“Online video increased our sales 30%.” So says John Hoge, Vice President of SeaEagle.com, online seller of inflatable boats.

Anything that gets sales moving is worth checking out these days, and a 30% lift is cause for a full-blown investigation.

I asked John for the back-story. “Today, marketers have the huge advantage of being able to use online videos with broadband access,” Hoge told me. “Thanks to online video, our new FoldCat went from nothing to being our best selling boat in just 1 year.”

John credits IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com, a Chicago-based video company, with the success. I visited their blog and got some handy advice that helps take video from “I wish we could do that,” to “Hey, check out our new online video!”

How to post videos online

Their post, “Growing Your Small Business Using Video” points out that TV was once the only video venue, and cost made TV the exclusive domain of mega-corporations. Then The post gives the good news: today’s online environment makes video possible — and a significant selling tool — for even the smallest business.

Stu Marks, Media Designer/Video Producer for IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com, lays out a simple marketing plan for broadcasting video. “Simply go to www.facebook.com and sign up for a free account,” writes Stu. Then, step by step, Stu tells you exactly how to upload your videos to your Facebook page.

If you’re 15 or younger, you probably already know how to do all this. But if you’re like the rest of us, the post gives you enough info so that you can tell your kids, “Look, I posted my video myself!”

How to leverage 1 video 8 ways

OK, you’ve got your video on Facebook. Now what? IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com has another post, “How to Sell 8 Ways with 1 Video,” that shows you how to leverage 1 video 8 different ways, turning your 1-time investment into a 24/7 salesman.

For example…..mount your videos on your home page. Mount them deeper in your site, too. Offer free videos in your advertising. Use them to increase retail sales: loop them in your showroom. Or use them in business-to-business selling environments — trade shows, sales presentations, or conferences.

And, lest you forget your own troops, the post advises you use your video internally to train new employees, and at company meetings to focus everyone on your core selling story.

Like any other new sales tool, putting video to work to increase your sales may seem beyond your reach. But with good advice and hands-on tips from experts like Stu and others at IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com you’ll be running with the big dogs in no time.

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

www.EdwardsDirect.net

Everybody knows the #1 search engine is Google. But do you know who’s #2? YouTube. More searches start there than with many of the other search engines combined.

Why’s that? Mostly because YouTube accesses videos….free videos. And people love watching videos…especially free ones. Many savvy marketers are leveraging the popularity of YouTube and other social media into free online advertising. Of course, you need a video first.

Video showcases products beautifully

If you sell a product, you’re perfectly positioned to take advantage of consumers’ appetite for online video: a product demonstration video can show and tell your product’s features and benefits in all their glory.

Here’s a product demonstration video that is about as close to perfect as any I’ve ever seen. This video demonstrates a lumber sawmill — a monster machine that saws logs into lumber. Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka8Q6PSDEJQ Here’s what makes this such a powerful sales video:

The opening – strong animated logo with sound effects says, “Hey! Look at me!” The star of the show — the product, the TimberKing sawmill, is shown early and often in the video. The testimonial — mill owner, Jason Parker, has a strong camera presence. His endorsement is extremely credible.

The demonstration — all the machine’s features are shown with dramatic action while Jason narrates. So the viewer gets a “double dose” of salesmanship — seeing and hearing the sales message. The on-screen text — a third helping of the sales message. The closing — Jason sums up the key benefits beautifully.

Must do your homework

Of course, a product demonstration video like this just doesn’t fall together all by itself. I spoke with Clint Pollock, President of www.IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com, the video company that produced this video. “The video itself is the end product,” says Pollock. “You’ve got to do your homework well before the camera starts rolling.” Here are the homework questions to ask yourself as you’re planning your product demonstration video.

“What are my product’s unique selling points? What makes it different and better than competitive products? What are its key features? How do those translate into benefits? How can I “show off” my product to its best advantage – what should it be doing? Do I have a spokesman who can tell and sell in my video? Or do I have customers who can give as powerful a presentation as Jason’s?”

With those considerations nailed down, you’ve got a good start on creating your powerful product demonstration video!

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

www.EdwardsDirect.net

Following an excruciating 2009, everybody in business – and I do mean everybody – wants to closely manage their expenses vs. income.

The classic expense-busting method in marketing is to utilize the same advertising materials more than once. With the cost of video shrinking, and the avenues for distributing it expanding, video is a logical, practical, and cost-conserving method to promote your product or service.

1/8 the cost & 8X the power

It’s actually possible to make 1 video and use it in your marketing program 8 different ways. That amortizes your cost and increases your selling power: 1/8 the cost and 8X the viewership.

The formula’s the same no matter what kind of video your business uses: sales videos, customer testimonial videos, product demonstration videos, factory tours, and so on. You amortize your costs and maximize your exposure. Here’s how.

1. Mount ‘em on your home page.

It’s easy to place your videos front and center, right on your website’s home page where they get seen and viewed immediately. Here’s a site that that makes it easy to mount videos on your site yourself and avoid programmer fees: www.EZWebPlayer.com.

2. Mount videos deeper in your site, too.

As visitors drill deeper into your site, give them more videos along the way. More videos can mean longer visits…and longer visits can translate into more sales. Product page? Show a video of your products. About us page? Show a video of your facility. Selling a service? Show it in action.

3. Offer videos in your advertising.

Mention “Free Video” in your ads. That little extra gives people a reason to respond to your ad and has been proven to increase the number of responses to an ad.

4. Grabber at trade shows & conventions

Job 1 at a trade show is to draw traffic into your booth. A looping video is a great way to attract attention, instantly communicate what you’re selling, snag the passer-by, and bring him or her into your booth.

5. Babysitter in the showroom

If you’ve ever had two customers vying for your sales attention at the same time, you’ll appreciate how helpful video can be in the showroom. You can sit one customer down with your sales video while you work with the other.

6. Video shoot is perfect photo op

Here’s a high-efficiency trick I learned from www.IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com, a video company I’ve worked with quite a bit. While they’re shooting videotape, they also shoot still photos. Makes sense: if they’ve got the setup for video, they’ve got it for stills as well. That’s value added — you get great photos for very little extra.

7. Sell internally with video

You market your company to your customers, right? Don’t forget to market it to your shareholders, partners, and employees, too. The same videos you use in advertising can bring your core corporate values into sharp focus at company meetings, picnics, and in-house events.

8. Web 2.0

Don’t be shocked but the Web is changing before our eyes. “Web 2.0” is the new Web – not new technology, but new ways to make web browsing more interactive. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media give web users more access and more choices of what they view and how they view it. The bottom line for you: Web 2.0 allows easier, broader distribution of your video than ever before. More on Web 2.0 in my next blog entry!

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

www.EdwardsDirect.net