Using Online Video Websites to Promote Your Business
Are you a small business owner? If so, how is your business doing? Despite businesses that are a success, there are many business owners who want more. If you are one of those individuals, it is likely that you would do just about anything in your power to improve your business, especially if you sell a particular product or service. When working to improve their businesses, many business owners spend thousands, if not millions, of dollars on advertising. How would you feel if you learned that there was a free way that you could promote your business?
A free way to promote your business? Unfortunately, many business owners believe that there is no such thing. If by chance it is believed, there are many who would automatically assume that it was a wasted effort. Although many free advertising methods can be deemed time consuming and not worth the effort, there is one that you should try. That method involves the internet and free online video websites.
If you are an avid internet user, there is a good chance that you are fully aware of what free online video websites are and what they do. If not, you will want to learn. Free online video websites are websites that allow internet users to watch videos that are hosted on their website, free of charge. What is nice about free online video websites is that most will also allow internet users, just like you, to make, upload, and share their own videos. Depending on the type of business you own and operate, you may be able to use these websites to your advantage.
When it comes to using free online video websites to your advantage, you will want to familiarize yourself with the websites that are currently available. You can easily do this by performing a standard internet search. Your search should produce a fairly large number of results, including Google Video and YouTube. Before making your video, you will want to examine any of the rules and restrictions that are set in place. When doing so, you will find that most video websites do not have any rules or restrictions concerning the use of online videos to promote your business; however, you will still want to make sure that your video is tactfully done.
If you are an online business owner, especially one that sells a particular product, you could make a video showcasing your product. For instance, if your specialty is photo blankets, you may want to show your samples or even go over the process of making them. It may also be a good idea to mention the overall cost of photo blankets and who should own them. If your product would make a great gift, it is also advised that you mentioned that. When doing your video, you will want to refrain from making your video seem like spam. Although you may want to mention the price, you will want to refrain from promoting your business too much. At the end of your video, you may want to offer directions on how to make a purchase or learn more information.
Although products are the easiest to showcase in an online video, you can also use your video to help promote a particular service that you sell. For instance, if you offer assistance to those that are indebt, you will want to provide an overview of what debt is, who it hurts, and how help can be obtained. Providing general information on debt is a great way to keep your video from appearing too pushy. As mentioned above, you may also want to include information on your business at the end of your video. This may help to increase the number of clients you receive, especially if you provide a service that is used and needed by many.
To make you video, whether or not you plan on using that video to promote your business, you will need a few pieces of equipment. Perhaps, the most important is a recording device. For the best results, you are urged to use a camcorder, but you can also you a webcam. Movie making software is important, as well. Most computers already come equipped with movie making software. After you have made and saved your video, you will have to follow the instructions of the free online video website you wish to use.
To see what your online video could look like, check out our Video Marketing page.
How SEO Can Help Your Business Greatly
The term SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is one that is used much more commonly these days than ever before. This is mostly due to the fact that now the majority of the market will search the internet (Google, Yahoo, MSN) before anywhere else, when looking to purchase a product or service either locally or internationally. This has caused business owners to frantically look for someone who can perform these SEO services for them, by optimizing their websites for the search engines.
When someone searches for a keyword phrase that’s related to your business, for example “auto mechanics in New York” the first page of results on Google shows only 10 results. There are usually hundreds or even thousands of pages of results for any given keyword. Anyone can show up on the top page of Google, by paying a hefty fee PER click to be there. This can cost a fortune and cause a lot of headaches if you don’t know what you’re doing. SEO on the other hand is usually referred to as “Organic SEO” or “Organic Search Engine Optimization.” This means that you are making it so that your website shows up in the natural search results that are on the left side of the page when you do a Google search (the paid ads show up on the right side).
By landing your website a few organic search engine listings (on the first page or not), you are doing your business a GREAT service. This is perhaps one of the most valuable long term assets your business can have, because you will have a flow of traffic to your website, of people that are actually searching for what it is that you offer. And that is precisely why companies are paying thousands of dollars a month to search engine optimization specialists.
On the local level however, SEO services tend to be much cheaper than at the international corporate level, so they are affordable.
By having that organic listing, you will have “targeted” traffic coming to your site (people who are searching for your specific niche) and you will NOT be paying for every time someone clicks on your search engine listing! Your business will have more exposure on the internet, have a chance of competing with the rest and will survive well into the future… With your rankings going up every year hopefully!
Email Marketing – Business Owners – The Biggest Asset That You Already Have!
If you have a business, whether it is a small business or a large one, you might not be taking advantage of the biggest asset that you can have. And the craziest part is that you might already have that asset! The asset I am talking about, is a website. If you have a business, you most likely have a website… Or you plan on having one soon — This is 2009 you know.
Let’s assume you have a website. Did you know that if you’re not harvesting your visitor’s email addresses on the homepage, you can be missing out on thousands and thousands of dollars each year? By having a mechanism set up where your visitors enter their first name and email address in a little form on your homepage, you can harvest their email addresses with a simple autoresponder program. Over time, you will have thousands of subscribers on your list, and you can send them ALL an email at the same time whenever you’re having a sale or a promotion of any kind.
Internet marketers constantly say, “The money is in the list” and it couldn’t be any more true. By building a database of your customers’ email addresses, you can build a relationship with your clients, build customer loyalty, and best of all — keep in touch with them about upcoming sales, launches, promotions, etc. and everytime you send an email to your entire list you are likely to get a satisfactory response. Statistics show about a 2% conversion rate on average, meaning for every 100 people you email, you will make 2 sales, or 2 people will take advantage of your offer.
There is more than likely a person in your area who specializes in setting up autoresponders as well as other internet marketing services that can help take your business to the next level, or just get you more exposure online. Either way… Are you taking advantage of your biggest asset?
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