Archive for the ‘YouTube’ Category
June 25th, 2010
The following is a great list of useful Social Media Tools available for your business needs. Most are free, others are pay ($$$).
RSS READERS: Help you know what’s going on in your niche, or in the world.
CONVERSATION TRACKERS: Help you stay on top of internet conversations.
BLOGS: Getting the word out free sites.
MONITORING SERVICES: Watching and giving you a complete platform to listen, measure and engage with your customers across the entire social web.
AUDIO EDITING: allows quick edits for video editing, mp3 editing
BLOG STATS: Keeping track of your website stats
VIDEO: Great Advertising and Marketing
LISTENING TOOLS, CONVERSATIONS AND MICRO-BLOGGING: Tools to help you listen to what’s happening around the world in your niche along with help you manage searches and other platforms and also networking your SM platforms updating several at once.
RSS FEED MANAGEMENT
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December 22nd, 2009
Video Marketing is exploding!
Traditional marketing just can’t reach the size of targeted audience that digital can. More and more marketers are pulling away from these methods and investing into digital. For 2010, expect an accelerated move of ad dollars from traditional media to digital media.
Forrester Research says that 59% of US marketers plan to increase their budgets towards digital by pulling funds from traditional outlets. eMarketer currently is forecasting 5.5% growth with banner ads and online video. Geoff Ramsey, CEO of eMarketer states: “media dollars have imploded, media consumption will continue to explode. Due to increasingly empowered consumers and further advances in technology”.
With this being a consumer’s market that can skip or fast-forward through commercials, block out emails they don’t want, use cell phones to tweet, text, bank, shop, get directions…using ratings and reviews to make smart purchases…you can bettcha that video marketing is on the rise where businesses need to use creative, quick moments to entertain and sell their wares or services at the convenience of the consumer. This is very important as wherever the consumer pauses…stop lights, traffic jams, train stations, subway stations, airports…digital media can reach them right where they’re at. This is where Traditional media runs into trouble because traditional ad outlets can’t do that. Most consumer’s are now engaged in their mobile media vehicle whether it’s an iPhone, or one of the other numerous phones available.
Video Marketing is a BIG part of search marketing because people are very likely to watch a video that is part of search results over text results. Also…video’s often show up near the TOP of those search results depending on the number of views they have received.
Video’s are also fun and easy to understand.
Consumer’s are more likely to share fun and easy to understand video’s. Viral videos can and have climbed vertically through out the internet world as people have viewed and shared content that they viewed as compelling. YouTube has rocked the online community with it’s versatility and phenomenal growth along with incorporating comments and ratings thus creating an engaging environment. Another statement made by Geoff Ramsey states that consumers in this digital age simply have too much control over their media environments these days for marketers to be pushing unwanted banners, buttons or video’s.
Marketers and agencies need to develop new forms of messages that are welcomed.
Businesses need: “to create communications that are so compelling, entertaining, informative or useful that the consumer is not only happy to receive them, but also motivated to share them with others.” Geoff Ramsey
As the consumer is empowered to: accept, view, delete, block, share, rate, comment, in an amazing amount of Social vehicles then businesses need to capture this audience in 2010 with VIDEO MARKETING. As video can be viewed in a greater arena then the home… remember that your online audience has a very short attention span to start off with. This actually works in your favor because it allows you to save on production time and costs. Some great video guidelines are offered at ReelSEO.
Have you included video in your 2010 strategies?
November 18th, 2009
Social Media = Positive ROI
Companies that are widely engaged in SOCIAL MEDIA surpass their peers in both revenues and profits.
300,000+ business have a presence on Facebook
Dell sold over 3,000,000 computers over Twitter.
Blendtec quintupled sales with “Will It Blend?” YouTube videos
37% of Generation Y were aware of the Ford Fiesta via Social Media before it even launched.
What these statement speak LOUDLY is Social Media has given POSITIVE RESULTS with low overhead. THATspeaks volumes by itself. BUT marketing wants ROI’s drawn up on paper. In today’s marketing….not happening presently. Traditional marketing has lost it’s high dollar appeal, fueled by this economy, its generating a mass movement to Social Media Marketing. Only 18% of traditional TV campaigns generate a positive ROI…old media was Pay to Play…do you think the majority of media dollars will reside there tomorrow?
WHAT ABOUT THE ROI’S?
Good question…but shouldn’t we be answering:
“WHY ARE WE TRYING TO MEASURE SOCIAL MEDIA LIKE A TRADITIONAL CHANNEL?”
