Videos Are The Hottest New Trend In Marketing

There was a time when the biggest complaint about the internet was that it was "impersonal." We didn't know who we were doing business with or anything about them. All that has changed with the advent of video marketing.
With a video, you can place yourself in your prospect's home or business and let them hear you, see you and be impacted by your knowledge, expertise and professionalism. Statistics show that consumers are more motivated by videos than the written word; 52% of people who watch a video take action relating to the content of the video.
Videos are being enclosed in emails, appear on websites and blogs and show up on YouTube, MetaCafe and MySpace pages. And creating a video and using it for marketing is generally less expensive than traditional media or printed advertising.
Video quality varies extensively from home produced testimonials to slick, glossy clips that promote a product and employ a myriad of video effects. Regardless of the origination, if a video is created with a powerful message that is delivered in a meaningful way, the return on investment far outweighs that of the majority of other marketing tools and techniques.
There are four basic types of videos included in marketing plans:
• Product promotional Videos - a video that is created to introduce consumers to a particular product with all its features and benefits • Product Demo or Virtual Trade Show Videos - Videos that allow the marketer to demonstrate a product and replicate an in-person sales pitch • Testimonial Videos - Endorsements from existing customers • Viral Videos - This is a relatively new trend where a video clip, typically humorous, is sent via email, instant messaging or blogs but connects the viewers back to your website
The key in using a video as a part of a marketing plan is the distribution of the video. Whether you use emails, blogs, submission hubs or sites such as YouTube, the power of video marketing is only as strong as its availability to the viewing public. Some internet marketing vendors will host your video on their site as well as place it on your website and help you with its overall distribution.
Because of all of the venues for having your video seen, one well-done video can now create the same market share that at one time it took a multi-faceted, well-executed marketing plan to do. Video marketing should not be the only tool in your marketing tool box, but it definitely will be one of the more important and impactful ones.