by Rachel Gould, Client Services Representative, Business Wire Boston
Business Wire Boston recently joined forces with video production partner MEDIAmobz and VisibleGains to bring together a panel of specialists in the fields of public relations, new media, conversion marketing and video production to address innovative new ways to engage your target audience and generate buzz. The original April 27 session was entitled, “Combining SEO and Video to Drive Awareness and Lead Generation Online.”
Check out this interactive video application for some highlights, or to watch the full session. A 40-second video clip, highlighted at the start of the presentation, offers some guidance on integrating video with press releases. Also featured are interviews with the panelists, including a segment on tips for creating engaging video.
The discussion was moderated by Cliff Pollan, President & CEO of VisibleGains, and panelists included:
- Tim Bradbury, President New Media, American City Business Journals
- Joe Chernov, Global Director of Communications & Social Media, Eloqua
- Judy Gern, Director of Conversion Marketing, Constant Contact
- David Meerman Scott, Bestselling Author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR
- Dave Toole, Founder & CEO, MEDIAmobz
Some key points that came out of the session:
- Using video in marketing and public relations can expand your audience. Joe Chernov, Global Director of Communications & Social Media at Eloqua, noted that he receives 500% more views on a press release with a video than just plain text content. Video content can be an important component of a well-rounded and effective lead-generation program.
- Video can engage media and consumers and generate interest for your campaign. Tim Bradbury, President New Media at American City Business Journals, explained that his news outlets look for content to which they can easily drive web traffic. He said that video, which can be played with the click of a finger, often translates better than text content to new portable devices such as the tablet or the iPad.
- Video adds value – both for the target audience and for search engine optimization. Judy Gern, Director of Conversion Marketing at Constant Contact, stressed the importance of giving potential leads value through video, mentioning that including video in outreach reduces opt-outs by 75 percent. Cliff Pollan, Founder and CEO of VisibleGains, cited a Forrester survey that showed content with video was 50 times more likely to end up on the first page of Google search engine results.
Having trouble accessing the video? Go directly to the event page at http://bizwire.pr/seovideoevent.
Local Business Wire offices host dozens of events each year on PR, IR, SEO & media topics. Check out the Business Wire Events page to find upcoming events in your area.
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BusinessWired - Business Wire Blog 
I make animated commercials businesses on the net, so I thought I’d pass on some advice to those of you thinking of using video for advertising their small business on the net.
THE POWER OF VIDEO – yes it is true, video is a very powerful tool. But don’t just put it on youtube and expect the world to come flocking. Make a marketing plan. Think laterally. Use it in blog posts, as entertainment content and even offline. See if you’re local shopping centre has a video screen for instance.
BUDGETS – it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to look good. For instance, budgets in my area of animation have come down about 90% in the last few years.
THINK ABOUT HIRING A PROFESSIONAL – it’s true you can make your own video with a few images and free video editing software. But if that’s not your area of expertise think of hiring a professional. Because if you’re video doesn’t look professional it reflects on your business.
USE VIDEO AS CONTENT – as well as making a straight commercial for your business, you can use video as content. For instance if you’re selling DIY products, think about making a series of 10 videos giving advice on DIY.
BE CREATIVE – make your video stand out from the crowd. The net is full of videos of people talking into webcams. Unless you have a very powerful message, people will switch off very quickly.
As an example of a creative commercial, made on a low budget take a look at one I made recently.
http://callousproductions.com/home/virtualassistant.html
I hope this helps people.