Video
7 Reasons Why You Should Use YouTube for Marketing
Let’s just pretend that you want to find out how to tie a bow. Do a Google search and, besides a few top-rated articles, you will be served some instructional videos. You will be more likely to click on a video than on an article because in your case the former will be more helpful than the latter. After all, it’s easier to watch than to read. Now there’s a good chance that the video you’ve chosen comes from YouTube.
All online marketers use Facebook and Twitter, but many don’t use YouTube at all, or do it only marginally. That can prove to be a big mistake, as YouTube marketing has some significant benefits that no other social media sites have – not even Facebook and Twitter.
- YouTube Is Free
It’s true that making videos and uploading them will take time, but it’s time well-invested. The video-uploading process is simple and convenient, and can be done across operating systems and devices. Probably no other video site is as optimized for mobile devices as YouTube is – uploading videos on the go is really, really easy. Once a video is uploaded it’s there forever, for everyone to view.
- Search Engines Love Video Content
Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines rank highly websites featuring video content. Many big brands, including Coca-Cola, tend to embed YouTube videos into their homepages and other primary pages. You can upload videos to your YouTube channel and then embed them in your web pages. Search engines will love you for it.
- Reaches to a Global Audience
YouTube videos can help your business attract customers from all over the world. Using adequate keywords is important to target the right customers. But if you have a small local business, you can also target only local customers. YouTube, with hundreds of millions of users, is in the end one of the world’s largest and most visited sites, and it can propel your content into the global spotlight. If you want to build a YouTube audience faster, you might want to buy YouTube views, while it’s a conterversal subject and practice, the bottom line is its eyeballs on your content, after all is it so bad that budlight buys views during the superbowl?
- Improves Your Reputation
Web users love helpful videos that solve their problems and give them practical tips, and they form a favorable opinion of those who create them. By showcasing your expertise through YouTube videos you gain the trust of customers, who will be more likely to buy your products or services. Not every business has the time or energy to create and distribute free content that helps customers though. Those that do stand out.
- Builds Trust
A customer is more likely to make a purchase from a brand they trust. Social media marketing via YouTube is a highly effective way of building trust. By creating insider videos, you give faces to the people who run your business. If the faces are honest and friendly, you will be liked. Showing the location of your business is also a good idea.
- Spreads Your Content Across the Web
YouTube videos are one of the most shared types of content on the Web. Video content that goes viral can bring you hundreds or even thousands of viewers to your site, and that means many new customers. A video with only 10,000 viewers can bring you a huge exposure. And when that video mentions or promotes a product, it always means increased sales.
The conclusion is that YouTube marketing has many advantages that simply cannot be ignored. Use it to your advantage.
Aishwarya Vohra is a blogger and an SEO expert. She writes on topics as different as internet marketing and parenting.
Will Airtime Re-Humanize the Internet?
The internet has left some parts of humanity more isolated from one another while simultaneously connecting them in ways we never had in the not-so-distant past. While it has certainly done far more good on the connection end than it has done bad on the isolation side, there are still many things that we are losing in communications with one another when we converse, relate, and communicate through social channels that are limited to text based chat or platforms. Many people who communicate for fun, as well as many others who use internet communication options for business are simply not finding themselves satisfied with the amount of human interaction in their digital communications.
In the Beginning
Long ago now when the internet arrived for public use, IRC, or internet relay chat was the usual medium of choice for those who desired interaction with others in the digital world. It was very basic, but users were able to chat, trade files through DCC sends and connects, and keep in touch, in real time, with users from all over the world. What an amazing experience it was. It still is, however, many vital elements important to human 
communications are lost in these digital transmissions.
- Gestures
- Body Language
- “Eye- to – Eye” Contact
- Attitude
- Character
In general face-to-face conversations with the people in our lives we can see all of these things. Dig a little deeper into the real person they are, grow to understand their gestures and body language to gauge their reaction to the world-at-large.
Now and In the Future
Airtime’s founders, who also met over an IRC in those early days of the Internet, have created an incredible alternative to those stale, distant, disconnected textual conversations online. One-click Facebook integration on Airtime means there is nothing more than the one required click to get users started. Users need only make sure they have a web cam connected to get started.
