12 Steps to create impactful Internet video

 If you want your business video to be effective, you need to make and implement a plan - you can't just pick up a camcorder and shoot

 By Mark E Goodman  www.e-conversation.com

October 26, 2009

It is increasingly easy to put video on the Internet. 

The business owner or manager picks up a video camera, shoots a few scenes, and then puts up the equivalent of a home movie.  Afterwards, the business that has posted the video wonders why no one is viewing.  Even worse, people ARE viewing, but the business is not seeing any quantifiable results.  

Internet video can be effective in positioning your business as a trusted source.   Search Engines and Video Playing Services can tell if viewers are getting what they are looking for.  Consequently, becoming a trusted source will increase traffic, and enhance revenue. 

To get the biggest impact, you should go through the process below.  Note that 8 of these 12 steps take place before you pick up a camera.

Steps to creating Internet Video

1. Define your objective

   1. Who are you trying to reach

   2. What outcome are you expecting

   3. How is video part of your overall marketing/customer touch strategy

   4. What is your call to action

   5. How will that objective/call to action to linked to your website

2. Understand how you are serving your viewers/community

   1. What viewer questions are you answering

   2. Who are the subject matter experts

   3. How are those subject matter experts going to be queried

   4. How will the questions and answered be displayed

3. Decide how you want to use your video content in the internet

   1. Video Service (youtube, vimeo, blip.tv  etc)

   2. Your website

   3. Conventions

   4. Deconstruct content on blog

   5. Deconstruct content as FAQ

   6. Integrate into email marketing

   7. Share with Partners

   8. Other

4. Determine what metrics do you want to use to track your viewership

   1. YouTube or similar internet service

   2. Website analytics

   3. E-mail marketing

   4. Blog Views

   5. Comments and inquiries

5. Create a  budget & distribution strategy

   1. How does video fit into your marketing budget

   2. What partners might be available in your network to help in the funding

   3. How might internet advertising fit into your strategy

6. Understand the logistics of content creation

   1. What is the availability of your subject matter experts

   2. What kind of facility is available for creating the content

   3. How comfortable are your subject matter experts in doing TV

   4. Who is going to serve as your host

7. Finalize a list of questions for Subject Matter experts

   1. List of questions you think need to be answered

   2. Cross check those questions with key search terms (both from your website and Google Keyword)

   3. Confirm the questions with subject matter experts

   4. Determine any cut away material you will need

   5. Review questions with subject matter experts

   6. Finalize interview style (two shot, two camera, monologue, vignette)

8. Finalize Requirements document that address the above questions

   1. Actual production process

   2. Schedule

   3. Budget

   4. Deliverables

9. Shoot the raw content

   1. Interviews

   2. Cutaways

10.  Edit Content

    1. Rough Pass for Preliminary Approval

    2. Final content based upon Requirements

    3. Upload to Video Service

    4. Annotate as appropriate

11. Create Other Internet Deliverables

    1. Blog posting

    2. FAQ

    3. Embedded Website

    4. Others

12     Measure Impact

a.      Web Analytics

b.      Customer Response

c.      Advertising and Derivative Revenue

d.      Revise annotations and key words based upon analytics

e.      Implement “repeat” strategy

As with other media, video works best when you execute a well thought out plan.  By following these steps you will maximize your impact and investment.

 By Mark E Goodman  www.e-conversation.com