by Ydraw | Apr 25, 2013 | video
Copywriting and Content Infographic
We love infographics here at Ydraw. And we also love copywriting. Not copyrighting (well, we love that too), but copyWRITING. So what exactly is copywriting? It’s a trick of the trade. The infographic below will tell you all about copywriting. I know it’s long, but don’t worry, it’s fun, and colorful, and it’s informative, and pretty, and special, and detailed, and so so pretty, and…and…and….oh just read it! Because if that didn’t convince you that you need to read this infographic then perhaps I should be reading it as well in order to up my copywriting game! I think I’ll do just that.
So, are you done? Was it just as informative as I promised? Hopefully your answer is yes. Or at the very least hopefully you saved this image and plan to come back to it later. Either way, just inform yourself about copywriting. Everyone in the marketing biz (that’s short for business) is doing it. It’s actually one of the very first things that you learn in marketing, so if you don’t know it yet, I’m not sure how you’ve been marketing. But I’m gonna go ahead and assume your results haven’t been that terrific. So, steal the information in this image. Google, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves, or Bing more information about copywriting and content. You won’t be sorry and your marketing will get so much better, and your customers will actually enjoy listening to you and what you have to say.
Remember it’s copyWRITING not copyRIGHTING. However, you should probably look into copyrighting too. Just saying.
If you have any questions about copywriting, please let us know! Or if you have any amazing tips or tricks that you would like to share with us, feel free to pass those along. We’ll take good care of them.
Ydraw-Content and Copywriting
by Ydraw | Apr 18, 2013 | Video Scribing
I LOVE Ydraw! We decided to create a white board animation video because it is so engaging. I searched the internet far and wide for the best white board animation companies, and Ydraw had the highest quality videos by a wide margin.
Ydraw will (1) write the script, (2) send you drawings for how each scene will look, (3) you give your feedback, (4) they re-do the drawings, (5) once you are satisfied they record it, (6) add music, and (7) add sound effects.
When I saw our video, I was blown away. Check out our video–the proof is in the pudding. And Ydraw employees are personable, responsive, and professional.
Two enthusiastic thumbs up,
Dane Barnes
VP of Business Development
Optimize Hire
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by Ydraw | Mar 20, 2013 | video
Video Marketing and the Smartphone Surge
Gone are the days of tripping up over an 8-foot handset cord when your mom wanted to watch TV while on the phone. Today, video has gone mobile, and if your online marketing video hasn’t, that 8-foot cord might as well be wrapped around the neck of your business.
Smartphones and tablets are here to stay, and more than 50% of the population own at least one mobile device. More people are turning to portable screens for entertainment, and these screens are getting smarter and becoming increasingly affordable. These devices allow people to engage with content on a much greater level, bringing the opportunity for increased views, likes, shares, subscribers, fans, customers, loyal patrons, you name it.
Smartphone and tablet sales are predicted to exceed PC sales by as much as 60% by 2015, according to a report from Gartner research group. Watching video comes in third on the list of most popular smartphone activities, and 63% of mobile video is viewed in the home – this may seem strange, as mobile literally means able to be moved freely or easily; synonymous with ‘portable.’ But this is not as shocking as finding out that 36% of mobile video viewed at home is viewed simultaneously with another screen, usually during prime-time hours. Surely this says consumers are so ready to hear your message, they are opening multiple doors just to make it easier for you to get in.
Hold the Phone! You mean I could be advertising during prime-time without paying a prime price? Most definitely; and the brilliance of online video marketing is that there are multiple prime-times for mobile interaction. If you meet anyone with a smartphone (up to the age of 40) that says they don’t use their phones to browse the web the minute they wake up or right before they go to bed – they’re lying.
By 2015, eMarketer expects there will be 148.6 million smartphone users in the nation, up from 90.1 million in 2011. Mobile video viewing is pretty popular now, but you don’t have a lot of time to jump on board. If you want your company to survive the surge in mobile internet use, you need to take that cord from around your neck, plug one end into the jack in the wall, dial up the internet, search for someone who can come set up DSL for you, and get busy making and marketing your online video.
+Jessica Anderson
by Ydraw | Mar 3, 2013 | Video Marketing
Explainer Videos are everywhere and the time is now!
The reality is online video is growing and you can practically find it everywhere these days but it still amazes me that some businesses have yet to adopt the power of Video. Video can be used for TV commercials, youtube ads, tutorials, demo videos, how-to, explainer videos etc.
Last week at Ydraw we had one of our best weeks ever as far as video sales. It is great to see businesses jumping in with both feet. The fact is, the number one focus for content marketing in 2013 should be on Video. Check out these video infographs:
A well organized video content marketing campaign can go a long way. Here are 5 steps you should consider when creating a video.
