Engaging Your Audience Using Video

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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