By the time you read this, one of my videos, used for search engine optimisation of a website, will hit 10,000 views. Whilst this might not seem a great deal in comparison with overall statistics for the site, the route by which people come to it generates completions. When costs of production are taken into account, the video is a cheap route to both higher ranking and sales.
The much heralded revolution in email marketing that video will ignite has been a long time arriving but is, some suggest, about to burst onto the scene. Research shows that there are significantly higher click-through and completion rates where video is included but for arguable reasons its exploitation is lagging.
Professional video making is expensive. When you read your first estimate for a 60 second film, you will think that you are in the wrong business. There is good news though.
It wasn’t so long ago that to obtain acceptable broadcast quality video, expensive hardware and software was a must, and that included an editing suite. Times have changed and a ‘prosumer’ digital single lens reflex is more than adequate for the job. I have recently tried a cheap, £22, video editor and I was a bit put out to find it has most features of my much more expensive product I convinced myself I must have just three years ago.
I have a video editing ‘keyboard’ with dials and buttons, but it is hardly a necessity. A normal keyboard is more than sufficient.
So the infrastructure is not particularly expensive, although if you want to, by all means buy a selection of the very clever gear, although take note that there’s a fair bit available second hand from those who gave in to their inner nerd.
There is understandable concern with regards the learning of a new skill. Most magazines on the subject of film making are full of jargon and demands for storyboards but do not be put off. Most video editing software producers provide first class online instruction videos that make it simplicity itself. In fact, it is so easy that it is all too tempting to try everything at once. Simplicity is the one overriding principle of video making.
What to film is the biggest worry for most who are considering venturing into promotional video. As with all things email marketing, the returns will show you when you’ve picked the right subject, but starting out is a bit of a worry.
My 10k-view video was created out of a film made of a product launch some ten years ago. It was spectacular, even reaching the evening national ITN slot, albeit on a slow news day. It took less than two hours to make the new video. Whilst I guessed it might prove popular, I was surprised by its level of success. I’ve followed it up with similar videos and they have generated hits.
Video use in email marketing can be limiting but many companies have established systems to produce cost effective video in their campaigns. The time has come to copy them and at least catch up.
