Jammy Custard Studios » Technology

A Lesson in Video SEO

Matt — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:39:04 +0000

Youtube recently announced that an impressive one hour of video is uploaded every second. By that statistic alone, just goes to show how important Search Engine Optimisation for video is if you want to stand out.

I previously wrote a blog post with some Video Optimisation tips, a year on and things haven’t changed much and the strategy still works. In this post I want to share a breakdown of how we got a video to sustain itself and generate daily views.

You may remember us posting our little Lego Stop Motion film for Christmas. The first few weeks we saw the views of the video match accordingly to whenever we shared the video on various social networks. But without us actively sharing the video, the views would decline.

I knew we had to increase the chances of it being discovered on YouTube, so I put the video through the SEO check-list that I mentioned in my last post.

SEO Check-List

Descriptive title. Say what the video is about, making sure to incorporate appropriate keywords. This will not only aid search engines but will also encourage more people to view your video over a video that has a vague title.
Appropriate keywords and Informative description. When adding tags and keywords to the title and description of the video, make sure they are relevant to the content and your brand. Also make sure to include ‘video’ as a keyword, as people will search for “something something video” as a query.
Attractive thumbnail. Some video sites let you upload a thumbnail of the video whereas others like Youtube will select 3 from your video to choose. Try to choose the most interesting image that will give a feel for what your video is about, while encouraging people to view it.
Enabled comments and ratings. This gives the opportunity for communication between users and yourself. This may need to be monitored to filter out any spam or inappropriate comments, but generally those who leave any feedback are more likely to take further action; be it sharing the video or purchasing your product or service, at the very least they are improving your search rankings.
Implement a linking strategy. Link to your video from other sites: embed it on your website or blog, share it on social networks, embed it on other relevant sites for your business. The more links back to your video, the better its search engine ranking. Search engines depend on the number and quality of the links to determine the credibility of the video.
Use multiple video sites. Depending on your objectives, it might prove wise to distribute your video to multiple sites other than YouTube to increase your online visibility. By using TubeMogul for example, you can upload just one video and it will distribute it to mulitple video sites all at once.

Apart from a linking strategy and using multiple video sites, I was positive I met all the criteria. For this video I wanted to focus traffic to YouTube rather than manage it on multiple video platforms (vimeo, dailymotion etc), and also because we had adsense enabled which allows us to earn some money from the popup ads on the video, so according to the check list, I was left to work on a linking strategy.

I searched for ideal places to embed and link the video without spamming, with the potential for it to be easily shared. I joined Lego fan sites such as Brickfilms; a site for amateur Lego animations where I was sure the video would be most welcome. I also added it to tumblr, submitting the video to various Lego dedicated tumblr pages. Both these methods earned us a few new subscribers, some more YouTube likes and the views I wanted. But after a few days of posting on these sites, the video views declined again. At this time the video had earned an approximate total of 800 views.

I re-evaluated the situation and checked the SEO check-list again to see what I may have missed.

: Youtube analytics over the past month reacting to the changes

Judge a book by its title

I realised the problem could be in the video title. The keywords and description were fine, but the title wasn’t telling people anything.

Originally the title was “A Merry Christmas You Must Have – Lego Star Wars”. This was in line with our mini-campaign of goodwill during the festive season, but it was not the most enticing or sustainable of titles…especially after Christmas had passed. The title of the film is not directly relevant to the SEO performance, but it did need to be changed to something people would likely search for.

After losing the name and testing alternatives, we settled on “Lego Star Wars: Santa versus Christmas Yoda“. As a result, the video now appears high up in YouTube’s suggested videos and search results, as well as being far more descriptive and appealing to the casual viewer browsing YouTube.

To add to that, and something that we can include in the SEO check list above is the use of the YouTube Video Response feature. When choosing the right title for the video, I researched many keywords to see the results. Whenever I found a similar themed video that had a high view count and was still actively being viewed, instead of leaving a comment on the video I would instead add a video response for the viewers who might also enjoy seeing our video.

Since adding those changes, we have already reached over 4600 views, getting anything from 30-100+ views a day, with most of our traffic coming from YouTube’s Suggested Videos. The image above is a screenshot of YouTube’s analytics showing the increase in views during the optimisation process.

Conclusion

Just to reiterate, one hour of video is uploaded to Youtube every second and every uploader wants their content to be seen.

