Spinfield: Web marketing trends today, tomorrow, and beyond…

Video completely transformed the the way we surf online. It’s apparent the tremendous influence  sites like youtube and hulu have on our culture. Pop-Culture reflects this in music video parodies and talk news programs that feature stories about viral video celebrities.

It seems anyone with a Web cam and an Internet connection has the potential to be a star, or at least have their messages heard by millions of people. People are making short films, music videos, documentaries, and vlogs, all of which may be shared with the entire world in a single mouse click.

This sort of interactive mentality has shifted into the business and online marketing realm as well. It is a very effective and important part in the promotion of products and services, and it really helps to build a company’s brand or image.

In the business realm it is far too easy to fall victim to this trend without fully understanding how to properly incorporate video into their online presence. Here are five ways any business can use video online, and be successful.

1. Product Demonstrations. Let’s say you run a successful business, and you want to venture onto the Internet, and set up shop. What is going to separate you from your competitors? Often in the world of e-commerce there is a disconnect that separates the consumer from the product, whether it’s lack of product information, unclear messaging, or confusion about how the product is used. When online retailers have videos clearly demonstrating how a product is used or installed, it makes online shopping a much more interactive experience, which dramatically increases sales. It also helps to legitimize your site to the customer. Another great example of video in this area is product reviews. Web sites such as expotv and cnettv do an excellent job in that regard, but I think more companies need to do this within their own Web presence.
2. Feature your workers. Another thing that truly is lacking in the online business realm is trust. There is still a good percentage of people that do not do business online because they don’t have the security of an actual person talking to them. Just a cold glaring 800 number. So why not introduce your company personally to the visitors that come to your Web site. Creating a short video to introduce customers to the people that work for your business is a great way to help establish trust with your customers.
3. Customer spotlights. Nearly gone is the day of the standard testimonial. If there are customers out there who do the service of singing praises about your company, why exclude them to a block quote at the bottom of your “about us” page. Ask them if they wouldn’t mind recording a short video testimonial for your business. It translates a lot better to the site’s visitors, and also looks more legit.
4. Viral Video. If you have some creativity and a unique idea for how to convey your messaging then this could be extremely successful. Company’s have been doing this for a few years now and it’s amazing what it can do. The trend has even moved from the Internet to TV commercials. Company’s like Burger King, Sonic, Bungie and many more have translated their viral Internet campaigns into commercials for television. The idea here is to make a video that is interesting enough that people not only want to watch it, but want others to watch it as well. Spreading much like a virus. Hence the term “viral”.
5. Creating posts for your blog. I know firsthand how much easier it is to flip on a camera and talk for five minutes than it is to type out a blog entry. So why not mix it up a little bit? Make some video entries as well. You may find it actually conveys better to some of your visitors. In turn that means better business for you.

These are just a few ways that you can leverage video as a way to promote your business, help customers get the information they are looking for, and to just have fun! It’s important to understand how advances in marketing and technology can improve the way you do business online. Video seems to be the next step in bringing products and consumers together on the Internet.

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