Minnie or a Studley Stanley. In fact, oftentimes people relate better to people who are just Regular Joes.  So, remember to comb your hair and put on a clean shirt, but don’t worry if you haven’t lost those last ten or fifteen pounds. You will do just fine.

Remember that shooting videos for YouTube involves a learning curve. At first, it will take some time to learn. But, before long, you will discover a whole new segment of prospects that will be introduced to your small business marketing message.

Filed Under: shoestring marketing tips, small business marketing, social media marketing, video marketing Tagged With: , , ,