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

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

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

But the power and value of video is more than just in looking good. A video is pure communication at the most basic level. Observe a three-year old child watching TV. They’re absorbing and processing visual information a mile a minute.

And though we get older and more sophisticated, there’s no changing those neural pathways. Presenting information visually is a high-speed highway to fast, deep communication. And isn’t communication the key element of selling?

Increase sales with video

If you want to increase sales, especially in today’s online environment, use video. It’s a fact: online video increases sales. It’s pretty easy to see why. Video is a live demonstration of your product or service. Video breathes life into whatever your selling and shows it in its best light. You see it and hear it. It’s the old “Show and Tell” formula you learned in kindergarten!

Do you have a product to sell? Online video product demonstrations show your wares beautifully. If your product moves or performs a function — like a vacuum cleaner, tool, or toy for example — it’s easy to show how it works. Set up a simple before and after sequence that demonstrates your product’s advantages.

Video for services businesses

If you’re in a service business, there’s still plenty of opportunity to use the selling power of video. “But if there’s no product,” I can hear you saying, “what do I show in the video?” In the absence of a product to demonstrate, here’s a very effective technique: make a video of your customers talking about your service.

This is called a “customer testimonial video” – your customers talking about you, your service, and your company in their own words. Surveys by The Nielson Company, world leader in tracking consumer trends, document an interesting fact: almost three-quarters of consumers surveyed said they place great trust in purchase recommendations made by complete strangers!

30% sales increase

Please note: customer testimonial videos aren’t just for service businesses; they work great for selling products, too. One of my clients, www.SeaEagle.com, reports a 30% sales increase directly attributable to using online testimonial videos. See their report, (address).

In summary, whether you’re a manufacturer, distributor, dealer, retailer — even if you run a small home business — putting your selling story out there in video format is today’s most powerful way to increase sales.

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

www.EdwardsDirect.net

If you’ve gone online recently, I’m sure you’ve seen some. Here’s a great one. http://timberking.com/video.cfm?video=11 Credibility just pours off Bruce Baker. He’s a real customer, a real guy, telling of his real experience, in his own words. That’s good advertising.

The beauty of these online customer testimonials is that they aren’t beautiful. They aren’t Holllywood. They aren’t a fantasy like commercials that promise a better love life if only you had fresh breath…

Pay attention and you’ll see customer testimonials at work all over the place. Magazine ads, newspapers, brochures for all kinds of products and services.

But how do you get customer testimonials?

“Sure,” you say. “I get it: customer testimonials have selling power. But how do I get customer testimonials in the first place?”

You’ve got a business, right? You’ve got customers, right? Well, chances are you’re already receiving great customer testimonials but you’re just not collecting them.

Put your sales people on special alert: “Collect all customer feedback!” And don’t forget the clincher: “And get it to me immediately!”

If you use product registration forms or warranty cards, they’re rich sources of customer feedback. Your “contact us” form on your website is another one. And tell Sales and Customer Service to cc you on any and all e-mail that contains a customer’s opinion or comment – good or bad.

(And by the way, the only thing “bad” about a bad comment from a customer is you, if you don’t respond to it.)

Send an e-mail to your customers asking for feedback. Invite feedback on your website. Mail customers a letter. Talk to them in the showroom. Stop and chat with them in the parking lot.

After you’ve collected customer stories…

Build a library of customer comments then turn them into customer testimonials. Start with the short comments. You can run them as-is in an ad or brochure. “I love my new Mazda. You guys at Acme Motors are the best!”

Stack them up. Build a column of short testimonials in your sales brochures. Put them on your website under “Customer Testimonials.”

But you can do much more. A good short comment can turn into a great long story if you pursue it. Give the customer a call and ask them to elaborate. Tape record the conversation and transcribe it for later use – but ask them if it’s OK first, and get a signed release afterwards.

Harness the power of testimonial videos

A great customer endorsement becomes an extraordinary testimonial when you capture it on video. I video-document my clients’ testimonials with help from www.IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com, a Chicago-based video company that’ll go anywhere, any time to shoot video customer testimonials.

Once in video format, you can mount your testimonials on your website, put them on DVD, use them at trade shows, or loop them on a TV in your showroom.

It all starts with awareness: you’re already getting customer feedback. Launch programs to capture it and build the feedback into powerful, versatile customer testimonials.

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

www.EdwardsDirect.net

Whose advice do you trust when you’re pondering a purchase? Most folks’ first pick is a friend who already owns what they’re considering. And, overwhelmingly, their second most-trusted source of purchase advice is a complete stranger.

