20 frequently asked questions and answers about online video marketing

1. THE TOP 20
THE
QUESTIONS MARKETERS TOP 20
ARE (AND SHOULD BE)
QUESTIONS MARKETERS ARE
(AND
ASKING ABOUT VIDEO SHOULD BE) ASKING
ABOUT ONLINE VIDEO
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2. Intro...
Adding video to your marketing is no longer optional. Over 90% of Internet traffic is
video, according to Visual.ly. The same site claimed that video traffic is 6 times more
effective than print and direct mail at conveying a message to a crowded marketplace.
Video is personal, emotional and persuasive when done correctly.
By understanding what it takes to effectively incorporate video into your marketing
strategy, you will be ahead of most marketers today. As with any other marketing efforts,
video without a strategy will fail. It is important to ask yourself the correct questions
when thinking about adding video to enhance your overall marketing plan.
This book will answer the frequently asked questions that people are posing about
online video today and will also offer questions that marketers should be asking but may
not be considering yet.
This will help you be one step ahead when it comes to leveraging online video...
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4. what you’re asking...
Should I shoot my
own video?
1
There is a time and place for both methods. The easiest way to answer this is to begin the planning
process to determine the complexity of the project.
Do we have an internal resource to shoot and edit this video?
How many locations do we have to go to? How many people will be in this video?
If there are multiple locations and people to interview, then it could take your video producer
several weeks or months to be able to pull off that story.
Do we have the equipment to record, edit and produce the video?
Many companies don’t have the necessary time or equipment to pull off good storytelling when
the project requires more travel, character coordination, logistics or more complex story
development. For those stories, you might be better served to engage outside resources to help.
What's our deadline? Do we have enough time to edit and produce?
If you need a video shot quickly and if you have the right equipment, the best decision may be
to shoot it yourself. Also, if the videos tend to be more tips and tricks or single interviews,
trained, in-house crews can pull them off.
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5. what you’re asking...
There are various types of videos you can produce. If you're starting with nothing, then we suggest first
looking at your website. Think about what someone wants when visiting your website. Many are there to
get to know you – to see if what you do aligns with what they need in a general sense and if you can help
them with their specific challenges. To get started, here's a checklist of videos we recommend all of
our clients have on their website:
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"About Us" Stories
These are stories that go on your website and talk all about you. They tend to be the first place
people click on your website. They help your prospect answer questions like:
1. What exactly do these people do?
2. Do I believe in their philosophies?
3. Do I want to do business with them?
“People don't buy what
you do; they buy
"Why" Stories
“Why” stories talk about why you do what you do or why you
are in business. The purpose of this video is to create
emotional connections with your audience, so they feel
comfortable learning more about you.
why you do it.
And what you do simply
proves what you believe”
-Simon Sinek
(Watch this video by Simon Sinek to help determine your “why”.)
Client (Testimonials) Stories
These are your success stories and are often told by a 3rd party. It allows prospects to put
themselves in someone else’s shoes to see how your product or service might work for them.
The goal with these stories is to prove your message.
Industry Expert Stories
Once you have the videos above posted on your website, we recommend doing industry expert
stories. The purpose of this video is to educate people on your industry and expertise. It’s less
about you. People often post these videos to YouTube or their blog. A few examples of these
videos are “how to do x”, “5 tips” and “10 reasons”.
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What video topics
work best for my
website?

6. what you’re asking...
How much should I
pay for my video?
3
When it comes to video production today, you get what you pay for… to a point.
Outside Resource: When using any type of outside resources to tell your story, you should expect to
invest between $3,000-$10,000 for the full production of your video stories. This is the price range
when the stories are shot in an authentic, interview-style approach that tends to make them more
believable, more affordable, faster and more efficient to execute.
Internal Resource: If you are shooting your own video or something more elaborate, your price may
be higher or lower. This could depend on equipment, the type of editing software and production
time.
When looking at any type of video help it is important to look for a partner who understands the business
problem you are trying to solve by using video. A strategic production partner will help you understand
your budget before cameras roll and will keep costs in-check through front-end planning and efficiencies
throughout the project.
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7. what you’re asking...
4
Video SEO in its simplest form is optimizing a video to be found more easily on major search engines.
Here are a few tips to consider when it comes to video SEO:
RELEVANT TAGS
One way to optimize videos online is to use tags and tagging it in as many ways as possible with
as much description as possible. This way the search engines will be able to find it.
TRANSCRIBING
Another SEO component to consider is to transcribe the video with text and embed that into
the video itself.
AN ATTENTION-GRABBING HEADLINE
Think about the headline. Your headline should be enticing and make people want to want to
watch the video.
AN INTRIGUING THUMBNAIL
The cover (thumbnail) image of the video is also important. Think of it like the cover of a
magazine and display an image that looks clear, clean and interesting.
All of these things help search engines find your video and help people press the play button. Google, with
their purchase of YouTube, has affirmed the importance they put on video and rich media content.
Did you know that a webpage that includes video is 50 times more likely to show up on the first page of
search results?
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What is video SEO?

