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If you were not among the standing-room-only crowd in Waltham yesterday, you missed a great panel discussion with Tim Bradbury, American City Business Journals; Joe Chernov, Eloqua; Judy Gern, Constant Contact; David Meerman Scott, best-selling author; and Dave Toole of MEDIAmobz.  Our own Cliff Pollan moderated the session.

The event, sponsored by VisibleGains, Business Wire and MEDIAmobz, and graciously hosted by Constant Contact, generated many insights about the use of video. In fact, there was so much valuable content that we’ll likely explore topics in more detail in upcoming blog posts.  For now, however, we wanted to recap some of the important observations from the event in the hopes that it will spark ongoing dialogue.

Here are seven things you’ll want to know right away:

Video is no longer a novelty; it’s a necessity. 100% of those in attendance have watched a business-related video. If you’re trying to sell to any of the more than 100 attendees who were in the room (or companies like them), video would be a great tool.

Video is the new literacy.  According to Dave Toole from MEDIAmobz, “we’re just seeing the beginning” of video storytelling. Brands are using it for new product introductions, customer testimonials and to capture real people using their products.

Video has proven power down the marketing funnel. David Meerman Scott underscored the ability for video to drive higher conversion numbers. It’s not just an awareness-builder, it’s a lead generator and sales closer.

Prospects who consume video convert at higher rates. Judy Gern from Constant Contact shared her company’s experience with video, revealing that prospects who consume video become customers at a much higher rate.

A company of authors is a boon for SEO. Joe Chernov from Eloqua said companies should encourage more content contribution, especially optimized video. More authors, including video subjects, within your company means stronger search performance.

Soon everyone will be video “talent.” Cliff Pollan predicts that someday soon “we’ll all be talent.” At one point we all learned Powerpoint to communicate.  Soon we’ll all learn to communicate better through video.

Video is key to the future of news distribution. Tim Bradbury and his team at American City Business Journals encourage businesses to add video to news they distribute. Joe Chernov agreed, providing the staggering metric that companies that embed video into their press releases get a whopping 500% more views.

There you have it, seven nuggets to ponder right away. We knew this panel would be interesting, but we had no idea how eager marketers are to incorporate video into the mix and how successfully many are already doing so.

To see more of the commentary during and after the event, please check out this hashtag on Twitter: #bwvidevent.

Cecil B. DeMille was famous for flamboyant productions such as the Ten Commandments, with lavish sets that almost outshined the actors (which, in some cases, was actually his objective). How much of Cecil B. DeMille’s flamboyance should you bring into your productions? Let’s just say that in most cases less is more. In fact, if you’re just getting started, we suggest that you focus on the fundamentals of lighting, sound, background and traffic control. We’ll call these our “Four Commandments,” in honor of Mr. DeMille.

Lighting – Look for a location with good lighting that can be placed in front of the subject. If the subject is up against a wall, for example, be sure the room has more than one overhead light to avoid harsh shadows. Windows can bring in ambient light, but be sure the subject is facing the window to avoid the issue below (TIP: the brighter it is behind the subject the more light you’ll need in front).

Sound – New videographers ignore best practices for sound at their own peril. There’s nothing worse than getting home and discovering that your footage is marred by whirring, whooshing or extraneous voices you didn’t hear onsite. A little extra time in advance of shooting, however, goes a long way. If you’re in a quiet room without any echo, you may be able to get away with using the microphone built into the camera. Rather than take any chances, however, it’s better to have an external microphone on hand.  A lavalier microphone easily clips onto your subject and connects to your camera (be sure you have enough cord!). Ideally, the microphone should be 1-3 inches from the center of the chest.  Hide the cables by clipping them onto ties, button down shirts and jackets.

Backgrounds – Less is often more with your background. A cluttered background can distract the viewer and make your video seem amateurish. Removing the clutter, such as in the right-hand image below, immediately gives your video a more polished look. Note how the left-hand image has lines going through the subject’s head and reveals clutter behind. This is an easy fix by simply taking an extra minute to frame your subject through the viewfinder.

Traffic – Even seasoned videographers avoid high-traffic areas for video shoots. Your best bet is a conference room or office where you can shut the door.  It’s also a good idea to prepare signs saying “video shoot in progress” and, if possible, distribute an email to your company letting them know you’ll be filming.  And don’t forget about people and noises outside any windows. A bus going by or loud laughter in an office next door can ruin a “perfect take.” Be sure to anticipate all distractions and make plans to avoid them before you start.

Cecil B. DeMille was judged by his colorful sets and how well he could direct “a cast of thousands.” You’ll only be judged on how clearly your subject’s message is received by the viewer. By following these four commandments for lighting, sound, background and traffic, you may not win an Academy Award, but you will produce video that converts potential leads online.

Click here for a video intro to the event

Can online video turn press releases into SEO gold? We don’t have an answer to that question. At least not yet. But with your help – and an esteemed group of experts – we’re hoping to get closer to understanding the role that video will play in the press release of the future.

On April 27, we’re hosting an event with Business Wire and MediaMobz entitled Combining SEO and Video to Drive Awareness and Lead Generation Online. You can watch a video intro for the event or learn more here and, if you’re in Boston, we encourage you to attend. At its core, the event is designed for marketing and communications professionals who are looking for innovative ways to generate new business leads. If that sounds like you, please come.

If you can’t attend, we’d still like to represent you at the event. Cliff Pollan, our CEO, is moderating the panel, and he’d welcome your questions, concerns and opinions in advance. What would you ask Tim Bradbury about his print media enterprise or David Meerman Scott about his recent book? How about asking Judy Gern from Constant Contact about ways video plays into their strategy or Joe Chernov from Eloqua about ways to link all this to marketing automation?

If you’d like Cliff to pose a question or broach a particular topic, please add it as a comment to this post.

As the event invite explains, unique content such as video has tremendous power to attract and convert new leads online. Because video is SEO-friendly and dynamic, many companies are using it to help generate and convert leads. But many companies still have questions that range from concerns about cost to the real conversion value. The event will address some of these questions and provide best practices for effectively using video and SEO in the press releases you distribute, whether it’s via a wire or in some other way.

We hope you’ll join us on April 27 or that you’ll send along some questions and insights for Cliff.

Once you’ve shot your video, you’re probably anxious about the next “hurdle,” editing it. But it doesn’t need to be a hurdle at all. In fact, unless you’re submitting the video to the Sundance Film Festival, too much fussing is not only unnecessary, it can also distract potential leads from your core message.

For most business-oriented video, you’re better off with simpler formats, basic editing software and a few best practices. Even if your boss’s kid is home from USC’s Film School, resist the temptation to add unnecessary complexity, and instead focus on the message and the messenger.

If you’re just getting started with your video initiative, here are three tips to help you avoid overkill and get started successfully and (relatively) pain free:

Garbage in=garbage out. Every editor has a story about being handed disjointed raw video and being asked to transform it into a great finished piece. Sure, the best editors can perform miracles, but the cost and time required is too steep. A script template (how to promote an upcoming webinar, for example) can help you produce clear, concise footage from the camera that requires very little post production. Planning in advance will save you editing time later.

Let the camera be your guide. There was a time when generating high-quality footage required expensive equipment. And even then much work was necessary in post production to correct lighting and audio problems. Today, many easy-to-use HD cameras are on the market that can deliver excellent results with little practice. In most cases, you can upload the video and prepare it for your email campaign or website with very little post production.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Although many finished video pieces require only a little extra editing, sometimes a bit more work can increase impact. Software programs such as Camtasia, Jing and Animoto can help you easily add static images and screen captures to your finished video for a more professional look. You’d be okay without them, but they’re so easy to use you might as well give them a shot.

There are certainly other tips that will help your videos get better over time, but these three are a great starting point. If you think before you shoot, shoot with a good HD camera and take advantage of inexpensive, easy-to-use software to add a professional look, you’ll be producing conversion-worthy video is less than one day.

To read about other tips for using video to convert online visitors to leads, please download our eBook, Best Practices for Using Video to Convert Visitors to Leads, here.

And be sure to come back to our blog for more tips and tricks.

Conventional wisdom has been that smooth and polished talent in videos is critical to success. This has kept many businesses from getting started with video since talent can be expensive. It has also set a high bar for finished video that prevents many others from tapping their own employees for video. The game is changing, however, and today we know that prospects actually relate more to displays of genuine passion and expressions of real knowledge than they do to acting precision. In fact, suspicion that you’re being pitched by an actor can be a real turn-off.

Another mistake businesses often make is to train an executive – perhaps the CEO – to be the official spokesperson even though that individual may be further removed from the product and the customer. If the CEO is hands-on and brings genuine product passion, that’s great. But putting them in front of customers in a launch video just because they’ll “stay on message” may sacrifice authenticity and decrease conversion. The key question isn’t whether the most senior person is available, but who can best convey passion, knowledge and a customer connection. A modicum of video experience/talent is, of course, important too.

While there is nothing wrong with putting compelling executives on camera, don’t simply go to them by default. Here are three things to consider as you source video talent within your organization:

Who has experience on camera or working with video? This doesn’t mean that experience trumps passion or knowledge, only that it will make your life easier if the person is somewhat comfortable in front of the camera.

