So, this week I received an innocuous handwritten letter in the mail.  Return address: “The Future”.  Who knew the future actually resides in Richmond, VA?  Anyway, I don’t recognize the handwriting and I don’t really think I know anyone in Richmond, but I go ahead and open it.  (Amazing — I was hooked by the return address!)

Inside is an actual original crayon drawing of a dinosaur with one handwritten  line scrawled in crayon:  www.stopthedinosaurs.com/Cara B.

I let the thing sit on my desk for a couple of days.  I mean, is this some insidious, twisted plot to expose my computer to who knows what virus or scam?  Am I about to become the butt of some international internet-based joke?  I could only hold out so long…

blueMarble caraBarineau from Nate777 on Vimeo.

Pretty cool, right?  I mean, this campaign — despite it’s adolescent trappings –  appears to have taken some serious work.  First the folks behind this campaign had to find us and a sample of our web design work.  (By the way, the web site featured in this video is for The Voyager Group of Laguna Beach, CA.)

They had to identify me and the address for Blue Marble.  And, of course, they had to customize their video and their crayon drawing just for me.

And did it work?  Pretty much, I’d have to admit.  I watched their video — twice.  I clicked through to the Tomorrow Awards web site and searched all around it.  I haven’t yet signed up to be a judge, but I probably will.  And now I’m promoting them with a post on our blog!

Yep — they got me.  Hook, line and click-through.

I loved this campaign on so many levels!  First, the personalization — I’m speechless.  Second, the use of video was fun and engaging.  Third, the hook to the Tomorrow Awards web site was superb.  Fourth, direct mail — it’s still alive and kicking!

This is a great demonstration of the power of video on the web … the effectiveness of combining old and new media … and, let’s face it, a lot of good old raw creative thinking!

“Gone are the days when you have to spend $10,000+ on a video by acquiring a crew, hiring a director, booking a studio, etc. Creating online video doesn’t have to be hard, nor does it have to look amateurish. If you follow these few basic steps, you can — quickly and easily — create a video yourself that shines…”

If you follow that line of thinking — it should be no problem using your own snapshots of the company executives in your next annual report, right? I mean, look at the great digital cameras that are available today. And iPhoto makes retouching so easy!

Here was my response to their blog:

Don’t ever forget that your brand is judged everyday by the quality of the messages and images you put in front of your audiences.

It may not be fair, but if your web site, printed materials or video look amateurish — that’s EXACTLLY the impression your prospects will now have about your organization. Amateurish. Unsophisticated. Unprofessional. Small. Not a major player.

You know you’ve thought the same thing about other companies’ sites when you’ve been online.

So, it’s true — the low cost of HD video cameras and laptop or even web based editing software is making video production much more accessible to everyone.

And, for video testimonials and simple short messages from executives — most companies can and should be able to create good video on their own.

But before you take on a video project with no outside professional help, remember some of the tough lessons companies had to learn back in the 90s when Desktop Publishing was all the rage.

I actually worked with a company that purchased Corel Draw and a color printer and told the RECEPTIONIST to learn how to use both so that they could “spice up” their proposals. Care to guess how that all worked out?

OK, so the point is this: just because you CAN layout a brochure — or point a video camera in the general direction of your CEO — doesn’t mean you SHOULD.

It sounds trite, but it’s true — you only get one chance to make a first impression.

This isn’t just a fad.  It’s the way of the future.  Is your company considering all aspects of its web presence?  Sure, you have a web site.  Do you offer video about your products or services?  Do you have a video or videos that you can make available to other online resources that cover your industry?  Have you considered sponsoring your own online video series for entertainment, information or both?

Here’s a quote from Brad Murphy, CRO of Revision3, an online television network, talking about the business of product placement opportunities on web-only “TV”series:

Now it’s hard for really big brands to get their heads around the value of web video series right now but several mid-size companies are starting to see how they can benefit from getting their product or service in front of their targeted demographic while making it part of the conversation.1timstreet.com, Digital Natives, Web Videos & Product Placement (Video) | 1TimStreet

It’s a whole new world out there!

Recently, I participated in a discussion in one of my Linked-In groups regarding just this topic.  I was shocked that much of the “chatter” revolved around search engine rankings – and not much of anything else.

Why search engine discussion when the topic is video?  Because there’s a great deal of debate on just how “searchable” video content really is.  Google and other search engines have proclaimed that they now have the ability to “search” video content.  That’s exciting news, even though most experts will tell you that this video search capability still has a way to go before it’s perfected.

But is that a reason not to use video on your web site???

For the record, I’m a HUGE fan of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  It’s done wonders for Blue Marble Media and our consumer-market business Cooper Maron Commissioned Films. People from literally around the world are finding us – and more importantly, contacting us with questions and opportunities for doing business.

So always, always work on building & maintaining your search engine ranking.

OK.  So you’ve done a great job building link and tags, keeping your web site and blog updated, etc., and people are starting to find you!  HURRAY!

My question for you is this: now that they’ve “found” you, what are they going to see?  How are you going to engage them?  How can you be sure they spend a little time getting to know you and your products and services?

Content, friends, content!

And video is one of the best types of content there is.  It’s better at explaining complex ideas … better at moving a viewer emotionally … better at entertaining and keeping your audience engaged … better at conveying customer testimonials … better at training a process or procedure … etc.

So first of all, while it’s not yet perfected, video searches are happening and are helping pump up your search engine ranking.

But even more important – video is going to help differentiate you from your competitors.  Think about it – if you’re number one as the result of a Google search — what about the guys who are number two or three in that same search?  Chances are they’ve got very similar written content to what you’ve been putting out there – that’s why all three of you are at the top of the same search results.

So, a consumer looking for specific products or services, is probably going to visit the web sites of at least two or three companies, right?  That’s certainly what I do when I’m researching on-line.

Once you’ve been “found” in a search, hopefully with a first page placement, it’s pretty safe to assume you’re now in a head-to-head competition with every other listing on that first page.  They’ve optimized their sites to rank well for this kind of search, just like you have.  What’s going to make your site stand out?  What’s going to position your company as more of an authority?  What’s going to make your company feel trustworthy and professional?

Could it be …video?

1. It’s much more effective to put your message in places where prospects are actively looking for products and services in your category;
2. Today, when customers are actively shopping for something, they almost always turn first to Google, Yahoo and other web search tools to find information and options;
3. The company with the best information/content (i.e., most complete, easiest to understand, useful, engaging and offered in a variety of ways) most often wins the purchase
4. In light of all of the above, your marketing mission is make it incredibly easy for your prospects to find you and your incredibly authoritative, engaging and useful information by leveraging all the tools available to you on the Web.

I have to give a huge tip-of-the-hat to the HubSpot Blog as an incredible resource for all things related to Social Media Marketing or what they and others are referring to as inbound marketing.  If you’re just starting to explore this brave new world of Social Media/Inbound Marketing, HubSpot is a great place to start.

HubSpot isn’t just a charitable repository of marketing information.  They’re really practicing what they preach by using great content to attract new customers for their inbound marketing software.  (In the spirit of full disclosure:  No, we don’t use their software — yet.  But I’ve become such a fan of their resources I can’t say how long it will be before we at least check it out.)

But my point really isn’t to fawn over HubSpot as much as to use them as an example of the power offering your customers really useful, meaty information that helps them in their day to day lives or work.  This company uses blogs, video postings, webcasts, video tutorials, interest group sites on Linked-In, Twitter, Facebook and who knows what else to get their message out.

Having a well designed Web site is just the tip of the iceberg.  Harnessing the power of the Web to have great conversations with your prospects and customers is what Social Media/Inbound Marketing is all about.