Indianapolis Marketing Firms

Musical group OkGo has had a few web video hits.  The "Treadmill Video" has over 50 million views.  Their latest video (above) features one of the largest Rube Goldberg machines I have ever scene and one long tracking shot that would make Scorsese quiver.

The thing I am most impressed about is State Farm's sponsorship of this video.  (OK, not literally. I am video guy and it was a really impressive video) But still, kudos to State Farm for being brave enough to sponsor a web video that only shows their branding briefly at the end and almost unnoticeable at the beginning. That is one of the most effective ways to market yourself online.  Realize that you are an insurance company and piggyback on something cooler.

Delivra, one of the original email software and services providers, today announced that it has integrated Cantaloupe.tv's new VideoHere(TM) online video platform with its own email marketing platform, giving marketers an easy way to add and manage videos within their email marketing campaigns. This platform also closely tracks which members viewed the videos and for how long.

VideoHere joins other video solutions in Delivra's suite of email marketing solutions but at a price point that makes it affordable for every marketer, according to Neil Berman, president of Delivra. "VideoHere is the kind of plug and play video integration tool that our clients have been asking for. The affordable system -- starting at just $50 a month -- is easy to use, feature rich, and provides insight into the success of each video.

The integration with VideoHere enables Delivra's clients to insert videos into their email campaigns with one-click, without the need for programming. Marketers can link video play buttons to a pre-built landing page developed by VideoHere or a marketer's custom-built landing page. Marketers measure video performance with detailed tracking of video impressions, views, times completed, times shared, days viewed and drop off rate. The video player allows advanced sharing of videos via email, Twitter, Facebook and by embedded links on websites or blogs.

To learn more and to get started watch our short video.

About Delivra
Delivra offers permission-based email marketing software and personalized services at an attractive price. Delivra has clients nationwide of all sizes and in all major industries. Clients include Del Monte, American Legion, National Geographic, Butler University, US Rowing, Harris Connect and Samsung. Founded in 1999, Delivra is a privately held company headquartered in Indianapolis. For more information, visit www.delivra.com.
 

I just received an article from Online VideoInsider discussing the ability to embed YouTube video directly into Gmail with the simple paste of a YouTube video URL. Here's the catch. You have to be inside of the Gmail application in your browser. Not a big deal for a lot of us, right? I think we are still the minority though!

I see this catching on quickly for B2C email marketing, but what about B2B? This functionality doesn't carry through into desktop email clients and I'm guessing most organizations are not going to have their employees logging into Gmail through web browsers anytime soon. We have used Gmail for our business email from Day 1, however, 95% of the office views their email through Mac Mail which means most will never even know this is happening if a friend shares a video with them.

I like the push forward as far as embedded video directly in email, but remember best practices at this point for video email marketing. To see video email best practices check out this previous post.

I'd love to hear any comments on what everyone thinks about this. Is this a game changer in the B2B video email marketing world at this point?

Years ago, super savvy people decided that they their company needed a website to thrive.  The early adopters saw huge successes, and eventually everyone else (for the most part) followed along, some reluctantly and some still not at all.  So what's next? Video. Web Video. 

It seems like it is the obvious answer.  It seems like people would jump all over it.  Some people don't like change, they like doing things the way they've always been done and don't understand why web video and social media are important (I hope they wise up before it's too late!) Others just don't know where to start, well friends, I am going to tell you.

Let me be clear. You can start with 3 videos.  Now, they key word here is start.  The key to success is to continue these concepts into 3 individual series.

Video #1:  Our first video is about our industry, but not about us.  Let's use a fictional coffee company called "The Happy Pot"  For them, this first video could be about Tips on Using a French Press or short documentary on How beans get from the field to your Cup.

Why this works: This series proves you are savvy in your industry,  but isn't a sales pitch, so people are more likely to watch.  If a bike shop has a video on YouTube about how to change a flat tire, you will be more likely to go there next time you need a bike.  They video didn't try to sell you a bike, it just gave you information that you wanted/needed. If they then decide they want to learn more about you, then they can go to your website, where web video #3 is waiting.



