Category Archives: Video
Enhance Your Online Healthcare Marketing with Video – PART II
by Scott McIntosh on January 12, 2012 | 1 comment
in Healthcare, Marketing, Video
As I discussed in my previous post, in order to maximize online discovery of your healthcare marketing videos, take advantage of social media platforms and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Video SEO is all about using the proper keywords in your video titles and descriptions. To get a feel for the most popular keywords being searched at any given time, use the Google Keyword Tool or YouTube Keyword Tool to pick out the highest trending and most relevant keywords that relate to the content of your video. Then attempt to use these keywords within your video titles and descriptions.
Once your video is completed and you’ve chosen your keyword optimized title and description, upload the video to YouTube as it’s one of the most popular search engines itself. YouTube allows for a title, description and keyword set to be entered with each entry. Because search engines are unable to decipher the contents (spoken words, dynamic text, etc) of videos, it’s important to use titles and descriptions – using your keywords – to describe the subject matter.
Take full advantage of YouTube’s description box by placing a link back to your main website. After all, the overall purpose of this effort is to market your healthcare services – what better way than to drive people to your main website. I recommend placing a link to your site in the first couple lines of the description box and including the “http://” portion to ensure it is recognized by your browser as an easily clickable link. Here’s an example of a link in the description on the Lovell YouTube channel:
Don’t stop there, however, because as Google stated with their recent announcement of “Search plus Your World,” search and social media are being merged to help Google better tailor search results to individuals. This means that social media has become an important part of SEO and online discovery. Maximize this by sharing your video on your social networks (including Google+). You should also embed your video from YouTube onto your main website, blog, inside your press releases (if possible) and in your email marketing newsletters. This will drive all traffic to view the video on YouTube which will increase your view count. This is important because Google takes into account the amount of views per video when deciding on its popularity. The more popular a video, the better the chance it has of showing up in the top of the search results when your targeted keywords are searched. And by sharing your video on social networks, you also increase the chances of discovery from users of those networks.
What pros and cons have you seen when using video as a part of your marketing efforts?
Enhance Your Online Healthcare Marketing with Video – Part I
by Scott McIntosh on January 5, 2012 | 3 comments
in Healthcare, Marketing, Social Media, Video
The healthcare industry is growing quickly as 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day. According to a study completed last year by Google, 57% of the Boomer generation have searched online for health information. A survey done by the National Research Corporation in 2011 showed 20% of respondents rely on social networking for health information and of those, 94% use Facebook as their number one source. Are your healthcare marketing efforts keeping up with these trends?
One way to capture online attention and enhance your marketing program is through use of online video. Websites containing video consistently show a lower bounce rate and increased time-on-site versus sites without video content. Video also helps with search engine optimization efforts as sites with this type of content, according to Forrester Research analyst Nate Elliott, are 50 times more likely to appear on Google’s first page results than sites without video content.
Creating Online Marketing Videos
With the increase in simple high-definition cameras, as well as easy-to-use video editing and distribution options, video has become a more affordable option for healthcare marketers. Those looking to create videos should start with a list of potential topics. Your videos should cover topics and stories that your potential customers would be interested in. Nobody wants to see a glorified commercial for your hospital on their Facebook page, but a video teaching how to look for signs of pending health risks may be of interest. Here are a few recommendations:
Healthcare Marketing Video Ideas:
- Customer testimonials and inspirational stories (beware HIPAA regulations)
- Preventative medicine and health tips videos
- New technologies and hospital techniques
- Inspirational videos from YOUR hospital community showing positive events and trends
Editing Marketing Videos:
Once the appropriate footage is captured, simple editing software can help make your videos web-ready. Most new computer models come with basic video editing software or you can download a program such as Camtasia Studio to create your final product. Another option would be to hire a healthcare marketing firm or video production studio to assist in the production of your videos. This kind of consultant can also advise a hospital how to maximize their video efforts (on the hospital website, through social media, at locations throughout the hospital, through local public service announcements, etc.).
Remember to keep videos short as attention spans, especially on the web, are not what they used to be. Optimal length should be under two minutes but attention must be grabbed in the first 10 seconds or risk users clicking away.
