Video Solutions: Marketing Your Business

Emerging Artist Productions

2007-12-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

Changing what we watch & how we watch it.

2007-12-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

Check out the brand new study released by the Horowitz Associates. Some very interesting data concerning broadband video, mobile penetration and internet use, which, while not surprising, does bode well for video marketing and your business. Turns out there is a significant jump in online viewing of video content (this must be exactly what the striking WGA writers were waiting for as they continue their long and arduous journey to and from the negotiations table). Just as many of the producers in Hollywood complain that there is no way to quantify their online revenue streams, one thing is certainly clear: more and more people are looking to the net for more than just email. Video for broadband users has increased across the board.

In the press release from Dec 4th, the study draws some interesting conclusions, namely the dramatic increase of portable devices and how “over one quarter of broadband internet users have a cell, iPod/MP3 player or PDA with video capability”, and while an additional 23% do not, they are interested in getting it. Merry Christmas indeed. The release points out, “Among those with video-enabled handheld devices, one-third (35%) watch video on their devices at least weekly and 62% do so at least monthly, translating to eighteen percent (18%) of Internet users overall who watch video content on a handheld device at least monthly. This figure is up from 8% just one year ago.”

That direct connection between broadband users and how those same people who watch mobile video (or plan to in the future) is a clarion call for anyone interested in video marketing, and specifically how direct marketing to those customers will help increase business. Soon close to 50% of those net-savvy, video users will change the way we watch everything from your favorite TV show to web content designed to promote your business. Don't forget the challenges of those early days of the net, with cumbersome downloads and slow dial up modems (seems so horse and carriage as compared to today's connections), video wasn't a blip on the horizon and television was your only option for high quality video. Now the challenge will be providing the right content for these new users, using video effectively and targeting your ideas and concepts to stream everywhere.

Your idea...your business, coming soon to an iPhone near you.

-Sinohui Hinojosa
© Discovering California 2008

What is the right offer?

2007-11-14T00:09:00.001-08:00

Be sure to pick up some peanut butter.

I went to the grocery store yesterday and picked up a few odds and ends. Mostly I was there to get some bread and cheese, although I knew of a dozen things that I could pick up if I had the time, but alas I did not (or so I thought). I picked out the whole wheat nut bread, the cheese, a package of tortillas and a couple avocados (on sale for $.99 cents each, not bad) and headed for the aisle with the least amount of drama. I picked #3 for many reasons, not the least of which had to do with the friendly way the checker was talking to each customer. As I started to pile my special selections onto the magic conveyor belt, I remembered that my wife had handed me a coupon a few days back, just in case I had a chance to stop by the grocery store.

I reached into my wallet and looked at the coupon for $10 off. Shiny and calling to me as long as I spent a minimum of $50 dollars and before November 13th. So I added up the things before me in my head (coming to approx $15) and started to put my stuff back into a cart and headed back into the store to get another $35 dollars in groceries, so I could get my $10 off. Kind of a pain I'll grant you, especially since I was in line already, but for me it was a great offer, one that demanded action and knowing full well that I had a bunch of other items I COULD pick up (or should pick up), it made much more sense for me to go back into the store and go grab the napkins, hamburger meat and organic peanut butter that I knew we needed, plus a few other things I figured it couldn't hurt to get now.

When the offer drives the sale.

Discounts in general are always subject to the stipulations that are placed on them, which is why I hate to shop in grocery stores that "require" you to sign up for a "free" card in order to get special pricing, I would much rather not give out my marketing and shopping habits to a nameless/faceless computer program and prefer to shop in places that make it easier to get in and out without those hassles. But in the case of the coupon, well that was different by golly and I wasn't going to let it expire or forget to use it, so when I had to option, I took it.

$10 off a min purchase of $50 knocks a solid percentage off of the bill and it's aggressive stance forced me to not only acknowledge it, but to react. It DROVE the SALE, and that is a very good thing. Wouldn't you like your customer to feel that they NEED to buy something from you, which is always better than wanting to buy something from you (trust me, it is).

Why FREE isn't the best choice.

I was the Training Director for a large chain of video stores in the early 80's, started as an Assistant Manager for the first store and opened multiple locations as Store Manager, ultimately training management and personnel for each new location (over 20 locations at one point). We worked on many promotional ideas to bring in new customers to pick up the latest in home video (yeah, VHS, I know...) and one of the things that proved itself over and over again, was the truth that FREE wasn't always the best choice. When giving out coupons for a FREE rental, we were inundated with concerns and questions about the other shoe. Y'know, the one that was ready to drop unsuspectingly on the customer's head.

We had so much trouble trying to give out FREE rentals that we ultimately discontinued the practice, though when we instituted direct mail campaigns with rent one, get one free, customers flocked to the store to redeem them.

FREE, people couldn't grasp - it seemed fake or phony and everyone wondered what the "catch" was, even when there wasn't one, but paying for something and getting something in return turned out to be not only more reasonable, but there was no explaining to do, no hidden agenda or secret handshake needed, this offer wasn't in code. This offer DROVE the SALE and we played on variations but never returned to a FREE rental again.

Make the promotion fit the customer.

Back at the grocery store I knew I had other things to pick up, but in the rush to get in and get out, all I wanted to do was head to the line and go home. Until I really thought about the coupon offer. Just like the video rental coupon, this promotional offer truly fit the customer and made me recognize that for just a few more dollars, I could save over 1/5 off my bill. The expiration date, the size of the discount, all of it together made it a promotion that worked.

