Video Marketing Basics. Lets Start Simple!

Why you should definitely consider Video Marketing

As technology becomes more accessible, our means of marketing continues to evolve. Over the past decade we have seen a significant increase in video marketing efforts from brands both large and small. The reason people are so ecstatic about video marketing is because it works!

Not only has the costs of producing a video dropped significantly over the years, the means of promoting your video have become much more sophisticated, helping brands reach the right target audience much more quickly.

Below we’ll dive into the main reasons why you should definitely consider making space in your marketing budget for video, and some of the best ways to reach your ideal buyer in no time.

Get your Message to the Masses

They say that an image is worth a thousand words, however, video is estimated to be worth 1.8 million words according to Dr. James McQuivey. People are predominantly visual by nature, meaning that by implementing video you cater your marketing message to the masses.

While a striking image may captivate the attention of a person rather quickly, the moment you add motion to it, you significantly increase engagement and retention. This is why video marketing has seen a steady increase in use over the past few years.

People are waking up to the fact that in a world where everyone is bombarded with information on a consistent basis, it is important to be able to draw their attention away from the clutter and look at your message.

The Viral Potential

Video marketing done right can reach millions of viewers with a small budget. Above any other content format on the internet, video has the quickest potential to go viral. It’s much more memorable to share a video as opposed to a blog post. An image may impact people, however video captivates them and keeps them talking.

Facebook has shown to be one of the best video marketing platforms for viral video marketing. While YouTube is still the king of video on the internet, the advertising platform and precise targeting options within Facebook, allows you to put your brand video or product video in front of the eyes of a very precise demographic.

However, it is important to understand that both YouTube and Facebook are two different platforms that ultimately serve different purposes. On both platforms, videos can go viral and drive in heaps of traffic seemingly overnight.

Understanding Different Types of Video Marketing

Video is versatile and can be utilized in many different areas of your business. Whether you use video for promoting a product or your company, to facilitate customer engagement or simply to add value to your brand, there is no downside to using this marketing method.

Quick Ads – These ads are typically no longer than 30 seconds and most are even shorter. For the most part, this format is used on popular video platforms like YouTube. These are the videos that appear in between your video playlists that give you an option to “skip this ad” after five seconds. This means that if you are going to implement this strategy, you have to hook the viewer within five seconds. It’s a good way to break into relevant markets if you don’t have any followers or to push a time sensitive promotion.

Tutorials – These videos are typically longer in nature and can last up to 20 minutes. While you aren’t ‘selling a product’ directly, you provide value to the viewer by giving them insight into a product/service you might be promoting. Tutorials are also excellent for SEO as it keeps the viewer on your page meaning that the ‘on page time’ increases and bounce rates decrease.

Explainer Videos – These videos are typically no longer than 2 minutes. However, for the vast majority of these videos 90 seconds is the goal. These videos are dynamic as they could be used to introduce a brand or product and should establish a problem and solve it within the timeframe. Most brands implement these types of videos in their marketing campaigns.

Sales Videos – These videos can range anywhere between 5-10 minutes and are typically used on landing pages or squeeze pages. As opposed to explainer videos, these videos can go into greater detail about the product/service you are promoting and should have a clear call to action at the end. Sales Videos are designed to make it easier for your prospects to understand what it is you are selling.

Viral Videos – For the most part, viral videos are quite short. Similar to Explainer videos, this format typically is no longer than 2 minutes in length. However, the ideal timeframe you should be shooting for is roughly 30 seconds. The purpose of a viral video isn’t to sell but to drive in traffic. You optimize a CTA to drive people to your squeeze pages after the video has gone viral. In essence, these videos should contain a strong emotional link to your target demographic and your CTA should relate to the contents of the video.