Online Discovery
To get your videos discovered, ensure you are taking advantage of social media and search engine optimization. But we’ll discuss that more in Part II of our post on Healthcare marketing videos. Stay tuned next week and please let us know any questions you’d like answered in next week’s post by using the comments section below.
Google+: Circles and Huddles and Sparks, Oh My…
by Sam Sudano on July 21, 2011 | 2 comments
in Networking, Social Media, Video
If you have been keeping an eye on social media buzz lately, chances are you’ve heard about Google+.
The exclusive social media network launched a trial version of the site in late June and has already exceeded over 18 million users. The Google+ website informs curious social media goers that the network has reached its maximum capacity, but if you know someone with an existing account, you can access the trial version through an invite.
Once inside the realm of Google+, figuring out where to start can be a little overwhelming. You’ll want to begin by adding friends already on the platform to your network. After connecting with them, you will be able to see their posts and status updates on your newsfeed. Google+ as a social network seems similar to its predecessors: groups, chat, news feed, link-sharing, and group messaging, but it has a few distinctive features:
1. Circles – Categorize your contacts into groups like friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, etc. You can update to select groups and control the information each one sees. It’s easy to move contacts from one Circle to another and the names of your Circles are not shared with contacts.
2. Sparks – Select a topic you are interested in and have relevant articles, videos, photos, and more sent right to your inbox. Rate content on the Web with “+1” buttons to better tailor the content you receive. Alongside “re-tweet” and “like” buttons on sites, “+1” buttons are now appearing next to content. Sparks uses this feedback to create a user recommended search engine. They combine this with media monitoring to deliver you the news you care about. Businesses are expected to use this feature in their advertising endeavors. Ford has already signed up, and the healthcare industry is expected to follow suit.
3. Hangout – Interact with up to 10 of your friends using a cloud video conferencing platform. One network has already conducted the world’s first Google+ press conference through this tool. Although only one person can create a Hangout, everyone present in the chat has the ability to send invites to others using a specific URL. Hangouts are visible to you and your friends’ Circles, so if you make the Hangout public, you may have some unexpected guests. Play nice…you can’t kick anyone out of a Hangout once they’re already inside.
4. Huddles – Bring up to 50 friends together with the Google+ group messaging application. This has also been made into an application on Android phones and lets you select individuals or invite an entire Circle to chat.
Overall, I thought that Google+ was easy to navigate and I loved the Hangout feature. Does Google+ have what it takes to pull users from the social media networks they already use (and love?).
New Old Spice Man Takes Campaign in Wrong Direction
by Jan Morrison on September 16, 2010 | 7 comments
in Advertising, Branding, Video
I feel like I just shot myself in the foot.
I raved about the abs and the wit displayed by Isaiah Mustafa in the Old Spice advertising campaign and look what happened. He is now so popular that he is leaving Old Spice for cleaner, more fragrant pastures. Mustafa has signed on to appear on the NBC comedy Chuck and may even get his own series on the network.
Now that Mustafa is on his way out, Old Spice has selected Baltimore Ravens player Ray Lewis as the new Old Spice man. I’m sad to say that my infatuation with the Old Spice campaign is officially waning.
In one of his commercials, Lewis says “women want me, men want to be me and animals want to learn how to talk so they can hang out with me.”
Sorry about it, Ray, but saying it doesn’t make it so. I think most women will “want” Ray Lewis about as much as they “want” that giant bear chasing after him in the commercial.
The other Ray Lewis spot struck me as somewhat humorous until the giant raven he rides on through the solar system sprouts rocket propellers underneath his tail. Then Lewis explodes a planet with missiles? This commercial was obviously written with a different audience in mind.
Somehow, the creative minds behind the Old Spice campaign at Wieden + Kennedy lost their mojo with this latest installment because I think they have managed to alienate the one portion of their audience who actually puts these products in the cart—women.
Women liked Isaiah Mustafa as the Old Spice Man because of his attitude, humor and appearance. We didn’t even know who he was before Old Spice. And we didn’t care that he was a football player. As I have mentioned before, the previous ads were smart to appeal to women, because women make most of the purchasing decisions for their household.
These new ads seem to speak only to men, which could prove to be a problem for Old Spice. In fact, I may not be the only one who feels like I’ve shot myself in the foot. Old Spice should be bracing for the same shock just in case the Lewis commercials don’t turn out like the advertisers had hoped.
