The Wharton School of Business is one of the most respected business schools in the world. They have created over 1000 YouTube videos dedicated to the changing face of marketing. And much of their focus is on what is happening with social media.

They had a conference at the school that involved many business owners. And they created some great videos like the one posted here. Most of the views are very general but they emphasize the importance various businesses are putting on social media. And the fact that Wharton invests as much as they do in YouTube tells us a lot about they value this institution sees in it’s services.

Cisco Systems is an American multinational corporation that designs and sells consumer electronic goods and networking technology. They employ 65,000 people. Their 2009 revenue was over $36 billion. I think it’s safe to bet that they know what they’re talking about.

Cisco is predicting that Internet networking traffic will quadruple by 2014. And most of that growth will be driven by online video.

The opportunity is there to get respectable and efficient videos in front of your customers. Tools like the Flip Video camera and Windows Live Movie Maker software (which may be in your computer already) make it very cost effective to put together videos about the things you sell. And when compared with text a video normally renders a more complete story about the items you are marketing.

You need to start learning how to make them! Give me a call if I can help you get started.

What videos have you created?

How will the additional 5 minutes help you?

Cisco is taking on Old Spice in the viral shower.

This could be a close one!

Who do You think will win this?

Sales doubled in one month for Old Spice. And a major part of the reason is the incredibly successful social media marketing campaign they have been putting on. Sales increased 107% over last month.

110 Million Requests To See Their Ads And Videos

The ads began on TV. But, when they hit YouTube, they went viral. Social media word of mouth (SOME WOM) has taken the number of views of the videos to over 110 million. That is more viewership than they get from a traditional broadcast on TV. And when people are viewing on YouTube, they are watching the video because they requested it.

This single video has over 16 million views:

When an ad comes on TV with 110 million viewers how many people do you think are watching it?

KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid

A key to making a “How-To” video is to keep is simple, very simple. It may require narration, it may not. But, you need to put in some kind of sound in the content, even if it is just background music.

Show Your Business on YouTube

When your making your video, make sure your are promoting your business in the video content. Show your business name and contact information. That could be via a shirt worn by a video subject, a sign displayed in the video background, or a number of other methods.

Here is an example of a “How-To” video that shows you how to hang a door:

Another way to provide a how too video is to go find one that has already been created on YouTube and post it on your site. The primary disadvantage to this is that the video does not contain your company information. However, it does give viewers a reason to make another trip to your website if they think they will learn something from the visit. And you should have your contact information posted on your website.

What are some good “How-To” videos you have seen on YouTube.

Determine What Your Message Is

The whole point of creating your video, your blog site, your website or any other Internet marketing element is to communicate a message. While the quality of your video is important, lack of professional quality sound and lack of professional image taking is forgiven by most viewers. A video with a poor message is not forgiven and can cost you views of future videos.

Plan Your YouTube Video

Not many people think their videos through very well before they create them. Take some time to draw a time line for the video content. For example:

1. It will start with a 15 second text introduction.
2. Then our CEO will introduce herself and the company in front of our 1st Street store location.
3. She will then walk over to the new fire extinguishers we are marketing.
4. The janitor will set the cat on fire.
5. The CEO will put out the fire (if she can catch the cat).
6. The video will switch to text scrolling up for 5 seconds listing store locations.
7. The video will conclude with an apology to the Humane Society.

You may want your plan to be a little more detailed. But, you get the idea.

Consider The Time And Location

You may be considering a video that will be impacted by the time and location of you shoot. If it’s outside, what will the physical element be like at this location? The angle of the sun, public activity around the shooting area, even the time of year will have an impact. If it’s inside, what will those conditions be like? You may need extra lighting, additional microphones, or a big white sheet to serve as a backdrop.

Create A Long Term Marketing Plan

One common mistake businesses make when creating their own videos is repeating a message they have already used in the past. A new video can be boring to the viewer if they’ve heard the story before, even if it is presented from a different angle. One way to avoid this is to create a long term plan. The fire extinguisher company may want to set up a plan like this:

1. January – Create a video on how to pressure test your fire extinguishers.
2. February – Create a video on where to place your fire extinguishers around your business.
3. March – Create a video on how to use a fire extinguisher.
4. April – (etc.)