What to Consider when Using Video for Your Brand

Your budget will change depending on what type of video you need. There are a few elements you need to consider when making a video:

  1. Script – This is the heart and guide of your video. Without a compelling script a video cannot be made. Depending on the writer you get, a script budget could range from anywhere between $50 USD – $100 USD. Scripts are presented in Audio-Visual format. (Two Column Format)
  2. Voice Over – Once the Script has been created, voice over is required. There is a great wealth of ‘voice talent’ online and the type of voice actor you require will influence your budget. These V.Os can range from $30 and upward depending on the experience and portfolio of the V.O artist.
  3. Production – Once you have the script and the voice over completed, you will commence with producing the video. Typically people use programs like After Effects or other video editing software. The format you chose for your video will influence the price. Don’t “skimp” out on the price–the quality of your video will have a direct impact on your conversions rates.
  4. Platform and Promotion – Once everything has been produced, you will need to load it on the appropriate channels and apply an advertisement budget to it. The price tag associated with this action is entirely up to you.

We hope this in-depth overview of video marketing provided you with the necessary tools to engage in video marketing for your brand. If you have any questions or doubts, be sure to get in touch with us today!

How Whiteboard Video Can Keep Your Business from Dying of Spring Fever

How Whiteboard Video Can Keep Your Business from Dying of Spring Fever

Does Your Business Really Slow Down during Summer or Are You Missing an Opportunity to Keep it Growing?

 

Ah, summer! The very word brings images of freedom and soaking up the sun at the beach or poolside. You can smell bar-b-que in the air and feel cool soft grass beneath your feet as you jump to grab a frisbee being thrown in your direction.

 

Spring has officially sprung and Spring Fever has once again become epidemic in places where winter is actually cold. CEOs and students alike can be prone to distracting thoughts of vacation and..getting…OUTSIDE!!

 

This is yet another time where having a really strong attention grabbing whiteboard video can get your audience thinking about you and your business again.

 

Spring Fever used to be deadly to a lot of businesses. Not so much nowadays. It doesn’t kill anymore; let me tell you why.

Clients Unintentionally Take You with Them Everywhere They Go

 

Thanks to mobile devices your business can be in front of millions of viewers faces at times where they aren’t completely immersed in work and/or school. They actually have time to pay attention. This particularly applies when they 1-work remotely or 2-go on vacation.

1-People Work Remotely

Technology has made it so people can work remotely, or, take work on vacation with them. They are able to focus on work without the distractions of daily life or the office buzz. It is just them and their laptop. You can take part of their undivided attention.

2- Vacating Your Life Completely on Vacation is almost IMPOSSIBLE!

 

Imagine a family going on vacation to the Florida Keys. How many times will they use their mobile devices during the trip?

 

A-Travel Time


Chances are there will be very little singing in the car and the alphabet game, if played at all, will be short lived. GPS will periodically chirp directions at the driver, interrupting his or her favorite Pandora station.

 

There will be either a movie going in the back seat or, you guessed it, everyone else will be playing on his or her phone or tablet. If they’re flying, once the airplane hits cruising altitude–guess what?

 

Long gone are the days when travel time meant being forced to come up with something creative to do while just sitting.

 

B-Meal and Leisure Times


It takes conscious effort to be present and detached from your cell phone in any situation. This family will likely have good interaction and conversation during meal and leisure times, but with conversation lulls and as family members wind down for the evening, cell phones will come out at least once or twice.

 

C-No Service and Cell Phone Free Zones


What will happen when they volunteer or are forced to surrender their beloved cell phones for hours on end to “unplug” in a cell phone free zone or an area without service?

 

SEPARATION ANXIETY!!

 

Imagine the relief on their faces as screens light up and the buzz of new text messages and emails announcing their existence are heard!

 

D-Vacation Documentation


Finally, while they are “vacating” their lives they will make sure to post selfies and pictures of the cool food they eat and the fun things they see and do on Instagram, Facebook and their YouTube channels.

 

How You Can Use Whiteboard Video During Spring Fever Season to Ignite More Interest in Your Business

 

Let’s face it–dependency on mobile devices is real and is not likely to go away any time soon! So why not utilize this state of the human condition in your marketing plan? It can be a great thing for your business when peoples’ noses are pointed phone-ward.

