January 29, 2010 by John Stubbs.

Submitted By John Stubbs of Mac Productions

Is Video More Than Viral?In recent years Internet video has been the medium of choice to show stupid pet tricks, dancing babies and other You Tube sensations.Businesses are figuring out how to use video to become the star of the show.“Online video is taking a larger role in the marketing mix “says Benjamin Wayne, president and chief executive officer at Fliqz, in an interview with CRM Magazine.As with any marketing medium, a video strategy can’t live in isolation. A multichannel strategy can go something like this: A company creates a white paper, then films a demo about the white paper, which is later uploaded onto You Tube. The video is then repurposed in a PowerPoint presentation in addition to appearing in a weekly email newsletter.This can actually be accomplished on a shoestring budget, thanks to devices like an entry-level netbook and an iPhone.Once you’ve created your video, now you’re ready for distribution. In terms of distribution, You Tube remains the most visible destination for consumers and businesses alike.Here are a few examples of how businesses are using video:* Create product demonstrations for new or existing products.* Help users answer commonly asked questions through a video how-to guide or refresher course.* Train and educate employees.

Jim Kukral, a business web coach, explains how companies can best use video to help the small business user:Create an account: With You Tube your username will also be your channel name.Upload a file: Make the Title, Description, and Tags specific to the video and your business. It makes it easier for you to be found by places like Google and You Tube.Engage with Viewers: In “My Videos,” You Tube allows you to create “Annotations” similar to popup bubbles that give users a call to action (e.g., “Click here for more videos”).This also works great for nonprofit organizations.Here are a few examples of how nonprofits can use video:* Create a video “About Us” introducing people to your organization.* Create a type of video fundraiser.* Train and educate staff and volunteers.Which brings me full circle with this question. Is video more than viral?I’d say yes, but what do you think?Portions of this posting were reproduced with permission from CRM Magazine, and Associate Editor Jessica Tsai

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January 29, 2010 by John Stubbs.

Places like Twitter and MerchantCircle have become the Swiss Army knife of communication.  Any small business owner can use a mobile device and Twitter to publicize an event, product or service quickly, rapidly, easily and at little to no cost.  Small business owners like Mac Productions can setup shop on MerchantCircle join a rapidly growing community and quickly begin building their on neighborhood of business owners by circulating coupons, newsletters, promotional flyers, etc..  These activities also have a major impact on your search engine rankings making it easier for people to find you.  Twitter can be used for a direct mail blast.  Unlike a promotional email, the tweet is broadcast to everyone with a Twitter account.  To target a specific crowd or segment using crowdstatus.com is an excellent tool.  Twitter and MerchantCircle are two excellent ways to get your message out at a lower costs.  Well, that’s my opinion, but what do you think?

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