With Airtime, users are both the audience and the performer. You can chat up your Facebook friends, or pair up with a stranger by selecting filters such as nearby in your city, common friends, or even friends of friends.
Airtime allows users to video chat with one another or drag their own videos in from sites around the web like YouTube, and watch them together. Rumor has it that Airtime is also considering incorporating synchronous music listening and a platform for group chat with mobile apps on the way ‘very soon’ according to Airtime developers.
Although there are plenty of other ways to communicate through video, most of those platforms are tethered to desktop applications such as Skype, that still lacks some of the sharing options Airtime provides. Inspired by his own plight during a distance separation from his own girlfriend, Sean Parker, co-founder of Airtime, decided it felt pretty distant to have to share a video with his girlfriend and then sit back, wait, and listen to or watch her reaction to it. He wanted them both to be able to watch it together, enjoy it simultaneous. A real-time human connection on a digital format.
Author:
@BasilPuglisi is the Executive Director and Publisher for Digital Brand Marketing Education (dbmei.com). Basil C. Puglisi is also the President of Puglisi Consulting Group, Inc. A Digital Brand Marketing Consultancy that manages professional and personal branding for Fortune 500 CEOs, Hedge Fund Managers and Small Business Owners.
Sources:
What is Tout?
We have had many Pinterest and Instagram-a-holics since those two stormed their way onto the social scene. However, short of YouTube we have had very few platforms that have provided us with a quick and easy method for uploading videos. Until now. Tout is a social media platform that enables users to take their own videos, up to 15 seconds long, and shoot them to their Facebook, Twitter, email contacts, or even SMS. With an engaging reply feature, Tout users can enjoy “Tout conversations.”
Combining social networking with the true power that video has to increase conversation and engagement can be a powerful force to be reckoned with when it comes to getting a social buzz going.
Tout Experiences
- Some brands like USA Today, Access Hollywood, The Weather Channel, and CBS are already using Tout to interact directly with their audiences resulting in comments, questions and conversations that help extend the reach of their presence on the internet as well as traditional television.
- Users can view video updates from their friends as well as some big celebrities or record their own Touts that can be shared with both family and friends. With real-time updates, high-quality video and “video everywhere” features, Touters can stay in-the-know about the events in the lives of those who are important to them.
- Many celebrities such as Katie Couric, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Greta van Susteren, and Jeff Probst have begun using Tout to get connected personally with their fans. Big name stars like Stephen Spielberg and Madonna have actually answered Touted questions from fans from the red carpet.
Tout is beginning to change how people interact on social platforms. With more direct interaction in real-time, distance and disconnections are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Social sharing with a more vibrant experience in sound, motion and high-definition color and quality means that for many in the business of social, those things that cannot be shared fully in a still photo have become more up-close-and-personal in rich video media.
Get Touting!
Anyone can sign up at Tout.com and get started creating their own 15 second videos. Do not underestimate how powerful a message you can convey in those few short moments. Users can log in through the site, integrate with their Facebook account, or head to the Android store to grab the app. Check out this fantastic introduction video for Tout.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp5apxRKs3M&w=640&h=360]
Author:
@BasilPuglisi is the Executive Director and Publisher for Digital Brand Marketing Education (dbmei.com). Basil C. Puglisi is also the President of Puglisi Consulting Group, Inc. A Digital Brand Marketing Consultancy that manages professional and personal branding for Fortune 500 CEOs, Hedge Fund Managers and Small Business Owners.
Sources:
Snaptag Versus QR Codes
QR codes have been a new and unique source of executing mobile marketing campaigns in recent times. Many seem to not only enjoy participating by using them, but have actually begun to look for offers from those with QR codes and may even have begun to ignore those that do not have them at all.
What is a QR Code?
QR is short for quick response and that is exactly the purpose of the QR code. These codes take an element of data from transitory media and sends it to your mobile device. The code will give you details about that business, item, or even discount information on products and services.
QR Codes are more useful than a standard barcode in that they can store a more data and a wider variety of it. QR codes commonly include URL links, text, coordinates and more.
