Online Video for the Web WorkshopCreative Exchange, DerbyTuesday 29th June 2010

The online video phenomena

Online video stats:

- UK Online Video view are increasing 37% each year (ComScore Feb 2010)- Video links with search and proactive seeking, linking ‘lean forward’ not ‘lean back’

like television- 33 billion videos watched in Dec 09, YouTube has 40% share of video views (in USA)- Online video advertising has 3-7% response (10 x online banner advertising)- Video advertising fastest growing online ad sector, spend doubling each year- 44% of online video viewed at work (Nielsen, USA, 2009)- Placement of a video on a home page can increase your SEO score by a factor of 50

(Forrester, 2009)- Video content now appear in Google results- Google TV is bringing the web to TV. Advertisers can create & distribute TV adverts

to cable networks TV from $100 (US only)

The ‘average’ YouTube video:

• Has 500 views over time • 25% of those views will come in the first four days • Only the first 30 to 60 seconds will be watched • 45% ‘recover’ (searching for something they’ve already seen)• 55% ‘discover’ (search or find something from a link)

Diana Kaplan: Blip.TV

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Animation tools

MovieStorm – www.moviestorm.co.uk A machinima (games engine) tool to make custom animation

Xtranormal – www.xtranormal.comSimple character animation tool, mainly used for parodies

Animoto – www.animoto.comSlide show and video animation tool

Recommended Equipment:

Filming (budget £100 - £150):Flip Mino or Ultra HDKodak zi6 or zi8Tripod: desktop and full size

Editing (budget £0 - £60):iMovie – free for MacWindows Movie Maker – free for WindowsAdobe Premiere Elements – PC/Mac c. £60

Convert video formats: www.youconvertit.comShare and exchange video formats: www.dropbox.com

Recommended online channels:

On demand Hosting/embedding:www.YouTube.com – critical mass for video, second largest search engine in worldwww.vimeo.com – creative community video, ‘respectful’, cannot embed on commercial sites

Live streaming:www.Qik.com – live streaming from mobile phonewww.Bambuser.com – live streaming from web cam or mobile phone

Successful business videos:

Wiggly Wigglers (www.wigglywigglers.co.uk) – The winner of Dell’s Small Business Excellence Award for online media, a rural ecological business use video to demonstrate and promote niche products like a wormery that need to be understood to be valued. Will It Blend? (www.willitblend.com) - Blentec’s viral video phenomena, a series of quirky character demonstrations of what the blender can blend, including an iPhone and an iPad.Panacea 81 (www.youtube.com/panacea81) – Lauren Luke, the young single mum from Tyneside had a passion for make-up: her kitchen videos netted her 31 million viewers, a column in a newspaper supplement and her own make-up line with a top New York cosmetic company.RSM McGladrey (www.youtube.com/mcgladreycareers) – YouTube channel for a US accountancy firm used as a recruitment tool.

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Tips for creating online marketing video

Online video should engage, inform and entertain Keep it real: authentic, basic production quality Be passionate, be conversational At your organisation: Find good communicators – outgoing and passionate, talkative Speak directly to customers, or interview them

Informercial or storymercial has drama, character & conflict with product embedded in plotLonger form (10 mins+) can take 3 act film form (set-up, development, resolution)

What point are you trying to make? What’s the call-to-action and next stage outcome?

How can you make it ‘viral’ (sharing and marketing strategy)

Recommend business video length: under 2 minutes (VisibleGains.com)

Measuring engagement and Conversion:

Track view each month

Referrals to your website using in-video tags

Call to action overlay forms e.g. ‘click to join newsletter’ or ‘click for 20% discount”

web domain at start and end of video

Test sales videos using an A/B campaign for effectiveness

Coull.com – click to buy advertising technology

Filming:Wardrobe – use solid colour clothes, not checks or stripesFraming – keep headshots close with some space to allow for movementLighting – make sure there’s good lighting: sun or light source should be in front, not behind subjectBackground – avoid somewhere too cluttered or loud, this can be distractingFind somewhere quiet – let people know you’re filming and to avoid loud noises Check recording rate:High (1080P) – for future use (e.g. TV, DVD) – big files, big storage, slow uploadMedium (720P) – for most everyday use – smaller files, less storage, quicker upload

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Production: Record lots of short segments, that could link for different purposes, for example:- New product: Felt bag, it’s feature- My inspiration behind the logo design on the bag- Latest in: our new range of bags- This season’s special offers

What to film:- A walk-through of a new product (could include close up shots), talk about its

origins, inspiration and product benefits- An interview with one of your team, partners or customers – what are they working

on? What do they do? What do they think of your company?- Live action or ‘behind the scenes’: at a customer event, trade show or awards

ceremony

Further planning:- Being prepared helps: use a tripod and have a few practice runs if you’re filming an

interview with an important message.- Remember: you’re not giving a Parkinson interview or making the new Spielberg

film! Avoid complex post-production editing and keep the tone as informal as possible whilst still supporting your brand value.

Resources:

Creative Exchange – e-marketing coursesSocial Media Strategy – Thurs 8 July, £99Digital Strategy – Thurs 28th October, £150www.derby.ac.uk/creative-exchange

Creative Industries Network www.creative-cin.co.ukDerbyshire network for creative businesses, with directory of video and marketing professionals.

Wooshii.comwww.wooshii.comOnline marketplace for outsourcing video, animation and rich media content for websites

Visible Gainswww.blog.visiblegains.comBlog on video conversion for business marketing

Course developed for Creative Exchange by:

Susi O’Neill, Digital Consultantwww.digitalconsultant.co.ukTwitter @susioneillemail: susi@digitalconsultant.co.uk

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