A stranger, that is, who’s already bought the product or service they’re considering.

If you say it’s true I’ll believe you.

So says The Nielson Company, global leader in tracking consumer trends, in their recent Global Online Survey. Nearly three-quarters of consumers surveyed said they place great trust in purchase recommendations made by complete strangers.

Pay attention, because this is important: a nod from your existing customers can put prospective customers at ease and make them far more willing to do business with you. Simply put, using customer endorsements in your advertising materials – online and offline – will increase your sales.

It only makes sense. Human nature being what it is, when one of your past customers sings your praises, would-be customers believe. And when they believe, they buy.

Harness the power of customer testimonials

Using testimonials in advertising is hardly new. I have in my collection of advertising ephemera a 1920’s ad for a firewood saw in which Mr. G.W. Smith, 73, of Vero, Florida, is pictured and quoted as saying, “I cut 100 cords of wood in 4 days with my Ottawa (Log Saw). I can make good money by having this outfit. I feel very proud of what I am doing for myself.”

Now, if Mr. Smith owns one and says it’s so, it must be. See the ad on my blog at http://www.edwardsdirect.net/blog/

Today’s online sales environment is ripe for the tactical use of testimonials. I’d certainly recommend salting your home page with a few of your best customer endorsements with links to additional stories deeper in your site.

And today’s super-fast connection speeds make it simple to deliver the most potent form of testimonial endorsement ever devised: online testimonial videos.

I spoke recently with Clint Pollock, President of IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com, a Chicago-based video company that specializes in producing testimonial videos. “The testimonial videos we’ve shot have increased our clients’ sales up to 30%,” said Clint.

Lights…camera…action!

It’s easy to see why. Pollock’s videos are like a fireside chat with a friend. Visitors to your site click your video and there’s your happy customer, talking, smiling, and telling the world how great you are.

See testimonials for yourself: www.IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com

And IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com has found ways to leverage their clients’ videos. “It’s easy to distribute your videos broadly using Web 2.0 techniques,” says Clint. “Link videos from your site to YouTube. Send links in e-mail.”

So there you have it. If you want to increase sales, put customer testimonials on your website. If you want to REALLY increase sales, load testimonial videos.

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

www.EdwardsDirect.net

HOW CAN YOU RESIST reading an ad that starts, “73 years old — he cuts 100 cords in 4 days.”

This is truly a classic example of mail order advertising from the early days; an ad for the Ottawa Log Saw from The Household magazine, October, 1921.

This is my kind of ad (and my kind of product). Great, great copy about a hard-working piece of equipment. Benefits? He “Makes Big Money” with his Ottawa Log Saw.

Beat the Coal Famine

There’s timely news. With an Ottawa Log Saw, you can “Beat the Coal Famine.” And the story goes on, “Remember last winter? Coal is scarce now and will be harder to get.” But the Ottawa Log Saw promises a solution. “Sawed wood will bring high prices….your neighbors will pay you big profits in cash…”

What does it do? “Cuts down trees, saws logs by power.” Inset visuals add detail on features, building the value story. “Wheels Turn on Swivel Axle.” “Easy to Move From Cut to Cut.” And, it “Wheels Like a Wheelbarrow.”

Pays for Itself

More good news. The ad explains that this is the most powerful saw of its kind on the market — you can even use it to run your cream separator! “No log is too big, too little, or too tough.”

Ottawa Mfg. Co. promises its machine will pay for itself. You can pay in cash or make easy payments. Bottom line, “Any man with logs to cut or timber work of any kind to do cannot afford to be without the Ottawa.”

Classic and timeless

The days of the log saw are long gone but the formula so cleverly articulated in this classic direct response ad lives on: it’s a skillfully woven tapestry of features, benefits, promises, problem/solution, offer, a great big value story, a strong call to action…and great copywriting.

Ottawa Log Saw’s direct response formula is timeless. You see it in today’s online and offline advertising — a less robust treatment, often less engaging, and usually a lot less fun. But the same sales-generating formula lives on and on.

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

EdwardsDirect.net

This artwork hung in my grandparant’s home for decades.

Hey…I didn’t say it was good artwork…just artwork.

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

EdwardsDirect.net

]]> http://www.edwardsdirect.net/blog/2009/10/my-grandparents-artwork/feed/ 0 http://www.edwardsdirect.net/blog/2009/09/whats-in-it-for-me/ http://www.edwardsdirect.net/blog/2009/09/whats-in-it-for-me/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:33:44 +0000 edwards http://www.edwardsdirect.net/blog/?p=21 — You think features but your customers want BENEFITS.

