Question

Topic: Strategy

Best Way To Promote New Video Marketing Service?

Posted by gracehawk on 1/10/2013 at 3:12 PM ET 250 Points
We just launched our video marketing website and need advice on how best to promote it. Our service is aimed at medium-low budget advertisers who want to gain the benefits of video marketing without the exorbitant costs of custom video creation.

In brief, we provide ready-made branding/advertising videos that feel less like advertising and more like entertainment. The goal being to create affordable marketing videos people will want to share with friends, instead of skip.

In terms of reaching our customer base, should we try to target advertisers directly, or focus on letting ad agencies/marketing firms know we are available as an inexpensive and quick resource for client video creation?

Being a small startup with limited funds, we also need to be very "prudent" in our promotional efforts. What would give us the most "bang for the buck" in getting the word out about our service? I haven't had much success with news releases for other projects in the past and approaching bloggers for a review is usually an exercise in frustration. Are Google "Adwords" and "Promoted Videos" the best low-budget approach? Are there other, better alternatives to reach our market?

For a better understanding of our service:

Our website: https://www.nativelightvideo.com

Our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/NativeLightVideo?feature=mhee

Thanks
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 1/10/2013 at 3:27 PM Moderator
    Just from what you've shared, and a quick look at your website, I think Google Adwords might be the most cost-effective approach for you initially. A few suggestions though:

    First, you need to show a sample of a sharable video with the pre- and post-roll tags on them, so people will get the idea. You can use your own company as the sponsor.

    Second, you will want to target the advertisers themselves, not agencies. And a success story or case study that shows how your product generated a positive ROI would be important. There is nothing on the website that tells the viewer what the BENEFIT is for them. Why is this a good idea from their perspective? (WIIFM?)

    Third, you will definitely need landing pages so that each segment of your target audience can get just what they need (and what you promise in the ad or article that gets them to your site). Landing on a "generic" homepage will result in too high a bounce-rate for you.

    Somehow you need to tie your product to the ultimate benefit for your target audience. Just having a video bouncing around the internet with a company's name on it may not be enough to get anyone to spend even $49 -- unless they understand how that $49 will generate $500 in additional profit for them. (OK, it doesn't have to be $500 ... but it needs to be pretty dramatic if you want them to take you seriously.)
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 1/10/2013 at 4:28 PM Member
    I'm lost here. How does footage of a prairie (to which I presume you have the exclusive rights) connect with a potential client's message? What's in the deal for a client?

    As for marketing, well, a Facebook page, Twitter presence, and some way of sharing stills on Pinterest might help. Likewise Google Adwords. Forget approaching ad agencies. Many of them have their own production facilities. Market directly to clients through local trade groups (Chamber of Commerce) and offer solid benefits.

    There MUST be video on the home page of your website. To omit examples of your products in this way misses the point of marketing your services in the first place.

    Everything about your site needs to telegraph the news that people are in the right place. On your Video Content page on your site you tell me "Our video program content may be viewed on our YouTube channel."

    Don't tell me: SHOW ME! This page MUST have a link to your YouTube page.
  • Posted by Moriarty on 1/10/2013 at 4:32 PM Member
    I looked at your site - what can you offer as an "upsell" from the $49 offer?

    Because your strategy needs to focus on those people who already know what video can do for them - or whose own advertising/media strategies *should* focus on video. As Mr Goodman says, PPC (Adwords) would be a very good start for you. Carefully used you will quickly discover your best client types, and this information is your bedrock.

    I reference to Mr Goodman's last paragraph, my take is to sell results. What can your video do for your client that no other video company can? That makes the modest outlay of $49 a sensible gamble, and that is well below most adwords accounts, let alone marketing budgets. Taking you seriously is far more important than the value - and it might be that charging $499 for a video would mean that people really do take you seriously.

    I hope this helps. Moriarty
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 1/10/2013 at 4:40 PM Accepted
    (Aside: The question I have about your offering is that it seems you're only doing half the work. You're creating a (generic) video with a company's name & URL. But once they have that in-hand, they need to promote it. The companies that are likely to be interested in your services are not likely to have the savvy for actually spreading the message, and getting the ROI for the video (or even testing to see which video is better received). I also question whether your videos are really something that people will want to share - your YouTube channel is showing single and low double-digit views).)

