Using video marketing to drive traffic to your web site is an online marketing strategy many small business owners and internet marketers are beginning to embrace, with much success. Having a traditional website only allows you to reach those people who first find your website. However, combining video, social networking and some simple video marketing techniques can drive hordes of qualified visitors to your website.
First, let’s forget the silly videos you’ll find all over YouTube of kids running into fences and demonstrating the newest dance move. While that kind of video can bring in hundreds of thousands of views, it won’t bring the targeted traffic you need.
Instead, consider making a video tightly targeted towards your niche. A real estate agent might make a video introducing herself and showcasing a few of her available homes for sale. A night club might make a video “commercial” with soundbites from partygoers. A software developer might make a video demonstrating his latest application.
Because Google and other search engines are beginning to give videos hosted on sites like YouTube preferential search engine ranking, it’s quite possible your video could end up on the first page of search results for your targeted keyphrase. This is incredibly powerful and not to be overlooked, as this is what will make your video marketing efforts well worth the time you invest in them.
Consider that YouTube itself may not have a huge market of people looking for videos on “Oakland real estate.” But if your video titled “Oakland Real Estate” made the first page of Google search results (again, due to the preferential search results video is receiving in the search engines) you’d benefit from the hundreds of people who search for that term in Google seeing your video as the #1 result and ,in turn, watching your clip.
With the preferential treatment videos are receiving in search results, the question then becomes, “How do I move people from watching my video on YouTube to actually visiting my website?”
This is simple. Bribe them, at the end of your marketing video. What follows are some ideas:
- Offer them something for free at your site (a consultation, a report, free drink, demo version, MP3 download, etc.)
- Poll them or ask them a question they need visit your site to answer. People love to give their opinion. You can combine with the free offer, above, by giving them the freebie upon completion of the poll or question. This is invaluable for market research.
- Leave ‘em hanging. Don’t tell the whole story on your YouTube hosted video - instead, tell them just enough to incite curiosity. Then, instruct them to visit your site for the complete story or answer.
Each of these ideas are intentionally broad can be focused indefinitely and molded to fit your target market.
The key here is catching your audience while they’re hot; directly after having watched our video and giving them a reason to continue on to your website. The truth is that if you don’t, most will simply click through to another video or search result. Capitalize on their attention and tell them where to go and what to do next - you’ll be surprised at how many will comply!
Even if you’re no Spieldberg (I know I’m not) you can produce traffic sucking videos with these simple methods. If you need to learn more on actually creating videos, get free demos and instructions here.
Hi Michelle this is really interesting thanks for for the invite , hope to get to know you better ArtByLetters(James)
Hi Michelle,
As usual - Great article - There seemms to be more and more buzz on WEb 2 and in particular Video marketing.
I think there will be a lot of people in the same boat as myself who find it very difficult to actually create a video. Its not the technical part - which is fairly easy especuially with todays easy tools but the the actual creative part.
I suppose its like anything else - Create it and just do it regardless and if its not going to work - at leats you’ve tried and failed fast .
Hamant
It’s true, there’s a great deal of buzz about Web 2.0 and video marketing. Why? Because soon, people won’t take seriously business web pages that don’t include video.
Yes, there are a lot of software solutions that promise an easy fix…
But there’s only one place that provides the type of creative help that Hamant mentioned.
And you can get the details by clicking Michelle’s “get free demos and instructions here” link above.
All the Best,
Jay
hi michelle
i must say you really come up with some great marketing ideas
i am going to have to but a camcorder and start learning how to create marketing videos
bye peter
Yes! I do agree with you. Let me at least try this technic on my site. I have a lot of food related ideas.
Thanks ye Michelle!…Keep Growing!
RAJ
Yes You’re spot on Jay,
I’ve been on your new site and the sales page shows incredible stuff.
I have to say your videos are some of the most professional, and sales trigger ready, pschologically thrusted videos I have seen on the net.
Take care and wish you great success with the new site - I am sure its going to be a storm.
Hamant
Hi Michelle!
Because of your great information I finally recorded (actually my 11 year taped) my first video. I edited it in the free 30 day demo version of the Adobe light version of premire and uploaded it to YouTube.
The video is really rough and was not pre-thought, but I’ve recieved around 500 views in my first week and even better is that my conversions to sales has gone up and people have made larger purchases. Here’s the link if you want to check it out:
Egg Whites International
Now I’m off to purchase your “Tubeinator” YouTube friend adder!
Thanks again !
-Brian
July 13, 2007
Michelle, all of this information you give is so priceless. Thanks for sharing! You are a genius!
July 13, 2007
Brian - that is an AWESOME video! I swear, I’m a petite chick who has no interest in working out, bulking up or, uh, moving if it’s not necessary, LOL, but you nearly sold ME!
Showing you getting the package, unpacking it, etc. really portrayed the fun of getting stuff in the mail, opening the box, etc. one can almost imagine being there.
I really, really love what you did! I see you’ve already got positive feedback from viewers too.
Excellent job - I’d love to make a blog post showcasing your video in the future. Is that ok with you?
@ Dan M - thank you!
Hi Michelle!
Wow… that’s awesome. Of course I’d love for you to use the video and I can’t even begin to tell you how happy you made me feel because I kinda thought the video was really “home brewed” and not very polished.
Please send me an email - ok?
-Brian
I just wanted to add that I just noticed this morning that this video comes up on the first page of Google for the search term Egg Whites International too ! Not bad for only being on YouTube for about a week or so…
[...] MacPhearson in her post Video Marketing for Free Traffic offers a great admonition: First, let’s forget the silly videos you’ll find all over YouTube of [...]
thanks for the link! I’ve noticed that google to promoting You Tube with great rankings. it would be stupid not to use this information to our advantage. thanks!
[...] met Brian, the author of the video below, as a commentor on my post about using YouTube to achieve search rank. He showed me link that is an INCREDIBLE example of how to use video in yout online marketing [...]
Michelle — thanks for making the distinction between the dog-on-a-skateboard videos and the ones that actually make a meaningful business impact. We just put out a white paper called “Small Business Guide To Web-Based Video Marketing” and we’ve referenced your article among the additional resources at the end:
http://www.clicksharpmarketing.com/blog/2008/07/27/small-business-guide-web-video-marketing-white-paper/
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
15 Comments