You’re thumbing through a solar products catalog and come across sales copy like this:

“Extra AUX connection provided. Accepts up to 250 watts, larger model accepts 500 watts. PWM float is set at 14.1 volts, adjustable from 13 to 15 volts. ATC-type automotive fuses supplied on input/output. LDV also included.”

You see the words but you don’t understand them. Your eyes roll back in your head, your jaw goes slack, your tongue lolls out of your head, your mind numbs. Ready to buy? I don’t think so.

Advertiser: what on earth were you thinking?

From a manufacturing point of view, all those AUX’s, watts, and PWM’s are endlessly fascinating. But put yourself in the consumer’s shoes. What good is an LDV if your customers don’t know what it is…and, more importantly, if they don’t know what it’ll do for them?

People don’t buy products or services – we buy benefits.

Here’s some of the text from above put another way — in benefit terms:

“Easy-access AUX (auxiliary) connection provided at no extra charge. Keeps generator starter battery fully charged for dependable starts every time.”

Seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? Tell your customers about features…but in the context of “How do I benefit from this feature? What’s in it for me?”

Got it? OK, now take a look at your own advertising. Chances are you’ll find lots of features and precious few consumer benefits. Because we all focus on what’s near and dear to us.

“Here’s what’s in it for YOU.”

Communicating how your customers benefit from your product or service is near and dear to EdwardsDirect.net. We’ll review your advertising and communicate your features in benefit terms.

What’s in it for you? Stronger online and offline advertising that is vastly more engaging and motivating to customers than dry old features. And that means more sales for you.

Your benefit: increased sales

E-mail me, Steve@EdwardsDirect.net or call me at 1-802-447-4939.

Send me some of your ads, brochures, sales sheets, or a link to your website. I’ll get back to you quickly and show you how I can turn your features into benefits…and how you’ll benefit with increased sales.

Steve Edwards

Copywriter/Marketer

EdwardsDirect.net

(And be sure to read below, “But you don’t understand….”)

May we blog for you? Steve@EdwardsDirect.net

“Blog” is a contraction of the term “web log,” or an online journal. The first bloggers may have been bored teens pouring out their angst in online diaries but blogging has morphed into a powerful communication tool savvy businesses are folding into their marketing mix and corporate communication program.

Communicate or die

Businesses can’t thrive without communicating — externally and internally. Your advertising and publicity communicate with your customers. Your internal memos, meetings, and newsletters communicate with your employees. Savvy businesses have an internal blog, or external blog, or both, to communicate all these thing and more. Here’s why…

Blogging benefits your business by…

• …promoting your brand.
• …putting you in contact with your customers.
• …creating contact with prospective customers.
• …giving you meaningful input from customers and prospects.
• …adding valuable, relevant content to your website.
• …raising your search engine rankings.
• …communicating and advertising at low cost.
• …reinforcing your other forms of communication.
• …giving employees a voice.
• …promoting increased communication among employees.
• …getting information out quickly and efficiently.

You’re swimming in blog-worthy news

What to post to your corporate blog? Just about any newsy item is blog-worthy…and things you take for granted are big news to others. Break your USPs (unique selling points) into bite-size articles and post each one. New product coming soon? Blog it. Promotions? Innovations? Successes? Blog ‘em. Customer letters? Pure gold. Pose questions and read the blogged responses.

“But you don’t understand…”

So, with all these low cost, high value benefits, why don’t more businesses blog? Here are some of the reasons we’ve been given.

“We don’t have time.” “We’re going to start a blog next quarter.” “The girl who was doing our blog left.” “Our customers don’t read blogs.” And the classic, “What’s a blog?”

May we blog for you?

Blogs are the quintessential “delivery system” for online content. EdwardsDirect.net is big on creating content — text, graphics, videos, testimonials, news, articles, e-mails, websites, brochures, mailings, advertising, and much more.

We blog for our business; creating, posting, and delivering content. And we’ll do the same for your corporate blog, too.

Turnkey service — Steve@EdwardsDirect.net

E-mail Steve@EdwardsDirect.net and we’ll begin a discussion about how blogging can benefit your business…and how we can handle every aspect of your business blog on an efficient, cost-effective turnkey basis.

SteveEdwards

Copywriter/Direct Marketer

EdwardsDirect.net