71% of companies plan to increase investments in social media by an average of 40% because:
- Low Cost Marketing
- Getting Traction
- We Have To Do It
Socialnomics blog states really well: Social media touches every facet of business and it should be viewed more as an extension of good business ethics. Which, if done properly, will harvest sales down the line. Enjoy this video by Socialnomics. It gives you a simple straightforward ROI explanation…
Social Media ROI: Socialnomics
ROI’S? Most definitely Social Media is moving and keeping up with technology. Marketing – traditional marketing has just barely started moving in that direction. Realize that people have taken the power of conversations into their own hands. Most people become informed on whether a product or “brand” is worthwhile by opinions and comments from consumers via reviews, Social site, email, and twitter.
Those can’t be tracked as traditional ROI’s. So quit trying. Think OUT OF THE BOX!
Mcdonalds says it plainly: “Our head of Social Media is the customer”
It’s a new era, with old value’s…at the speed of the internet = realtime: word of mouth.
What’s your opinion?
November 16th, 2009
Consumers have four universal needs.
Connection, Uniqueness, Comfort and Variety. These needs vary in importance for each individual and each person’s need can also shift resulting in trading off needs. Example: Connection during holidays might be very important to some….others might need comfort, others crave uniqueness (standing out in the crowd) while others yet might like variety or choices (visiting lots of friends/family).
Marketing has only focused on the middle of the curve area…and not worked with consumer NEEDS. So the consumer navigates through the world without the influence of marketing.
How can they do that?
Consumers have shifted their spending with an awareness using online reviews, social media sites, chats and emails from friends. This puts the reins in their hands, helping them make informed decisions. Meanwhile, marketing budgets have been shrinking making it harder for marketers to create awareness let alone interest in their products. With budget cuts tight, marketers need to lean to digital as opposed to traditional. Smart Marketers will take that jump using digital to enhance the brand experience with current customers and acquire new ones through “word-of-mouth” marketing.
As 72% of consumers say prior experience has driven their brand loyalty, 58% of online adults say they trust online reviews MORE than any other medium except chat/emails from friends. For marketers to do more with less dollars, they will need to STOP focusing on gaining and spend more with current customers. Those customers will be your “word-of-mouth” marketing campaign. 
Also use digital means to enhance how you connect with consumers making your brand responsive and connected to the consumers ever shifting needs.
10 Things you can do:
In this Recession people have moved toward comfort and connection. Marketers and businesses MUST be reassuring and comforting to the consumer meeting their unique needs.
Bottom line – How available and helpful are you?
October 26th, 2009
…as the traditional marketing sector has also been affected by this recession. With companies slashing their marketing budgets from traditional means such as Television, radio, newspaper ads, SMM and RM has increased 10 fold due to it’s affordability and outreach.
The gas price inflation which in effect has kick-started this change, encouraged businesses to look for other vehicles or means to “get the word out”. Vehicles or means that were available but low-keyed in existence were: Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Myspace, blogs, ping, Youtube, Delicious, digg, StumbleUpon, Squidoo and countless others. They were vehicles just waiting to be boarded and boarded they were.
Twitter’s vertical climb was off the charts and couldn’t be harnessed because it was moving so fast. Facebook’s social outreach created such a landing place for personal and businesses pages that it also has morphed into a community which has blown itself off the charts with phenomenal growth. Youtube went from being a fun place to upload personal video’s to a wide open advertising market, with phenomenal growth continuing as it has and is becoming a tool for businesses & marketer’s having a lower price tag than television. (Consisting of someone shooting the video, processing it and uploading to their site, versus full blown production costs.)
Video itself is ubiquitous – existing or being everywhere at the same time…constantly encountered it also has helped change the market field. Businesses are changing their vehicles from traditional means to places like-YouTube, Facebook, Hulu, Metacafe, Blip.tv, which can host or provide links to user friendly self-help video’s, educational video’s, how to video’s and news-feeds.
Networking has become a part of who we are.
Businesses are reaching out to customer loyalty, which in turn creates “word of mouth” marketing in today’s world on an internet level. This is where Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs, YouTube and others have become so important to businesses. People are talking in these places, talking to friends, relatives, and certain acquaintances/businesses. If they like your product or service, they will talk about you, to you, to family, to friends, to neighbors and connect with you.
Online ratings and reviews are an amazing tool that affects consumer’s buying decisions, and consumers really are using this information to make those decisions. Online companies have already realized this and business owners are now turning to this phenomenon as consumer’s are wanting to know how good the product is, how many people are liking the product and more. The consumer has become very active in researching product information. Businesses need to understand this.
Studies show that the average person has around 250 friends, acquaintances, business connections, etc. within their network/social life. Things to focus on – building relationships with your customer/client, not buddy buddy, but really listening to what they need, being helpful, finding the best deals and passing that on, being aware of what’s happening in your region. Keeping in contact with your clients, even sending thoughtful cards to them. These things will bring your customer/client back and open the door for “word of mouth” marketing, whether it’s in person, online with Facebook, Twitter or others.