Old Spice Scores Again
by Jan Morrison on July 1, 2010 | 8 comments
in Advertising, Branding, Video
Old Spice has done it again. The company released its second commercial on Wednesday, as part of its campaign to win over a new demographic and keep the brand alive. And it is even better than the first one, by including even more elements of the most comprehensive female fantasy every created.
Old Spice’s advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy, chose the perfect spokesperson in Isaiah Mustafa and gave him just the right script to attract a younger audience to a product line that used to be for men who you would only refer to as “sir.”
Mustafa’s character fits the mold of contradictions many women daydream about—strong, kind, perfectly toned, handy around the house, skilled with baking, romantic and a little dangerous. I picture a table (or more likely, a bar) full of creative people brainstorming every possible element of any woman’s relationship fantasy. The only things missing might be caring for a baby, cleaning the house, or asking what happens next in my vampire romance novel.
Old Spice accomplishes all this without dismissing its heritage as a product for gentlemen. Its new deodorant packaging even pays homage to its past by audaciously printing this on the back:
THE ORIGINAL.
IF YOUR GRANDFATHER HADN’T
WORN IT, YOU WOULDN’T EXIST.
The logo still incorporates some imagery from the previous version, the packaging uses the same color scheme, and the commercials still contain a little whistle at the end.
We do not know exactly what the return on investment (ROI) has been for the campaign. The company has not released any sales or profit data that reflects the result of the new campaign, and Procter & Gamble Co., has invested almost all of last year’s advertising budget into this one campaign.
But if any other women who are in charge of purchasing for their households love it as much as I do, the company will reap significant results from Mustafa’s personified female fantasy.
Kotex Ad Goes Against the Flow
by Allison Russo on May 27, 2010 | 2 comments
in Advertising, Branding, Video
I, for one, appreciate a witty commercial when I (finally) see one. Especially one that pioneers a movement toward honest and informative branding in the feminine hygiene industry and that is precisely what Kotex has done with their “Break the Cycle” Campaign.
Recently Kotex released an ad that “breaks the cycle” from the standard tampon commercials which customarily have portrayed women as carefree and effervescent during their periods (i.e. women running on the beach in all white or the slogan, “Have a Happy Period…”…).
Check it out:
The new commercial starts out with a girl sitting on a chair describing her menstrual experience:
“How do I feel about my period? … I love it. I want to hold really soft things, like my cat. It makes me feel really pure. Sometimes I just want to run on the beach. I like to twirl, maybe in slow motion. And I do it in my white Spandex. And usually, by the third day, I really just want to dance. The ads on TV are really helpful, because they use that blue liquid, and I’m like, Oh! That’s what’s supposed to happen!”
This monologue, alone, is hilarious and resonates with all women. But even more genius is the montage of clips from former Kotex ads appearing throughout the commercial, some of which have been shown in the United States or Europe as recently as last year. I like the way the company pokes fun at itself and acknowledges that Kotex was among those brands that had wrongly depicted women’s periods in past ads.
The New York Times recently quoted Merrie Harris, global business director at Kotex’s marketing firm, JWT, saying “The whole category has been very euphemistic, or paternalistic even, and we’re saying, enough with the euphemisms, and get over it. Tampon is not a dirty word…”
In closing, the commercial poses the question, “Why are tampon ads so ridiculous?”
Kotex has done what no other tampon company has done before: go back to Advertising 101 and know your audience which, in this case, is women. For years, tampon ads have catered to a squeamish male audience. In doing so, they have failed to relate to their target consumer and created an unrealistic notion of what women are really dealing with. I commend Kotex for its bravery and honesty. Do you think the rest of the industry will follow suit?
The “Shock Factor”: Is it an Effective Communications Tool?
by Robin Embry on August 28, 2009 | 1 comment
in Video
Who would have thought written communication…the foundation of our profession…could be so dangerous? A recent public service announcement (PSA) uses the “shock factor” to teach us that texting while driving can definitely be hazardous.
I was both horrified and impressed by the graphic PSA produced by a small police department in England (please note, this is not for the faint hearted.) This video has skyrocketed on YouTube and received much media attention. If you conduct a Google search it seems that every local television station in the country is talking about it. Some say it is too graphic and some say it’s exactly what we need to make us safer drivers.
