Long-time MarketingExperiments readers will notice that we have shifted to a video-centric format for our Web clinic replays, which aim to deliver actionable marketing advice based on our optimization discoveries …
And we realize we still have a long way to go to fully optimize this new channel to ensure it provides the most value and most compelling experience to the audience of marketing managers and advertising creatives we seek to help. But we also realize we’ve come a long way from our previous format as well.
Since many marketers are increasingly looking to add more video into their marketing mix, in today’s post, I wanted to share a few basic lessons we’ve learned at this early stage in the process:
Get the right people involved
We never would have been able to produce a video like this without the deep technical know-how of one of the newest members of our team, A/V Specialist Luke Thorpe. While there are simpler ways to do video, we wanted to create an experience that would really grab the attention of marketers, a group that is accustomed to impressive production values. Also, we wanted the format to reflect well on our brand.
For example, the video above was shot in our green screen background, utilizing six layers of animation over the green screen. We never could have done that without the MECLABS Spielberg himself, Luke.
Make sure video is right for you
Just because lots of people are doing video and a video about a kid biting another kid’s finger got 411 million views on YouTube, doesn’t necessarily mean video is the right channel for your audience.
“There is a lot of information in our one-hour Web clinics,” Luke said. “Video gives our presenters the ability to engage with the content and guide the viewers through each step of the presentation. I believe connecting on this additional level (video) will facilitate learning.”
Practice makes perfect
Before we created the video you see above, Flint McGlaughlin, Managing Director, MECLABS, recorded two other Web clinic replays that we never released. When trying something new, give your team some grace to figure it out well before any deadlines. That said …
Your first release won’t be perfect
So decide what is good enough to release. And keep working to make it better, because …
The medium influences the message
And opens up new possibilities as well. Producing video has caused us to take a second-look at everything … from how we organize our Web clinic replay landing pages, to how we produce the Web clinics themselves.
We don’t have all the answers yet, just lots of questions. And a good question is always the first step to true optimization. So keep in mind that …
Optimization never ends
This certainly isn’t the end of our efforts to optimize the channel … more like a new beginning.
“There is still a lot of room for improvement with our current presentation,” Luke said. “On the surface, we are improving the sound and picture quality, but more important will be the playback setup. For example, there are many ‘video players’ on the Web that allow you to add bookmarks at key points and give the viewer the ability to place bookmarks of their own.”
“Moving further along, we hope to enable the audience to more easily share these key discoveries with their peers and colleagues.”
Related Resources:
MarketingSherpa’s 30-Minute Marketer: How to Create SEO-Friendly YouTube Content
What do great viral videos have in common?
Inbound Marketing: Small business builds YouTube channel from the ground up, expands to 40 countries