24 replies to this topic

[chuckfinley]

Local Business Builder Series

With a little creativity, anyone can have a video that goes viral, not just Fortune 500 companies.

If you can solve one problem, you can create videos that will give your small business a lot of valuable advertising.

What's the one problem?

Find a local artist that will apply his/her creativity to your business in exchange for you promoting his/her business. With a little bit of resourcefullness and a lot of enthusiasm, you can do this!

In a later Business Builder Series post, I'll help you find that person that can handle the creative for you.

For now, here's an example of a car wash. Nothing special about that. What could you possibly do to get 630,954 views (and growing daily)? -->

Edited by chuckfinley, 03 January 2013 - 04:42 AM.

[Ken Fisher]

Hits a good demographic too. But you have to wonder how well it worked for them. 630K views in 12 months is good, but how do we know it's viral? It could be that a large portion of the one million Rhett & Link subscribers make up the bulk of those views in the first few days after release. Love to see the analytics on that one or whether or not it's still working. But, yes promote somebody in exchange. It's a can't lose.

Btw, those guys have an enormous amount of creativity. I'm envious. Take a look at the Conan show...



Thanks for sharing

[tam]

But, does all that effort actually produce any value for a small local business? If their customer base is only people in a 20 mile radius around the store, does a million global viewers gain them anything apart from extra costs in hosting and dealing with press. Would something offline targeted to go 'viral' just within their local community work better and be more achievable? There are thousands of videos attempting to go viral and a very very limited number that do.

[bobbb]

Ditto the above.

I'm not going to debate the value of videos because there is no need to (it works) but I tell you if I happen to hit on something and then find I need to look at a video (I'm thinking news or information) I hit the back button.

I'm going to listen to a 30 second ad then take 1-2 minutes to get the info with video. No way. I could read it in 30 seconds or skim it in 15.

Edited by bobbb, 03 January 2013 - 12:12 PM.

[Ken Fisher]

Geo targeting...eventually. I can see it integrated by way of Google places and other methods. But there's probably no inventory for the Gorg to work from. Video is so young. I look at it like the web was in 2002. Lot's to happen the next few years.

Good point bob. It's a matter of how the video is delivered to people like yourself.

Edited by Ken Fisher, 03 January 2013 - 12:32 PM.

[tam]

I'm working on a video one of those doodle ones but I'm targeting globally by a niche group, and it's just an additional way to present content not a unique one.

[earlpearl]

I've been working on local stuff for years and actually we have enough "idiots" for some of our businesses that our thinking is similar to those of the two producers.

My first impression was after you do something its got to be delivered locally locally locally. For a local business that is what counts. OTOH, if what the video guys said on Conan about the furniture store....what the heck. That was pretty funny but I could see buying from anywhere as occurring because its so funny and absurd.

But the key beyond that is to get significant local visibility everywhere you can. I know that beyond web, if the local businesses get some kind of wider distribution ie tv, newspaper, radio, etc it does spark awareness if not sales.

Very creative funny stuff. But the next step is to drive it locally beyond natural "viralness"

[chuckfinley]

Very creative funny stuff. But the next step is to drive it locally beyond natural "viralness"

Excellent point.

The way I look at it, it doesn't make any difference whether the video is viewed locally or nationally. If I have a video with 600,000 + views on it, that's credibility and marketing gold. I could use it as the basis to build several different off-line local marketing campaigns and PR - I would get the local papers, radio and possibly television to pick it up as well as hyper local blogs, etc.

And, talk about link bait...

As Ken Fisher points out, The Presidential Car Wash folks were on Conan O'Brien! Hmmmmm.....I wonder if anyone in their location watches Conan?

A little bit of creativity and an lot of enthusiasm will go a very, very long ways!

Edited by chuckfinley, 04 January 2013 - 07:38 AM.

[Ken Fisher]

It can scare away local businesses in my opinion, but I don't think many would actually see or think about it at first, as few have knowledge in how video can work for them. Like what Tam said, but more like the potentially large number of callers that may just want advice (depends on what you're delivering) and they're never going to be your customer...unless of course you have some sort of eCommerce set up. Could be as simple as selling car mats if you own a car wash.