Video #2: This video isn't about you or your industry.  Sounds weird doesn't it?  Think of "The Happy Pot"  They decide to do a video about bands and music.  However, these conversations take place in "The Happy Pot's" coffee shop, or any location and they are drinking from a "Happy Pot" coffee cup.

Why this works:  The audience that watches Video #1 really like coffee.  Why else would they be watching videos about coffee?!  However, Video #2 is targeted more to the casual coffee drinker. They like and drink coffee, but their loyalty is for sale because they aren't really serious about their coffee.  By targeting a broader topic, like music, you reach a broader audience of serious, semi-serious, and even non coffee drinkers.  Your web video is entertaining them, and the next time they want coffee (or want to buy a gift if they are a non-coffee drinker), they will probably remember the company that entertained them.


Video #3:  This is the transitional web video for the old school marketers.  It's a web video about your company, a good old fashioned "About Us" video.  There are many ways to produce this video in a more interesting way than "We here at Company X care about our customers blah blah..." approach.

Why this works:  Well, people that put forth the effort to come to your site want to know about you.  Volvo once did a survey and discovered that 88% of the people that bought a new Volvo had visited the website to research first.  This is where it's most important to be authentic and open. 

Ok, I have the videos...now what?

Get Videos #1 and #2 out there! Use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, email blasts, whatever it takes to get an audience. They are the fishing net that you throw out to start pulling people back to your website.  Get people interested and keep them engaged by continuing the series. Create a new web video every month (at least!) so people can keep consuming and spreading them around!

Put Video #3 on your homepage. Now the people that the other two web videos filter to your site have something to keep them engaged.  They decided to take the next step towards being your customer, so don't let them down by only having text on your site!

There you go, a simple blueprint to get you on your way to a serious web video presence.

Anyone remember speech class?

How many times did you hear your teacher instruct you to "eliminate the 'ums' and 'uhs'?"  I'd venture to say you heard it quit a bit, didn't you?

Naturally (because of speech class and other tid bits of instruction we've learned over the years) we strive to be perfect in all we do, or else we will fall short of accomplishing what we aim to accomplish.  But, I think it's time we step back and re-evaluate what we as marketers are ACTUALLY aiming to do, and then determine if "perfection" is actually necessary.

So many people try to make polished, over-produced video so that they can prop themselves up as the "perfect" company; because, after all, that's what we're trying to be right?  Companies are trying to glaze over their imperfections in order to "sell" themselves to prospects.

Here's the problem with that -- NO ONE GIVES A FLIP!

That's right, no one cares how polished and perfect you are; people would rather know who you are on a more intimate level, than see your smoke and mirrors presentation of yourself.  They want to relate to you in any way that they can.  

Every company out there is doing the dog and pony show to appear more than they actually are, and people still don't care.  In fact, people would rather a company embrace their human fallacies.  They'd rather do business with a company that is real and is on the same page as them, having a polished approach to your videos isn't the way to accomplish this.

Now, don't get me wrong, you still need to be professional -- be the best you can possibly be; but don't worry about trying the mask the "ums" and "uhs" if that's who you are.  Like the fortune cookie says, if you squeeze an orange, orange juice will come out - because that's what's inside.  You can't pretend to be a banana when you have orange juice inside -- in other words, you can't pretend to be perfect and polished when you're not. (And, yes, I'm well aware that this is a terrible illustration.  And, no, I don't necessarily consider bananas to be perfect and polished, nor do I see oranges as a less than perfect or unpolished fruit -- I hope you get the point though.)

Be candid.  Be real.  Tell your story, and quit worrying about covering up the dumb idiosyncrasies that make you . . . well . . . you.  That's what people want to see.  They don't want to swim through a bunch of bull to find it.

I originally wanted to interview Michael Davey, Cantaloupe's Project Manager, (and overall great guy) but he was using the restroom so I opted for the closest person in proximity to me, Stacy Billanti, our CEO.  I guess it's fitting that my first vlog would be an interview with our CEO.  We talked about the usuals.  Authentic Storytelling, our frustrations in getting people to tell good stories, what is a good story, etc. etc. 

