BUSINESS

Distribution
Video was previously perceived as a 'nice-to-have' tool in the marketing and communications kit bag. Now it is essential. Distribution was also rudimentary with businesses having to send out a VHS or DVD which required the recipient to take the trouble of putting it in a player to watch. It also meant only the recipient would see the film if they had taken the time to watch it. Any business can now get their video out to a targeted audience wherever they are and it is easy for them to watch and share with others. There are many niche news sites and industry-specific sites that are hungry for rich content and as long as your film adds value to what they do - such as industry comment - they will be happy to show your film, significantly increasing the exposure of your business.

BUSINESS
Social Media
Video can also help you engage in social media which in turn will help drive visitors to your website. People are far more likely to engage with a video on social sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Viral videos are creating quite a buzz and can be extremely effective but there is no guarantee they will work. T-Mobile scored a massive hit with their Royal Wedding dance released a few weeks before the big day, which was very well executed and funny. But viral films have to work hard to be successful as they are competing with cats playing pianos and laughing babies.

Summary
As a progressive business you want to drive visitors to your website so you can convert customers to advocates, increase loyalty and ultimately sales. Video has a very important part to play in this now and this will only increase. Don't wait until you are forced to do it, start now and enjoy the process. Warren Mauger is the founder of Spike Productions warren@spikeproductions.co.uk #warrenmauger #spikeprods

Why Video?
Video communication connects with viewers from a multisensory perspective - sound and sight - while speaking to all our senses. Video talks directly to viewers and allows them to absorb the information and form their own conclusions. More than any other medium, video has the power to change the way we think and the way we see the world. It also helps to manage a business's corporate message, ensuring everyone receives the same information in a consistent way. Film helps visitors to your website make that personal connection with you which for many is the key differentiator. Ultimately every business will have a different need for video, but the fundamental aim must be for it to have an impact on the target audience. It's important to understand the objective of the film and what you want it to achieve. If you are not yet convinced by the argument for online video, you should be aware that search engines are increasingly ranking websites higher if they have video. Google also owns YouTube so if your videos are hosted by the site it goes without saying that they are likely to rank higher. Having video on your site can have a significant bearing on getting you ranked higher than your competitors.

SOME IMPRESSIVE COMMERCIAL STATISTICS FROM M&S'S USE OF ONLINE VIDEO:

30% SALES INCREASE FOR M&S FROM CUSTOMERS WHO VIEW VIDEO CONTENT. 16% AVERAGE CLICK-THROUGH RATE ON THE M&S TV PLAYER IN 2010. CUSTOMERS WHO WATCH VIDEO SPEND LONGER ON THE M&S SITE AND VIEW 3 TIMES THE NUMBER OF PRODUCTS. 27% IS THE AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF CONSUMERS WATCHING A VIDEO ON M&S TV UNTIL THE FINAL QUARTER IN 2010.

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT MAJOR NEWS STORIES? THE TV NEWS FOOTAGE.
THE DEVISTATION CAUSED BY THE JAPANESE TSUNAMI

PUTTING YOURSELF IN THE PICTURE

WITH WARREN MAUGER OF SPIKE PRODUCTIONS
Its a well-known fact that film and television can create very strong, emotional responses and move people to act. This is why we see so many hard-hitting tv commercials for Charities and the heart rending films shown on evenings like red nose day. Just think of a major news story like the Tsunami that hit Japan earlier this year, what do you remember? A news headline? What a newsreader said? The radio coverage? No, I would imagine what you remember is the TV news footage of the water carrying houses and boats through the streets and the destruction of whole villages . Thats because film sticks with us, it stays in our mind and is easier to recall than any other medium. Obviously a
Image above KeystoneUSA-ZUMA/Rex Features

major world story will be easier to remember but the concept is the same for business films. They will make what you have to say have more impact and be easier to remember. Over the last five years access to using video has changed dramatically. Five years ago you could barely get video to play online. Now businesses all over the world, from the smallest to the largest, are using online video to connect with their audience. Just look at the statistics; In 2006 only 32% of active internet users watched video; today that figure stands at 83%. 26.9 million people in the UK watched streamed video from home and work computers in April. 77% of global consumers said they watch online video of some kind whether through their desktops, laptops, web-enabled TVs or mobile devices. 85% of mobile and PC users access the web while watching TV. 3 billion views a day on YouTube and 48 hours worth of content is uploaded every minute to the platform (source: YouTube).
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SPIKE PRODUCTIONS FILMING AN INTERVIEW AT A GLOBAL SOLAR POWER SHOW IN MUNICH

All from E consultancy Internet Marketing Strategy Briefing unless otherwise stated Power to the People Survey Social Media Tracker Wave 4

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