According to a recent report by eMarketer, one form of social media leads all others when it comes to small business marketing, and that includes exposure for corporate videos. Citing a survey by Constant Contact, the report revealed that Facebook led the pack, with 83% of respondents saying it was moderately effective or better in producing results. Twitter came in a distant second, at 46%.
Surveys have shown that Facebook users aren’t as responsive to the hard selling corporate approach as they are to less formal, friendlier approach. For video producers that means lighten up with a soft, friendly approach that’s more about sharing than trying to make a sale. For example, offer free advice and information the viewer can use in practical situations. If it’s on target, chances are they’ll share it with their friends, giving you even more bang for your buck. Another effective technique is featuring customer testimonials about your products and services. Letting others praise you carries more weight, and fits perfectly with social media’s popularity for third party product reviews by peers.
And finally, just because Facebook’s popularity is far ahead of Twitter’s doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use them both. In fact, deploy your video in every nook and cranny you can. Once production costs are covered, take full advantage of virtually countless methods for free or low cost distribution, including social media, email, dvds, trade shows, mobile apps, and tablet or laptop presentations.
Stephen Schweickart is the co-founder of VScreen. For more information on this topic, visit VScreen’s site at http://www.vscreen.com/
