We are all salespeople. In our personal lives and our careers we seek buy in from others to see the value of what we have to offer. In a non-traditional sense we sell our time and talents to a mate, friends and employers.
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More traditionally in the workplace, we sell not only products and services but also our reputations in order to maintain strong community perceptions. Happy clients and constituents translate into healthy organizations.
My favorite maxim is “the only constant is change.” As our world evolves, technology has been both a solution to and catalyst for change. The Internet allows us to remain connected in real time and makes our lives easier --- as long as we understand how to use it. The hottest emerging sales tool is video on the Internet. Ever heard of YouTube? Consider this:
• In 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average American adult watches over 4 hours of television per day and reads less than 30 minutes per day
• In 2006, YouTube announced that they reached 100 million videos streamed per day.
• In 2008, YouTube revealed that its costs in bandwidth alone to support the video hosting was $1 million per day.
• In 2010, YouTube reported to have surpassed 100 million views from mobile phones.
I know what you are thinking, and you are correct. YouTube has tons of ‘stupid’ videos and the majority of videos on the Internet is entertainment oriented. Until now, Internet video has largely been a social utility for teenagers, but is emerging as a sales tool for businesses and organizations. Price points for cameras and hardware have never been lower, nor has the price tag and learning curve for video editing software. Couple these facts with our increased dependency on the Internet for communication and information, and we have a blue ribbon recipe for opportunity.
Video engages more senses than any other media. Seeing something in video is the next best thing to actual being there. Video allows organizations to give the perfect sales pitch, product demo or client testimony and can be edited and repurposed to include powerful images, music and audio to make your point. Video on the Internet is accessed on demand, 24 x 7. Video educates and entertains, shortening your sales cycle and achieving buy-in from clients and constituents.
Video for the public sector
For local governments and public sector organizations it is imperative to communicate with and educate constituents. We have produced hundreds of videos for the public sector that have greatly improved public relations and overall outcomes on potentially divisive issues; changes in services, economic development, consolidations /mergers of departments, and other announcements.
The video that we produced and shown in this article were for the Wall Street West initiative, in effort to educate Pennsylvanians about the economic development opportunities that exist.
If you are trying to reach this sector, video is the very best way to do this.
Next week, we will continue our conversation about web video and discuss how video is hosted and distributed online.
Jeff Tintle, Jr, president of THRIVE Media
Jeff Tintle is the president of THRIVE Media (http://www.thrivemedia.us), an Allentown-based firm that specializes in niche publications, Internet marketing and video production.
To have a web video produced for your organization, contact Jeff at 610.762.9011 or jeff@thrivemedia.us.
