Meet Eric Stromer

You know him from HGTV & People magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive”, but Eric’s here today for another reason… Eric Stromer was a contractor who became a brand through online video marketing.

Today, you are going to learn how he did it & how you can do the same.

------Common Question------Why is it important to have video on

my website?

------Common Question------How does video help my

reputation?

------Common Question------How do I optimize my videos for

search?

Table of Contents:

1.Coming Up with Video Content Ideas & Creating Videos

2.Optimizing Videos for SEO3.Getting Video Conversions

Video Formats: Tutorial (step-by-step/how to) Video response to a question/online comment Answers to common questions Show a recent project Product demo Video series Case studies Showcase your company culture

Step 1:Decide what type of video you want to make

Step 2: Come Up with Content Ideas

Find the types of content your audience searches for in YouTube with YouTube Suggest

Use other web tools to find frequently searched topics in your industry such as Google Keyword Planner, Quora, or Delicious

Listen to sales calls and take note of callers questions, requests, & needs to figure out what content your audience wants

Do a content gap analysis - Review your competitors content, your businesses content, consider verticals that need more attention and think of the best ways to reach them

Think about areas on your website that can benefit from a personal touch

Step 3: Plan Your Video Content

• Decide what content you want to convey & create a story board

• Consider your speaker: choose someone with a great speaking voice, who is a good fit for the content of the video, and your business

• Figure out timeline (how long it will take to share your message)

• Consider a location for your shoot • Decide what props & tools will be needed

Fundamentals of Your Video Shoot

Borrow or rent a professional camera. For spontaneous video on a job site or at a conference, you can use your phone

Shoot in a well lit spot & consider the backdrop

Keep the camera balanced when you shoot using a tripod or table

Speaker should be dressed in a solid color (vibrant colors best)

Give speaker an external mic if possible

Post production: Add in background music if it fits

The Secret to Viral Video…

Is creating sharable content

Increase Shareability I

Elicit Emotion: Make the audience feel something, ideally, strong positive emotions such as excitement, awe, inspiration, or surprise.

Collaborate: Incorporate other people in your videos in the form of shout outs, guest speakers, interviews (with the end goal of making content that can be cross promoted to both of your audiences).

Make the Content Seem Spontaneous & Natural: Don’t script everything, but do script parts like the greeting and ending (to mention your business name). Try including a live interview or conversation.

Make Content Personal: Create a personal connection between the viewer and your company by addressing the audience and using relatable speakers.

Increase Shareability II

Capture User Attention Immediately: You have 5 seconds to get viewers interested. Accomplish this with a dramatic introduction, celebrity spokesperson, or engaging music.

Use a Strong Thumbnail: People click on videos that peak their interest. Title your video to tie in with the thumbnail to create a cohesive, click attracting story.

Click Driving Thumbnails

• Don’t just use the default, take high quality stills during a shoot that will make impactful thumbnails

• Accurately represent the content of your video• Image should pop and make a strong impression • Close-ups of faces work well • Frame the content & make sure the foreground is most

prominent

Marketing Your Videos

Video Marketing Plan: Choose the day & time for a video release, where it will be released, and organize targeted partner/influencer outreach to get your video in front of “tastemakers” in your industry.

Marketing to Coincide with New Video Release: • Embed the video in blog posts• Add it to your website • Promote the video to your mailing list • Share the video on social

TIP: Video added directly to Facebook outperforms video on Facebook linked from other networks in likes, comments and shares.

Optimizing Your Video for Search

This is what ranking in Google looks like

VIDEO SEO

• Create an engaging video title that includes rich keywords that match the title tag of the page.

• Additionally, use keywords in the video description, video file name, and keyword tags.

• Include a link back to your website in YouTube video descriptions to get referral traffic.

• Post your video on both YouTube and on your website. • Make the 1st few sentences of your video description count

because that’s all that will appear in search results and above the fold on a video player page.

• Add video to existing sitemaps to get them indexed. Instructions can be found on Google's support page.

Using YouTube Embed Code

Add YouTube videos & playlists to your website or blog by embedding it.

Here’s how to embed a video:1. Click the Share link under the video.2. Click the Embed link.3. Copy the code provided in the expanded box.4. Paste the code into your blog or website.

Why Embed? It helps your videos rank higher in search & allows you to customize the player.

Getting Video Conversions

• Webforms: Ask prospects to submit their contact info to see a video. 

• Call-to-Action: Add a call to action to your video (verbally and/or in the description), ex. “If you liked this video, please click the link below to get a free demo.” 

• Add a citation to your description: List your business name, phone number and address as they appear in your other online profiles & directory listings.

• Use YouTube Annotations: To direct traffic to other videos on your channel or to your website, or use it to direct viewers to the new updated version of a popular video.

Summing it Up!

1. Decide what type of video you want to make

2. Come up with content ideas3. Plan your video content and shoot4. Organize a marketing campaign around

your new videos, with the end goal of shareability

5. Optimize your video for search and conversions

Talk to Us

Chris Marentis is the Founder and CEO of Surefire Social. With over 25 years of experience leading traditional and interactive marketing businesses, Chris is a leader in helping businesses use new technology to enable dramatic growth. Need help or want to find out more?

Come see us to get your FREE Online Website Analysis now at www.surefiresocial.com or call 888-804-8685

Who is Surefire Social? Surefire Social delivers personal, comprehensive strategies for effective local Internet marketing. www.surefiresocial.com

To learn more about our Marketing & Lead Generation Services,

visit us @www.surefiresocial.com/marketing-solutions