In our business if you can have a positive impact on behavior it’s considered a homerun. In this case, the police department knocked it out of the park. Much to my husband’s chagrin, I used to be notorious for driving and texting, and even when they made it illegal in our state, I didn’t stop. I guess I never really thought about the true dangers of it, but this PSA definitely changed my opinion and actions. I imagine it’s had the same effect on thousands of others. Sure, producers of this video could have put out a PSA of a wreck where everyone just got a scrape and bruise…but would it have garnered international attention? Probably not.
I tip my hat to this brave little police department in Gwent, Wales, for producing an effective piece that is sure to make a difference. I know it has with me.
Are you a car texter?
Production Management 101: Video Production (The Last of a Two-Part Series)
by Robin Embry on July 10, 2009 | no comments
in Video
In my last blog I provided hints for print production and now want to share some recommendations for your next video project. I’ve worked on dozens of videos but still get a pit in my stomach after every shoot. I wonder…did I capture everything, did I get enough good sound bites in an interview, was the sound working (the last one is typically out of your control but I threw it in because it did happen…thanks again, sound guy).
Whether you’re working with a video production company on a corporate video or using the in-house handy cam to produce a short clip for your web site or YouTube, here are a few general tips that can help you avoid major problems.
1. Why is that tie making me dizzy? This tip seems elementary but many news professionals still wear stripes or other small patterns that make their clothing appear to jump all over the screen. This is called a moiré effect. Solids, solids, solids…I can’t stress it enough. Due to the sharp contrast on screen, solid white and black is also not ideal, but most any other color will work.
2. How did my 10 minute video turn into 12? Translating internal and external marketing materials into Spanish is now common, but it wasn’t eight years ago when I first received this request while making a corporate video. I had no idea the Spanish language is about 20 percent longer (written and spoken). Luckily for me, the Spanish voice talent I chose was also a professional translator so we were able to re-edit the script on the spot. Plan for the additional footage you need to fill up the extra time or be prepared to get creative in the editing booth.
3. Why is that person staring at me…you’re freaking me out! Do you get uncomfortable when a person being interviewed on TV looks like they are staring a hole through you? The interviewer did not tell the person to look at him/her and not the camera. If you are conducting an interview, be sure to tell your interviewee to always look at the interviewer and not to do the “eye shift dance.” It is really distracting.
4. How do I more easily edit five hours of footage into a three minute video? You are always going to capture considerably more video than you need, so avoid spending 50 hours in an expensive editing booth by telling the camera crew in advance you want time codes on your raw footage. That way the segment you want is easy to find. If your video is predominantly interviews, you can also give the footage to a transcriber.
I must admit no list of tips can be as effective as what you learn “on-the-job” but if you keep these things in mind you will get a better final product.
Don’t Be a Twit – Tweet!
by Jessica Turner on March 13, 2009 | 2 comments
in Social Media, Twitter, Video
I must admit, I am a bit of a social media junkie. I blog. I Facebook. I Tweet. Speaking of tweeting – do you use Twitter?
More and more individuals and companies are getting on the Twitter bandwagon. What is Twitter, you ask? Wikipedia says it best: Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (known as tweets), which are posts of up to 140 characters in length.
Watch this video for a quick overview.
Many people seem a bit scared of Twitter. Don’t be! Several folks around Lovell started out on twitter by signing up for an account, following a few people and just watching the community happen. And the community does happen as soon as you engage.
Companies are building relationships with their consumers and creating thousands of conversations about their products on Twitter – and the results are powerful. People are making purchasing decisions and becoming product evangelists through the relationships they are making on Twitter. I about fell over when I realized that the Today Show, Ford and Imogean Heap were all following me – an average mommy in Nashville. But that is what makes Twitter great. It breaks down walls and allows individuals and brands to interact, which is very cool.
Are you on Twitter? If so, please say hello. I’m @JessicaNTurner. And just a warning- you will likely receive tweets about my mommy adventures if you follow me.
Welcome to Lovell Links
by Paula Lovell on March 5, 2009 | 5 comments
in Lovell, Social Media, Video
Welcome to Lovell Links, the official blog of Lovell Communications! For this first message, I wanted to try my hand at a video blog post and test out our new Flip camera. Let me know what you think.
