Lights, Camera…Customers!

Web video is hot. Here’s some solid proof: YouTube is the fourth-largest site on the web and it boasts some 300 million visitors a month worldwide.* If you want to boost visibility and entice prospective customers and clients, a web video about your business—a brief film that’s distributed via the Internet—can prove a valuable tool.

Here are six ideas to help make your viral video a blockbuster:

• Keep it short—You’re running a sprint, not a marathon. Effective viral videos are tight—generally, no longer than two minutes, according to Nathan Egan, managing partner of The Freesource Agency, a Philadelphia social media consulting firm.
• Keep it focused—A viral video that doesn’t have a definite point quickly loses any potential grip. Before your make your video, decide precisely what you want to convey about your business. “There is a theme to viral videos. They can be humorous, clever or shocking,” says Egan. “Find your angle and brainstorm.”
• Leave the sales pitch on the cutting room floor—No one wants to watch a movie that boils down to a sales shtick. Make it fun or emphasize customer support, training or other topics that are more compelling. “Keep it light and entertaining and let it pique their interest,” says Lynn Mettler of Step Ahead, a Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, social and Internet marketing concern. “Send them to your web site for more information.”
• Coppola need not apply—An appealing viral video doesn’t have to shine with Hollywood glitz. “There’s no need to hire a professional. In fact, an over produced video can easily turn viewers off who may feel like they’re being sold to,” says Mettler. “Use a flip video-style camera and software such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker to make edits and add music.” But, by the same token, don’t make the video so chintzy that it puts your business in the same light.
• Think about where you want to place it—Given its dominance in the online video market, YouTube is an obvious, proven destination. But investigate other sites that may be more focused on your audience. And remember it to share it via Facebook and Twitter.
• It’s nice to share—Viral video buffs pass films along to other like minded friends. Make it as easy as possible. “Allow them to embed it wherever they’d like,” says Mettler. “Add ‘TweetThis’ and ‘ShareThis’ buttons so people can share via social networking.”

The steps above can help you put together a viral video that gets results, ultimately facilitating and encouraging people to pass along your marketing message.