At the most recent Indy Social Media breakfast, I had a chance to hear both  Rocky Walls and Julie Perry speak about video marketing. In their presentations, Rocky and Julie approached the topic of video from two very different perspectives.  Rocky (CEO of 12 Stars Media) focused on how to effectively shoot a great internet video.Julie (VP of Social Media at BlastMedia) picked up where he left off, focusing on how to market those videos.

Some of the major takeaways from Rocky’s presentation:

  • Stop using a script-many folks think they need to script all their lines in advance. This, in turn, makes you sound stodgy and uptight. Use guidelines, not a word-for word transcript.
  • Have a goal…before you push the red button-Rocky’s mantra is all about being able to answer this question: “My viewer will _______ after viewing my video because ______”. Having goals in advance is critical when shooting video, just like with anything else.
  • Smile-Rocky feels when someone is smiling at the beginning of a video, that mood typically carries through the rest of the shoot, which the viewers will be able to sense.

And from Julie’s:

  • Users want to view your content on their terms-Now more than ever, the consumer has the power. You need to make sure your videos are delivering what the consumer wants when they need it. Otherwise, they won’t bother.
  • If you’re marketing on Youtube, you need to be using the new video transcription option-Google can not accurately gauge what a video on Youtube is actually showing…until now. Users can upload transcripts of their video so that Google can do a full text analysis of the video’s content. This can get tedious, so Julie recommends searching for video transcript services, available all over the web.
  • Be complete-Many Youtube marketers neglect taking full advantage of the tagging and description features…at their own peril. By packing the tag and description areas, you’re giving you’re video it’s best shot at showing up in relevant searches. Remember, though…relevance is key. Sadly, tagging our Roundpeg videos with “Lady Gaga” does us no good.

As an Indianapolis web design firm, we often get questions from clients on how to use video and Youtube to achieve marketing goals. After listening to Rocky and Julie, I now feel much more confident in my ability to answer those questions.

What’s your best “Youtube tip”?  Or Favorite YouTube business video? Share the link here