I also have several videos (3 total - 700K) doing well, but I'm not proud of them. Produced in 2009. I did put together a short clip on the "visibility factor" with screen shots of views etc, but it did not impress the audience I was after. Keep in mind, my industry is still in the stone age. Your mileage will vary. I don't even want to show them..except for the doodle I did last month..it was fun, but I'm not going to use it, as it just doesn't have that professional look. Missing something.

[earlpearl]

Chuck: My experience is that it does make a difference. If 598,000 of those 600,000 views are seen out of your market than your local visibility is relatively still small. No matter the size of your local market...say NY metropolitan area its still only at most about 6% of the total US market...and if you are a Brick and Mortar in NY metro area...your market share is smaller than the total population in that region. (basically shoppers in Long Island or Westchester County aren't shopping in NJ and vice versa. So that 600,000 views gets real small on a local basis on a natural basis.

Now if the video is good, quirky, funny, as the ones by those producers, it merits and can probably get local viralness also....but our experience operating local smbs is that you have to help it and push it. If you are consistent, good, lucky, and well connected you can push it locally and that is where the power can come.

If you are selling things like the sofa/mattress company YES you can ship them to a buyer anywhere, but those sales are going to pale next to what you hope for on a local basis, IMHO.

but the videos are very funny, very creative and worthy of replicating, copying/ adjusting. Its a great application IMHO.

[tam]

The way I look at it, it doesn't make any difference whether the video is viewed locally or nationally. If I have a video with 600,000 + views on it, that's credibility and marketing gold. I could use it as the basis to build several different off-line local marketing campaigns and PR - I would get the local papers, radio and possibly television to pick it up as well as hyper local blogs, etc.

I like step two through to hyper local blogs. But I think if step one in your marketing plan is get a video to go viral/have 600k of views then you are making more work for yourself than you need. Why base your whole marketing plan on getting a massively viral video when in reality very view videos achieve that. You'll be spending time and money on step one, two things often not available to small local businesses, and if you don't achieve that step you've hit a brick wall. Skip straight to something that targets local people and you can still do all those other steps.

Yes, if you make a video for fun and are lucky enough that it goes viral than definitely capitalise on it, but don't base all your plans on it!

[chuckfinley]

Now if the video is good, quirky, funny, as the ones by those producers, it merits and can probably get local viralness also....but our experience operating local smbs is that you have to help it and push it. If you are consistent, good, lucky, and well connected you can push it locally and that is where the power can come.

Exactly.

Of course, it would be great if the video took off locally. That just doesn't happen normally. But you can make it happen.

That's why I say - I don't care if it gets most of it's views nationally. The national views mean people are interested -- it's market tested and I'm not wasting my time pushing it locally -- and they will be interested in your area too, once they know about it.

The video is just a tool that will open doors that wouldn't otherwise open. It builds credibility -- "those other people liked it and I should too." It's always a very strong selling point to show prospects that people just like them were interested.

Open Doors that Otherwise Wouldn't Open

The credibility that 600K views builds gives me sales & marketing capital, if you will, that I can spend to move my business forward. The video becomes a conversation piece that gets me access.

There are so many things I can do with something like that that there's not enough time to cover it. The limit is your creativity and enthusiasm. That video gives you all kinds of opportunities to get local "Centers of Influence" (people that can refer business to you) excited about you. It sets you apart from the pack, differentiates you.

Without the popularity of that video, you wouldn't get the time of day from anyone. With it - you can push it to go viral in your local area. If I were doing it, everyone I would run into would be talking about it. And if they weren't, I would see to it that they started.

I would look to do some of the following --

• Get local papers to pick it up as a public interest story - "home boy does good" type of story.
  
• Local radio - ditto.
  
• Local TV - ditto.
  
• Easy entry and right for this service - college papers, radio, and TV.
  
• Fundraisers - show non-profits how to use your video to market the event and give them an amount per car wash that they bring in (non-profits can get free newspaper, radio and TV advertising and a free PPC budget).
  
