Onsite Video Marketing: Careful...but Video E-mail Is a Way To Go

Happy Monday,

I am posting this late today so that those of you who came to the site today, our official launch day, has some time to read our already posted listings.

Video is all of the rage and no one has a handle on if it really works to increase sales or just bogs down your servers.  All in all video it seems can help any online merchant because of the simple fact that people have graduated to new ways to interact with each other online and videos are popular.  But let’s demarcate between what videos people are watching and whether videos can help or hurt your online business.

Statistics show that video is being watched more and more everyday, thanks primarily to Youtube and the Internet Service Providers and wireless providers that accommodate this rich form of media.  The bad news for everyone is that most of the videos viewed are fun, silly forms of entertainment that break up our day.  The good news is that we know that people like to see video and it is a powerful form of communication, so…what to do.

Large online retailers with deep pockets, such as L.L. Bean and Victoria Secrets can use video, but they aren't?  Why? Because they are very careful to protect their brand and understand that only very professionally produced videos works.  I can’t find any online retailer that uses a “you tube” type of amateur video.  The main reason is probably that they are careful not to hurt their brand name with a quirky video.  Companies do post their videos to “you tube” but again these are professionally produced.  So it is my recommendation that you keep this form of communication in your sites for the future but only if you have the time to make a video that is fun to view, sends a message about your product professional, and reinforces your brand.  Otherwise be cautious.

The only method that I see that is value add to small to mid sized merchants, right now, is to use video e-mail rather than post a video on your site.  Yep, you heard me right and some may disagree, but why post a video on your site when you already have customers on your site captivated? 

What purpose does it serve, unless you have some VERY interesting marketing strategy to show them a video that captures information either not on your site or shows them something that is unique and fun about your product.  I call this “advertainment” and until you know how to do this right, having a video on your site might hurt, more than help, engage you customer.  So focus on "driving" people to your site and then ensuring that your site is as easy navigate as, let's say, Lowes

The e-mail video idea is an easy to create marketing tool that leverages consumer behavior patterns with the content you already have on your site.  Using this technology to “drive” customers to your storefront makes more sense to me than entertaining them once they are on your site.  One of the leading companies pioneering video e-amil applications is Flimp.net

Check it out…they allow you to communicate with your customer base in an interactive, call to action manner and what I have seen it is much betterr than boring regular e-mail or html e-mail.  It is unobstrusive and they have back end analytics to see how these campaigns work.  The price seems right as you only pay when a person views the video and Flimp will host everything.  It seems like a good way to experiment with video and see if people like interacting with your company.

Oh, you do have to create a video, but with this use of video the videos can be less professionally done and fun, as it is meant to “drive” traffic to your site.  And once a consumer is on your site, you do not have to have the video shown again, instead you can concentrate on guiding this consumer to specials and other products.  Into the future, when you see how video is working you can then invest to have on onsite video done professionally that captivates your audience like a Victoria’s Secrets video…well maybe not that well…but you get the point.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR THE DAY:

1. Video is a new marketing method and is here to stay.

2. Be sure that you know the ups and downs of using video.

3. It may not be worth using video if you don’t have the means to create it properly.

4. A new company seems to understand how to use video e-mail properly, check them out at Flimp.net