If your business has tried conventional marketing (print, TV, radio, direct mail) with less than stellar results, now may be the time for you to embrace SMS video text messaging as a marketing tool.  Here are some compelling statistics.

Studies show that 83% of all US adults use a cell phone and 73% of them regularly send and receive text messages.  Over 9.6 trillion text messages were sent in 2012.  30% of consumers interact with brands via text message and of those consumers nearly 50% would like to receive text ads.  Text message users in the US send or receive an average of 35 messages daily.  Among smartphone users 22% say texting is the top function they cannot do without, followed by the Internet (17%) and Email (16%).

While these statistics alone get my attention, I want to really make the case by offering 7 real-world advantages of using video text message marketing to promote your brand and sell products. Read the rest of this entry »

I love blogs.  In the name of research (and idle curiosity) I’ve visited thousands of sites, reading articles on everything from SEO strategies to landscape design.

What does this have to do with video marketing?  A lot, actually.  While I enjoy discovering new blogs, I find that certain sites draw me back, time after time. Content is a major factor, but I also recognize it’s more than that.  It’s consistency.  Articles are consistently and thoughtfully written.  Images are consistently well crafted.  Branding is consistently and creatively threaded throughout.  These sites are more than someone’s ideas haphazardly splashed across a webpage.  They are themed environments designed to spark interaction (comments, shares, Likes, Pins) and sales.

Blogs aren’t the only ones using consistent themes as marketing tools. Themed TV commercials have been used for years to build brands and influence consumer spending.  The Priceline ‘Negotiator’ and Capital One ‘Vikings’ are just two examples.  Insurance giants Allstate and Geico have done an outstanding job of developing not one, but two concurrent advertising themes.  Since 2003, Dennis Haysbert has been the Allstate spokesperson asking, ‘Are you in good hands?’  In 2010, ‘Mayhem’ ads were introduced to target younger consumers.  Both campaigns continue to be successful.  The long running ‘Caveman’ and ‘Gecko’ ads by Geico, present two very unique and humorous themes that target different demographics without diluting their brand.  No easy task to pull off. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve been getting a lot of questions about the Vault feature and thought a quick video could address them more effectively than an article.  For those of you unfamiliar with the Vault, it’s a folder in the Video Library.  A video email sent from the Vault is restricted to a single view by the recipients.  Additional views must be requested and are at the discretion of the sender.  This feature is perfect for anyone wanting to send private or proprietary information without the fear of it being forwarded or viewed by someone other than the intended recipient.  For more details on how to use this cool feature, check out Ryan’s video below.

Click Here to Watch Video

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Jamie Bidwell is a team member at www.covideo.com. Covideo provides video email software that helps companies build relationships quickly and reinforce their brands more effectively with easy-to-make video emails that truly communicate. jamie@covideo.com.

Times change.  In the past 10 years, dial-up Internet connections have been replaced by faster, more reliable broadband technology.  Clunky mobile phones have evolved into sleek, mini-computers.  And video, once a novelty item in the online world, is now standard fare on social sharing sites, gaining traction all across the web.

In much the same way, we’re looking at better ways to ‘attach’ PDFs, Word Documents and Excel Spreadsheets to a video email.  The regular method of attaching a document requires the viewer to go back to the email after viewing the video to access the file.  It’s a bit awkward and relies on the viewer’s willingness to take extra steps.  Why not make the documents available right on the video email template using our customizable exit links?

The only issue; you need a URL to create the link, and regular file documents don’t have that.  But, no worries.  We found an easy way to create a URL for your documents using a free service called Dropbox. Ryan put together a quick video on how create a URL and add the link to your video email template.

WATCH VIDEO

With this new method, you can include up to 7 file links with any video you send.  So, forget about using old-fashioned attachments.  It’s a new day.  Add file links to your templates instead.

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Jamie Bidwell is a team member at www.covideo.com. Covideo provides video email software that helps companies build relationships quickly and reinforce their brands more effectively with easy-to-make video emails that truly communicate. jamie@covideo.com.

It’s now easier than ever to get the latest news from Covideo. We’ve added an RSS feed to the Blog to give you access to all the great articles, tips and updates as soon as they’re published. Be the first to know about new features, learn time-saving tricks, watch cool tutorials and much more, all delivered to one handy location and available on demand.

