I can’t believe what happened to me. I just watched a “suggested post” on Facebook… i.e. a paid ad. It was a Lincoln Motor Company marketing video, and it was really good.

I hate the “suggested posts,” but the video title reeled me in… Artisans of Lincoln. The video was all about the artists who help create car designs. Pretty cool! It also reiterated a great point for me to comment on.

PASSION SELLS

People who are passionate about what they do are incredible sales people. We never see the person narrating the Lincoln video, but it sounds like it must be one of the artists or the person in charge of that division. Hearing from him and watching the artists at work, it grabs you. It isn’t fake. It isn’t over-the-top. It’s just passion and it comes through loud and clear.

You have people who work at your company who have this same passion for their job. They are the people you need in your marketing videos.

–Tony Gnau

Company culture doesn’t have to just be the working environment around your business. If it’s something you take pride in, you can use that aspect of your company in your marketing videos.

Culture is something more and more businesses are focusing on. Happy employees make for productive employees. It also makes a difference while recruiting the right people to get on the bus.

CULTURE AS A SALES TOOL

One of our clients put their culture front and center in their About Us video. The Electri-Flex sales staff uses the video to set themselves apart in an industry where family-owned companies are a rarity.

The point is don’t limit yourself when considering a marketing video. There are all sorts of ways to highlight what makes your company a good one.

–Tony Gnau

A little encouragement today for a business we shot a short video on last summer. It’s called SpotHero and I was recently excited to see they started posting some how-to / marketing videos on YouTube.

We shot a pilot episode of a TV show highlighting Chicago startups, and SpotHero had a short segment.

ABOUT THEM

If you’re looking for parking options and the ability to reserve a spot and pay online, this is the site for you.  Right now they handle Chicago, Milwaukee and Washington, DC.

The service is AWESOME! I’ve used it a couple of times in the last month and have been very impressed. It’s easy to use and it saved me money… which I always like.

SPOTHERO TV

Anyway, on to their videos. They posted of pair of them last month. Clearly produced in-house, but I like them.

They’re simple and to-the-point. Sure they could use some professional polish, but they’re fun, upbeat and communicate clearly.

I hope they continue to make more.

–Tony Gnau

Marketing videos are constantly popping up in new and interesting places. Something I was reminded of as I walked the aisles of my local pet store the other day.

There it was… front and center. A big display of designer dog food with a video to show you what’s unique about the product. There was a TV screen attached to the shelves.

This particular brand features different flavors that you can mix and match according to the dog’s taste. The video featured someone demonstrating how it’s done.

I don’t know… good idea… stupid idea? You be the judge. Funny thing is I ended up standing there and watching because I was curious. I later spotted a couple of other people doing the same.

That’s one of the powers of video. It grabs people’s attention. If there hadn’t been a video, I probably wouldn’t have noticed the display. I don’t even have a dog… we have two cats.

I’m thinking that video was a pretty good idea after all.

–Tony Gnau

A fun HR video is a great way to boost employee morale, and I recently came across some good examples. Dillanos Coffee Roasters was recently featured on Chris Locurto’s blog and the EntreLeadership podcast. The company produces a bunch of videos, but its YouTube channel is mostly devoted to making the company’s employees laugh. 

What a great idea for HR departments everywhere.

I’m not going to build-up the videos into something they’re not. The production quality leaves a lot to be desired, but that’s what you get producing things in-house without professional help. Here’s the thing though…

Who cares?

The videos aren’t meant for me or you. They’re meant for the men and women who work there. I didn’t really get any laughs out of the videos I watched, but I’m sure the people who work at Dillanos love them.

IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE

Company leaders are following the first “rule” of video production. Always keep the focus on your audience. They’ve created a culture of fun around Dillanos, and these videos are a flection of it.

When you think about it from that perspective, these videos are winning productions.

–Tony Gnau

Photo: dillanos.com

Chances are you and/or your clients are using email marketing to target prospects, and hopefully some sort of video is being integrated into those newsletters. If so, here’s a simple tip. Be honest about the length of your marketing videos.

