YouTube Promotional Video

If you don't have a YouTube video about your business on the web, you should. It is very simple to do and you don't even need a video camera to make one. You can use stills.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f0fjDR53fo[/url]

Here's how I made this in about 10 minutes.

1) Using the Picassa desktop app, I imported my existing pre-made BergenDecks slideshow (from Picassa online) as still images. I always caption the images as I import them to Picassa, so the captioning was already done and came through
2) Edited the title slides in Picassa desktop app
3) Clicked the "Publish to YouTube" button.

Done.

These YouTube videos supposedly give you a big SEO boost from what I've been told. It was easy to do and will be very easy to maintain as an ongoing thing.

I actually don't like this video, so I will most likely make a nicer one in the near future. But for now, it will work.

If you are using alternate photo hosting sites, I think you are wasting your time. Google has EVERYTHING so integrated, it's simple and efficient to use since they own EVERYTHING!!!

I thought it was "decent" for your first try but now that I know it only took you 10 mins... WOW

Google is where it's at. Some are all paranoid about them but honestly I love everything from google.

Picassa
Analytics
Adwords
Adsense
Voice
Gmail
Alerts
Webmaster Tools
Calendar
You tube


I'm going to make a video here in a minute.

It's like deja vu! LOL

Greg
There is a case to be made to use alternate photo-sharing site like Flickr... and that is ti's yet another place you can get a viral spread of your photos. Nothing saying you can't duplicate... the more places a potential client can pick up the photo and distribute for you -the better. Drop a watermark on all your photos with your URL and phone number.

I agree with you though - Google does make it easy for a project like your video.

JLS

[QUOTE=jstoddard;493970]
Great example of how you can _quickly_ get something up on YouTube.

JLS[/QUOTE]

Thanks, Joe.

I missed that typo!

I really did this as a test bed project just to shake it out. One thing I do know for a FACT is that SOMETHING is ALWAYS better than nothing when it comes to web marketing and it's all about making the phone ring or getting an email.

Involving humans is a good idea, but logistically difficult to do in most cases since most of my clients aren't home when we are building or on site (the way I like it). If I had more energy, I would set up some shoots, but I'm at the point now where I don't even take photos of most of the finished jobs anymore.

As far as getting money from the manufacturers, I am WAY ahead of you on that on multiple fronts. :)

Greg

Its a good idea. I have been dabbling in it. Its a great place to put the more "raw" stuff that you dont use on your website and it is also a very good backlink to have contributing to your organic rankings. Here's our channel:

[url]http://www.youtube.com/user/Topcoatvt1[/url]

Good for you on the mnfcts.

Hey - those are just ideas. If your pipeline is full, and you're making the margins you want.. then the status quo is perfectly good enough. If those conditions aren't being met, or if you're looking to grow... those are some ideas to break it out a bit. You are absolutely correct -- in terms of the web "a mediocre plan executed violently today is better than a perfect plan executed tomorrow". It can all be changed at the drop of a a hat - the worst thing is doing nothing.

JLS

Look into [url=http://animoto.com/]this[/url] for making videos out of photos...it's quite awesome.

Nice Dustin....I'm going to check that out. Well worth $99.

I would actually want to go out and shoot some real video for that concept.

Who's the music by ? That's my genre....awsome....

[QUOTE=Happy Home;494002]Who's the music by ? That's my genre....awsome....[/QUOTE]

Eric Johnson...Ah Via Musicom circa '90 or '91 maybe.

Greg

Nice decks. I like the text you inserted, but didnt quite have time to read it and look at what it referred to before the next image flashed on. Probably the perfect balance would be to condense each text insertion to its essential elements and maybe slow down the transitions just a touch. Very nice stuff and a great way to show it.

[QUOTE=dmwyatt;493977]Look into [url=http://animoto.com/]this[/url] for making videos out of photos...it's quite awesome.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Dustin, one of the best tips in a long time. I did a quick video, the photos move pretty quick, this is my first attempt.

[url]http://animoto.com/play/8E5luUBC25MNEvFY6ilRDg?utm_campaign=share_email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_email[/url]

[QUOTE=Allan Edwards;494026]Thanks Dustin, one of the best tips in a long time. I did a quick video, the photos move pretty quick, this is my first attempt.

[url]http://animoto.com/play/8E5luUBC25MNEvFY6ilRDg?utm_campaign=share_email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_email[/url][/QUOTE]

Next time, don't pick a crazy song like that. :)

They say that the tempo of the photos is exactly matched to the beat of the music.

[QUOTE=Greg Di;494029]Next time, don't pick a crazy song like that. :)

[/QUOTE]

Yeah I know, my wife has already told me to ditch the Latin music. And I actually like it!