“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