Guest Blog: Use Video to Reach Customers, Watch Joe Show
Friday November 2, 2007 | Filed under:
From Joe Haley, Managing Editor at ASI:
It was bound to happen. Sooner or later we knew it would; the popularity of ASI TV and shows like The Joe Show have taken the online nation by storm. And, in the process have created copycats. Major media outlets with online presences like CNN, MSNBC and CBS, to name a few, have started to include video reports and features on their sites.
OK, surely I am jesting, but the point is online video marketing can’t be ignored any longer. Major and local news outlets realize this and offer scaled-down versions of larger reports. And, most offer “additional online coverage” as an added value to their nightly news casts. In addition, they also have created broadcasts that are interactive, getting viewers to be in front of their television and computer at the same time.
So? What does any of this have to do with you? Well, if you haven’t dabbled or even considered video capabilities on your own company’s Web site, it’s something you need to look into. Let’s be real people, the age of fax-machine marketing is coming to a screeching halt. (For those not in the know, in ancient times it was an effective form of marketing to the masses. Today, however, it’s fallen out of favor, although here in the editorial department we get the occasional offer for “awesome” mortgage rates.)
Marketers today are using e-mail blast as a valuable and cost-efficient way to target clients. It’s inexpensive and recipients are able to see products, check prices and in some cases read case histories on how others have successfully used what’s being advertised.
Now, we’ve taken it a step further with podcasts and online video. Podcasts are audio clips. Online users simply click on an icon to listen in on a debate, an expert offering advice or a marketer offer discounts on a specific product. Video casting adds another dimension to the podcast. Now, rather than hearing about a product, you can see it, and rather than a static image, you can see all sides of it.
[flashvideo filename=wp-content/uploads/videos/js101807.flv /]
The Joe Show - Digital Picture Frame Video
[flashvideo filename=wp-content/uploads/videos/js100907.flv /]
The Joe Show - Birdie Ball Video
Whether you’re a supplier or a distributor, you too can add video casting to your Web sites. Suppliers can send them out in e-newsletters to distributors and distributors can do the same for their clients. And, if you’re thinking it’s really not doable, think again. There are several distributors doing just that right now.
All told, you can get the equipment for less than 10 Gs and, with a little practice and patience, within a month or two you can be producing videos that will provide added value.
But, until then, I’d like to say, "Hi, I'm Joe Haley and you’re watching The Joe Show..."