With every business looking for effective ways to advertise, you have to spend your money wisely. There is no question in my mind that I have seen more people waste advertising dollars than I have any other expense dollars. I think the reason for this is that is just hard to quantify the results of advertising while it is pretty easy with other type of expenses.
Lately, I have see many businesses start to use YouTube as a way to drive customers to their web site. This is especially so for products or services that need to be seen and some education or information is important for their use.
I am interested in getting a new Toyota Prius as it has so many neat new features, as compared to my older Prius, from a lane assist option to warn you if you drift out of your traffic lane to a solar panel that keeps the car cool when it is parked in the sun. While I can see pictures or read about these features, going to YouTube and seeing them in a video is so much better for me. I can really understand what each feature is and some of the benefits and limitations. The videos on YouTube helped me to decide which features to have on my new Prius once I decide to get one. Of course, I really would like to have one!
There is a relatively new business called Talon Training Group in Tallahassee that specializes in both weapon training(which is excellent and I have attended) by law enforcement officers for the average citizen and selling products related to various guns like holsters and magazines. As is it is owned and run by law enforcement officers who just do not have much time or money for advertising campaigns. What they did and so many other companies are doing is using YouTube to raise their visibility. Watch an example here:
Their videos like so many other good ones here are primarily education and secondary sales. However, this is just great marketing vehicle to educate a potential consumer so they can trust you and then move them to your web site.
In order to be effective on YouTube your video must have a non-commercial feeling. If it feels like an ad, people will not walk but run from your video.
Having a call to action, just does not work very well as the sell has to be soft. Just showing your web site is probably best as you want the user to be so excited about your video so that their next stop is at your web site.
The video needs to be short and around 3 minutes seem to be the ideal time. Much longer than this and people lose interest and move on.
Make the video both educational and engaging. Being a professor for 40 years, I can tell you that education without some type of entertainment is not very successful.
Now go out and see if YouTube might be an effective way for you to advertise your products to potential customers.
You can do this!
Jerry Osteryoung is the Director of Outreach of the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship in the College of Business at Florida State University, the Jim Moran Professor of Entrepreneurship; and Professor of Finance. He was the founding Executive Director of the Jim Moran Institute and served in that position from 1995 through 2008. He can be reached by e-mail at jerry.osteryoung@gmail.com or by phone at 850-644-3372.
email this article
printable format