• Targeted direct mail.
  
• Door hangers.
  
• My e-mail list.
  
• Friends, family, etc.
  
• Anybody I talk to on the phone, on the street, in the elevator, or in the line at the supermarket - I get their e-mail and send them a link (and build my e-mail list).
  
• On business cards.
  
• On letterhead.
  
• On e-mail signature block.
  
• Be a speaker at the local Chamber of Commerce.
  
• Get the Chamber of Commerce to write a story on it, or write it for them.
  
• Be a speaker at local Service Clubs, Rotary Club, Kiwanis, etc.
  
• Be a speaker at the local Networking Club.
  
• Be a speaker at the local Car Cubs.
  
• Hyper-Local blogs.
  
• Forums.
  
• Online organic with geo-targeted keywords.
  
• PPC geo-targeted.

I could easily build that list to 100.

If you want to make a video go viral, in this case, or your business go viral, it takes passion. A video like that is the right tool to build enthusiasm in the prospects you talk to.

Do I Have To Be Well Connected To Do This Successfully?

No, you only have to be passionate, enthusiastic, and confident.

But, if you do this a few times, you will become well connected and you will get even bigger results.

Edited by chuckfinley, 06 January 2013 - 06:19 AM.

[chuckfinley]

Yes, if you make a video for fun and are lucky enough that it goes viral than definitely capitalise on it, but don't base all your plans on it!

There is an element of "luck" in going viral. But, there's an even larger element of marketing know-how.

Of course, now that I think of it, it takes a little bit of luck to succeed in business.......

My thought for the average small business owner that isn't long on marketing experience is - they should find a partner that is willing to create the video in exchange for helping them market their business. You could include them in all your marketing efforts for example and put them on your letterhead, e-mail signature block, credit on the video, a page on your website, etc. -- that would just beg the question - cause people to ask you about the video. That way, the person that creates the video would have motivation to put together compelling creative too, because they would be marketing their business as well as yours.

Get them to do the work and all you do is the internet marketing to get it views. After you get the views, tell everyone in town about it. Give your prospects a reason to call you and/or engage you when you see them at other business events.

Business isn't easy. We all have the same business problems and there are many. The resourceful will thrive.

Having said that, thank goodness business is hard, otherwise we would have even more competition! All I have to do to succeed is not wait hoping someone will come to me and offer me success - the big deal. That's what most of the competion is doing, and most of them won't be there in 3 years. A little resourcefullness will really differentiate you in that sea of "we're all alike" businesses.

Edited by chuckfinley, 06 January 2013 - 05:52 AM.

[Ken Fisher]

Nice to see someone else enthusiastic about video! It's a small world Chuck, but the ones that are recognizing it are plain out kicking butt. And I'm certain it will be a crowded area in a few short years, but I don't think we'll see the problems created in large part by adense that caused the internet cesspool.. It takes a good sized investment in time (knowledge) mostly to put out quality video start to finish, not to mention investment in software equipment etc. Let's hope I'm wrong, unless some software developer can create a program for video dummies that fixes everything...light, sound,shaky video, you get the idea.

"they should find a partner that is willing to create the video in exchange for helping them market their business"

That's my angle and I am happy to announce I finally have some takers, but it took hiring a sexy 25 year old (my daughter in law) to get in the front door. She loves the idea. Got a new wardrobe, good commission for solid leads to boot.

Forget viral in my opinion. Focus on the customer needs. Once they find your quality it spreads from there. That's what all my reading has shown. I actually saw it before the massive research I've done. It made sense after studying the good from the bad video out there and reading comments particularly on YouTube.

Btw...good link.

http://www.onlinevid...ow-to-fix-them/

Get them to do the work and all you do is the internet marketing to get it views

Who is handling the video production? Not them I hope. That's where the hard work is.

Edited by Ken Fisher, 06 January 2013 - 07:26 AM.

[chuckfinley]

http://www.onlinevid...ow-to-fix-them/

Thanks for that link, Ken. I'll look it over. Looks at though I could learn something there.

Who is handling the video production? Not them I hope. That's where the hard work is.

