DRTV Derailers is a monthly series on Internet-age issues that can turn a promising DRTV campaign into a train wreck.
While most (but not all) DRTV advertisers have the actual commercial available online, most don’t use footage from the infomercial or short-form that can aid in the sales process.
You’ve spent tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce your short-form or infomercial. You hire the best producer, talent, editors and writers. Every word in the script is dissected and tweaked until it’s perfect.
So the big question is, why don’t you use more of the video footage on your website?
Having your spot or show on your website is a necessity, but why not go beyond that? Instead of (or in addition to) describing your offer with web copy, why not include a video clip of the offer?
Why not include video of your professional and consumer testimonials? Why not include footage of your animations to bring your product to life?
I could easily argue that your final video production is your best salesperson — better than the copy on your site or at least highly complementary to it.
One of the objectives of your DRTV production is to get consumers excited about your product, so why not use video to do just that?
Bridge Over Disaster
Here are 21 ways to use video from your short-form or show to aid the conversion process on your website:
1. The offer
2. Animation
3. Consumer testimonials
4. Professional testimonials
5. Cross-section/inside view
6. Visualization
7. Demonstrations
8. Beauty shot
9. Benefits
10. Features
11. Opening
12. Results of product usage
13. Showing product in use
14. Product ratings
15. Product set-up
16. Product installation
17. Specific product highlights/features
18. Technical product in use
19. Demonstrate value
20. Establish trust
21. Premiums/freebies
Make the most out of your infomercial or short-form by utilizing that same material on your website. If someone has already made the effort to visit your website, it most likely means they’re serious about purchasing— don’t miss this opportunity to demonstrate your product via video. And as an added bonus, search engines generally favor websites that use different mediums, so you have the chance to improve your search rankings as well when using video online.
