How to Maximize the Use of Video in Your Company's Marketing

The marketing world, it is a-changin'.

In order to be effective in today's competitive marketplaces, companies need to look for unique advantages in the way they present themselves. The various uses of video are becoming prevalent in the marketing planning of many businesses.

With the ever-increasing impact of the Internet, businesses need to showcase their products and services emphatically to gain exposure and awareness.

The challenge of marketing has always been "how to cut through all the 'noise' and get the attention of one's buyers." That axiom hasn't changed. In fact, it's as valid as ever. The question is, what techniques can a business employ to get the upper hand in the marketing world?

The resounding answer today is video.

Cutting edge marketing firms are realizing that the use of video gives their clients a distinct advantage as they vie for their prospective customers' attention. Now that videos can load so quickly on the Internet, it's becoming preferable for website visitors to view a 30- or 60-second video than to read a 16 paragraph article.

Marketing messages can be driven home much more effectively through video than through a static advertisement or photograph or article.

With the advent of hugely popular video-sharing sites such as YouTube, Viddler, Vimeo and Dailymotion, the opportunity to place videos and reach vast audiences is easily accessible. And usually at no cost!

Also, search engines like Google and Yahoo! can actually "read" video content to determine its "rank worthiness" using keyword searches. This means, videos can be searched and found as readily as articles and websites.

Internet viewers often times are duly rewarded for their web surfing with a well defining video showcasing the subject of their search.

For example, let's say a company is trying to market its retirement community. What challenges does this present?

First, most people don't know one retirement community from another. Most can't differentiate an independent retirement community from a CCRC or lifecare community or an ALF assisted living facility. And, are these nursing homes?

The smart marketer of retirement communities will use video to help define the industry of senior living, and explain to whom each type of community applies.

Second, how does a marketer eradicate the long-held stereotypical myth that a retirement community is an "old folks' home" where old fogies go to die?

The answer is to showcase through video the actual lifestyle, services and facilities of the community. Most people have no idea what goes on inside the walls of a lifecare community or independent retirement community or assisted living facility. Through video, the authenticity of the lifestyle can be experienced quasi-firsthand.

Seeing is believing, and video gives viewers a visual experience. Video content can take many forms. By the strategic use of video, a community can demonstrate its elegant dining, for instance -- a service that many people don't even realilze exists.

A video can be in the form of a tour of the property, inside and outside. It can be a witness to a live event. It can define the lifestyle, services and amenities as well as the costs and requirements for residence.

Video can feature testimonials of residents or endorsements of professionals and community leaders, each contributing powerful influence to viewers. Video can also create emotion and perception. It can be accompanied with music, superimposed with text and graphics, and polished with transitions and special effects.

Once video is planned and created, it needs to be formatted properly and distributed to audiences on and off the Internet. This is where video gets tricky, since all the elements essential in editing make it necessary to employ a professional to prepare the message for its final destination.

So, now that you have video content, what do you do with it? First, there's the Internet. There are a myriad sources for free or inexpensive placement of your video. You can use video in your Company's primary website, and you can create other sites of your own dedicated to lifestyle, testimonials, or training.

You can easily email videos, giving targeted and personal impact to your messages. Emailing videos can be achieved either by attachment or by hyperlink to an Internet location.

You can use video in displays showcasing your Company's products or services throughout the office, store or offsite locations. You can create CDs and DVDs of videos serving as "video brochures." You can carry videos with you for display at Expos and trade shows or conference room demonstrations.

You can create a video blog that provides an up-to-date account of activities and events on any subject. And no medium is a better tool for teaching or training employees or providing directions and demonstrations to viewers.

Marketing is about achieving maximum exposure to targeted audiences with a memorable and persuasive message.

Video is becoming the preferred methodology to achieving those marketing goals.