8. what you’re asking...
Where should I put
my finished video?
5
Today, reaching the correct audience where they are with the right message is critical. You have countless
options for where to place a completed video. We recommend first working on your strategy before
shooting the video.
Here are some questions to consider:
Who is the audience you’re trying to reach?
Where is your audience in the sales cycle?
What types of questions and/or pains does your audience have?
After these questions are answered, most people post their videos to YouTube next without any
hesitation. However, you can be more effective if you understand all the channels that are available and
how they relate to where someone is in your sales cycle, so you’re talking to the right person at the right
time.
YouTube videos tend to be more educational, engaging and entertaining. They are less about
your company. Commercials don’t work on YouTube for a reason.
Website videos should explain who you are, what you do, why someone should do business
with you.
Blogs/Social media are great outlets to use for educational videos as well as ongoing series of
videos to constantly engage an audience. Think tips-and-tricks, staying sharp and industry
insights.
An Example to Illustrate
So imagine Fran… She’s searching for information on healthcare
and stumbles across one of your YouTube videos. If Fran has
no concept of who you are, but your video is educating her in
an area she’s interested in, then she’ll allow you to guide her to your website and into your process.
Fran is now in your sales cycle. She went from unaware to aware.
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9. what you’re asking...
6
There are a bunch of statistics you can discover when it comes to video. You can look at video in email
and how many people click it, how many people watch the video, what point people stop watching the
video or how long they stay engaged.
However, the number one stat that is most important isn’t a stat at all. This is what we call “an
emotional connection.” It means telling a story that creates some type of an emotional gut-level
connection with your audience.
Why are emotional connections more important than statistics?
Richard Nixon said it best, "People are persuaded by reason, but moved by emotion."
Human beings are emotional creatures. If you're wanting to grab the attention of your
audience, then reel them in with an authentic story. By authentic, we mean no
actors, no scripts, just you and the camera telling a story. It’s more believable
“People are persuaded
that way.
by reason, but moved
by emotion.”
It's important to establish some sort of emotional connection
with your audience because it invites them to come closer,
-Richard Nixon
to watch more and to dive deeper with you.
It also allows them to come to a common ground with you, which
allows them to make decisions without fear, uncertainty or doubt.
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What video stats are
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10. what you’re asking...
How do I add
video to my overall
marketing mix?
7
According to Forbes Insight, 59% of senior executives who’d rather watch a video than read text. Video is
another marketing tool to engage and educate your audience. Since there are many other marketing tools
available (blogging, social media, etc.), video is not a solution in and of itself. It’s a component of a highquality marketing strategy.
The most effective way to use online video is to integrate it into your current marketing efforts you’ve
already put into action.
To do this...
Look at your marketing funnel. What areas are you struggling with? Are you having a hard time finding new
audiences? Are you struggling with keeping your existing audience engaged? Wherever you're struggling,
ask yourself: "How can video help me with this?"
If you have marketing pains and understand where they lie, here are some common ways video can
you help you…
Video helps you have conversations with the right people online – even at 2 a.m.
Videos use the power of emotion to connect the right people with the right message.
By telling stories through video, your marketing message will persuasive, emotional and
personal.
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11. what you’re asking...
There are four ways to do this…
#1. Be relevant.
The best way to get people to watch your story is to make sure the content is relevant to their
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industry and interests. If you are a company that sells snow shovels, make sure you’re speaking
to the people who care about snow shovels and the problems they help solve.
#2. Tell stories.
Facts and figures alone are boring, especially to a viewer who is unaware or even slightly aware
of who you are. Engaging them through storytelling allows you to hold their attention and
captivate them as you deliver your key messages. With
storytelling, you’re able to pose a question up front, promise a
reward at the end and keep your target audience’s attention
along the way.
#3. Be authentic.
Through years of experience, we've learned viewers become more persuaded and emotionally
connected if the video is authentic. No actors, no scripts, just you and the camera. It's more
believable and allows your audience to experience the real you.
#4. Don’t stop.
Think ongoing storytelling. You wouldn’t have one conversation with a prospect then wait for
them to buy. The same holds true with your online marketing and video. To get the person’s
attention is going to take multiple stories over a period of time. The stories may change, but your
ability to stay close and relevant will not…if you tell good stories.”
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How do I get people
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12. what you’re asking...
Should I put my video
on YouTube?
9
When people ask me if they should put their video on YouTube, the simple answer is, "Yes, it can’t hurt."
The time it could hurt is if you embed a YouTube video on your website. The reason why it could hurt is
because some companies have blocked their employees from watching YouTube videos. So if a prospect
comes to your site to learn more and can't view it, then your video is useless.
28%
As far as putting your video on YouTube itself for the purpose of search, there’s
of Google searches
little reason not to. In the first half of 2013, YouTube generated 28% of all Google
YouTube
effectively using the channel, your videos can attract a percentage of these users
is generated by
searches and there are over 1 billion unique visitors to YouTube each month. By
to share your story.
If you're interested in learning how to drive unique visitors with your video, read "What is video SEO?" on page 7.
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13. what you’re asking...
This answer depends on if you are shooting video yourself or if you are using any type of outside help. If
you are shooting a video yourself, turnaround can depend on how dedicated that person is to the video
project itself. This could either make it faster or slower depending on how many hats they are wearing.
Turnaround can also vary on the outside resources you choose. Through our experience, it can take
approximately 2-4 weeks to shoot, edit and produce a video story.
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Regardless whether you produce the video or partner with an outside source, there are three main
steps to a typical video production process.
1. STRATEGIZE. Video without a plan behind it will fail. The purpose of this step is to identify:
•
•
•
Who is your audience?
What messages to they need at each step of the engagement cycle?
When and where will they consume your content? And why would they care?
2. DEVELOP THE STORY. Once those questions are answered, then you can create a story that
will emotionally connect with your target audience.
•
•
•
•
Determine your key point
What journey do you want them to go on?
Who should tell the story?
Where do we want to shoot it?
3. SCHEDULE. After you map out your story, then it's important to obviously schedule the shoot.
Remember to take into consideration who will be in the shoot and where the location will be.
Usually the more people and locations you have drives the timeline of a project.
4. SHOOT, EDIT AND PRODUCE. Then there will be production time to shoot and edit your video
stories. It's important to allow time for review and revisions by stakeholders. When managed
well, this can be done efficiently and relatively quickly. When it isn’t, production can drag on and
on.
If you're still not sure if you want to produce a video using an inside or outside source, read "Should I shoot my own video?"
on page 4.
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How long should it
take to produce my
video?