How Does This Benefit Businesses?
Most marketers are well aware that mobile marketing is becoming increasingly more important, almost by the day. No method of advertising could be easier than one that consumers reach out for, instead of being asked to look. QR codes allows those consumers who prefer not to be barraged with overt marketing tactics to choose where they will show interest in a product or service.
There is really no limit to the options that can be embedded in a QR code.
- Running a restaurant? – Embed a great recipe, a buy a meal get one free discount, a special on this evenings dessert.
- Authors – Add a QR code to the back of your book that enables a consumer to get extra features or hidden endings to your script.
- Good health practices – Doctors, or other medically related practices can add good tips and tricks for healthy living to their QR codes, update them every month for innovative creativity in the medical field.
Vital Aesthetics Arrive to QR Coding
Traditionally, QR codes have retained a Rorschach look to them, leaving the responsibility on the advertiser to make sure consumers know whose QR code they are scanning. However, with Snaptags, QR codes and increasing brand awareness have meshed nicely. Snaptags have traded out that whole inkblot look for a code ring that serves the same functional purpose.
Who is Using Snaptags?
Because of the applied branding ability on Snaptags not previously available on QR’s, we can now see who is actively using them.
Picture c/o http://www.socialsnaptags.com/
Snaptags Cons?
Although Snaptags no doubt win out in the aesthetic element, there are other issues that can make Snaptags less beneficial than they appear. Many venture because of the supporting copy, Snaptags are not as easily accessible as QR codes. Snaptag stands by the fact that all advertisers would need to do is determine the required supporting copy, but this does lend itself to the inaccessible accusation.
Many current QR code advertisers agree that if a mobile marketing campaign is managed correctly, the aesthetic element of the Snaptags versus traditional QR’s is hardly advantageous.
Sources:
#SMWF: NASA’s ‘Out-Of-This-World’ Social Media Engagement Success
NASA has quite an impressive social media plan in place that has already created quite a social buzz. There innovative and interactive ideas has gained them a solid reputation for achieving success with social engagement. At the Social Media World Forum in New York, I had a chance to hear Stephanie L. Schierholz, Social Media Manager talk about what NASA has been doing with Social Media, and specfically location based services recently.
NASA Partners with Gowalla
Gowella, a mobile and web service, partnered with NASA in 2010 to provide them with an interactive contest where users check in via Gowalla to help locate four NASA-related virtual items. Those items were a NASA patch, a spacesuit, space shuttle, and a moon rock. NASA displays moon rocks from past moon missions at expositions, planetariums, and museums throughout the world. Moon rocks were easily located when users checked in to any location where an actual moon rock was on display.
Gowlla in collaboration with JESS3 created a special edition of a visual map to help users locate the moon rocks and the other required treasure hunt items could be found by checking in through Gowalla at any one of the over 400 science centers, observatories, nature centers, aquariums, museums, and planetariums that are part of NASA’s large Museum Alliance. Gowalla users that collected at least three of the four required items received a special pin in their digital Gowalla passport.
Plus, the first one hundred people who collected three of the four items also received a hardcopy version of the map in the mail.
Tweets from Above and Beyond
During this impressive social media campaign, NASA also had Astronaut Douglas Wheelock, or @Astro_Wheels, check in from Space Station announcing. “Houston, I’ve just unlocked FourSquares’ NASA Explorers badge.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rztX3xZR9go]
Check out the NASA Explorers Badge at FourSquare.
Campaign Statistics
This NASA social media campaign turned up some pretty impressive stats for Gowalla and Twitter. Gowalla had never had a past completed by so many, so quickly. Over thirty-thousand of each of the four required items were located through check-ins, and followers were increased by 4,278 during this campaign.
Since this campaign began more than 10,000 people have unlocked the NASA Explorer badge, and over 130,000 people now follow NASA on Foursquare.
Aside from the statistics, NASA’s campaign on Twitter has had other benefits as well. Some of the photos posted by any given @Astro to Twitpic can be what Douglas Wheelock referred to as ‘life-changing’ such as this photo of the earth’s aurora from space.
Incredible!