Honestly, I just watched it and even though I caught her off guard and it wasn't rehearsed I still felt like she came off a bit "markety."  No offense to Stacy.  She's not your typical CEO and definitely not over "messagey" or "markety."  But, it's hard not to be when you're on camera and you know this video will, in some way be used for marketing.  That's the trick.  How can you plan and produce video for the web without it being the same old regurgitation of marketing messages?  It's hard enough when it really is candid. That is where Cantaloupe comes in.  

I'm not going to explain it all here but this vlog will hopefully give you a little insight into how Cantaloupe thinks about using video online to your best advantage.  Hopefully through some candid interviews around the office, unannounced and unedited we can cut through some of the marketing crap and get some real comments from the heart. 

You can expect some more difficult questions from myself as these vlogs keep going. This one was hopefully just a warm up.

Also, I mention in this vlog that software companies are generally boring and have the same marketing messages.  Please don't take offense:)  All software companies do cool stuff.  BUT, it's hard to talk about it without it being boring.  But have no fear, it's our job to make sure you don't get stuck in a rut when you market with video online. 

Last month I spoke at the Marketing Sherpa’s Email Summit.  It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed talking with folks in our booth and at my talk which was titled: “Demystifying the Use of Video in B2B Email Marketing.”  See this link for copies of the slides.   I thought I would share some of the most common questions I encountered when talking about online video at the conference so you all could see what is on marketers’ minds these days.

Top four questions that we received at the summit.

Question 1:
“Can I play video right within my email campaigns?”   Often asked this way too:   “Can I embed video directly in my emails?”
 
Answer:
What is the value here? The only answer I received when I asked folks "why?" they wanted to embed in the email was that it skipped a step (of having to go to a website and then click again to play). I challenged them to tell me why they wanted subscribers to stay in their email rather than going to their website which is usually where they want them to go. Also, with the auto-play feature, the video automatically starts playing when you click through to the website, so, we are really not skipping a step.

Also, you want to do all you can to ensure your email arrives in your subscriber’s inbox don’t you?   Embedding video directly into your message greatly decreases the chances that your email will be delivered to your subscribers, as most email servers will block large embedded files or flag the message as SPAM.  Even if your email does get through to the subscriber, it is very likely that your video will not render properly in their email.  For more details, see Dusty Koekenberg’s blog post below dated January 13, 2010.
 
-----------------

Question 2:
“What length of video is best?”
 
Answer:
Two to three minutes. However, it is about relevancy. My "BMW minded" brother wouldn't watch 5 seconds of a 25 second video on quilting. But.. would watch a full 15 minute video on the new 7-series.
 
-----------------

Question 3:
“Do you just put a link in the email or some type of graphic?”
 
Answer:
Pictures are worth a thousand words.   Our video management product Backlight allows you to output a graphical representation of the video with a awesome looking play button... So, the end user feels like they are clicking the video itself.
 
-----------------

Question 4 :
“How often should you send out a video to your database?”
 
Answer:
Generally, once a month.  However it is an evolutionary process to find out what works for each company. If you juggle paying for the production and doing some video yourself (less professionally done vlogging for instance) then perhaps you can get away with a more frequent delivery. Also, the audience plays into this decision.  Younger folks are probably are OK with more frequency while CEO's are not.

-----------------

Send me an email at getjon@cantaloupe.tv with other video email questions you want answered, or, visit our website at www.cantaloupe.tv.  Also, stay tuned because we will release a White Paper on this topic soon!

I get a lot of people calling me asking about doing a single video to use on their website.  They want a good "About Us" video or bio video to be viewed once people come to their page.  Well, having one video purposed on your homepage gets you on the right track, but by using only one video, you're organization is missing out on some tremendous opportunities.  Using a multiple video approach within your web presence is a far superior way of engaging your target audiences.  There are many reasons why this is so, but I want to give you five big reasons why using multiple videos will pay off far more than just a single video on your website.





1) Gives a more intimate/ in depth look into your organization:

Ask any president, CEO, marketing gal or average Joe what separates their company from the competition.  What responses do you typically hear?  Our people.  Our customer service.  Our innovative products and services.  

Blah, blah, blah.

Everyone preaches this same message.  Even if it's true, how are you proving it?  

A video on your homepage?  Well that's a great start, but let me ask you this:

Can you adequately share your story with one video?

