Welcome to the latest issue of the Marketing Minute, your monthly newsletter dedicated to business growth and development. In this issue:? 7 Ideas for Killer Videos ? 7 Tips for Amazingly Effective Headlines 7 Ideas for Killer Videos  There’s little doubt that video marketing can and should play a huge part in your business, but very often the question comes up, “What should I make videos about?” If you’re new to the visual medium, and perhaps a little camera-shy, it’s an understandable question. Whatever the case, the power and reach of video cannot be understated these days. You will be missing out on a large segment of the possible audience for your products and services if you choose to ignore video altogether. There are a number of creative uses for video, and we’re going to detail 7 of the most effective for you right here and now. These should be enough for you to get a good start in video marketing for your small business. 7 Effective Ways to use Video in your Small Business 1. Product Demos – Far and away one of the best uses for video is to showcase your wares, whether they are physical products, software or services. There’s no substitute for seeing your stuff in action, and your sales will reflect that. This also ensures a more robust launch for your products, if you employ video in the marketing. 2. Customer Testimonials – Likewise, social proof is an invaluable tool in the sales process. No one likes to be one of the first to try something, so video testimonials of your products or services can be the impetus to get a prospect off the fence. These can be full-blown reviews, or something as simple as a six second Vine video. This is a must! 3. Interview videos – If you have access to a thought leader in your industry, try and get them to sit down for a video interview. Your audience will eat this up, and you will benefit by having courted authority on your site 4. How-to videos – A bit different from a product demo, these tend to go a bit more in-depth, and involve other aspects of the business. Perhaps they don’t even use any of your products, but show your audience how to perform a task specific to your business. 5. Event promotion – Videos promoting or inviting people to upcoming events, webinars, and conferences work very well in getting people to join you. Let them know the benefits they’ll receive by attending, and the access they’ll have to you and your people once there. 6. Pure Content videos – Sometimes it’s a great idea to deliver up some terrific teaching on video that your audience would find useful. Make this a value proposition, as to do otherwise would have a negative effect. And whatever you do, don’t try and sneak in a sales pitch at the end. Deliver pure value, for free. You’ll be glad you did. 7. Case Studies – One of the hottest trends in marketing these days is the use of comprehensive case studies. Doing this on video allows you a great deal of flexibility and utility. Be as transparent as you can, and show your mistakes as well as your successes. This goes a long way toward building trust.  | Could your business be generating more customers online? Contact us today for your free marketing assessment! Click here » | 7 Tips for Amazingly Effective Headlines  In case you haven’t yet discovered this, headline writing is one of the most important and potentially lucrative skills you can master. It has been widely documented that 8 out of 10 people will read a headline, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest of the content. Making that equation more in your favor is what this is all about. You have roughly 5-15 words to grab the attention, wring their emotions, and arouse the curiosity of your audience, so it’s critical to understand the best ways to get this done. To help you with this, we’ve found 7 great tips for crafting headlines that do all of the above. Let’s put them to good use! 7 Tips You Can Use Today for Better Headline Writing Keep them short – It’s been said that 6 word headlines are the ideal, but there is no hard and fast rule here. It is smart to keep them under 70 characters so that the entire title will show in Google’s search results. Moreover, short and punchy headlines are more memorable. Make your headlines specific – Strive for specificity, and make sure your headline doesn’t promise anything your content doesn’t deliver. Not only this, but tell them exactly what you’re talking about: being mysterious usually falls flat. “How to fix your website’s images in 3 easy steps!” Convey urgency – Nothing works like a little fear.“5 Ways to stop data thieves before they raid your online accounts!” Letting people know that there is a cost associated with waiting. (And not reading the rest of your article!) What’s in it for them? – State a benefit in your headline. Readers want to know what they’re getting out of this, and it’s your job to tell them! Whether it’s “7 Uses for your deadbeat ex”, or 27 Ways to stretch your food budget!” the benefit is clear! Use numbers – The use of numbers is a tried and true method for giving the reader a sense that they’re going to get a quantifiable amount of help here. “7 Tips for Breakfast in Bed She’ll Eat Up! Don’t be afraid of controversy – Sometimes it helps to catch their attention by injecting a healthy dose of shock and awe.“Why you need to fire your SEO guy today!” Don’t be shy about stirring the pot, but be prepared to back it up. Choose your words wisely – Use the most powerful, emotional and vivid words you can come up with. People respond to them. Milquetoast headlines are definitely a reason your content won’t get read. Be bold! Not only that, but if at all possible work your primary keyword into the title somehow. A magnetic headline optimized for search will be a winner every time! |