Even though ‘A Merry Christmas You Must Have’ featured both Lego and Star Wars, with both already having massive and established audiences, it was invisible to search engines until the meta content was optimised. Now, because we followed the SEO Check-list and researched our audience and ‘competition’, the video is able to sustain itself and generate views daily.

Generating sales

In a business sense, you would now have a video that not only engages with your audience and converts them into sales/sign-ups, but a video that attracts substantial daily views with very little ‘ongoing’ effort. Of course trends change and the SEO would need to be monitored and tweaked to match your industry, but this little lesson in video SEO proves that having effectively optimised content will substantially increase your visibility, and ultimately create more sales.

Hugo and the current state of 3D

Matt — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:25:17 +0000

Before Christmas I went to see Hugo in 3D after originally dismissing it as ‘yet another mindless children film’. I was not interested at all until I saw AICN rave on about how brilliant it was. So at a quick glance at a review, I saw that the film was not as the trailer portrayed it to be, but in fact a film about George Melies! I became a fan of Melies when I studied him in University. (Here’s a blog post I wrote about Melies recently for those who don’t know who he is) I saw the film as soon as I could and fell in love with it.

I haven’t been so excited watching a film since… I can’t remember when. I wanted to shout out and explain why Melies’ studio was made of glass, and the importance of his camera in the museum as it was happening on screen. To my delight everything was explained, including his trip to the fair when he saw the Lumiere brothers demonstrating their camera that inspired Melies to make films. It was great to see Melies life and work being brought to attention on the big screen.

Apart from my love of Melies, this film inspired me to revisit my previous 3D blog post (Is 3D a gimmick?) as Hugo has the best 3D I have ever seen. I have seen all kinds of 3D films from good 3D that you appreciate at the start of the film and then forget about, down to horrific post-production/last minute conversion that ruins the film – See Clash of the Titans.

The Current State of 3D

I saw Tintin previously in 3D and I always said that animations take on 3D well, it always looks good. But with Tintin I was aware of the effect at the start but soon got used to it and forgot I was watching a 3D film. Hugo however is the first 3D film I have seen where 3D actually enhanced the film and immersed me into the world.

So where are we now with 3D one year on since my last post? Well for one there seems to be less “bad 3D” – yes films are still using it to earn that extra bit of cash but it seems film makers have learnt what not to do and are actually producing good/passable 3D. Scorsese has really done more to convince me that 3D is a permanent and needed tool in cinema than any filmmaker that has worked with the medium thus far. But then he really studied 3D film before he shot. - Harry Knowles on Hugo (Ain’t It Cool News)

2012 holds some interesting 3D developments with Star Wars Episode 1 being converted to 3D in February. The plan is to release a 3D Star Wars film every year which would give time to improve on any issues the first film may have – one would assume. Then at the end of the year The Hobbit Part 1 comes out with a new take on 3D – Peter Jackson has spoken out how he is filming at a higher frame rate to help with the 3D filming. See the video below for a more in-depth look from Peter Jackson himself (may contain small spoilers).

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

However there is still a lot of dislike for 3D. The Oatmeal illustrates this amusingly well. It’s a shame that there is so much dislike for the technology as when it works like it did in Hugo, it enhanced the cinema experience. But it’s understandable as many of us have been burned and ripped off by over-priced and poorly done 3D that did little to enhance or in some cases ruin the film. If we can get more films like Hugo, maybe 3D can win back cinema goers and make it a ‘cinema experience’ as it should be.

Pixilation

Matt — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:56:40 +0000

I have recently got back into doing Stop Motion animation. It’s been difficult to find the time to do it in my spare time, but we have recently embarked on a little project within JC that has sparked my love for it again. A technique I want to try is Pixilation. It’s a stop motion technique where you animate people frame-by-frame. I imagine this to be a more laborious process, as when animating with a puppet you can leave in the middle of a shoot, go home and continue the next day. But unless you have someone who is willing to stay in position over night for you, you would need to wrap up and work through shots pretty quickly in a day.

As I said, it’s a technique I want to try out with a willing volunteer (any takers?). Below I have embedded some interesting videos that use pixilation. Have you seen the technique being used before? I’d like to see some examples, please feel free to share some links in the comments below.