Of course you can't.  It's much like meeting someone for the first time at a networking event and chatting to them for 2 minutes.  You certainly get a general impression of that person, but you will never leave that conversation saying, "Wow, I can really identify that guy's distinguishing qualities."

Multiple videos help you have an intimate conversation with your audience, which will inevitably separate your organization from your competition.

RJE Knoll, a business furniture distributer in Indianapolis, greatly benefited from this approach.  After doing a video series on their people, their revenue increased 22% and their email open rates increased 50%

2) Makes your website dynamic:

More and more people are coming to your website to learn about you.  Your website is the hub of all of your marketing efforts.  If you're smart, you would constantly find new ways to keep people coming back to your site over and over again; to see your call to actions and to be perpetually impressed by your company.  Companies today pay big bucks to attract new people and existing clientele to their website.

What reason are you giving your audiences to keep coming back to your site? 

With multiple video stories, new and old audiences alike will continually peak their head in to see your fresh new content.

3) Ability to touch diverse audiences:

I bet your company has multiple products and/or services, doesn't it?  I'd also bet you have different audiences to speak to (clients, vendors, resellers, end users, employees, etc.), don't you?  Well, do you honestly think a single video will be applicable to all of your audiences and adequately highlight your products and services?  You're crazy if you do!

Multiple videos enable you to have the right conversations with the right people.  Why make a single video with a generic message, when you can have multiple videos that touch every possible angle in detail?

4)  Helps fill sales cycle gap:

Ever wonder what to do after you make a sales proposal, and you get the "This is exactly what we need, but we need to hold off for a year," response?  Do you call them every once in a while?  Do you send them emails?  Snail mail?  What's the best way to stay connected throughout their sales cycle?  

Answer:  Send them multiple video stories.

It's a great passive way of staying sticky, all while solidifying why your organization is the best.

5)  Enhances search engine optimization efforts:

Forrester recently reported that by having video on your website, your chances of showing up on the first page of a Google search increases 50x.  The more video content you have circulating on your website, the more it improves your SEO initiatives.

Cantaloupe.TV today launched its new breakthrough video platform, VideoHere(TM) to web application providers at the Marketing Sherpa Email Marketing Summit. VideoHere is a turnkey online video management system that providers can embed in any web application, uses no APIs, and requires no IT investment.

"VideoHere gives the end user their own online video management platform all within the web application they already use," says Stacy Billanti, President of Cantaloupe.TV, "and this is all done using scalable and reliable cloud-based technology." This product is particularly relevant for marketing applications including email marketing software providers, blogging software providers, and website content management systems, as their customers are demanding the ability to use video in their marketing communications to create more compelling online content. Further, web marketing application companies need to focus on their own platform development, and they don't have the expertise, time, nor development resources to effectively build and maintain online video capabilities.

VideoHere allows end users to point and click to upload, customize, embed video and play buttons, and track video viewership. Email service provider Net Atlantic, Inc. has just announced the addition of VideoHere to their suite of email marketing solutions. This integration offers Net Atlantic email marketing users the ability to seamlessly utilize video in their email campaigns. "Adding video to email campaigns will improve lead quality and increase conversions for our customers," says Bill Reich, President of Net Atlantic. "Studies show that video email campaigns increase click-through rates by 2 to 3 times, shortening the sales cycle and increasing revenues." "As video becomes pervasive across online channels, web application providers will need to offer video management capabilities seamlessly to customers," shares Stacy Billanti. "VideoHere offers a powerful extension to their existing suite of services, provides them with a competitive advantage, as well as allows them to generate incremental value from this new offering."

The Cantaloupe video team specializes in producing authentic web video stories for one-to-one marketing. Cantaloupe also provides online video management platforms, Backlight(TM) and VideoHere(TM), which are easy-to-use and powerful tools allowing marketers to integrate video into email marketing, websites, blogs, and social media.

Learn more about VideoHere

Marketers tend to suffer from what I call, "The Wizard of Oz Complex."  They are standing behind the curtain trying to make you believe something that isn't exactly true.  Lots of bells, whistles, smoke and spins that try to hide their flaws and insecurities as a company.

