You Tube: The Buzz That Creates Tremendous Business

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Youtube For Buiness

“I have started a business for some time from now. I know, in today’s arena, if I am not making smart use of the Internet, I cannot reach out to maximum number of consumers. So, I created a corporate website, few product websites, and few blogs. I religiously participate in related product forums. I listen to people over there, talk to them, and participate in discussions. I know the magic of ecommerce software; hence, included one in my websites for direct sales. However, still I think, I am missing something. I am not reaching out to the maximum of the consumers…”

Does this narration of a marketer; somehow, relates to your position?

We all know – to churn out the best profit from your online venture, you have to be at the top of search engine results; primarily – Google. Well, you must have done some SEO (Search Engine Optimization), some SMO (Social Media Optimization), and some SMM (Social Media Marketing).

What is next?

Slide Share, Email Marketing! That also you must be doing in some amount.

So, what is left, then?

…

Friends, are we not forgetting ‘You Tube’?

Have we understood how to connect with our consumers through You Tube?

Here are some of the successful You Tube video marketing concepts that, when practiced with all regular marketing techniques, produce unbelievable results.

How About a Video on the Product or Service?

A survey conducted to understand the Internet usage of people across the world reveals that most of the people spend an average of two to three hours on You Tube. They post video created by them, watch their friends’ videos, and also search for new, interesting videos. The normal pattern of watching video shows that people click the video links of whatever interesting, fascinating, or thought-provoking content is encountered. This is the hidden key for every marketer. Successfully promoting your service or product video will definitely bring in lots of referral traffics to your website, ultimately increasing sales.

If you have not thought of doing it, think again…

How About Videos on ‘How to …’?

Many people wish, if they can see a live demo of the product or service usage before they actually buy them. Most of the marketers miss to include this aspect, even in their websites. Well, in such case, if you distribute free ‘How to …’ videos in You Tube, consumers definitely visualize about your brand again and again.

If you have not thought of doing it, think again…

How About a Video Testimony?

Good word of mouth by existing satisfied customers brings in more trust in your product. We all have done too much of testimonials in our web pages. Few smart marketers have started creating and circulating video testimonies through You Tube. When people hear their fellow consumers give some fair and genuine review, they certainly go for a buy.

Necessary to emphasize; think again…

Now it is Time for Video Release

We have heard about Press Release (PR) and also know its power. Now this is time for VR – Video Release. Be it test release, new product launch or an upgrade release, success parties, or other, video releases attract lots of audiences. You can go with video release in You Tube along with regular press releases.

How About Circulating all the Videos in Other Languages

We create websites in more than one language; so can be done for these videos. Doing so, you can reach out to customers in far flung geographies, where people are in real need of your products or services. The important aspect is; you face relatively less competition compared to other prominent geographies. Hence, you business sails smoothly here.

By now, you must have created some plans with You Tube.

If you have not thought of doing it, seriously just go for it…

Author Bio: Mohit is a seasoned online marketing professional with more than 7 years of experience. He also writes on various topic of his interest including technology, computing, Internet marketing, SEO, telecom, ecommerce, and many more.

Study Dismisses Social Media As Effective Direct Sales Channel

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Less than one percent of online retail transactions come from social media, according Forrester Research’s new report “The Purchase Path of Online Buyers in 2012”. The report, which analyzed 77,000 online transactions over a two-week period in April, advises that small business owners and marketers focus their sales efforts on other more effective channels.

“In spite of changes to the interactive marketing landscape and the growing number of shoppers using mobile and tablet devices to access content, core elements of web marketing continue to be effective,” writes Forrester Analyst Sucharita Mulpuru.

Make money on Social Media

Multiple platforms influence many buyers, according to Forrester, with the most popular being organic search, paid search and email. For example, email and direct traffic matter most for repeat customers, with 30 percent of their transactions prompted by an email from the retailer. “Because your best customers are already those most likely to be receptive to retailer marketing messages, it is not surprising that email is an extremely effective tactic for driving sales from repeat shoppers,” notes the report.