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15. what you should be asking...
What’s the difference
between a video and
a story?
1
The main difference between a video and a story is based on the style and the message discussed within it.
There is a time and place for both and when done well both can be effective.
VIDEO
Quite simply, a video is a collection of interviews weaved together to
present important facts and figures. Videos can be about your
products, services, client testimonials and case studies.
STORY
A story has a beginning, middle and an end. A story starts with some
type of a question posed or promise made, and then takes your
viewer on a journey. The viewer is ultimately rewarded at the end.
The power of a story is that you can hold the viewer’s attention much
longer because you are engaging them the whole way through. They
can see it, understand it and feel it.
“The greatest art in
the world is the art
of storytelling.”
–Cecil B. DeMille
WHEN SHOULD I USE A VIDEO VS. A STORY?
There is a time and place for both, but to be effective it's important to
understand where your audience is in the sales cycle. We call it match your
message to the mindset. People make decisions on rational thinking (facts and
figures), but they're moved by emotions. They're reeled in by emotions (stories),
yet make their final decision on rational thoughts (videos).
AN EXAMPLE TO ILLUSTRATE
Fran is a new person in your sales cycle. She's unaware of who you are, but stumbles across one of
your stories that relates to her. She becomes emotionally connected by the story's journey. Once
she's emotionally invested, then she's asking herself, "What exactly do these people do?" She goes to
your website to learn more and maybe even signs up for the newsletter.
Once she's emotionally connected and thinks your company might be a fit, then she'll be more
interested in watching a video with facts and figures, such as client testimonials and product/services.
If Fran becomes a client, she'll probably be interested in watching stories and videos.
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16. what you should be asking...
2
People buy from people they feel connected to. To connect, you must find a common ground to work from.
Traditional selling tactics tend to take a top-down approach – you, the expert, tells the prospect what they
need or what they don’t have. This results in the prospect feeling like they’re being sold to – because they
are. They keep their guard up and it feels like a lot of work to move them along.
“If you wish to influence an
individual or a group to
embrace a particular value
in their daily lives, tell them
a compelling story.”
-Annette Simmons
Storytelling, though, allows you to relate and emotionally connect on the
same level. It enables the prospect to come to the understanding on their
own terms. It allows them to own the decision-making process and
ultimately their decision to buy from you. The prospect goes on an
emotional journey with you through a series of videos to the point where
they're ready to buy because they're already emotionally invested.
If you want to learn more on what makes a compelling story, read "What is the difference between a video and a story?” on
page 15.
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Why is it important
that my video tells a
story?