What they don't seem to realize is that their customers are like Dorothy strolling down the yellow brick road to Transparency City singing "If I Only Had Some Truth." It's what they want, and they will get it from "Somewhere over the Internet" with the help of their "Google-slippers."

You may think your marketing mumbo jumbo is an Iron Curtain you can hide behind, but I promise that your web video curtain is just as flimsy and obvious as the Wizard's. And, just like Toto, viewers know that it's all just a show, and someone is behind the curtain.  Web video is about honest, transparent information that is entertaining.

If you are going to brave the world of web video (which you will have to sooner or later) be brave enough to follow the yellow brick road to Transparency City and avoid the Wicked Witch of Marketing Mumbo Jumbo.

With VideoHere, Net Atlanitc, Inc. offers users the ability to seamlessly utilize video in their email campaigns, creating a highly relevant and engaging marketing message.

“Adding video to email campaigns will improve lead quality and increase conversions for our customers,” says Bill Reich, President of Net Atlantic. “Studies show that video email campaigns increase click-through rates by 2 to 3 times, shortening the sales cycle and increasing revenues.”

An added advantage of VideoHere is that an online marketer is able to enhance their SEO efforts and increase their social media footprint with video content. The feature includes an out of the box tool that tags the video for search engines, and the video player has features to allow the viewer to easily share the videos with their network.

Read the full press release of Net Atlantic's integration with VideoHere.

Wondering how you can video enable your marketing software offering? Get started with VideoHere today!

In 2005 I was a Senior at IUPUI studying Computer Graphics Technology when I was given the opportunity to meet a rather interesting character named Jon DiGregory. Not only was he an interesting person, he continually was coming up with these interesting marketing ideas non-stop.

I soon became an employee of Jon's at Cantaloupe.TV and so forth began a journey that I continue to live to this day. We've been through the good and the bad, but I wanted to share a video from the past (circa 2005) to help you understand the craziness that I have been dealing with the past 4 years. I think once you see this video you'll get a better understanding of just how interesting this guy can be. Now, I understand that Jon didn't invent the idea of "Send-To-A-Friend Marketing", but he did have a unique approach at telling people about it.

Cantaloupe founding partner, Jon Digregory, was recently interviewed by Randy Berry with 50 Interviews: Video Marketers. Jon's interview will be featured in a book to be released titled: 50 Interviews: Video Marketers - How America’s Most Skilled, Most Inspired Online Video Advertising Creators are Transforming the YouTube Landscape. To see information on Jon's interview you can visit Randy's blog by clicking here.

50 Interviews: Video Marketers is a licensed production of 50 Interviews Inc, based on the original concept by Brian Schwartz.

Hear more from Randy and his experience with the interviews up to this point in the short video below.

Do you have any plans for your clients this holiday season? Heck, you can take it one step further. Are you doing anything this holiday season for ANYONE that is coming to your website? You see, your clients don't want the same ole' holiday card that you always send them. They want to see YOU. And if you are going to take the time to put yourself out there, why not use it to thank all of your website visitors.

After reading a recent blog post from Kyle Lacy of BrandSwag, you better be exposing your brand online and what a better way to do that, than with online video. Online video marketing is a quick and easy way to show your clients and followers the REAL you. With Cantaloupe's special holiday video offer you can engage your clients and friends with a fun and entertaining short video. Hear what Cantaloupe founder, Jon DiGregory, has to say about this below and learn more about the offer.

"You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else."
                                               --Tyler Durden

 I swear if I hear one more company tell me that they are unique because they care about their clustomers (that's clients and/or customers) I might have a nervous breakdown.

Tell me who you are, and I (as in ME, as in the person that might potentially give you money) will decide if you are unique are not. This doesn't just apply to web video, but to all mediums.

Do a web video where I (the viewer) get to hang out with your staff for a bit. I'll get to see what you do and how you do it. Then I can decide your uniquity (no, this isn't really a word).



This type of web video drops the walls, humanizes your business, and lets the (potential) clustomers see the real you!

Show me that you are an expert. Show me that your widget is awesome.  Show me that you are unique, just stop trying to tell me!!