Bolex Brothers – The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Coldplay – Strawberry Swing

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Jan Svankmajer – Food

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Blippar

Matt — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:39:04 +0000

Screenshot from my phone scanning the Tesco Ad

QR codes and Augmented Reality are something I am fascinated with. The way technology is progressing with how we access information is getting easier and more interactive. I previously looked into this in an earlier blog post called Bridging Digital and Reality, and in this post I featured an app called Aurasma. This app used your smartphone to scan an object and bring it to life using augmented reality. This was at the time merely a fun and novel application. But recently I have had my attention brought to Blippar.

My first impression was that it was going to be another Aurasma. Just another AR gimmicky app, and maybe it is. But what I like most about Blippar is how fast it is. Aurasma took an age to load content and required a lot of moving about to get the camera to focus on the image. Blippar seems to work instantly. It still seems fairly new and looking at their blog, the list of things you can scan is increasing.

Download the app and try scanning these images below. I most impressed with the Omega Watch advert.

References

Discussion: Online Video Editing

Matt — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:00:44 +0000

Recently I have noticed an increase in the number of websites allowing to edit videos online. Below is an overview of some of the applications I have found to see what they offer in the hope to discover any positive potential.

Youtube video editor

I first took notice when Youtube launched their video editor where you can create a new video based on exisiting videos in your channel or from a creative commons list. Later Youtube released a more advanced editor where you can colour correct, trim, rotate, stablise and add new audio to existing content from your channel. Pretty nifty idea as it gives those who lack any form of decent NLE (non linear editor) software to adjust and improve their footage.

Magisto

I then recently discovered Magisto. A website that claims to do all the hard work for you. All you have to do is upload a video or two, it will then scan the footage and select the best moments from it for you. Before you upload and hand over your footage to the Magisto wizards, you get the privilege of selecting from a list of inappropriate and gimmicky music to accompany your new masterpiece.

And that’s about as much control as you get. Your video is edited to Magistos liking with some random transitions you didn’t know where going to be included. The video is then nicely rounded off with a Magisto branded outro.

Credit where its due, I uploaded a test video of a bird I filmed that was perched on a tree that eventually flew away. Magisto scanned my footage and took the close up of the bird flying away as an interesting moment to use. Well done Magisto. But I can’t help but wonder, why be so automated, why not present a few clips to the author that Magisto thinks could be suitable to use. This will keep the process fast and hassle free, but gives the author a chance to have some say over what is shown in the final video.

Youtube Video Creator

This got me to research further where I explored the Create Video option on Youtube. I have seen the link so many times but never needed to visit it. I was surprised to see what was available. Below is a quick run down of each of the apps.

GoAnimate - You’re presented with a series of options to make a video in about 10mins. You first choose your skit, the background scenery, choice of 2 characters, then you type in the dialogue and you’re done. But if you want to have a wider selection of characters and scenery, or want to have more than 10 lines of dialogue, then you have to upgrade to GoPlus.
Xtranormal Movie Maker - Exactly the same as GoAnimate, except its CG instead of 2D animation. Again if you want more options you have to pay.
Stupeflix - I personally think this is the most useful option from this list. It offers a timeline for you to upload images, videos, maps and audio, complete with control on adding titles and transitions. The Scrapbook template is ideal for those who may want to share and present some holiday snaps.
One True Media – In it’s simplest form it’s a pretty good video editor with a simple timeline to control the order of clips. On top of that you can spice up your videos by adding some stock effects, transitions and music. You can then have the pleasure of adding the video to your Youtube channel as well as ordering a copy to have on DVD
Vlix - Purely used for effects, there’s no video editing here. You can add a variety of colour filters, and then you have a selection of effects such as slow motion, stop motion, reverse, fast forward and of course the ability to add stars and sparkles. The colour filters are pretty good when watching the demos. But you can’t preview the effect on your footage until you publish it.

Discuss

I’m interested to learn more and find out what other people think. I have left some points of discussion below for starters.

What are the pros and cons?
Are there people that actually use any of these online editors?
Will some of these online editors spawn a new kind of templated/cookie cutter type videos that we will instantly recognise?
Will this destroy creativity or inspire people to invest in more powerful software to achieve their vision?
Are there any other online editors that I am unaware of that are better?

Please share your thoughts and opinions by using the comment section below.

Ok Go: The Masters of Viral Video

Matt — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:15:07 +0000

Ok Go have recently released a new video for their song ‘All is not lost’ (we’ll talk about it later in the post). If you haven’t seen or heard of the video yet, you will pretty soon as their videos tend to go viral pretty quickly, which is why I decided to write about them as I realised I had neglected to mention them in the last post I did about viral videos: Reach out to a worldwide audience | What makes a viral video?