 

1-Use Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Ads

 

Remember Jace’s suggestions in his recent article

“What We Learned About Explainer Videos in 2015”?

This is a fantastic time to start putting them into practice if you haven’t already.

 

Let’s go back to our traveling family in the last section.

After a fun filled day of deep sea fishing, CEO Joe proudly posts a picture of he and Joe Jr. holding up the 11-foot swordfish they caught on Instagram and/or Facebook. CEO Joe, like most of the general population, will probably glance at his news-feed for at least a few seconds before or after posting, since, it’s really hard to enter the social media world without getting at least a glimpse of what’s going on there.

He will likely revisit and either add more posts or see what kind of popularity rating his post earned among his friends and followers. He might even post a video on his YouTube channel of the glorious moment when the swordfish was caught.

 

This is where a fun whiteboard video from your company could get noticed, watched and possibly even shared. After all, CEO Joe is on vacation and has leisure time to enjoy social media.

 

2-A New Season is a Great Time to Make an Online Announcement and/or Launch a New Video

 

People love “new” things and “news”. They will do a double take at something they haven’t seen before. If you’re planning on releasing a new product or bringing on new programs, aspects or talent, announcing it during a slower season could breathe extra life into your business.

 

Be strategic and make sure the timing is just right. Your announcement doesn’t even have to be earth shattering or company-changing; news is news and news turns heads.

 

New seasons can be a great time to consider launching or looking toward creating a new video–just to spice things up!

 

3-Use a Seasonal Topic to Bring Attention to Your Current Video(s).

 

Your customers need to know you’re there for them. This means bringing up topics they could be interested in, even if those topics aren’t directly related to what your business offers or sells.

 

One option is to blog or maybe even create a short newsletter with some helpful hints or healthy summer recipes. You could also post a picture of your amazing office softball team to help reinforce the human side of your business and connect them to you even more.

 

Regardless, make sure and link your video, old or new, to any form of online communication you put out there. It will get views and repeated views, and repetition is a good thing!

 

 

Become part of your audience’s leisure time with a fun distracting and informing whiteboard video that will make them smile.

 

Approached the right way, Spring Fever won’t kill your business; your whiteboard video really can light a fire under it and help keep it growing!

Thanks for reading How Whiteboard Video Can Keep Your Business from Dying of Spring Fever!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What We Learned About Explainer Videos In 2018

WOW! It’s been a busy 5 years for Ydraw. We launched interactive videos, ypaint, #ygrams, 2.5D animation, live with animation, cardboard videos, and blackboard animation videos, to name a few. We also improved our 2D and 3D styles. Don’t believe us? Check out the demo reel.

In 2018, we’ve been making the switch from explainer videos, to stories! If you want the full details on why, you can read this blog post.

We focused on generating leads, traffic, and sales with stories. Ydraw spent thousands on creating YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram ads. We wanted to create a simple system that would help our clients generate more traffic, leads, and sales with their videos.

Here are some things you should be doing in 2019 with your videos

Video Advertising Ideas Class 101

1. Instagram Ads

I want to show you some of our Instagram videos. We usually test our creations on our own company first and then push them out to our customers.

Here’s our 30 second Instagram ad we did for Ydraw. We took a video we already had and cut it down to 30 seconds. We can do the same for you.

It worked! Here’s a simple screenshot of the results. (note: we did run this over the holiday season which can get expensive. Costs have since come down.)

This simple ad has generated over 142 direct leads. The power of Instagram comes with the comments and sharing. I will discuss this more later.

Here are a couple more examples of Instagram video ads. Below them is a webinar I recorded that goes into more detail about Instagram ads.

Instagram Sponsored Ad Webinar

2. Facebook Ads

Just like Instagram ads, you ought to be running Facebook video ads. Here’s why.

I have been running Facebook ads for years. So far the numbers have been great! The screenshot above is a simple ad I created.
Spend: $218.17
Leads: 31
Reach: 17,687

3. Youtube Ads

I am still in love with YouTube! If you’re not using YouTube for ranking and video ads, wake up…haha!