You Don’t Have to Be an Astronaut to Learn from NASA
Check out what the social media manager for NASA has to say about their relationship with Twitter and how they engage with their followers, as well as how you can engage yours!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-u_hKhtxAI]
Some lessons that NASA social media staff has taken away from their campaigns may help you as well.
- Use Twitter yourself first. Know the format and how it works. Get familiar.
- Identify the specific business case for your use.
- Locate new resources for growth.
- Keep the account active.
“You may not have a spaceship, but your company has a fan base. They won’t think of themselves as fans until they’re in a room with like-minded people. They won’t think of themselves as members of a community until YOU bring them together.”
-David Rosen, @davidhrosen (group VP, Makovsky + Company)
Sources:
Google Music Goes Live in the Cloud
Google has dipped into musical endeavors with the launch of Google Music in mid-November. Originally, the service launched back in May in a beta version. Launched as a suite of music services, it is quite obvious that this is Google’s attempt to take on Amazon and iTunes in cloud and other music storage space.
Introducing Google Music
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=NI8rQEHoE24]
Although it is rumored that Google has been attempting to secure partnerships with four major record labels, currently, Google Music simply allows users to store their purchases and upload other files to their music cloud.
Advantages and Issues
Google Music has seems to have its own pros and cons.
- There are two different sites. The Google Music site is the library and player. However, you must purchase the music on the Android Market.
- Google Music will automatically back up most music files including iTunes. As you do the intitial set up, Google Music will prompt you to upload any previous music files you have. iTunes, Windows Media Player libraries, or any other folder you designate.
- Many Android devices now have full support for Google Music, some have not even mentioned creating it yet. Since one of Google Music’s main selling point is its ability to replace iTunes services, this could pose quite a problem for many Android users.
- Although there is no official app for the iPhone, users can enjoy Google Music services on iOS devices. A pleasing surprise is that even their site is formatted properly to be easily viewable and easy to navigate on iPhone view screens.
- Without a doubt, there is loads of free music. However, you will need to share your credit card info with Google just to get the free tunes.
- You can share only the songs you have purchased to Google Plus.
Regardless of your choice in digital music stores, now may be a good time to get in on what Google Music and their shop has to offer you.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSnr0VLbUJ8&feature=relmfu]
Sources:
Giving Thanks to Social Media
In the spirit of the holiday I want to give thanks to social media and in honor of brevity I will keep this short.
Social Media has given a voice to anyone with the courage to use it.
Now those with disabilities or handicaps like the deaf have a tool in social media and technology to listen and be heard. Those that have been oppressed have found the road to freedom, even if it is still plagued by trials and struggles. Those that have passion, compassion and dreams now have hope.
The spirit of America’s founders has been captured by this amazing technology, even if their dream seems to have been derailed recently. The vision they shared, lives on with new hope thanks to social media and those with the courage to use it.
I recently heard someone describe optimism as something that does not exist in those that think good things will happen all the time, but exists in people who choose to find the opportunity for good in everything.
Social Media and Mobile Technology has given humanity the ability to be at both at its worst and its best. Surely it empowered those who would do evil (i.e. terrorist), but has also given hope to those that choose to do good.
Social Media is the ultimate system of checks and balances, transparency is not a political tool, but the future of the human condition. We are who we are. The time for misrepresentation is coming to an end, big brother is not the government, it is the people around you. What you do and how you do it will be decided by those that choose to take a picture, a video and then share it with the world. If you choose to do evil, others will find it and share it. If you choose to do good, perhaps even great, others will find you too. Governments and Media no longer control the flow of information, we as a people do.
However, history shows that the roads to atrocity have been paved by good intentions. While I am optimistic and thankful for the way Social Media has changed humanity, I share the caution of Eli Pariser.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ofWFx525s]
Let me close with this thought.
I am thankful for the powerful voice social media has given me. I am also thankful for the powerful voice it has given to those that disagree with me.
Social Media is not my voice but a tool that helps make it stronger, the first step is having the courage to raise your voice, the second is in having the courage to accept those that would have a dissenting voice. Together you will keep each other in balance, and make the world a better place.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Sources: