Archives > July 8, 2009

From Road Trip to Marketing Video?

By James Martell

It all happened innocently enough.

I wanted to capture a few video shots of my car on the road, so I gave my camera to my son Justin. He hopped into the car while Arlene drove, and they followed me around to get a few great recordings.

I wasn’t heading anywhere in particular and I had no solid plans for the videos – but I’m glad it turned out the way it did. You see, a friend of mine named Phil Watkins, put together a video for me as a favor that brought it all together nicely.

He added some background music and left me with a nice finished product. In late 2007, I decided to upload the video to YouTube to see if it gave me any exposure.

The results have been amazing. To date, the video has been viewed over 150,000 times and acts as an important online example for affiliates who may be interested in creating their own video. Since anyone can register for YouTube at no cost, uploading a video is like free advertising.

I now have lots of other videos appearing on YouTube, along with FaceBook, Viddler, and my own website. Creating a video is easier than you think; all it takes is a some organization and a little bit of know-how.

If you’ve been thinking about tackling your own video, it’s time to jump in feet-first. By following these four main steps, you can be on your way to a popular (free) ad for your business:

1. Planning

There’s a plan behind every great idea. For me, the next step is to create some new videos to promote the kit car site. I’d like to develop a series using a variety of recordings that I plan to take next weekend, so I ask Justin to help me out.

I make sure my camera is charged and ready to go and load a fresh tape, which will get me a few hours’ worth of video footage. I think about my audience. Car guys (and girls) want to hear the roar of the engine, so I consider the best ways to capture the sound. I also want to include a scenic background to sum it all up nicely.

Even though I’m trying to produce a great video that will appeal to car lovers, I know that it’s best to keep it short. Each video should be a maximum of 2-3 minutes long to keep my viewers’ attention.

2. Filming

Of course, filming is a crucial part of the process. One great technique I’ve picked up in my experience is called editing in the camera. It happens by taking a sequence of shots that are only 5-15 seconds each, but fall into sequence.

The filming can take place as one of three shots:

1. Establishing shot – A wide shot that instantly lets the viewer know where you and the car are located;

2. Mid-range shot – This shot moves the person closer to the scene; and

3. Close up – Enough said.

Sure, it may sound funny, but the point is to get as little footage as possible. This will keep the video fresh and exciting.

3. Editing

I’ve actually edited quite a few videos myself with Windows Movie Maker. It’s very easy to use – especially if you’ve limited your footage by editing in the camera. I connect my camera to the computer and let Windows Movie Maker import the video for me using the WYSIWYG.

In this case, I’ll be leaving the editing to an Elance professional so that he or she can add that extra bit of polish to the transitions and introduce a few more effects. I can usually outsource a job like this for between $100.00 and $150.00 – a small price to pay, considering the amount of advertising it will give me on YouTube and the other sites for years to come.

Just be sure to invite your visitors back to your site to reap the full benefits of the video.

4. Promoting

Now, this really is the easy part. Keeping the video short will help you meet YouTube’s search listing criteria, since the length of time people watch the video plays a part in the results. If a good number of people watch your video from start to finish, YouTube will recognize that you have a recording worthy of higher rankings.

Your YouTube description is also an important consideration. When you upload your video, you will need to provide an accurate, keyword-rich, 250+ word description of the video that features a great headline (necessary for the bigger search engines as well). Try to keep your headlines unique on every site to avoid Google picking them up as duplicate content.

Once you’ve wrapped up the video, you can send it in a link to your e-mail list, Twitter it, add a link from your auto responder series, or make note of it in your newsletter. Get your video out there by sending it to anyone who you think may be interested.

While you’re brainstorming your first video, I’ll be working on my latest project. Be sure to stay tuned for updates – the more information we share with each other, the more successful we all become!

All the best,

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