LocalBizBits Local Search Marketing Information and Resources
I recently heard about Searchmercials and was curious so I connected with Stephen Condon, VP of Sales & Marketing at PixelFish.
A searchmercial is new industry jargon for “a video commercial designed specifically for online search and directories...the purpose of the searchmercial is to appeal to the active shopper by providing the information they seek quickly and clearly. With a searchmerical there is no need to cut through the clutter or generate effective reach; you simply need to tell your story and communicate value. In fact, where traditional advertising is designed to stand out from the content the audience is viewing, the searchmercial is the content.”
Typically, searchmercials run between 30 to 90 seconds and can be placed on the advertiser’s Web site, on an online directory or an Internet search engine. They can be created cost effectively because they simply need to efficiently tell the story of the business. A searchmericial, as with all video, has the added benefit of improving your search engine rankings.
Steve shared with me some statistics regarding online videos. Some of the key points (IMHO) were:
- Nothing is more effective that video when it comes to persuading large audiences – People remember only 20% of what they hear and only 30% of what they see, but an incredible 70% of what they both hear and see.
- Consumers media consumption has fundamentally changed – 68% of Internet users now watch video advertising online at least monthly1.
- Online video promotions are proving to be highly effective – 52% of viewers taking action and 16% say they purchased the service or product
- Internet video users are active buyers and are 3 or 4 times more likely to take action than static ad viewers2.
- Online video ad viewers visit less than half the number of competitive sites3.
reference:
1. Source: Online Publishers Assoc. Online Video Advertising, Content and Consumer Behavior, June 2007
2. Source: DoubleClick study Q1, 2007
3. Source: Thomson FindLaw Study
I also asked Steve what was the best way to look at online video. His reply was “online video advertising doesn’t have to be as strategically insightful as TV advertising just honestly represent the value you offer.” I totally agree with Stephen. Videos provide a great way to show customers who and what you are. There is no need to try to get fancy and sophicated. The video itself will impress and get their attention.
The statistics listed above really stand out to me and cause me to ask why don’t more small business try to get online videos. If you own a small business, have you tried online videos? If so, let us know.