Who has expressed interest in getting involved? The camera loves natural enthusiasm and desire. If you have outgoing staff who want to be part of your video initiative, embrace them.

Who is most closely connected to what we’re trying to communicate? Surprisingly, people with genuine passion see beyond the camera and, in effect, speak directly to the target audience. This is great when it happens. Don’t presume a person in your organization won’t be effective until you seen them riff on something about which they care deeply.

There may be more than one talented video subject within the walls of your organization. Don’t be afraid to look beyond the obvious, however, because the right balance of natural video skills and passion may exist within people you least expect. Perhaps the only way to know is to get out there with a camera and check it out.

To read about other tips for using video to convert online visitors to leads, please download our eBook, Best Practices for Using Video to Convert Visitors to Leads, here.

And be sure to come back to our blog for more tips and tricks.

A few years ago, so-called “user-generated content” emerged. Today we now accept that blog posts, tweets and other nuggets of insight are trustworthy and, in some cases, highly entertaining. In the realm of video, YouTube not only made digital expression accessible to all, it forever changed the expectation for video content. YouTube proved that simply-produced and authentic video could be as, if not more, engaging than professional content.

Despite the popularity of social media (what is essentially evolved user-generated content), businesses were, until recently, reluctant to adopt the more freewheeling and often spontaneous sensibilities YouTube-style video. Today, however, erstwhile “corporate video,” often highly produced with b-roll, scripted actors and music, can seem disingenuous and inauthentic. Consumers – even buyers of technology and business services – have come to expect a more authentic dialogue. And this is good news for businesses that want to use video to engage and convert – authentic video can be easier and less costly to produce!

So, we are often asked, how much authenticity and simplicity is enough? After all, we’ve got we’ve got a valuable brand here, and we can’t risk undermining it. Although every company is different, we start with three simple rules for an effective video:

• Meet basic expectations for lighting and sound. Make sure that faces aren’t in shadow or direct sunlight, and be sure ambient noise won’t drown voices out. If you’re thinking of buying a digital video camera, consider one that has an external microphone jack.
• Feature real people from your business talking about subjects for which they are truly passionate. Don’t worry if they’re not Al Pacino. Do worry if they don’t convey authentic enthusiasm.
• Make the video more conversational and less scripted. Talking points are better than a formal script. Don’t let message perfection be the enemy of authenticity.

Some companies may have a budding Leonardo DiCaprio or a closet Apple Final Cut Pro editor, but you don’t need that level of talent to get started. You simply need to find your company’s comfort zone for quality versus expediency. It’s best to start small and experiment, proving to yourself – and your management team perhaps – that a simple, authentic video can actually convert online leads into sales. That’s reason enough to give it a try.

To read about other tips for using video to convert online visitors to leads, please download our eBook, Best Practices for Using Video to Convert Visitors to Leads, here.

And be sure to come back to our blog for more tips and tricks.

One question we often get is “why do I need anything besides You Tube for my video?”  With the phenomenal success of You Tube, this is a natural reaction.  As with most marketing questions, however, the right answer really depends on your specific goals.

Digital marketers generally have three high-level goals  – create awareness, engage prospects and convert visitors to leads.  The good news is that video can dramatically increase your results in all three areas.

You Tube is a great channel for achieving the first goal – it’s built for generating awareness.  Millions of people go to You Tube to look for relevant videos. Posting your videos to You Tube is an easy, inexpensive way to be discovered.

But engaging and converting prospects requires a more considered approach. Digital marketers typically spend a great deal of time and money to attract visitors to their websites, as well as optimizing that experience for conversion. To maximize your investment, you want your video content to be a vital part of that overall experience and conversion process.  Keeping prospects engaged on your site gives you more time and opportunity to convert them.

If, on the other hand, you send those hard-earned prospects off to You Tube, you may risk degrading their experience and lose everything you’ve already gained.  Yes, they see your video, but they’re no longer on your site, and you have lost control of their experience.  The prospect is now open to presentation of irrelevant content or, even worse, to content from competitors.

Once a prospect reaches your site, your goal should be to give them an experience that is tuned to their needs and enables them to easily take action that converts them from a suspect to a lead.   At a basic level, this requires interactivity and integrated calls to action.

Finally, whenever you do engage prospects on your site, you want to measure those interactions so you can constantly tune your efforts and programs to maximize conversion. Leading marketers are now successfully integrating their overall tracking and individual user actions within marketing automation (e.g., Eloqua, Unica, HubSpot, Marketo) and sales automation (Salesforce.com) systems. This ensures that the process of creating awareness, engaging prospects and converting visitors is properly executed and measured from start to finish.