When the next year rolls around and you decide to create a new video on pressure testing because of an enhanced product, make sure you remove the previous years video.

Now Go Do It

Now go make some videos, make some mistakes, and learn some lessons. A little practice will go a long way.

Have any other tips to offer here? Tell us about them.

Videos Are Easier To Produce

More and more tools are coming online that enable users to produce and post videos. Many smart phones are capable. And there are several inexpensive cameras that produce quality content, like the FlipVideo cameras.

Users Want To See Videos

If you’re like me, then you are finding yourself getting more of your information from web videos. When I am building a website and I can’t remember how to perform a task that I haven’t done for months, I search out a tutorial on YouTube. It’s a lot easier than reading about how to do on a website.

How are you using YouTube videos?

Memory. • It’s Halloween, and Michelle Phan is 5 years old. • Her classmates have come to school in glamorous princess costumes that cascade and billow. One girl, she remembers, is beautiful in a saffron Belle gown from Beauty and the Beast. • But Michelle’s family is on food stamps. No princess dress for her. Instead, she finds a paper plate and a red lipstick. She smooshes a crimson nose center and sketches a face around it. • A lion. A strong cat. • She wears it like a mask. • The princesses laugh. For Michelle Phan, the stomach-pit pain that comes with inadequacy never quite goes away. But lessons last longer. • Now, she understands, she did what others couldn’t. • “I made something out of nothing.”

Chasing A Dream

Michelle was born in Massachusetts on April 11, 1987. Both of her parents were born in Vietnam.  They divorced when she was a child and Michelle was raised by her mother.

At the age of 18 Michelle was studying dermatology at Tampa Bay Technical High School. Her mother wanted her to become a doctor. The two were struggling to make ends meet. But Michelle wanted to do something else. Her passion was art. And makeup was her art. Several months later Michelle applied for a behind the counter job at a department store selling Lancome beauty products. She was turned down for the job.

Blogging and YouTubing

Michelle began blogging at the age of 16. Then in 2007 she made her first makeup video for her friends.  Jump ahead to 2009. Michelle quits her job at a sushi restaurant to concentrate on creating YouTube videos. She becomes a web star. He new status gains the attention of an investor. The two teamed with a doctor and a scientist to start a skin care company called IQQU Beauty.

In February of 2010 Michelle announced that she had signed a deal with Lancome to be their video makeup artist. This was the first such contract for a YouTube video creator. Here is her announcement:

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The Most Subscribed YouTuber

On January 26, 2010, Michelle Phan became the most subscribed YouTube Guru of all time. Her most famous video, the “Lady GaGa Poker Face Tutorial” has 17,951,652 views as I am writing this blog.  Her videos are noted for a unique style that incorporates her voice over instruction, music and text subtitles.

Here is her Lady GaGa video:

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To visit Michelle’s YouTube Channel go to http://www.youtube.com/michellephan. If you’re like me, you’ll want to check in on this one occasionally. This dream has just started!

I have very little knowledge of how to create a video. In fact I only have one that I created posted on this site (Click here for Starnes ring cleaning video). Everything else is from YouTube postings created by other people. And what did it cost me? Nothing!

Sources Of Videos

A way I find many of my videos is simply to search for them on YouTube. You can do the same thing. If you’re selling golf equipment then you need something on your website that will interest golfers. What would they like? How about some tips on how to improve their golf swing?

I just did a search on YouTube for “golf swing tips” and I checked out a couple of videos. I found one that interested me, so I’ve posted it here.

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It’s easy to do. Just look for the <embed> button below the video. Click it. A box of code will display on the left. Copy the code and paste it in the code section of your blog or website.

Monitor The Videos You’ve Posted

When you link a video to your blog, or other Social Media, you put yourself at the mercy of the person who controls that video on YouTube. If they remove it, then your link will go to a blank presentation. So you need to monitor the videos you have posted on a regular basis. Go to your blog and check each video. Once you see that it starts, you know it hasn’t been removed. And it may pay to watch the video in it’s entirety, just to make sure the content is still desirable.