Whether as a print ad or an in-store flier, be sure to consider the customer when designing your promotional offers. What would be meaningful to them? How can it help drive sales back into your store? Is the offer for new or existing customers and how should the offer be different for each. Would a date specific sale make more sense and if so, who are you targeting?

In every case you have to be flexible and try out many variations until you find a promotion that works for you, but whatever you do, be sure to keep it fresh, never make the same offer every month, because your customers will come to expect it and ultimately discount your discounted promotion. Evolve, change and promote your business in every way possible, and maybe your next offer will keep them coming back for more.

Until next time,

Sinohui Hinojosa
Creative Director
Emerging Artist Productions

Let's make a list!

2007-11-12T19:37:00.001-08:00

The making of...a strong use of video.

Everyone makes to-do lists, I make quite a few every week, but Sasha Cagen is the world's first self-certified Todolistologist...and after many years of collecting thousands of lists, creating a To Do List magazine and a very popular blog, she has published a new book detailing 100's of lists, covering every topic imaginable.

Interestingly enough, there is a current posting on Blogger Buzz that has some info covering her new book, but the thing that I was happy to see was the inclusion of video to help promote her new project. Sasha decided that she needed a short trailer to help give viewers a look into the makings of her book, describing in detail some of the lists she featured and even submitting to a series of interviews to give viewers a very personal look at the overall project.

She selected the music, helped picked the lists to highlight in the piece and worked very closely with the producer who put the trailer together, to craft a short spot that tells a specific story.

Setting the stage.

Once the video was completed, it was launched on various free video-sharing sites, including YouTube, Google and Yahoo video, but that was just the beginning, Sasha posted links to the video trailer to retailers around the country who are carrying her book. She sent links to advertising people and her publishers (who really liked the spot) and made sure to post the spot on her blog and websites that she knew. She went out and truly marketed the video trailer as if it was a product of it's own and by doing so, that trailer (promoting her book) has been viewed over 18 thousand times (as of today, and still counting - even though it has only been up a few days), and there is no question that it will continue to travel throughout the web as a viral marketing spot and build on it's own momentum.

The Trailer.

Standing out from the crowd.

Sasha Cagen is the perfect example of marketing in the world of new media and I suspect that her book sales will increase exponentially, partly because of her witty and sure writing style, but also because she is willing to push the envelope and promote herself and her book through the use of the web and specifically marketing with viral video. Now it's up to you. Is there a way to promote your goods, services and overall business using the web? Can you find a way to use blogs and websites to tell a story that you can't do with a print ad alone? Are you interested in having thousands and perhaps millions of viewers see what your shop/store/business has to offer? I'm sure you do.

Once more, unto the breach.

So this blog is here to help you figure out ways to help you promote your business ventures, and in the case of the Todolistologist, I think you can see how the use of video really helped her strategy and enabled her to reach new readers and customers that she may have otherwise not reached.

Look at your own webspace, think about starting a blog and always look for new ways to promote yourself. And finally, remember to work with people that can help you reach your goals and support your ideas, because everyone needs a winning team on your side.

Until next time...

Sinohui Hinojosa
Producer/Editor
Trailer for Sasha Cagen's New Book "To-Do List"

Promoting your business.

2007-10-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

Advertising. Promoting. Marketing.

We do it in order to make sure that your customers take the time to come in and visit. In many cases its like inviting friends or family over (but hopefully your customers will leave some dollars behind, unlike Aunt Ethel). So you place ads in the Yellow Pages, start a website, place ads in the local papers and even hit the Pennysaver a few times a year. Does it help? Sometimes. Assuming the right offer is attached or that you have the certain thing that the customer is looking for, but why doesn't it work more often? Why is it that most direct mail campaigns work with the expectation that 1.5-2% return is exceptional? What does work?

Exceptional = Exceptional.

As we "invite" these people into our shops, we treat them with a reverence that is usually reserved for a first date situation, customer service always comes first, and it should, but just because we keep our shelves clean, greet everyone at the door and always say "thank you" and "come again", doesn't mean that they are going to magically walk through the door or even know you are there. So an exceptional storefront with a marvelous location is not always a guaranteed success, but a exceptional marketing campaign will lead to exceptional results and get those customers through your door, time and time again.

Now entering the 21st century.

Ads in their traditional forms should not only be considered as part of your advertising arsenal, but used again and again. You know (better than anyone) what works best for you, but with all of the online ads (banner ads, strips, inserts, flyers, blogs, etc) and the increased use of websites to promote goods and services, it is only natural that the web would present marketing opportunities that go way beyond that of print, radio or television. There are several online video file sharing sites where you can post a video message for free (YouTube, MySpace, Google, Yahoo, etc), so why aren't you using them to help you market your business to your customer base? You can grab a camcorder and make a video podcast and link it to your website, or use still pictures, music and graphics and narrate a slideshow on your website.

A Low Cost Solution

So here is the deal. I make films and professionally produced commercial projects, marketing spots and presentation pieces, and have for the past few years...that said - I have created a low cost solution so small and medium size business owners can add a solid video marketing piece to their websites and use them to help promote new business, without having to pay the standard one to two thousand dollars per finished minute (yes, normally a 5 minute marketing spot can run anywhere from 5 - 10 thousand or more). So if you are interested in learning more about that project, shoot me an email and I will be happy to send over additional info, but for now I will continue to give out tried and true tips for marketing your business, promotional ideas and sharing some of the past twenty years of sales and marketing experience....

...can't wait to tell you my story.

Discovering California - A New Way to Promote

2007-10-30T10:49:00.000-07:00