Who are Ok Go?

Ok Go are a US rock band who released their debut album in 2002 along with the single ‘”Get Over It” which debuted at no 21 in the UK singles chart. But it wasn’t until they released the video for ‘A Million Ways’ from their second album ‘Oh No’ that the band gained in popularity. The video for ‘A Million Ways’ featured the band doing a choreographed dance in their backyard. The video was released in August 2005, just 7 months after the birth of Youtube. A year later the video had been downloaded over 9 million times making it the most downloaded music video ever.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

in July 2006 they released the video for ‘Here it goes again’ – another choreographed dance but on treadmills (now probably the video people first think of when they heard Ok Go). Within 6 days the video was viewed over 1 million times.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

All is not lost

For the new single ‘All is not lost‘ they teamed up with Google and made an interactive video using HTML 5 (Just in the same way Arcade Fire did recently for ‘We Used To Wait‘).

The video is like a kaliedescope of limbs as the camera is placed under a transparent floor looking up at the band and other dancers. The HTML5 version of the video lets you write in a message that the band spell out with their feet (see image on the right) There is a Youtube version as well but it doesn’t have the interactivity.

Their secret to success?

Since the success of these videos, Ok Go have continued a tradition of releasing creative videos each generating an enormous amount of views, each video going a step further than the previous. So what’s their secret? Anyone can (and have done so) film themselves dancing about and making rube goldberg machines, so why does it work for Ok Go? If you look at all their videos, they show that you don’t need a big budget to make something entertaining. Each video is done so that anyone who is willing to put in the time and effort can recreate them – granted you may need to a big room to spare and to call in some favours from friends, but if you’re willing to find a bunch of household items and visit the scrapyard, you too can create their video for ‘This Too Shall Pass’.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The key factors of all this is the human element, the innovation, the long shots, the single takes and the belief that you can also create a similar video. Also when was the last time you saw a band dedicated to making sure each video is as creative and entertaining as the last? All these attributes combined have become part of Ok Go’s brand identity, they don’t repeat ideas, they push and twist them into something new.

Their secret to success is them as a band/a group of friends/a bunch of people with a passion to be creative, innovative and have as much fun as possible.

Don’t believe me? Take a look at this playlist of their music videos and you will see that what they do is surely a labour of love.

References

Bridging Digital and Reality

Matt — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:00:08 +0000

Enhancing reality

This post was inspired from when I downloaded the Aurasma app recently. It’s a fun app that lets you apply a photo or video to an object that will appear in virtual space when viewed through a smartphone camera. This technique or process is called Augmented Reality.

Augmented Reality is a digitally enhanced extension of reality. By using your smart phone’s camera with GPS, you can overlay information on to your surroundings. The picture on the right is an example of information of your surroundings using the Layar iPhone App.

I tried Aurasma on my business card that when scanned will show a video, but unfortunately it seems limited to posting either default animations and images from Aurasma’s library, photos or videos that you have recorded from your phone, or a video from the Blinkx network, which is very limiting. So at this stage, it seems like it’s missed a trick by not allowing to at least add a Youtube video.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Layar

I keep returning to Layar every so often to check for any new updates. It’s an interesting app that allows you to use your camera smartphone and choose a layer of information you want it to show. For example I added a layer to find all the nearest pubs and bars in Cardiff. The app presented me with a radar and an icon representing each bar, upon clicking the icon I can find out the distance away from my current location, along with external links to a map, comments and ratings. This is an impressive use, but relies on a good Internet connection to succeed, which is primarily why I don’t bother much with the app as I haven’t had much luck with 3G, and excessive use of the camera tends to drain away my iPhone battery.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Practical apps

Apart from Smartphone apps, below are some videos demonstrating more practical uses for augmented reality.

USPS Priority Mail Simulator

This is an ingenious application that allows you to use your webcam to project a virtual box as if it were in the room with you. The box is to scale and helps you to select the correct box to fit the item you need to ship.

USPS Simulator Link

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Webcam social shopper

This turns your webcam into a mirror, allowing you to try on virtual clothes before you buy them.