17. what you should be asking...
How do I create an
effective video
strategy?
3
Developing your video strategy can be a lengthy and involved process, but it doesn’t have to be if you have
the right information. Your video strategy should be rooted in your existing marketing strategy and support
your business goals. As with any undertaking, it should compliment and enhance, not disrupt your current
marketing efforts.
We’ve found that this process works best when you start by identifying where your audience is in your
buying process. Once you do that, then you’ll want to move them through your process:
STAGE 1: Unaware --> Curious
A prospect stumbles across one of your videos. They’re reeled in emotionally to the message of
the story, so they go to your website to learn more.
STAGE 2: Curious --> I like it
After digesting your website, the prospect now has a clear understanding of what it is you do and
how it aligns with their needs. They’re engaged and emotionally connected to your message.
STAGE 3: I like it --> I’m buying
The prospect thinks there’s benefit in working with you, but wants more facts and figures to
make the final decision. They stumble across a client success story on your site and confirm that
your company can definitely fulfill their needs, so they buy.
STAGE 4: I’m buying --> Buy again
Most people think once the prospect buys, then the sales cycle ends, but it’s just the opposite.
Keeping a happy client informed on new services and products can be key to them buying again
and again.
When you think about these four different stages, it is important to understand the
unique stories that resonate with each. For example, if you’re trying to get someone to
buy from you again, you probably don’t want to send them an “About Us” video story.
They are already aware of who you are and would be more interested in how you will
“Match the
message to the
mindset.”
-Jon DiGregory
continue to help them.
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18. what you should be asking...
There are three ways video stories can drive awareness and leads to help your sales team.
1. Finding and keeping prospects engaged
Now more than ever, prospects have the power. The power to use technology to stay educated
and entertained. Delivering ongoing cool stories about your industry to the masses could be the
4
answer to most sales frustrations on finding new prospects.
For instance, if you work for a financial institute, you could do a series of stories on people in the
community who are donating money to good causes they support. We have to move people
emotionally before they will take in information - or act. This type of story will keep a viewer
engaged and emotionally connected. By delivering a relevant, ongoing video series, your future
prospect will give you permission to stay close and front-of-mind until they’re ready to meet.
2. Connecting with prospects by letting yourself be seen
Make your sales team human. Let's be honest, salespeople get a bad wrap. They’re seen as loud
mouths who try to sell you something. We’re resistant to meeting with one because we fear we'll
be pressured to buy something.
But what if you could reverse your prospect's mindset into thinking your salesperson isn't just a
salesperson, but a person they could relate to? What if your salesperson sent a video bio of
themselves to a cold prospect? Do you think the prospect would be more intrigued to meet them
rather than receiving a cold boring email? One study suggests that an introductory email that
includes a video receives an increase click-through rate by 96%.
Video bios create the foundation for an emotional connection and ease the tension that too
often comes with a first appointment. The trick though, is to let your sales team be human in the
videos. Let them talk about their hobbies, things outside of work that they're passionate about,
family, friends and what inspires them to wake up every morning and going to work. This
approach could open the doors to new conversations for your sales team.
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How can video
benefit my sales
team?