1. Get Creative: Do not produce boring videos. Take the extra time needed to be creative.
2. Educate: It is always a good thing to give your audience something of value. Educate and entertain them.
3. Know Your Target Audience: This is simple do not create a video that talks about dead cats when you are marketing to PETA
4. Hire Professionals: For the amount of time it takes to create a great video you would be better off hiring professionals instead of wasting weeks on trying to figure it out. There is no need to break the bank either. There are video companies all over the place looking for work.
5. Have Fun: Some of the most popular online videos are full of humor. They have the best chance of putting your company on the map.
Here is another explainer video infograph. I learn by pictures so I really like to post these!
Once you have a video it is now time to blast it out there. Use all the free video hosting sites you can find. Ok, not really, just take the top 5 or so. I like YouTube, Vimeo, Break, and Metacafe. Make sure you put the right keywords in the title and the description. Obviously YouTube is the unquestionable master in the video world so they will start to pop up first. Once you have uploaded, you share it through all your different social media avenues.
+Jace Vernon
by Ydraw | Feb 22, 2013 | video
Whiteboard animation not only has the highest viewer retention rate, it is the most flexible of video marketing mediums. It’s endlessly versatile – appealing to all kinds of learning styles – and fully ready to incorporate your company’s unique personality.
Let’s try a little experiment – read this sentence:
To successfully market a new product, ensure your brand is in the foreground by creatively inspiring customers; capturing their attention with exciting images and catering to their sense of fun and imagination.
Now, in ten days close your eyes and repeat that sentence back to me. No? Alright, get somebody to read the sentence aloud to you, and then in ten days repeat it back to them. Or, maybe you prefer to look at this:
If you are able to repeat this sentence word for word after ten days, you’re awesome. If you can repeat back the general idea of the sentence, you’re less awesome, but still pretty great. If after ten days you can’t remember it at all, join the club.
But despite whether you are a visual or auditory learner, when an element of humor is added, the general idea of that long, boring statement is much easier to remember and has the potential to be stored in our memories for much longer. Marketers need keep this in mind when creating promotional videos, as well as the different learning styles in order to make a significant impression on consumers.
There are three distinct learning categories that every person falls into: Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic. Visual learners perform best when information is brought to them in a visual manner such as text or images. They thrive on illustrations, charts, diagrams, etc. These are the note-takers; they often feel a need to convert the spoken word into text. Auditory learners do best when they can hear the instructions through a CD or cassette tape or through somebody simply talking to them. An auditory learner is able to process, comprehend and retain information given during a lecture with a high level of accuracy. These are the ones whose heads never nod during conferences. Kinesthetic learners are the goers and doers. They need to learn by touching, holding, trying and failing and trying again.
While we all have a dominant learning style, everyone benefits in some way from each. The reality is that we all have custom learning styles that vary in combinations of visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning. Ideally, your video marketing campaign would be able to incorporate each of these three styles when creating an advertisement to inform consumers of your product. However, kinesthetic is hard to put into video form, so what marketers usually have left to work with is visual and auditory. And there’s good news for marketers: video is the easiest and most effective way of combining visual and auditory learning styles in order to appeal to all consumers! Video combines auditory instruction with visual. Not only are viewers hearing about all the benefits your product or service provides, they can see those benefits with their very own eyes.
However, simply making a video won’t guarantee a boost in sales. You need a way to make your video stand out from the millions of other online videos fighting for views. After you’ve catered to consumers’ different learning styles, how are you going to keep their attention?
1. Use Whiteboard
Whiteboard animation has proven time and time again that it is the medium viewers prefer. Its viewer abandonment rate is as low as 30% for a two-minute video. This is largely due to its unique use of images and text combined with audible narration. People are fascinated with the idea of watching an illustration come to life before them, and that initially captures and then holds their attention. The images are fun, colorful and creative. The text is even fun colorful and creative, and the narration ties it all together, guiding emotion and sparking excitement throughout the scenes.
2. Never Skip Out on Background Music.
A seemingly minuscule detail, background music is pertinent to your advertisement. Music gives life to video and provides a certain rhythm that viewers crave. It fills in intentional or unintentional dead spots, making the whole video seamless and fluid. Be aware of the type of background music, though. You don’t want to play smooth jazz behind a promotion for an amusement park – that might give viewers the idea that the park was specifically designed for attendees aged 55 and up. On the other hand, you don’t want to put an ad for orthopedic shoes on top of Usher’s best selling track. You just won’t get the reception your video deserves.
3. Make ‘em Laugh
Humor is one of the most important features your video can possess. A study presented at the American Psychological Society found that the use of humor in an educational setting significantly boosts interest and participation. This is incredibly applicable to video marketing, because essentially, your video is being produced to educate consumers about your product. The study concluded by saying, “Humor is… a social lubricant. It can facilitate interactions, and that is exactly what we found.