I recently received an email campaign and was told to watch a short video. No surprise I clicked on it to watch, but what I got shocked me.

The video was nearly 8-minutes long.

VIDEO TIMES VARY

Okay, I have blogged here over and over again about video times. One of the first questions I get from clients is how long should the video run? Every situation, every audience is unique and you need to base that video on those factors.

Here’s the thing though… don’t promise me in an email or newsletter that the video is short if it isn’t. 1-minute… that’s a short video. Nearly 8-minutes is an eternity for an online video.

Posting a video that’s too long is a shame because it won’t get watched by a large audience. Misleading people about its length is worse because you prove to them you can’t be trusted.

–Tony Gnau

Wrapping up our look at website content this week with a nod to one of my favorite things… the video marketing series.

The idea is simple. Instead of taking a bunch of content and jamming it together into a single video, you break it up into separate videos and make it a series.

GOOD FOR A FEW REASONS

First, producing a series of short videos on various topics puts your audience in control. They can choose to watch the videos that interest them and not sit through information during a longer video that isn’t relevant to their lives.

Second, viewers are more likely to watch a short video than a longer one. If someone sees your video is 5-minutes long, they’ll probably pass. On the other hand, offer them five, 1-minute videos and they’ll start watching.

Finally, a video series is highly sharable. The shorter length works well with e-mail campaigns and social media posts. Even better, you can roll them out over time. Producing one big video means a one-time social blitz. Producing a series means you can release one a week, a month, whenever. It’s fresh content on a regular basis.

There aren’t any hard rules when you produce a series. It can literally be on anything. Produce individual videos on products or services you offer, maybe you highlight different facilities… heck… you could do a series of videos on your office Olympics.

T60 VIDEO SERIES FEATURES CASE STUDIES

When I started the planning process for the new T60 website, one of the first things I developed was a video series. It features some of our clients as case studies, and all we did was ask them a couple of questions.

Why is video a part of your marketing strategy and how are you using it?

The idea was simple. Our clients are pretty amazing. We’re consistently impressed with the ways they use video, so wouldn’t it be great if they could share some ideas with our audience?

We get quality content and they get some publicity.

It’s going to be an ongoing series. While we currently have three clients featured on the website, we plan on adding more as the year progresses.

Fresh video content… all year-long.

–Tony Gnau

We’re using the new T60 website this week to highlight some ways businesses can use video content to create terrific user experiences for clients and prospects.

Yesterday, I blogged about the importance of the About Us video. Today, it’s another staple that businesses should consider… marketing testimonials.

BRAGGING WITHOUT BRAGGING

This is a great way to brag about yourself without bragging about yourself because your clients do it for you. It’s not you telling the world how great you are, you’re allowing real people who have used your product or service to testify on your behalf. 

We live in a world of reviews. Before making a purchase, one of the things we do is seek them out. You have an opportunity to provide positive reviews through testimonials.

Sure, you could post text quotes. We’ve done that for clients we haven’t been able to get on-camera… yet.

Gini Dietrich has already agreed to go on-camera next time we get together for a Spin Sucks shoot, right Gini? Next time we’re shooting in SoCal, I’ll tie down Jeremy Hogue for an interview at the new Sovereign Healthcare offices. The reason why…

VIDEO IS BETTER THAN TEXT

It’s one thing to read what someone has said, it’s something else to hear it coming from the directly. It adds weight. That person took time out of their busy schedule to shoot an interview and give an endorsement. That says a lot.

It does require some initiative. You have to be comfortable asking your clients to do it. If you work with someone who’s really excited about what you’ve done for them, they’re the one to ask for a testimonial. Then it’s just a matter of hiring a professional storyteller to put it together in a way that will appeal to an audience.

What does your client get out it? Well, you could sweeten the offer by doing another video featuring them… but I’ll save that for tomorrow’s post.

–Tony Gnau