Steve Garfield
is a HubSpot friend and is widely considered one of the Internet's first video bloggers. He is a sought-after speaker, college lecturer, consultant and published author (among other things) about the subject, so I knew he'd make a great interviewee about how -- and why -- businesses should start
implementing online video into their marketing programs
.
In a typical content-creator fashion, he recorded his responses on his iPhone as he took a stroll around Jamaica Pond . Check out Steve's new book, Get Seen , his video blog at http://stevegarfield.blogs.com , and follow him on Twitter @stevegarfield .
1. What advice can you offer to businesses who want to begin using video as a new element in their marketing initiatives?
- "Just do it."
- Don’t be intimidated by or concerned with the technical issues related to video production.
- Find someone who is passionate about social media and ask them to spearhead your video marketing initiatives.
- Don't just record a video, put it on YouTube and expect people to find it. (Putting it online is only the first step.)
-
Help your target audience find it through
online promotion via social media, blogging, SEO
, etc.
- You can give viewers an inside look at your business
- Example: the Bui Brothers (photographers in LA), who record video of themselves as they’re doing a photo shoot and post it online, giving prospects a behind-the-scenes look at their business
- The people who are really creative with online video are those who integrate it to help build their businesses and are those who look at it more than just putting video on the Web.
- Examples: Gary Vaynerchuk ’s Wine Library TV and Gourmet Library , and Daily Grommet
- We’ll see even more livestreaming of video (via cell phones, laptops, and other technologies).
- More self-service Web applications (like Animoto ) will emerge to help people with video editing/production.
- HubSpot's videos are well-produced, have great audio-quality and are funny. They do a great job of getting HubSpot seen.
- Make some videos that aren’t completely focused on the topic of inbound marketing, but rather have inbound marketing in the punchline.
- I would somehow combine my love for video with my love for travel.
- Don't forget to check out my new book, Get Seen: Online Video Secrets to Building Your Business , a book in the same “News Rules of Social Media Series” as Inbound Marketing
Webinar: How to Use Online Video for Inbound Marketing
|
How do you get started with YouTube, video podcasting, live streaming, or viral videos. Download the free webinar to learn how to use online video to grow your business with inbound marketing. |
Catie Foertsch 9:03 AM on October 27, 2009
Steve makes great points, as always. But I'm wondering why you didn't conduct the interview on video? That would seem to be a great match for Steve...
Jules Pieri 10:11 AM on October 27, 2009
Thanks for the shout out HubSpot and Steve. I completely agree with the answer to Question 1: "Just do it." Inside secret...three weeks before launch at Daily Grommet we did not know how we were going to get the videos produced. Knew nothing about how they would be created, either. And they are CENTRAL to our business. We just took a plunge, found a great video partner (coBRANDit) and went for it. We evolve daily. I cringe at some of our early videos (like the one where we rave about a chocolate but never thought to taste in on camera), but I am still proud that we did them.
Sean Usher 10:14 AM on October 27, 2009
Well done Steve excellent stuff. Took a look the Gary's new site very impressive and as for the daily grommet, love the fresh ideas.
Convincing small businesses to embrace video is still proving hard here in the UK and we need more inspirational characters, who are breaking the mold and getting away from traditional TV style videos.
Video is great for marketing and there's a whole new business out there for those that want to grab it.
Loved your the hubspot marketing videos too.
Sean
Jules 10:16 AM on October 27, 2009
Thanks Sean. People are more reserved in the UK...higher sense of privacy. I used to live in Ireland and I think I would have had a slower time warming up to doing video there. I would have been slagged too badly!