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On the eve of the ILM: 07 Kelsey Conference here in Los Angeles, Kelsey's Michael Boland, provides some validating information on how video drives action in his blog: WSJ Podcast: TKG On Online Video. The associated Wall Street Journal podcast and data from TKG (see below) sets the context for what we anticipate to be a terrific conference.
An interesting blog was just posted by Peter Kravsilovsky on the "The Local Onliner" and "Kelsey Blog". Peter writes about our perspective on video for SMBs and
how our video marketing solution is different.
Let's get a few things straight. Our basic belief is no different than others who believe online video will change how consumers consume content, whether the content is to entertain (think UGC or big studio) or inform and promote (think marketing or advertising).
Where we differ is our conviction that video for video
publishing sake is NOT what SMBs need. For video to be really effective for SMB's, video has to do more. Every business we've talked to "believes"
video is more compelling, but they need more than faith – they want proof. Online video has to be measurable and drive
action.
Online video also has to work as part of the continuum of information prospective buyers seek when shopping for products or services. "Maybe 12 percent of video viewers are asking for more information," we are quoted as saying in Peter's blog. Said another way, getting consumers to watch a business video is not the end goal. Businesses want action (i.e. leads or even better, sales) from that view and see online video as a way to "start the conversation" with prospective customers.
SMBs are our core audience and we are 100% focused on delivering a video marketing solution that drives results for business. The audience is often a tougher critique than the expert reviewers. It’s nice to read Peter Kravsilovsky's blog as it confirms that experts like Peter get what we are doing. Our real success, however, will be in driving measurable results for our audience. We think they've waited long enough for this show to begin.
Okay, so why is a company, like ours, whose sole focus is to help businesses better market themselves with video, talking about giving? It’s because organizations that focus on giving (nonprofits) are just as serious about leveraging technology to achieve their goals as any profit oriented business.
Case in Point: We’ve just begun working with the Grameen Foundation. The Grameen Foundation’s is rooted in the work of Nobel Peace Prize winners Muhammad Yunis and the Grameen Bank. Their mission is "to empower the world's poorest people to lift themselves out of poverty with dignity through access to financial services and to information."
How, you ask? Their homepage says it all:
"Welcome to Grameen Foundation... combining the power of microfinance, technology and innovative solutions to defeat global poverty.
Defeating global poverty? Talk about a stretch goal! But with the Grameen Foundation, that goal IS achievable. That’s because the Grameen Foundations is all business and they leverage business thinking like: networking, information and technology as their framework for success.
We connected with the Grameen Foundation because of their unique perspective on giving, especially because they say they are using technology “to provide industry changing innovation and communications.” We believe that is exactly what we are doing , i.e., creating a technology that leverages the emotive power of video (communication) with the (innovative) capabilities of tracking and direct response that will change how businesses market online.
Think about the stories of how individuals have lifted themselves out of poverty and become self reliant. Imagine how much more powerful that story can be told through video and communicated broadly online. Now imagine the ability to give viewers the chance to act right there while watching the video? "Buy now" is replaced with "Donate Now." Interest is replaced by action.
Yes, the Grameen Foundation, at the end of the day, is about giving and providing hope to the world's poorest individuals (especially woman). But beyond hope, the Grameen Foundation is run like any successful business – leveraging technology and business acumen with passion and commitment.
We’re thankful for the chance to be working with the Grameen Foundation. There is no more serious business, we have found, than one that focuses on giving.
We’ve been busy over the past few weeks getting some of our new clients' online video marketing campaigns up and running. One of our new clients is Miller Condominium Marketing. MCM provides high quality marketing and sales services to condominium buyers, sellers, and developers. The folks at MCM have over 30 years of collective experience selling luxury and high quality condominiums, townhomes, and high-rise communities.
These guys are smart marketers.
The MCM Marketing team understands the vision of how online video marketing is a “game changing” technology marketing solution that changes the way real estate will be marketed in the future. They want to be a driving force behind that change. What excites them about our solution is not just the ability to attract buyers with high quality video presentation but the ability to measure every action that happens through the direct response and tracking built right into our VideoAd player.
Smart marketers, like MCM, know what matters most is getting measurable results. They also know that great marketing is done with an integrated framework in mind. In our first wave of work with MCM, we’re leveraging the great content that already exists for the properties they market, for example the luxurious Queen Anne High School Condominiums shown in the VideoAd above, and integrating them on both the MCM website and property sites (and soon to be in email campaigns and discovered in search). The ability to centrally control the VideoAd, no matter where it’s displayed, to change promotional messages, or update it with more content gives them the ability to optimize them over time.
Integrated marketing leveraging video. Measured performance. Optimization over time.
That’s what smart marketers like MCM are doing. And we’re honored to be working with them.
We met the leadership team of Sustainable Travel International at the Adventure Travel World Summit in Whistler last month. STI is a global leader in sustainable tourism development. Just like in adventure travel, there is a very nice fit of online video for ecotourism and sustainable tourism, as it can help travelers experience the destination, trips, cultures and local economic development initiatives in very vivid ways. We now have a strategic partnership in place with STI to promote the Mixpo solution to its members, and to enable STI to use their own videos in powerful ways online.
Here's the blurb about Mixpo in the STI November newsletter:
Strategic Partnerships helps STI Members tell their Story with Online VideoMixpo
– an innovative online video marketing company - has partnered with STI
to help STI members leverage the emotive power of video and the
accountability of the Internet to help promote sustainable travel.
Mixpo’s
video marketing solution allows businesses to promote the unique
attributes of their business in support of sustainable travel more
vividly with video marketing, syndicate their video marketing campaigns
to the major search engines, post them in emails, blogs and their own
web site, drive qualified leads, and measure the effectiveness of their
video marketing campaigns overtime.
STI’s members can create
compelling VideoAds using their existing videos, photos, and audio that
communicates their commitment to environmental conservation,
cultural-heritage preservation, and local economic development within
the travel and tourism industry.
Mixpo augments the impressive
array of benefits already offered to STI members. Both Premium Partner
and Supporting Business Members will receive a free 30-minute video
marketing consultation. Premium Partner Members will also receive
November and December 2007 complementary when they sign up for service
beginning in 2008.
Please email Mixpo at sales@mixpo.com to inquire about pricing, packages, and how to get started.
We look forward to working with STI and its Members!
