The Communications Vault

As we watched new media grab center stage in recent years, those of us involved with producing traditional media – namely video – wondered if there was still a place for it in this technology-driven market. The welcome answer was a resounding “yes!” Far from becoming obsolete, video is a stellar performer in many venues – whether it’s professional or consumer-generated video.

YouTube is a popular example. There are billions of videos on display at YouTube.com, offering everything from movie and T.V. clips to music videos, videoblogs and short original videos. And the audience? More than 20 million unique users per month. And consider this: while YouTube is big, it’s just one video-sharing site.

But users are not just finding video all over the Web. With Adobe Flash technology, producers are able to create higher quality, smaller-size video files that can be sent, downloaded, and viewed anywhere: computer, TV, IPOD, cell phone and lots of other delivery systems.

So if you’ve been thinking, “I can’t use video to sell my product or service, that’s so old-school,” you’d better think again. Check out all the places video has popped up! (more…)

Every time we ask someone to watch a presentation – a video, commercial, website or speech – we’re taking something from them they’ll never get back… time. It’s a priceless commodity and we’d better make sure we’re giving something of value in return.

Think about it. Why should they donate time to our cause? Because we want to sell them something? I don’t think so!

Viewers should give us their time because we have something of compelling value to offer them. We can change their lives for the better, or at least make things easier for them. If we can’t immediately answer their question, “What’s in it for me?” then there’s no reason for them to watch.

It’s a brutal measuring stick, to be sure, but this approach improves retention, engagement and outcomes. If we can measure up, viewers will embrace and spread our message.

So how do we do it? First of all, do your homework. Know your audience, clarify the message, and focus on the benefits. Keep it short; make it simple and finish strong. Address the question directly: “What’s in it for me?”

There are other benefits to keeping the presentation short. ROI is higher because the program is more focused. And it usually takes less money to make a 5-minute presentation than a 10-minute one. Or you can take your 10-minute budget, put it into a 5-minute presentation, and create twice the impact.

Tick tock.