We all have 2 options - 1) Learn how ourselves, or 2) create a win-win so that someone else that knows how will do it for us. I'm good at marketing and sales so I try to barter with promotional vaule. Most often, the techie types aren't too good in the area of "marketing creativity." Another SMB's strength may be elsewhere and they might try to create a win-win with that knowledge. Or, just apply some simple small business marketing techniques and include the marketing company (that has production capability) in your promotions - they will respond to those kinds of offer more easily than any other type of business because it makes sense to them, it's what they do.

Edited by chuckfinley, 07 January 2013 - 03:36 AM.

[Ken Fisher]

Be careful with who you look for Chuck. Online video is becoming similar to finding someone that knows SEO or SEM; almost a crap shoot. Of all the sites I’ve been to I can pick up the smallest things that will turn off potential viewers and customers. Most are mentioned in that link, except for one. Volume. I get so frustrated trying to adjust volume on videos.

Heck one so called expert video site had volume settings all over the place. There were a few videos I couldn’t hear unless the volume (player and PC) was cranked completely. Then others…you guessed it. Another thing was the player they used. I was completely unfamiliar and had some trouble using it at first. Contributing to the problem was their logo that was smack dab right underneath/behind the volume slider. They probably only viewed it in full screen resolution where the problem didn’t exist.

Funny I was looking for a small sound box to do voiceovers several months ago. There was a site trying to sell a product just for it. Guess what? The sound was absolutely horrible. They weren’t even using their own product for it..LOL I’m sure they fixed it after my YT comment. Then again, maybe not. Nothing surprises me these days.

You may also want to look at my hospital query. Not all players can be viewed on all devices. That’s another problem with online video. The industry is too fragmented at the moment. I’m still learning and there is a lot to know in doing it right, or you’ll be in the overpopulated amateur video camps where nobody sees you. Connected TV’s are coming as well which I have nary a clue about…yet.

Anybody have one of those gizmos?

Incidentally, I didn't even think of mobile users with volume problems.I have an Ipad, but ditched the smartphone so I don't even know how to adjust volume on those things. Does one have to go into settings every time if the volume is too low?

[tam]

The techy stuff for video seems very techy. I'm try Audacity for sound recording, seems to work okay (after I rewired the mic - rabbit damage). Then I spent all day trying to get the .mov format videos my new camera takes into Windows Movie maker which only likes .avi I was going to animate some stuff but I can't find any software that's free/inexpensive that seems to do what I want and I don't want to spend a fortune experimenting. I'm sure it's easier once you've got the hang of it but it's driving my a bit crazy atm.

[Ken Fisher]

Animate? You mentioned doodles not long ago. Is this something you're referring to?

Seven day free trial...http://www.sparkol.com/videoscribe.php

I had a real problem keeping all the frames right or what they call camera position. It's still quirky for me and I probably have 20 hours into it.

I use audacity just for fixing unwanted noise.

[tam]

Thanks Ken, I'll give that ago. I'm not entirely sure exactly what I'm trying to do yet, still playing around with ideas but something on those lines. I want to use it to promote by book, which is full of line drawings, so drawing whilst reading extracts seems like it might be a good solution.

[chuckfinley]

Incidentally, I didn't even think of mobile users with volume problems.I have an Ipad, but ditched the smartphone so I don't even know how to adjust volume on those things. Does one have to go into settings every time if the volume is too low?

On my Android, there's a couple of buttons on the outside of the case for volume adjustment.

There is no doubt that the whole universe of internet tools and marketing approaches are complicated, and the knowledge is growing at a geometric rate.

I have an un-ending thirst for knowledge, it's my nature, so I bought Steve Stockman's video from the link you posted above -- only $11.16 on Amazon and since I'm an Amazon Prime member, it'll be here on Wednesday and shipping is free. Thanks for that link.

For a lot of people, their time would be better spent doing what they do best and hiring or bartering for the video creation. I'm going to do a separate thread on how to find someone to create video in exchange for services or promotional value. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

Edited by chuckfinley, 07 January 2013 - 07:28 PM.