Say what you will about the impact that today’s multimedia-centric culture has on the brains of the wired generation, but we think it’s making them smarter. In fact, we think that the Internet, smartphones and Web 2.0 have made all of us savvier consumers. As with all new challenges, this heightened level of astuteness raises the bar for us marketers—but for those of us willing to jump higher, it also means more opportunities that let us connect with audiences in a meaningful way.
Earlier, we talked about how we’ve already begun ramping up the production value of our Internet commercials in order to meet the expectations of our discerning viewers, but we’re also responding to today’s smart Internet viewer with the other facets of our video for Internet marketing efforts. Here are a few key ways that web audiences have become more sophisticated, and how we deliver the experiences that make the right impact.
More are Researching at Home
Whether true or not, the Internet is seen as unbiased and disinterested in its appraisal of goods, services and products—or at least moreso than a salesperson working on commission. Because of this, and other reasons, most users prefer to do as much independent research as they can from the comfort of their homes before they pick up the phone or visit a showroom. And with so much information available at the tips of their fingers, why shouldn’t they?
At Firm Media, we work with a lot of professionals who have unique expertise in their field. And while web users may be ultimately be shopping for an attorney, therapist, pest control or a plastic surgeon, when they are on the Internet looking for information, they are shopping for authority. Video marketing is a large piece of the puzzle that helps take that sense of authority that has made our clients successful offline and show it to viewers on the Internet. In short, we make our clients resident experts on the hot topics—and that’s got to be good for business.
Searchers Know How to Find What They’re Looking For
Just like using a keyboard or word processor is an acquired skill, so too is using a search engine. After a few decades of learning the language of search engines, today’s web users are more adept at getting relevant results for their queries. In other words, they’re unlikely to spend hours sifting through pages and pages of results for an extremely broad search term—rather, they are more prone to craft a well-targeted search query and choose from the top five listings.
Thanks to powerful analytics tools and years of experience, we’ve come to understand the way users search pretty well. We know word for word which questions search users are asking—and we know how to provide them with relevant answers. We do so by carefully crafting the descriptions, filenames, titles and tags of our videos so they appear on the search engine results pages for the most popular relevant search terms. Plus, we’re doing the same with your blog, social media accounts, website and other online content. The net effect gives your name, brand or business a much greater presence.
Web Users Recognize and Avoid Spam
Spam is a bit like pornography—it’s hard to define legally, but you’ll know it when you see it. Spam has long been a blight to the Internet community, but with security compromises crippling companies for days, lurking phishers trolling for personal information and malicious hackers preying upon unwary individuals every day, users are more invested in sidestepping spam and shady content than ever before. Unfortunately, many spammers use some of the same marketing tactics as legitimate businesses. This means that occasionally, a piece of valuable content with pure intentions gets passed over because a web user erred on the side of caution (and rightfully so).
At Firm Media, we make it a priority to ensure that our content never has a passing resemblance to spam. Getting your videos ranked and indexed competitively while accompanying them with informative, accurate and conversational titles, descriptions and tags is a challenge—but it’s one that is worth every iota of effort, for the sake of your business, your viewers and the overall quality and integrity of the Internet community.
Conclusion
The relationships between the Internet, consumers and marketers is marked by escalation. Luckily, this sort of “arms race” of sophistication seems to be a positive one. Web users are better than ever at finding authoritative, high quality content that answers their questions in a useful and responsible way. And we’re getting better at giving it to them.
Video marketing is still somewhat of a frontier in the realm of Internet marketing, and we pride ourselves on pioneering it in a sustainable, ethical and effective fashion.
For more details on embracing video marketing for your business, check out our FREE WEBINAR on video marketing on September 14 at 10 AM PDT. With special guest Ashley D. Carr (Alumni USC School of Cinematic Arts). Visit firm-media.com/webinar to reserve your slot.
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