Ryan put together a video on how to subscribe and even gives you two free RSS Reader options for managing your feeds.

Watch video

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Jamie Bidwell is a team member at www.covideo.com. Covideo provides video email software that helps companies build relationships quickly and reinforce their brands more effectively with easy-to-make video emails that truly communicate. jamie@covideo.com.

If you are wondering how to improve video quality, start with lighting.  Good video lighting will produce a more professional result, regardless of the video camera you are using.  How you approach lighting your subject will depend on whether you are shooting indoors or out.

Types of Lighting
Natural Light:  The sun is the best source of natural light for outdoor videos, but it comes with challenges. Avoid making videos when the sun is directly overhead as it will create harsh shadows across your subject’s face.  The best time of day for outdoor videos is mid-morning or mid-afternoon when the sun isn’t as bright.  Cloudy or hazy days will provide a softer, more even light source than the sun but often require additional lighting to keep the subject from appearing too flat against the background.

Read the rest of this entry »

When introducing people to our system, two popular features are the large selection of templates and the ability to create Exit Links that appear on the templates.  But many users don’t realize these features are selected and managed independently from each other, making it possible to use any template with any Exit Link set.  Let me explain.

Templates
When an account is first opened our system assigns the Black Link Template as your default template.  This means that unless you assign a new template as your default, or manually select a different template when sending a video email, the Black Link Template will appear with every video email you send.

To assign a new template as your default:     Default Template Video
1) Login to your account and click on Graphics.
2) The page that comes up has a scrollable menu on the left with all your template names. (You can also use the search feature.)
3) Hover over each name and a thumbnail image of the template will appear to the right.
4) Once you find the template you want, click on the corresponding radio button in the column under the word Default.
5) A message will appear confirming the new template has been set as your default. Read the rest of this entry »

At around 23 million members, Pinterest (launched in 2010) has become one of the fastest growing social media sites in history, quickly catching up to Twitter in popularity and referral traffic.  According to Buzz Referrals, Pinterest users follow more retailers than their Facebook or Twitter counterparts, are 10% more likely to make purchases and spend 10% more.  Businesses are taking note of this astounding growth and sales potential by creating Pinterest boards to market their brands.  Such diverse names as Whole Foods, Nordstrom, The Weather Channel, Southwest Airlines, GE and The Wall Street Journal have all developed successful boards using fun, clever and inspiring pins to attract followers and increase sales.

The Pinterest statistic that stands out to me is a 42% higher click-thru rate for DIY and tutorial pins.  After looking at dozens of these pins I am struck by how many rely on still images and text to walk viewers through projects ranging from furniture refinishing to recipes.  Most posts include 3-4 pictures that only tell part of the story, and written directions that can be confusing or incomplete.  Video pins on the other hand, not only offer more detail and clarity, they bring the subject to life and make the process more interesting.  Beyond DIY and tutorials, video pins are great for product demos, virtual home tours, sales events, brand enhancement, contests and much more.

So, how do you pin a video to Pinterest from your Covideo account?  It’s actually pretty easy.   In fact, it only takes a couple of clicks.  Watch This Video to see how it’s done.  Once pinned, a first-frame image from your video will be added to the designated board.  When a Pinterest user clicks on the image, your template appears (complete with any links you have set up) and the video begins playing.  Users can repin, like or comment on videos as they do with any other pin.

If your business has a Pinterest page, now is a great time to include video pins in your marketing repertoire.  If you haven’t established a Pinterest presence, decide how best the platform can be used for your business and then let Covideo help you bring it to life, with video.

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Jamie Bidwell is a team member at www.covideo.com. Covideo provides video email software that helps companies build relationships quickly and reinforce their brands more effectively with easy-to-make video emails that truly communicate. jamie@covideo.com.

Congratulations. You’ve survived the havoc-ridden, deal-driven, free-for-all shopping-tornado that is Black Friday, and you can now enjoy another winter filled with holiday cheer. This year many businesses are ditching the generic corporate Christmas card and taking to the Web for their holiday messaging. With Covideo you can send a video email holiday greeting that focuses on all company employees and positively affects morale.

Every part of your company is a cog in the wheel of that business’s success, and a thoughtful and thankful video provides a great opportunity for executives to distribute accolades and recognition. A liberal dose of humor is also effective in raising spirits. In the first company I was employed, the otherwise serious CEO would dress up like Santa Claus for his annual Christmas communication, drawing widespread laughter from the sheer absurdity of his antics.