    As for how to spread the message, follow Michael's advice. If you don't yet have any clients who are using the videos, identify some local businesses, offer your product (for free) and develop case studies from seeing what works (best).
  • Posted by gracehawk on 1/11/2013 at 10:02 AM Author
    Thanks, responders for the feedback and advice, it's much appreciated. Regarding your responses:

    MGOODMAN - You stated "There is nothing on the website that tells the viewer what the BENEFIT is for them. Why is this a good idea from their perspective?" AND "Somehow you need to tie your product to the ultimate benefit for your target audience."

    I try to explain this in some detail on my "Why Shareable Video" page. Did you not see that page or do you feel it does not sufficienty explain the benefits of our approach?

    GARY BLOOMER - You stated "How does footage of a prairie connect with a potential client's message? What's in the deal for a client?"

    Again, I tried to answer this on my "Why Shareable Video" and "FAQ" pages. The basic idea being that our videos are designed to have inherent entertainment value, not just advertising, so that viewers will enjoy the experience and potentially share them with friends, thereby virally spreading the client's message/brand. Does this message not come through from the site?

    MORIARTY - You stated "What can your video do for your client that no other video company can?"

    As I indicated before, I THOUGHT I addressed this, primarily on my site's "Why Shareable Video" page. We offer a large inventory of videos so clients can easily (and affordably) release new videos on a frequent basis, to keep their viewers interested over the long term (repetition, you know). Does this "uniqueness" not come through from the site?

    JAY-HAMILTON ROTH - You stated "I also question whether your videos are really something that people will want to share - your YouTube channel is showing single and low double-digit views."

    Our channel has only been up for about a month and has received no promotion as yet. The goal for the channel is not to get a lot of consumer views, but rather to serve as a catalog for our clients to preview and select videos they wish to purchase and promote with their message/branding.





  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 1/11/2013 at 10:47 AM Accepted
    "Does this message not come through from the site?" No, it doesn't. Your home page needs to tell people "Here's how our videos can help you".

    If your YouTube channel is simply meant as a catalogue you may not need a YouTube channel.
    The videos might be better off on your site where people can see them. I'd caution against either making assumptions about what people want, or expecting people to find the information on your site. If information isn't right there, on the home page, people won't invest more than two clicks looking for it.

  • Posted by Moriarty on 1/11/2013 at 11:09 AM Accepted
    Gracehawk,

    in direct response to your question, I don't know enough about marketing videos to know. As a designer I could tell you a lot about their possible impact or directness.

    I agree with Gary that you don't really need a Youtube channel - host them on your site (perhaps using Vimeo or something?) and don't forget to add the rel=0 (I'm sure you would!!). You have far more control over them that way - and people can still "like" them on Facebook and Tweet them too.

    I will visit your website again sometime (once I am finished with digging around in my css).
    M


  • Posted by telemoxie on 1/11/2013 at 1:14 PM Member
    I spent three years or so doing outbound marketing for a similar company. My question is: why are you trying to sell video services to companies who do not buy video services? Wouldn't it be smarter to sell video services to companies who do buy video services?
  • Posted on 1/11/2013 at 1:22 PM Accepted
    You wrote: "I try to explain this in some detail on my 'Why Shareable Video' page. Did you not see that page or do you feel it does not sufficienty explain the benefits of our approach?"

    I did see the page, and it doesn't tell the target audience what the compelling benefit is for them. Further, most people won't even get to that page if the headline and main thrust of the homepage don't scream out the benefit.

    You may be confusing features with benefits. You want to have ONE IMPORTANT AND COMPELLING BENEFIT, supported by as many features as your target audience finds relevant (usually not more than 3 or 4). Somehow you need to capture in one simple sentence what's in it for your target audience to spend another nanosecond on your website considering shareable videos.

    You have lots of words describing why shareable video, how it works, etc., but you never tell the viewer what important benefit they'll realize if they send you money. (I'm still trying to figure that out myself.) Will I be richer? Thinner? More sexually attractive? Will my family love me more?



  • Posted by gracehawk on 1/11/2013 at 3:12 PM Author
    Thanks again, one and all for your thought-provoking insights and suggestions. I shall commence to implement them as best I can.
  • Posted by Moriarty on 1/11/2013 at 3:21 PM Member
    All the best! M xx
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