Please make it a priority in 2019.

Here is a fun YouTube Video Ad we created for a carpet cleaning company.

There is so much more to come on this subject so stay tuned for more.

Why 2016 Is The Year Of Video Marketing

Why 2016 Is The Year Of Video Marketing

Video Marketing the Consumer Connection

Ads are everywhere, from the logo on your coffee cup to your children’s mobile devices we are constantly immersed in a consumer driven society. Of the many different modes of delivery your company can choose to market your product or services there are none that compare to a video.

Video marketing does what print cannot, it engages the consumer with both audio and visual means. Everyone knows the old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words”, but what is a video worth? According to Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research the value of a one minute video is worth 1.8 million words. The human brain is constantly absorbing information and “filing” it into our conscious and subconscious mind, guiding our everyday actions. Research by comScore states that 45.4% of internet users view at least one online video in a month’s time and the average user is exposed to a median of 32.2 videos per month.

As our technological advances are ever transforming; so too are our forms of entertainment. Nielsen’s Total Audience Report stated that people are spending more time with media and less time watching live television. This means huge shifts in how companies reach their audience with advertisements.

Aside from the fact that we now have DVR and the power to fast forward through commercials, people aren’t just sitting at home watching the boob tube. They’re streaming their movies and shows on tablets, smart phones, and computers. People are streaming everywhere from parks to public restrooms. Traditional television commercials and print advertisements cannot raise your bottom line alone. The future is here, and that future is online video marketing.

100 million internet users watch videos online each day. Statistically speaking the numbers don’t lie in 2010, the Forrester Marketing Group conducted a survey and found that when an explainer video was included in an email the click-through rate had increased by 200%-300%. A growing number of people would rather watch a video than read text. This is support by Forbes Insight which states that 59% of senior executives prefer to watch than read.

Major retailers have found that 90% of online shoppers have said that an online product video was useful in guiding them to make a purchase. Researching a product via written specs and reviews is now coming in second to product videos and video reviews. Product videos are a growing advertisement resource for retailers and are statistically proven. Not only do these videos allow for the consumer to better understand and “experience” the product, but it also leaves them feeling more confident in their purchase. Consumer confidence is key to achieving brand loyalty and additional word of mouth sales.

In short video marketing is more than just an ad. It is a means of connecting with the consumer beyond the traditional – “hey here’s my product, it is amazing you should buy it” approach that traditional or virtual print ads provide. Connect with your audience and reach your target market where ever they may be.

2016 is The Year of Video

Already many large content marketing brands like Red Bull, Amazon, Cisco, Netflix, GoPro and many more have already made video their secret weapon to get awareness and loyalty from their customers. Marketing gurus say this is year will be all about video.

Are you wondering if you should invest in video marketing?

Reason #1: 50% of mobile traffic comes from videos

Reason #2: 64% of consumer internet traffic came from video last year and it’s predicted to rise to 69% by next year and 79% the year after that.

Reason #3: Nearly 80% of people watch videos throughout the week.

Reason #4: Over half of people watch videos everyday.

Reason #5: Of all the people viewing the videos, 65% will watch ¾ of it.

Reason #6: Forbes says they have found over 80% of senior executives watch more videos today than last year

Reason #7: ¾ of senior executives will watch videos related to their jobs and 54% of them share the videos with their colleagues.

Reason #8: Most people say they would like to have the text on the same page as the video.

Reason#9: Of marketing, sales and business professionals 69% of them say they have used video marketing and a lot of the people who haven’t used it yet say they’re going to in the upcoming year.

Reason #10: Respondents who are already using video marketing score it fair to extremely successful.

Reason #11: 81% of people post videos to their brand websites.

Reason #12: Of all online marketers, communication and sales professionals 93% are currently using video.

Reason #13: About half of marketers have found that marketing videos are effective for brand awareness.

Reason #14: over the next year 96% of B2B companies say they’ll be using video.

Reason #15: If you use the word “video” in your email subject lines will increase your open rate by 19% and 26% less likely to unsubscribe.

