Written By Sumer » Video Marketing

How to Lure Prospects with Result-Driven Freebies

Michelle Salater — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:30:57 +0000

Let’s face it: it’s hard to resist the offer for something free.

Instead of viewing this as an innate weakness of the modern human, you can use this natural law to help lure and win over perspective clients. But if you plan to use freebies as part of your marketing strategy , make sure you do it right—otherwise, it might backfire and end up hurting your business.

Make Free Offers Work for You

To ensure that your foray into the world of free offers eventually helps your bottom line, take the time to follow these guidelines.

Give something valuable in your freebie. In many cases, the freebies you offer will be the thing that gets you in the door with potential clients—your chance to make a first impression. You want to demonstrate that you are someone worthy of their time and money by providing a freebie that has real value (in other words, something that people would pay for). Just how much value are we talking here? See below.

Don’t give too much away. If you give clients everything they can expect to pay you for, they’ll have no reason to actually hire you. To prevent yourself from going overboard, try offering a freebie that focuses on a narrow, limited topic within your larger field.

Know your goals. Ultimately, your goal with a freebie is to convince a client to hire you . You can accomplish that goal by thinking in terms of the sub-goals your freebies should help you accomplish: build your list of qualified potential clients, spread your name, establish yourself as an expert, and build the know / like / trust factor with prospectives. If your freebie is not achieving at least one of these sub-goals, it’s time to rethink what you’re offering.

Get something in exchange. As far as potential clients are concerned, you offer is “free.” But you understand that you’re getting something valuable, too, even if it’s only an email address. That address represents an open, direct line of communication between you and prospective buyers.

Work with future freebies in mind. As your business evolves, the freebies you offer clients will change, too. Work with this in mind. A series of blog posts, for example, can be tweaked and turned into an eBook or a free report. A (free) telecall or a webinar you host can be given away later on CDs or MP3s as free recordings. You might host an online class for free, then make the video available as a future freebie.

Keep The Long View in Mind

In order to use freebies effectively, it’s essential to think about the long term. Your free offer is just the first gesture in what can be a number of long, mutually satisfying relationships with excellent clients.

Have you used freebies to effectively draw in new clients? We’d love to hear

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What Will the New Year Hold In Store For Online Video?

Michelle Salater — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:30:05 +0000

The Sumer team would like to wish you a very happy and healthy New Year! We hope that 2012 brings you success in your company and personal growth.

For our last Copy Doodle blog post of 2011, we’d like to share with you a WebProNews video that discusses the future of online video. In this video, WebProNews interviews Jim Lauderback, CEO of Revision3, on his insight into the direction of online video in 2012 and beyond.

See below for this exclusive video:

We’d love to hear from you! Tell us how will you invest in yourself and / or your business differently in 2012 than you did in 2011?

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Should Your Online Business Videos Be Wilder?

Michelle Salater — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:33:08 +0000

Many small business owners come us looking for tips on how to get their businesses noticed online more. Online video is one of the best ways to generate buzz about your brand. Here is a video interview that WebProNews performed with Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks, on the popularity of online videos and how they related to consumer needs and desires:

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Just How Effective Are Video and Written Testimonials?

Michelle Salater — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:30:30 +0000

Most of us understand the power testimonials can have, even if we don’t realize it. Think in terms of restaurant or theater reviews: one bad write-up can be the death of an eatery or a fledgling performance. On the other hand, a rave review can spur lines around the corner and sold-out shows.

You can apply that same power to your marketing copy by including testimonials from your clients. Here’s a look at how and why testimonials can work for you.

Testimonials Build Credibility in Marketing Copy

Establishing an authentic voice and demonstrating expertise in your subject matter goes a long way toward building your credibility, but testimonials add the kick of having a neutral third party confirm your claims.

To harness the power of an outsider singing your praises, simply ask your clients if they’d be willing to write or record a testimonial for your marketing materials. Be clear about how you plan to use the testimonial, and be specific about what you’re asking for . . .

Identify the format. If you’d like to use a video or audio testimonial, make sure your client is comfortable with those media. The same goes if you’d like a headshot to go with a written testimonial.
Identify the length. Make sure your clients don’t feel as if they have to write a book about you. Setting a word or time limit makes the request for testimonials seem less daunting.
Ask for specifics. Concrete, specific details work best in testimonials. Numbers, statistics, percentages, and specific anecdotes are all excellent fodder.