Webcam Social Shopper Link

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Olympus product demo

This is probably my favourite. You can demo a camera and most of its functionality before purchasing.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Lego model viewer

This is pretty straight forward and similar to others to give you a product demonstration. But this is probably more gimmicky, as the image on the box is pretty self-explanatory.. Come on.. it’s lego, it’s not like the Olympus camera where you got functions to test out.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Tesco Virtual Store

By using QR Codes (and a good Internet connection), this is an interesting spin on shopping online whilst on the move. It’s currently being tested in Korea, and as demonstrated in the video, using this in train stations is a great place to have it. Doing your shopping while waiting for your train, then having it delivered to your home just after you get in. Just gotta hope it doesn’t get graffiti all over it.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

BMW HUD Glasses

HUDs are awesome (see Iron Man), so if this indeed is as accurate as the video shows, I’d very much like to own a pair. These glasses use augmented reality to help you repair your car.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Conclusion

Augmented reality, QR codes – It’s all futuristic, fun and mostly gimmicky at this stage, but even with smart phones becoming more common, I believe we still got a long wait to go before these tools get used on a regular basis. However in a business sense, it’s gimmicky enough to be an interesting USP. With the previous examples above, it can be used to perform a practical and useful function like helping you decide which clothes to order online, but it can also be used for promotion. A lot of DVDs have come out that uses a webcam and the DVD case itself to project an object using augmented reality. For example: The Star Trek (2009) DVD uses augmented reality to explore the Enterprise and for the Transformers DVD release, face tracking technology is used with your webcam to project Optimus Prime’s head over your own.

Otherwise though, this technology it’s just fun and games for us tech geeks out there.

I’m curious to know if there are any people who use augmented reality on a regular basis?

References

QR Codes

Matt — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:00:49 +0000

What is a QR Code?

It’s a barcode that originated from Japan, but has since been growing in popularity in the US and UK. A quick visit to Wikipedia says: “A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) that is readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera telephones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded may be text, URL, or other data.”

How are they being used?

If you have a QR barcode reader (I use RedLaser), try scanning the QR code above and see what happens. If all worked well, you should have been taken to our Showreel on Youtube.

I recently saw a QR code being used like this at the recent CSAD Degree Show, where a students work was on display with a QR code to scan which linked you to a product demonstration. Unfortunately this was immediately flawed as no password was provided for me to access the University WIFI, and my 3G connection just didn’t want to know. But I still loved the idea of the interactivity and my QR reader remembered the link, so I was able to view the video later when I found a connection.

QR codes are seemingly getting popular usage on business cards, linking to relevant services or portfolio page. Below are some other innovative uses:

Ralph Lauren have used QR codes to make shopping with them more accessible. They added codes to magazine articles next to products as well as in their shop window displays. So if you’re ever window shopping when the shop is closed, you just need to scan the code next to the product on display and you can be whisked away to the product on the website where you can place an order.

First Great Western have started using codes on posters in train stations so you can download a pocket timetable to your phone. This is a great example of a more practical use of QR codes. This only requires quick internet access to download the small file. Then you can view the timetable at your own leisure.

This QR Code Resume (see video below) was made by Victor Petit who was looking for an internship. He commented on why he went for the QR code approach “I realized during my previous job search that getting an interview at a communication agency is the hardest part of the process,” says Petit. “I tried to create a CV that would enable me to express myself vocally as soon as they read the paper version. The combination of a sheet of paper and a QR code felt like the best way to reach that goal.”

AXA Insurance seemed to be enjoying the QR technology as they use it as a fun and interactive method to promote their App and insurance. Like the QR Resume, they use the same idea and use it to bring a picture of street scene to life.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The I-mercial below is a TV advert for Home Insurance that pauses to let the viewer scan the QR code which lets them continue on and explore the house that featured in the advert.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The Future?

So what does the future hold for QR Codes? As smartphones become more commonplace, we can probably expect QR codes to be used more often in our daily lives to seek out more information. The image on the right is a photo I took which includes a QR code and social media links for the Welsh Proms. This is only the start.

Have you seen any interesting uses of QR codes? Please leave a comment below and let us know, we’d love to know more.

References

3D Projection Mapping

Matt — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:00:59 +0000

Coldplay use projection Mapping on the Pyramid Stage as a finale to their set.

Coldplay headlined Glastonbury 2011 with a blistering visual set that can only be described as an explosion of colour from beginning to end. They finished their headline set by projecting visuals onto the famous Pyramid Stage (see video here), making them the first band to bring the stage to life using projection mapping. It was after watching this on TV that made me want to write this new visual medium that seems to be growing in popularity.

