Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
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24 Sales & Marketing 80 percent of Internet users remember the videos they watch, which translates to a willingness to return to a website or video channel for more information, the duo says. There are YouTube chan- nels that produce automotive instructional videos that have thousands of followers. Lewis says there's no reason heavy- duty businesses can't build a similar presence. The key is determining which video topics customers are looking for. "You have to ask yourself what they want to watch," he says, adding that good video conveys a clear message, is useful and empathic to a customer's situation. "You want to fi nd out what they really like and give them more of that," he says. And Bradley adds customer interest typically isn't limited to instructional videos. Product demonstrations and promotional videos also perform well when produced well. Bradley says video also provides the most effective way to com- municate a message to a customer short of a face-to-face meeting. Phone calls can convey emotion, but video conveys everything: body language, mannerisms and enthusiasm. It injects personality into a conversation, and that's important, Bradley says, as more than 90 percent of all communication is non- verbal. Video "creates trust and builds rapport" better than other communication meth- ods, he says. It also allows a business to provide a substantial amount of information in a short period of time. Bradley says 60 seconds of video can be as informative as 1.8 million words of text. For a service technician hustling to fi nish a re- pair, that's an unparal- leled time saver. "A good video allows you to communicate more [information] than you could ever hope to deliver in any other online medium," he says. But perhaps the most valuable aspect of video is the way it showcases a business. Coming up at the top of a customer's organic search results with a video catered to his interest is as valuable of a marketing tool as exists today, Lewis says. Quality video displays a business at its very best. Quality video puts the answer in front of customer asking a question. Any business that's capable of doing that regularly can become a hub for informa- tion, and a resource for customers worldwide. Lewis says that should be every company's online goal. "You want to become a thought leader in your industry," he says, "And have a [video channel] customers want to go to." Bradley agrees, adding the popularity and infl uence of video only seems destined to grow. By 2017, he says it will account for 90 percent of Internet traffi c. "Video is only going to get more powerful and more prominent. Don't be left in the dust." T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | J u n e 2 0 1 5 How to build an online video presence Create a YouTube channel: YouTube is the second-most popu- lar search engine in the world, and the largest online video library. Creating a YouTube channel allows a business to easily organize all videos it posts to the online video hub. From here, users can track video performance (views, average time watched, etc.), link related videos, and promote their business through the site. YouTube also allows users to embed video on other sites, which can be an asset for business looking to spruce up a corporate webpage. Be succinct: The average YouTube user watches two minutes of video per day. That's not much. Produc- ing a video to capture that user requires a direct approach, with a strong title sequence and compel- ling, relevant content throughout the video. YouTubers will watch a longer video if it directly relates to their interest (How-to videos are a good example of this) but will tune out quickly if a video lulls. Label properly: This is incredibly important in regards to search engine optimization and viewer time on site. A video that can't be found can't be watched; and a video that's not what it's labeled to be won't be watched for long. A properly labeled YouTube video should include a clear header, descriptive text, meta tags, category tags, keywords and relevant links. Be active: Arguably the most important step in building an online presence of any kind is simply being there. A YouTube page that sits dormant 363 days a year isn't going to be a place a customer seeks out. Releasing new videos at regular intervals is a good way to slowly build channel equity. Viewers who appreciate the regular content will identify the schedule and begin returning regularly in hopes of fi nding new content. A good video allows you to communicate more [information] than you could ever hope to deliver in any other online medium. – Sean V. Bradley, CEO at Dealer Synergy.