Testimonials Say What You Cannot

In addition to lending the power of outsider support to your marketing claims, testimonials can help clients overcome any potential hesitations they may have about hiring you. For example, a client who is worried whether the financial commitment is worthwhile may be reassured by a testimonial from someone who experienced similar misgivings—but overcame them.

Testimonials can also address client-specific before and after scenarios that usually don’t fit neatly into other types of marketing copy. Again, learning the details of another customer’s experience with you might help potential customers qualify themselves as well suited to your services.

Testimonials Let Someone Else “Talk”

When using testimonials in your marketing materials, remember that you’re giving your clients a chance to speak on your behalf. Resist the urge to edit their testimonials too much—those that have language quirks, minor grammatical errors, or colloquial expressions appear authentic rather than sloppy.

After all, if all your testimonials sound like they came from the same pen (or keyboard), they might actually undermine your credibility by appearing fake.

Click here to see an appropriate format for showcasing testimonials.

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Launch Yourself Ahead of the Competition with Online Video

Michelle Salater — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:30:05 +0000

SEO expert, Bruce Clay, shares his tips for business success using online video. Specifically, Bruce explains how Universal search results are incorporating video into the mix.

If you’re not using video to position yourself above the competition, I assure you that you’ll start using video after hearing what Bruce has to say in this exclusive interview with ReelSEO:

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How and Where to Use Your Face as a Brand Logo

Michelle Salater — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:54:22 +0000

Using your face as a brand image or logo can have a positive effect on how your customers and prospects perceive and engage with your brand. In my experience, I truly believe that people don’t buy from businesses. They buy from people. The more you allow customers to identify your brand with a face, the more they will begin to feel a connection with your brand message. Customers begin to feel as if they know you, which leads to a sense of trust.

You don’t have to use your headshot as your main company image, but you can use it hand in hand with your company logo to reinforce the brand. Depending on your business and the image that you are trying to project, you might choose to use your headshot across all of your marketing materials or just a few.

Some marketing materials you may consider to use your headshot on include:

Social Media Profiles: Instead of using your company logo on all of your social media profiles, I strongly suggest adding your headshot as the main image on your profiles. Because of the nature of social media, people want to feel as if they’re talking to another person, not a company. One of the best ways to show your prospects on social media that you are speaking with them directly is by using your headshot as your main social media avatar.

Videos: Using video to speak to prospects is one of the most effective ways to build a connection between your brand and your audience. When you can share your stories, tips, comments, and advice on video, people get a greater sense of who you are, which influences how they perceive your brand.

One of the best ways to build a connection between you and your audience is through story. Telling your personal stories via video help readers relate and identify with you. For example, let’s say you are an entrepreneur who helps people build a business based on their passion in life. You may have experienced huge struggles in the past that you’ve overcome, but that your customers are currently experiencing. When you can relate to your customers through story, they are much more likely to listen to you.

Blog: If you are the only blogger for your blog, consider adding your headshot to your blog sidebar or creating a page within your blog that showcases your bio and picture. This will help your readers feel more of a personal connection to you and your blog, and encourage them to have a greater sense of trust in you.

Electronic Newsletters: Another great way to utilize your headshot is in your electronic newsletters. When you send out newsletters that provide readers with advice-rich feature articles, your readers want to feel as though they’re taking advice from an expert individual, not some faceless company. A lot of times when people receive emails from companies, they disregard them with the belief that all the emails contain are sales pitches.

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How To Effectively Weave Your Brand Message into Blog Content

How Online Video Marketing Can Dramatically Increase Business Success

Michelle Salater — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:30:14 +0000

Have you ever thought about integrating video into your online marketing strategy? Well if you haven’t gotten you butt into gear, or if you think it’s useless, then you’ll definitely want to read this guest interview with Cathy Donovan Wagner of Retail Mavens.

In this exclusive interview, Cathy explains the secrets to increasing sales and business success, simply by utilizing online video.

See below for the interview:

You do a lot of video marketing, providing great tips for the retail industry to implement and increase sales. What are some of the ways you market your videos and specifically what results have you seen?

I send my videos to my list via email and post them on social media. But the secret marketing tip that got me the best results was sending it to key influencers in the retail industry. By sending videos to a few sales representatives and the president of a large chamber of commerce, I got so much exposure that I couldn’t have gotten on my own.

