Video on the Web: Rules to live by

Jun/01/2008 07:28 Filed in: DUH !
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Video can be a great way to communicate key messages to your audience, but unless you follow a few simple rules any dollars you spend to integrate video on your website will be dollars wasted. The biggest mistake you can do when you decide to integrate video to your website is to incorporate too many promotional messages. Remember that your website vistors always have their hand on the mouse and with a click they can turn off your message if it’s not what they want to hear.



Time is the new currency. Why watch the business news for 30 or 60 minutes on CNBC when you can watch a three minute summary on the Web ? Well evidently a lot of people feel the same way as traffic to video and video news sites has skyrocketed in recent months. In fact the traffic numbers have increased so much that some people are wondering if it might effect productivity of white collar office workers who have Internet access.


The real draw to these videos however is the fact that viewers can get all the information they want or need in short doses that THEY control. Don't like what you see? Then click off and go to another site or channel. The video that I have seen on the Web for DTC marketers is putrid and overly promotional to the point that people are laughing (actor portrayals on Cialis.com for example or repurposing TV spots on a website). Once again DTC marketers don't get it.

Behavior of online video

In order to leverage video on the Web some simple principles need to be followed;


1. Keep it real: Don't "sell" your products and make the video overly promotional. Let viewers get to their own conclusions based upon what they see.


2. Make it relevant: If it's not about me or what interests me than I don't care.


3. Make is short: Nothing over 3-4 minutes on the Web.


4. Don't use "actor portrayals". If you have to ask why then you don't get it.


5. Update and update some more: The more they keep coming back to watch your video the more exposure to the brand which is a marketers dream.


6. Make sure the people is the video are reflective of your target audience.


7. Follow someone as they start treatment so that viewers can share what it’s like to go on your mediation.


A group of women openly and honestly discussing osteoporosis would be great and educational for your target audience if you’re marketing one of the new osteoporosis treatments. But remember it has to be “real” and the clips short. Attention spans on the Web are extremely short and the shorter the video the better the viewership.

Frequency of Online Video

Oh by the way, adding video to your website doesn’t make your website web 2.0. Web 2.0 is all about engagement and pharma doesn’t understand how to engage its audience yet without running afoul of the legal people.

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