An additional 30 percent type the retailer’s URL directly into a browser. “While explicit interactive marketing tactics are critical to sales, a significant portion of buyers visit sites directly by typing in the retailer’s URL,” says the report. “As more eBusiness professionals focus on promoting their site URL to buyers on everything from store shopping bags to outbound packaging, consumers are likely to visit a site directly, particularly when the URL is intuitive and simple to remember.”

As for new customers, paid search matters most. “Because the Web continues to be a powerful tool for ‘spear fishers’, who look for specific products or brands by typing words into a search box, it is not surprising that new buyers are heavily influenced by paid search, much more so than repeat buyers,” the report states. In fact, 39 percent of online retail transactions by new customers start with clicks from paid or organic search results. One-third of their transactions involve more than one trackable touchpoint, compared to almost half of repeat customers who visit multiple trackable touchpoints.

When it comes to social media, the study reveals that they just cannot be counted on to drive meaningful sales. While 48 percent of consumers reported that social media posts are a great way to discover new products, brands, trends or retailers, less than 1% of transactions could be traced back to trackable social links.

“While the hype around social networks as a driver of influence in e-commerce continues to capture the attention of online executives, the truth is that social continues to struggle and registers as a barely negligible source of sales for either new or repeat buyers,” Forrester reports.

The report concluded by saying that it is critical for e-commerce merchants to recognize that:

  • They must continue perfecting email marketing programs.
  • They shouldn’t neglect search engine strategies.
  • They shouldn’t overestimate the impact of Facebook, Twitter and other social networks in marketing.
  • They should actively promote their URLs across channels because they are significant drivers of traffic from both new and repeat shoppers.
  • They should leverage attribution modeling because so many customers touch multiple marketing touchpoints prior to a transaction.

Author Bio: Beth Longware Duff is a professional editor and award-winning writer whose work on a wide variety of topics has been published in print and electronic media. She currently writes on a wide range of topics dealing with electronic payment processing for Merchant Express.

QR Code: What’s behind this new marketing tool

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Quick Response codes, popularly known as QR code are increasingly being used to help businesses and organizations expand their customer base and to advertise new services, products and promotions through a simple piece of technology.

A QR code is like a barcode found on a product in store. Unlike barcodes though, they can hold thousands of pieces of information. QR codes can be placed anywhere and almost any smartphone can read them. Stores commonly place them near new products or ones that are being promoted to give customers more information, and they frequently appear on advertisements, posters and mailers. These codes can activate various phone functions to send IM and SMS messages, connect to the internet and send e-mails.

Generating QR codes is easy thanks to a number of websites that offer their services for low fees or free. All the business needs to do is provide a URL link, text or phone number to the QR code generator and they have an easy tool to grab customer’s attention and boost sales. Some services let people customize the appearance of the code with their logo or colors or slogans to brand it effectively and avoid a generic appearance. There are also many QR code readers available for free, and it is helpful to list some near the QR code for people that do not have it on their phone already.

QR codes can be used to share videos, documents and special advertisements. Businesses can use this to share product and launch videos or incentivize customers by offering QR codes with discounts throughout the store. They can also be used to build a customer base by linking the code to social media to post on people’s walls and twitter accounts. Just like on computers, companies can ask people for information through the QR code before releasing the discounts or other information.

QR codes can be as big, or as small, as people can imagine. Small codes are ideal for placement on business cards and product tags, while larger codes can gain attention on banners, billboards and even the sides of trucks or vans. By including a QR code on every advertisement, companies can make it easy and fast for companies to get customers to visit a website or video, instead of relying on them to do so later or forgetting. Not only will this increase traffic to websites and increase revenues, it is a cheap way to keep people’s interest after an ad has passed.

QR codes are now as valuable to businesses as having a current and exciting website given their ability to reach customers anywhere and at any time to increase a customer base, marketing and profits. They are still a relatively new creation and their potential is almost unlimited. As social media and technology continue to grow at leaps and bounds, so will QR codes. Future forms will likely be able to hold even more information and may not even require a smartphone or an internet connection for people to access them.

Author Info: Marcela De Vivo is an internet marketing consultant working with Process Sensors Corporation and blogging at MarcelaDeVivo.com