The magic is this: If one customer likes your product/service, then you have the potential of reaching 250 more through that one connection. If you have 10 happy customers then you have the potential to reach 2500 connections, if you have 100 happy customers ….. well, you do the math 
Have you changed your playing field yet? 
If you’ve changed your marketing practices…leave a comment in the comment field below and let us know how it’s helped…
If you NEED HELP to change your marketing practices…fill in the contact form below:
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August 13th, 2009
With power shifts continuing…marketing is morphing itself into a world that influences your brand, your product and your services.
Consumers have grabbed ahold of Social networks in such a frenzy that those networks have skyrocketed in growth five-fold. Building Social Strategies is vital to businesses surviving in this crucial time. To be successful, marketers must use a strategic, systematic approach in setting up this process.
*Listed below are seven practical ways to be efficient in this strategy.
- Socialize content.
- Word of mouth with Twitter
- Aggregate existing content.
- Crowdsource your support.
- Sponsor bloggers.
- Sponsor events.
- Let go with APIs.
*Additional things to do:
- Manage social media for the long term.
- Start small but plan for the long term.
- Accurately prove effectiveness through social application metrics.
- Measure based on objective
- Develop the right roles.
- Social media strategist and community manager
- Educate through social media supplements. Like Procter & Gamble’s social media lab
*Courtesy of Forrester’s Research.
July 22nd, 2009
Forbes has an informative article written about this..speaking about “Recessions offer what may be unprecedented opportunities to market in and environment of relatively less noise, as others cut back.” They also warned that ad agencies would pressure clients to increase their budgets in the face of a downturn. Basically speaking, if clients don’t spend, agencies don’t have business. It’s definitely a good read…giving you some great pointers on where to increase and where to decrease.
Forrester’s Research, talks about:
Three important steps to Recession Marketing.
- What consumers want from brands
- Prioritizing your marketing spend
- Engaging today’s consumer online and offline
Peer opinions carry considerable weight, examples are as follows:
- Valued opinion of a friend who has used product.
- Reviews-consumer reviews are highly valued on whether to buy or use service. Many sites offer this consumer review/poll.
- Online reviews by editors of a content site. Gives a footing to online sales.
Consumers are showing they want more control…by not trusting popup ads, rather trusting emails they have signed up for. If you’ve been using those pesky popups…now is a good time to get rid of them! Other trusted agenda’s are Brand Web sites, In-store ads, Consumer opinions posted online.
With personal optimism declining, recession has been moving people toward comfort and connection showing that consumers are shopping less and researching more. With the consumer expecting to have less to spend, marketers also have less to spend, meaning brand loyalty has become more important than ever. Marketers must be able to provide comfort and reassurance while doing more to meet the consumers’ unique needs.
Digital marketing is seeing a lot more increase than offline marketing. Places like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Web Site development and Blogs have increased rapidly while the high cost traditional methods of marketing such as radio and television have dwindled down to a crawl.
“Given your decreased budget, how is your spending affected in each of the following areas?”
Base: 45 marketing leadership CMOs who have had their 2009 marketing budget reduced
Lisa Bradner a Principle Analyst at Forrester Research showed statistics representing that 72% of consumers say prior experience drives their brand loyalty, along with 58% of online adults say they trust online reviews more than any other medium except emails from friends. Those are pretty big numbers. She also found that in a recession many marketers are leaning toward digital as opposed to traditional.
With budgets being tighter than ever, it has driven the need for tough choices and prioritization. On that note…Smart marketers will take that leap not only to acquire new customers/clients, but to also enhance the brand experience with the old ones as well.
June 8th, 2009
“Having already served up over 1.73 billion video views and 45 terabytes of video footage to the world, YouTube is everyone’s first port of call when they want to search for online video.” (Excerpt from Robin Good’s MasterNewMedia Blog) Shows the power of video footage. That’s ONLY YouTube, thats not including Ustream, Hulu or any other video viewing sites out there. Thousands literally flock to YouTube to watch the newest and greatest videos...network tv stations are wondering if they’re gonna become obsolete. So this avenue has become an amazing marketing potential.
For Businesses creating online presence…
1. When working with video…think short. Short sweet and to the point. 30 sec. to just over a min should be plenty of time to generate interest and show samples.
2. Be somewhat random. Use humor, be lighthearted, keep your tone light. Remember not to take yourself too seriously and stay on topic!
3. Equipment? One $300 digital video camera, one YouTube account. A good microphone wouldn’t hurt either.
4. Bring people back… by offering some they will look forward too. Maybe a weekly giveaway..or sign up for a prize.
5. Use tags, LOTS of tags. When you use lots of tags, people can find you easier, also helps you get more views.
