Brafton has reported that video marketing is becoming a necessity, and this is confirmed by the latest comScore data indicating online viewers watched nearly 2 billion videos on Google sites alone in November 2010. Marketers hoping to get the most out of these platforms might heed the advice of experts at Affiliate Summit West, who say relevant, optimized content is what converts consumers.
Mark Sillman, CEO of Spadout.com and founder of VidAff.com, says his clients haven't had success with video ads that are, well, ads. Instead, he says quality video content – content that informs, intrigues and engages viewers – is key to catching clicks and converting viewers.
While Sillman advocates featuring products in videos, he suggests a different approach from simply talking about features and benefits. How-to videos and reviews can catch people's interest on the web. Additionally, he suggests posting videos with content relating to an industry. For instance, he suggests news or footage from the latest industry fashion show can attract relevant traffic for a retailer.
SEO guru Bruce Clay also advocates leveraging video content to boost a brand. He reminds marketers that generating videos that will interest their audience is only the first step – they must also optimize this content to promote it in search engines.
After investing in video content creation, optimize the content to make it visible in search engines. He advises marketers to offer video transcripts that include keywords and use appropriate title tags.
Marketers who follow Clay’s suggestions may find they are rewarded on the leading video site, YouTube. As Brafton has reported, YouTube’s Topics on Search feature categorizes videos by industry, and this may help brands get discovered in the videosphere.