Reason #16: If your page has a video you’ll be getting an extra two-minute dwell time on average.

Reason #17: Half of marketers across the world say video has the highest ROI.

click here to read more about how video marketing can help you this year.

[Why Losing Videos Are Created and How Ydraw Prevents It.] Ydraw + Your Message = Amazing Results

It was the 2nd quarter and he launched his clipboard into the ground, breaking it into pieces.

“#&*$^%^…get over here. What the #$%^$?” (we love it)

That, my friends, is Shane Battier, my coach for the next 3 days. For those of you who do not know who Shane Battier is, you should Google him. He was probably one of the best NBA players nobody ever knows.

Hoop Scoop Magazine named Shane Battier the fourth-best seventh grader in the United States. When he graduated from Detroit Country Day School in 1997, he received the Naismith Award as the best high school basketball player in the nation. When he graduated from Duke in 2001, where he won a record-tying 131 college basketball games, including that year’s N.C.A.A. Championship, he received another Naismith Award as the best college basketball player in the nation.

On day two of our tournament, Shane and I were talking basketball and warming up for the game. I tossed him the ball and watched him rim check 5 shots in a row. He told me he hadn’t shot a ball in a while, but still, I expected him to hit a couple shots at least.

My thought… “How does this guy have an NBA championship ring?”
It was at that time Shane Battier changed the way I looked at basketball forever. I will never play the game the same again. He ended up leading us to the championship where we lost to a much better team. (Just picture a bunch of old guys trying to relive their glory days. It’s a blast.)

In the 90s a virus of statistical probabilities infected professional sports.

Math geniuses began to take all the data that sports lovers keep and put it to work. Think Money Ball.

Shane started to explain to me the way he looks at the game.

He asked me what I thought the worst shot in basketball was. I wasn’t sure, so I guessed a side shot. I was wrong. It’s a jump shot off the dribble.

Kobe Bryant, one of the best players of all time would become pretty inefficient when Shane guarded him. If Kobe dribbled left and pulled up for an 18 foot jump shot: his numbers tanked. Shane knew this.

Shane’s success did not come from his raw talent. It came because he understood the numbers. He would cause his opponents to always take the lowest probability shot.

On offense, Shane would always get the ball to the right teammate where he could take the highest probability shot. It’s all about the numbers.

Shane’s game is a weird combination of obvious weaknesses and nearly invisible strengths. When he is on the court, his teammates get better, often a lot better, and his opponents get worse.

When I step onto a court, I see a court, a basketball hoop, and my opponent. When Shane steps onto a court he sees probabilities, a grid, and numbers.
It’s genius.

Knowing the odds, Shane can pursue an inherently uncertain strategy with total certainty. He can devote himself to a process and disregard the outcome of any given encounter.

To the point…

Do you know and understand your numbers?

When Ydraw creates a video, we like to take into account the numbers.

We know, statistically speaking, a well-written script with a story is going to have a higher success rate.

We know that a testimonial is going to increase your conversions.

We know that if you start your video off from a high level of intensity, your click through rate goes up.

We know that a whiteboard video is going to achieve a higher retention than live, 2D, or 3D. Unless you add in some special Ydraw tricks.

We know that by adding humor and some special effects you’re going to enhance the viewer’s experience in a positive way and your success rate goes up.

Lastly, we know that boring videos, have zero chance.

These types of numbers come from years of experience. We also apply this to our video marketing division. We can’t tell you all the little things we do to shift the probabilities in our favor. We just do them because we have been in the game long enough.

I watch so many video marketing campaigns fail because they are playing a game they do not understand.

Our job is to do what works statistically speaking and yet 35% of the videos that leave our office end up being sabotaged by the client.
It hurts and I am begging you to not do it.

Let us use the numbers to your advantage and increase your probability of success.

We want to create an amazing video for your company.

Call or shoot us an email to get started.

PS. It’s that time of year. Some of you have year-end budgets left over. If you are looking for a way to spend your budget, we would like to chat. We want to show you what we have been working on. It’s amazing.

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