I loved your “I Heart” video series for Valentine’s Day! Tell us a little bit about the purpose behind this series and the results you saw.

The purpose of the series was to hyper-focus on critical issues for retail. It’s so easy to give people a fire hose of information, which just ends up leaving people feeling overwhelmed. The I Heart My Sucky Employees video had the highest open rate for any email I have done! People still mention it to me. My favorite comment was the retailer that thanked me for “the kick in the pants” she needed.

Below is Cathy’s video, I Heart My Sucky Employees:

You often use your face as a logo or image for your business. How do you think marketing yourself online affects the way customers and prospects perceive and engage with your brand?

It is so important to put a face on your business and add personal comments and stories to your marketing. It accelerates the “know, like, and trust” factor when customers see who your stories and who you are. People want to buy from people that they know and like—and it helps when they can see your bright smile!

What tips do you have for retail store owners when it comes to using video to promote their business and drive traffic into the store?

I tell my clients all the time that they have two main jobs: to establish themselves as the authority / expert in their market AND to establish themselves as problem solvers. That is how they can differentiate themselves from all the other stores out there—and from the online stores. It is not about the products that the store sells—owners make that mistake all the time. If a consumer just wants an item, they will always find it faster and cheaper online. When you are the expert, customers need to know what you think and what you sell and why you sell it. Owners take for granted all the knowledge that they possess. They must intentionally share it in their marketing.

Owners forget that their store exists to solve problems for customers. Often, they have opened their store to solve one of their own problems! When you use online marketing to address your customers’ common concerns, it generates interaction and creates loyalty. Customers don’t feel like they are being sold to—rather, they feel supported!

Here are some examples:

A toy store can share information about the different kinds of sunscreen available and which is the best to choose.
A shoe store can share how to protect leather from winter salt stains.
A women’s clothing store can share information about how customer’s can hide their “muffin top” or “bra bulge” with the new undergarments available now.

The beauty of video is that the information seems easier to access and it is certainly easier to explain. A photo is flat. A video allows the retailer to tell a story about their products and store. So much of the retail experience is visual, and video can bring the retail experience to the customer, which in turn, inspires them to visit.

About Cathy Donovan Wagner and Retail Mavens:

A maven is a trusted expert in a particular field, who seeks to pass knowledge on to others. It means one who understands, based on an accumulation of knowledge. That is who I am. My name is Cathy Wagner, retail profit mentor and founder of RETAIL Mavens – and I am passionate about sharing proven retail success strategies. My 25 years of retail ownership and retail consulting has allowed me to create a system for increased retail profits. This system includes a series of important profit-building steps every retailer needs to apply to become more profitable, get better results, have more fun and get better sleep! I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of retailers and help them achieve what they desired.

Visit the Retail Mavens website, or connect with them on Facebook.

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4 Ways to Get Your Video Ranked on Search Engine Results Pages

Michelle Salater — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:30:40 +0000

Type any search term into a search engine such as Google. You’ll see a variety of results appear in the form of news,videos, images, and / or blogs. Now try searching for your industry keywords and terms. Does your video appear as one of the three or four featured videos on the search results page? No? Well if you want your video to appear at the top of a universal search engine such as Google, then you’ll want to continue reading.

Below are 4 ways to increase your chances of having your video rank high on universal search engine platforms:

1. Create a valuable video. If you’re trying to rank at the top of search engines, the very first thing you need is an enticing and quality video. Without that, there’s no hope for your video. I suggest having a professional videographer produce your video to ensure that it is in line with your brand image and utilizes proper lighting, audio, and visual elements.

2. Upload your video to YouTube and one to two additional platforms. YouTube is the most commonly featured platform on Google and Bing. Most of the videos that rank high on their search engine results pages are pulled from YouTube. However, to gain even more exposure and to touch different markets, it’s a smart idea to upload your video to other platforms including Metacafe and Bing.

3. Optimize your video with keywords and phrases. Using industry keywords and terms in your video title and description is essential if you want to gain exposure for your video. For the title, try to use phrases that begin with “How to,” “Tips,” “What is,” etc., followed by keywords related to your industry.

Your video description should be keyword-rich, but not unnaturally overstuffed to the point where it appears that you’re trying to cheat the system. Describe your brand using service- or product-related keywords, followed by contact information, which may include a site URL or phone number.