19. what you should be asking...
How can I make sure
the right people watch
my videos?
5
Video without strategy fails. There are several things to discover, so you can get the right stories in front of
the right people.
1. Who is your audience?
Back to the example of snow shovels. You probably aren’t selling shovels to people in Hawaii.
They just don’t need your solution. Understanding who your audience is will help you target your
message and distribution strategies to the relevant audience.
2. Where does your audience go to stay educated and entertained?
The “right people” may include those who haven’t heard of you yet. Your challenge is to be where
they are. Think about what questions the audience is asking and what problems they are trying
to solve. Think about where your prospects go to find information and make sure you are there.
These outlets may be industry-related publications, blogs, social networks, etc.
3. Why should they care?
Once you determine your target audience and where they go to stay educated and entertained,
then it's important to determine the most appealing message for your video. Research has told
us that B2B and B2C customers alike don’t want to be sold to. They will tune you out. Our
founder Jon DiGregory always tells clients, “Don’t make videos you want to see. Make videos your
viewer wants to see.” Instead, be helpful, be informative and be authentic. People buy from
brands they connect with. You want your content to be believable and real, giving your viewer a
reason to care and connect.
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20. what you should be asking...
6
Marketers and even sales professionals are challenged to answer the question, “How do we keep our
prospects engaged in conversation through the sales cycle?” As your prospect moves through your sales
process, the common thing they're trying to discover is, "Do our values align? Can this company offer a
solution that will solve my issue and make my life easier?"
Permanent videos certainly help with educating the client on the basics of what it is you do and how you do
it. The issue here is that the prospect views this once, understands your company and product, and then
leaves your website. Then it's up to the salesperson to continue to stay in front of the prospect, until he/
she is ready to buy.
This is where ongoing videos can play a huge role in your process. Ongoing videos often consist of industry
stories and trends that can educate or even entertain the prospect. It allows the prospect to stay
emotionally connected, until they become customers.
If you're interested in how your sales team can benefit from using ongoing stories, visit page 18.
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Why should my videos
be more ongoing
instead of permanent?

21. what you should be asking...
How can I use video
to help with decision
making?
7
Your marketing and sales teams are focused on moving a prospect from unaware of who are to buying
your product or service.
As a prospect travels through your process, they're faced with many questions, concerns and unknowns
such as:
“What exactly to this people do?”
90%
“How do they do it?”
of users say that
“Why do they do it?”
seeing a video about
“What are their values and beliefs?”
“Can their product or service solve my pain?”
“Will working them make my life easier?”
a product is helpful in
the decision process
By leveraging video’s ability to increase understanding, create emotion and increase digestibility, you are
able to address these common questions often before the prospects raise them.
For more information on the types of videos you should have on your website to help answer these questions, read page 5.
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22. what you should be asking...
8
The David Letterman Show is a perfect example of why you need to have ongoing content, as oppose to
permanent content, to keep people engaged night after night. David Letterman does “good enough”
storytelling that allows viewers to stay entertained and educated night after night.
David doesn’t spend months and months and tons of money to shoot one video
"There's always room
for a story that can
transport people to
another place."
-J.K. Rowling
at Rupert’s Deli. Instead, he goes down there for 10 or 15 minutes with an idea of
the story he wants to tell. He comes away with a story that makes the viewers
happy and leaves us wanting to know what he has for us next.
This allows David Letterman to continue to have a long-term conversation with
his audience. The same thing can be done for brands as we drive people towards
sales.
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How does online video
relate to the David
Letterman show?

23. what you should be asking...
What is the
appropriate length
for my video?
9
With the ability to post videos online, we no longer are stuck in the TV-mode where we only have 30 or 60
second spots to make a point. Many people today think shorter is better. Others think longer, packed-fullof-everything is the better approach.
In reality, time doesn't matter. What matters is the content of your story. Does the theme of the story
relate to your prospect's interests? Is the story engaging? Does it peek their curiosity to learn more?
Our founder Jon DiGregory explains further, "I like to use my brother as an example because he is a huge BMW
freak. He has 8 BMWs sitting in his driveway. I could send him a 25-second video on quilting and he wouldn’t
watch 5-seconds of it. But, I could send him a 15-minute video on the engineers working on the new 7 Series BMW
and he would probably watch it twice and forward it on to all his buddies."
The lesson here is that a relevant, well-executed story has the ability to drive results. Once the viewer feels
connected to you or your message, they will often stay engaged and dive deeper into you and your
company.
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24. what you should be asking...
10
Magazines deliver easy-to-consume content on a regular basis – quarterly, monthly or weekly.
They’re created relatively quickly. You can pick up the issues that peek your interest or you can
subscribe and receive new issue as it’s produced.
A novel, on the other hand, is substantial and meant to be read once, maybe a second time if it’s
good. They take considerable time and investment to create.
Think about your sales process from awareness to lead acquisition to nurturing to closing the sale to upselling or renewing. You touch your prospect many times throughout that time. You address questions and
present information that is of interest to your prospect. A ‘novel’ approach would be overwhelming – telling
them everything they need to want or know. A ‘magazine’ approach more closely mirrors the ongoing
conversation you want to have.
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Why should I think of
video as a magazine
instead of a novel?

25. Connect with us...
At Cantaloupe TV, everything we do is about creating emotional connections through
authentic storytelling by planning, producing and presenting online video.
makecontact@cantaloupe.tv
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@Cantaloupe_tv
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