Every time I turn around, I see another application of B-to-B video. It’s everywhere, thanks in large part to the YouTube phenomenon. YouTube and other such sites have made amateur video acceptable, and many smaller B-to-B marketers have jumped on the bandwagon to promote their offers.
There are several software and services firms out there that help small businesses create, circulate and track video presentations at a fraction of the cost of hiring an external agency or consultant. Spot Runner, Mixpo, PixelFish, TurnHere and JoVox all have interesting offers worth examining. Small business owners can have a great degree of control over when, how and where their spots appear, and the amateur production allows them to produce personalized presentations for each store or product.
Advertiser spending on online video is expected to nearly quadruple by 2011, rising to $1.9 billion from $505 million this year, according to the Internet market research firm eMarketer. Clickthrough and purchase rates on video ads are much higher, not surprisingly, than their text/graphic counterparts. Clickthrough rates of 30 percent with 10 percent-plus purchase rates aren’t unheard of.
As local retail stores use more video on their Web sites, consumers have come to expect more and more videos on all sites. Just having a site map or customer ratings and feedback by item is no longer enough.
It’s time to get out your camcorder and give customers a chance to get up close and personal with your product, company and customer service reps. Test it first on your top products and marketing messages. And don’t forget to test using videos in your e-mail programs, as well.
Click on the “Post a comment” icon below or e-mail me at TerryJ@AbilityCommerce.com and/or post your comment on this site.
Terence Jukes is president of Ability Commerce, a 140-person firm that designs, builds and runs e-commerce and related marketing programs for catalog companies. He can be reached at TerryJ@AbilityCommerce.com.
B-to-B Video Use Continues to Increase
Every time I turn around, I see another application of B-to-B video. It’s everywhere, thanks in large part to the YouTube phenomenon. YouTube and other such sites have made amateur video acceptable, and many smaller B-to-B marketers have jumped on the bandwagon to promote their offers.
There are several software and services firms out there that help small businesses create, circulate and track video presentations at a fraction of the cost of hiring an external agency or consultant. Spot Runner, Mixpo, PixelFish, TurnHere and JoVox all have interesting offers worth examining. Small business owners can have a great degree of control over when, how and where their spots appear, and the amateur production allows them to produce personalized presentations for each store or product.
Advertiser spending on online video is expected to nearly quadruple by 2011, rising to $1.9 billion from $505 million this year, according to the Internet market research firm eMarketer. Clickthrough and purchase rates on video ads are much higher, not surprisingly, than their text/graphic counterparts. Clickthrough rates of 30 percent with 10 percent-plus purchase rates aren’t unheard of.
As local retail stores use more video on their Web sites, consumers have come to expect more and more videos on all sites. Just having a site map or customer ratings and feedback by item is no longer enough.
It’s time to get out your camcorder and give customers a chance to get up close and personal with your product, company and customer service reps. Test it first on your top products and marketing messages. And don’t forget to test using videos in your e-mail programs, as well.
Click on the “Post a comment” icon below or e-mail me at TerryJ@AbilityCommerce.com and/or post your comment on this site.
Terence Jukes is president of Ability Commerce, a 140-person firm that designs, builds and runs e-commerce and related marketing programs for catalog companies. He can be reached at TerryJ@AbilityCommerce.com.