Covideo offers a wide variety of themed solutions for your holiday well-wishing. After recording your video, choose your holiday video skin from eight options available in the Templates section under the Graphics tab. This video is supposed to be fun, so include holiday links that help to set the mood (elfyourself.com is my personal favorite).
What are you waiting for? Spread the holiday cheer throughout your business by signing up for a free Covideo trial today.

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Curran Corrigan is a team member at www.covideo.com. Covideo provides video email software that helps companies build relationships quickly and reinforce their brands more effectively with easy-to-make video emails that truly communicate. curran@covideo.com.

Although YouTube offers the ability to share your videos privately, your recipients have to be logged into YouTube to view them. We think that’s a lot to ask of someone who doesn’t know you or to whom you’re trying to sell a service.  We believe you deserve a way to send videos securely and privately, that’s easy to access and view.

Google’s recent opening of its top secret data centers drove home just how much information the search giant stores and processes on a day-to-day basis. Besides an index of pretty much every website on the internet, Google provides free storage for millions of its users in the form of services like Gmail, Google Drive, and YouTube.  With a significant percentage of their profit base built around traffic driven through sharing, it comes as no surprise that Google hasn’t devoted time developing privacy features for YouTube videos. Read the rest of this entry »

Email Marketing is an essential piece of a company’s overall marketing strategy.  In fact, according to eMarketer reports, 97% of all small businesses use email marketing.  Even with the massive social media growth of the past several years, email marketing with 3.3 billion users has nearly three times the users as Facebook and Twitter combined.  But, all those users also mean increasingly crowded inboxes filled with marketing messages.  So, getting people to open your email may be a difficult obstacle to overcome.

To begin the process of improving your open rates, put yourself in the recipient’s place.  What kind of email marketing message would you open? Read the rest of this entry »

Last week I discussed the importance of developing a strong, positive brand to differentiate your business from the pack and create growth.  Today, I want to focus on an area of differentiation that has emerged from the economic difficulties of the past several years:  Added Value.

Whether you are a B2B or B2C business, potential customers have changed their buying habits and requirements since 2008.  A solid product and competitive price are not necessarily enough to win over a client who can do a quick online search and find similar options.  It’s up to you to show them your product is a value-add to their business or everyday lives.

One of the best ways to show added value is with video. Determine which areas of added value apply to your product, and then cut videos that make a compelling case for the customer to buy.  Product-in-action videos or testimonials from satisfied customers are time-tested, winning formulas.  Embed the videos on your website, send as personalized emails or include in email campaigns.

So what comprises added value? Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever used a Kleenex, Band-Aid or some Vaseline?  The branding for these products has been so successful, the names define the products to consumers.  Think about it.  How often do people refer to tissues, bandages or petroleum jelly?

Other than name recognition, why do companies spend so much time, effort and money developing their brand?  Strong branding is essential to business prosperity on a number of levels.  A carefully planned, creative and well executed brand strategy can:

Read the rest of this entry »

We are often asked which free video editing software is best and have found there is no easy answer to that question.  Many factors beyond functionality flaws may make one software more applicable than another in individual situations.  So before downloading any free video editing software ask yourself, “What is my experience level?” and “Which editing features do I need?”

Since we wanted to give you the best information possible, we turned to Covideo Support Tech (and video editing wizard) Ryan Morris, for help.  Ryan routinely uses several video editors when creating our tip and tutorial videos. Below are his reviews of 7 free video editors, some widely used and others less known.  He also included links to additional reviews and downloads for each product. Read the rest of this entry »

Breaking into the acting business is no easy feat.  Every year, thousands of hopeful would-be stars flock to L.A. chasing that silver screen impossible dream.  And to the already long list of qualities an actor must possess to rise to the top, a new one has been added by the internet….web cam expert.  Fewer producers and directors see ‘live’ talent auditions these day, opting instead to view videos.  So, many parts are filled without ever seeing the actor in person.

“More and more of the auditions I do are conducted over the internet,” says Atlanta native and professional actor Dean Balkwill, “Audition videos are sent straight from my laptop to the casting directors’ computers.  I like it because it saves on travel expense; and clients like it because they can review my submission at their own pace.  Honestly, my agent and I often prefer this over the whole cattle-call thing.” Read the rest of this entry »