For those unfamiliar, a quick wiki search defines it as “3D projection is any method of mapping three-dimensional points to a two-dimensional plane”

My first encounter with 3D projection mapping was from watching Envisions Sensory Box video (see embed below). This video was merely an experimental installation by Alcatel-Lucent for their customers at the last Mobile World Congress based on the tagline: Transforming the Mobile Experience.

When I watched this, I was completely blown away. The idea of this medium seemed so simple and opened up so many possibilities that I was eager to see more and hopefully experience for myself.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

So if you can transform ordinary boxes into a cityscape, what can you do with an actual building? Well many advertisers were quick to find out, as they transformed entire buildings into a visual delight. I can only advise you watch the videos below to see the incredible visuals they created.

Advertising

3D Projection Mapping promoting The Tourist.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Hyundai Accent 3D projection mapping on to building.

The video cannot be shown at the moment. Please try again later.

Toyota Auris Hybrid: ‘Get Your Energy Back’ 3D projection mapping on to car.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

The Hyundai Accent and the H&M video were fun and made it an event for promoting their new product. I’d happily venture out at night if there was going to be a visual display of that calibre on show.

But as amazing as these look, at times it seems a bit of a gimmick just to show off the technology. When I first watched the video for The Tourist, I was bemused as to how this related to the film it was trying to promote. The visuals were an absolute joy to watch but felt totally unrelated to the film apart from showing a trailer and a few forced fed photos of the actors. Because of this it kept pulling me out and disrupting the experience for me.

Concerts

Advertisers are not the only ones using this medium. Musicians have begun using it for their live shows. I got my first live experience of this when I saw Muse at Wembley Stadium in 2010. Their bizarre stage set up was seemingly built for this visual experience.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Some of my favourite memories of this show included the visuals. There were many times that I stopped focusing on the band only to watch the incredible visuals transforming the stage as if it were reacting to the music on its own.It really did heighten the experience of an already visual band.

After watching Coldplays use of projection mapping at Glastonbury, it excites me trying to imagine the possibilities of what other artists will do to transform the legendary stage in the future. I just hope it doesn’t get old too quick.

Thoughts..

I’m excited at the possibilities of this medium, especially in the live music area. But like all new technology, it will be used for the sake of showing off and used out of context or done poorly, but from amongst them will be those that will heighten your experience and leave you with that wow factor.

What are your thoughts on projection mapping? Is it a gimmick or is it a visual experience? What and where do you think are its best uses?

Want to see more examples?

Using Video to Build Trust in your Brand

Matt — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:00:17 +0000

Ceri Dz uses video to teach and share his royal icing techniques.

One of the benefits of using online video is being able to build trust and rapport with your customers. This is done by communicating with customers on a new, interactive level.

This is just as powerful as being recommended by word of mouth – someone who has had first hand experience of your product or service trusts you enough to recommend you to others, knowing that you will provide a good service for them. So by using video online effectively, you can demonstrate and talk about your product or service, generating that first hand experience to a wider audience.

Interaction

Online videos are generally hosted on a video distribution site like Youtube, Vimeo, metacafe, dailymotion etc. Each of these have social engagement facilities that allow viewers to leave feedback, by leaving a comment, rating the video or by using buttons to automatically share the video on their chosen social network.

This gives the chance to interact with the audience. You can reply back to any feedback within the comments, and your next video could even be a response to that feedback, thus shaping and moulding yourself into something that people want to see and involving them in your online marketing.

Case Study: Ceri. Dz

“As a web based business video is one way I can have a shop window for the world to view, also video plays an essential part of my customer service, without it I would not be able to offer continual support to my past students.” - Ceri. D

We worked with Ceri.Dz to help him produce a series of online video tutorials. Not only are these videos sharing his expertise for free, but they are also serving as an advertisement for his business. Viewers are able to get a taster of his classes from the quality of the video tutorial, as well as getting a feel for his personality and teaching style.

By doing these videos, Ceri.Dz immediately appears as an expert in his field, from the confidence in his delivery and the quality of his demonstrations. People are able to look upon these videos with trust in his knowledge and expertise.

Listen to your audience

So why not pick up a camera (or talk to us!), start talking to your audience about your product or service, and let them see who’s behind the brand. Look at feedback and comments from your followers and include it in your next video. By listening to your target market, they will shape you and help you evolve into a business that they can trust and be a part of.

References