Below is an example of how to optimize video using keywords (note that keywords are highlighted in yellow):

In the example above, notice the use of industry keywords placed strategically throughout the title and description.

4. Share, share, share! Increase the popularity of your video by sharing it with as many of your friends, key influencers, peers, customers, and industry professionals as possible. Encourage comments, and promote your video on social media platforms such as your Facebook company page, Twitter, LinkedIn, and StumbleUpon. The more views and comments your video receives, the more likely it will gain popularity and rank high in search engines such as Google and Bing.

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The Dos and the Don’ts of Putting Video on Your Website

Michelle Salater — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:30:47 +0000

Believe it or not, there are dos and don’ts to adding video to your website. Think of all those websites you’ve visited where video starts to automatically play and audio blasts through your computer speakers without warning—not only scaring you but everyone else in the room!

This leads me to my first and most important video don’t:

Don’t have your video play automatically on your website. It’s annoying, overbearing, and can be distracting to some visitors.

Do allow website visitors to choose to view your video. Don’t run the risk of scaring website visitors away within three seconds of entering your site. Instead, offer them the option to view a video. Your visitors might prefer to read your About Us page or Services page before viewing your video. Always give your visitors the option to choose where they want to go on your site. If your site is designed to get your visitors to take action, all of your pages should work to encourage site visitors to take action.

Don’t ramble on: Most viewers will only watch a video for an average of three minutes. If you can’t get your point across in less than three minutes, your audience probably won’t stick around to hear more.

Do keep it short and sweet: Make sure your video has a purpose and you project that purpose immediately. Sometimes it helps to draft a script or outline that will assist you in projecting your points in an organized and timely manner. And always remember to use a call to action at the end of your videos.

Don’t go cheap on your video production: Your videos should be an accurate reflection of you and your brand. A poor-quality video can have devastating effects on your brand image and how prospects perceive your company.

Do pay for quality: Physical appearances matter when it comes to brand image. Creating a business video with fuzzy audio and poor lighting shows prospective customers that your products or services will be just as low-budget as the videos you create. Is that the impression you want to leave on prospective clients? Probably not.

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How Does Your Audience Absorb Information?

Michelle Salater — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:30:43 +0000

The way your audience processes online content is an essential tidbit of information that will help you create a site that encourages visitors to take your desired action. Some people absorb information more thoroughly with visuals, while others find interaction, words, or audio more powerful and memorable. Since we all process information in unique ways, it’s a good idea to cover all of your bases when building a connection between your brand image and your target audience.

Below are 5 different channels to establish a connection between your targeted website visitor and your brand (mix and match as you see fit):

1. Audio: Some people find a connection to a brand through soft background music that stimulates the senses and creates an experience for the site visitor. For example, a spa website that utilizes Zen-inducing rhythms on its website might take certain visitors through an experience that encourages them to call for a spa treatment. Creating a sense of immediate relaxation using soft music can spark an emotion that inspires visitors to quickly take your desired action.

Audio isn’t for all business websites. It’s important to thoroughly understand your brand image and your audience before adding audio to your website.

2. Video: I personally love websites that utilize video—especially on an About Us page. I usually feel a stronger connection to a brand when I can visualize their staff speaking and interacting. Video also makes it easy for multitaskers to absorb information about the company while writing or performing another task.

3. Web Copy: Some people absorb the most information through the good-old written word. Writing effective web copy that speaks to your audience is one of the best ways to illustrate your brand image and invoke an emotional connection between your brand and your target market.

In addition to projecting your brand message, website copy also works to determine your website ranking. Optimized web copy that effectively utilizes keywords throughout will be much more likely to rank higher in search engines and increase your chances of being found online.

4. Images: Similar to audio, images have the ability to invoke a particular emotion within site visitors and take them through a memorable experience. Someone who can visualize what your company stands for might be more willing to purchase from you than if you just utilized web copy alone on your website.

Images also have a role in website ranking since they can be optimized using Alt tags (keywords associated with your image).

5. Social Media Icons: Some of your website visitors might prefer to interact with your brand or absorb information about your company in real time. Cater to these individuals by providing them with various ways to connect with your brand on social media. I suggest placing social media icons in an obvious location on each of your website pages.

How do you absorb information?