I find myself preaching the power of video more and more whenever I speak. Given that video is now so easy to create and distribute, that it can be such a powerful way to educate prospects and customers, and that YouTube is now the second largest search engine, leaving video out of your marketing mix could be a serious misstep. Recent data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project support that view. Pew reports that:
Seven in ten adult internet users (69%) have used the internet to watch or download video. That represents 52% of all adults in the United States.
I’m always on the look out for organizations that make strategic use of video and other tools, and one that I came across recently (thanks to a member of the Massachusetts Home Care Alliance) was the Visiting Nurse Services of New York. VNSNY is making very good use of social media in general, but I am betting a series of “how to” videos they have recently begun posting (see example above – click through if you don’t see it) are going to attract a lot of attention.
The videos are short, straight forward, and educational. I don’t know exactly how VNSNY shot them, but they are the type of thing that any organization could do well with a Flip camera, a tripod, and a well-lit room. The value is in the content, which goes straight to the heart of what so many prospective VNSNY customers care about: how to make good decision about home care for a relative.
VNSNY has set up a YouTube channel for the videos, which gives all the advantages of YouTube search engine “juice” as well as making it easy to share and comment on the videos. But the videos are also embedded in an education section of the organization’s site, providing a compelling reason for visitors to spend time on and return to the site. Naturally, many of the visitors will like become VNSNY customers at some point.
Bottom line: educational videos that speak directly to your customers’ needs in a concise way can be a powerful part of your marketing mix.
Jeff