 I was driving southbound on interstate 465 here in Indianapolis the other day after a tiring day at work. As I was weaving in and out of traffic, I happened to notice a billboard. This particular billboard was vacant, and the company who owned it had a catchy little saying to entice people to occupy it. You know the kind . . . "made you look," "your customers could be looking at this," stuff like that. This billboard, however, had something I've never seen written before. It said, "Why whisper when you can shout?" Clever. Point well made. Makes sense. But, as I continued to fight my way through mini vans and semi trucks, I began to think more about this rhetorical question. Why WOULD I whisper if I could shout? It was almost as if it were a riddle I HAD to answer. Then it hit me like a house load of bricks . . . 

With the advent of technologies like broadband internet, the world has evolved from being a billion, tiny microcosms to one gigantic monster. With it's evolution has come a certain change in how we communicate. In this new, never-sleep, global society; glitz, flash, superlatives and techno music are working overtime just to catch our attention. There are thousands of entertainment and broadcast mediums, millions of websites, XM gave us hundreds of specific radio stations, there are cable stations galore . . . and the more they grow, the more THEY shout. Pulling us to and fro with enticing words and attractive choreography. Back and forth, over and over, they shout. Buy this! Come in here! Watch me! Listen to this! Read me! Subscribe here! Travel there! Wear this! Order now! A deafening chorus of shouting. But, here's the point . . . If everyone is shouting, who is really being heard? A whisper is rare. A whisper grabs your attention. Ever been at a table, and someone leans over to whisper your neighbor a secret? What do you typically do? You stop. You pay attention. You naturally want to know what the secret is. If you're close enough, you may pry to find out what it was. You completely grab one's attention if you whisper, and in a world of loud mouths and yodelers, people crave the intimate, and personalized delivery of a whisper. Yes, technology has brought us many great things . . . but, boy has it numbed certain aesthetic human subtleties. Email is wonderful, and fast, and convenient, but do you remember the appreciation and self value you felt when you received a handwritten letter? Sure, getting flair or a "poke" on Facebook is kind of nice, but how does it compare to someone firmly holding your hand, looking you in the eyes and saying with sincerity, "I appreciate you." You see . . . we've gotten away from that.  As marketing gurus, we must understand that our job is not necessarily to shout as loud as we can so as many people can hear us.  No . . .  it's more about having the right conversations with the right people.  Sincere video is an excellent alternative to the "loud mouth" methods being used out there today.  We've gotten away from what, in many ways, makes us human. "Why whisper when you can shout?" ANSWER: Because a well placed whisper is louder.

We are excited to announce that Delivra has partnered with Cantaloupe to integrate Backlight, our online video platform, into its own email marketing platform.  The integration simplifies the use of online video in email and provides powerful one-to-one tracking information.



With the integration, non-technical marketers can easily embed Backlight video play buttons into their email templates with one-click from their Delivra account.  After a campaign has been launched, users can see impressions, views, and completions for the campaign and individual subscribers directly from their Delivra account, providing invaluable information for sales and marketing teams.  Click here to learn more about the Backlight/Delivra integration or register now for a joint Cantaloue/Delivra webinar: Best Practices Using Video in Email Marketing.

Could online video become the new way to feature your products on your website? I think so. I have recently seen two different ecommerce sites use online video to showcase products. Although done in completely different styles I think they both go to show how online video and internet video marketing are changing the landscape of the internet.

enveme.com has implemented short video clips of their products on each individual products page. By showing models with the product actually on, you can see how the material flows and looks when worn. I know that some product pages allow you to rotate the product and even zoom in on it, but does this really tell you what you want?

The second company that I have seen using online video for their produtcs is WilliamRast.com and should be of no surprise since it is co-owned by Justin Timberlake and features him in the videos. The key to this example is that it's not models walking around or spinning with the product on. The videos are shot in a short film format and feature the companies clothing within each video. This approach is completely outside the box of product showcase but the ability to share the videos gives William Rast a free and quick way for their consumers to share their brand with others.

Check out this Cantaloupe.tv client showcasing their products with online video.

With the price of online video production and distribution continually dropping I look forward to seeing more and more products being presentd to the consumer in this fashion. The creativeness is endless!