The Importance of Video Marketing in Today's Interactive World

Here are some stats that will WOW you: 

YouTube is the top fourth visited site on the web. 

One in four searches on the web happens on YouTube. 

This means that users are searching for information using YouTube as more of a search engine than ever before. Now that companies are launching their new products and demoing them on YouTube, the users searching have really evolved. Local news channels have begun uploading their reporter's interviews and top stories for all to see. It seems we can find everything on YouTube these days. 

So, what does this mean for marketers? Well, obviously...if you have video...post it!!! You'd be crazy not to! It's more than just posting though. Make sure your video is tagged properly. You want to be found easily. Think about all the words users could use to locate your video. Also think about semi-relative keywords. For instance, if you post a video with kids playing at the beach, you would probably use keywords like: "beach vacations, kids at the beach, family getaways at the beach"...but also think about using keywords such as the beach name, the city the beach is closest to and maybe even seasons like "summer vacation with kids" or "spring break with the kids". A lot of users are developing Video Channels for the Families so users can find all their family's videos easier. The way they do this is with tags that reflect how users search that family's name. The title of your video and description also play a major factor in how videos come up in the results. Your user name can also make an impact.

Just last month Loudoun County Virginia started a whole YouTube channel with only the destination's videos in Hi-Def. The first all Hi-Def video channel for a destination on YouTube. This can mean very big things for Loudoun County and YouTube. The next level of interactive marketing has been reached. 

Remember...Have Video...Will Post! Right?? Happy Posting & Watching!

What a Conference! SES NYC 2009

I can't tell you how glad we are that our team was able to get to the SES Conference this year. So many people I talked to at the conference thought this year was by far the best year yet. The presenters ranged from Marketing Reps at Google, Microsoft, iProspect and many more. The content was unbeleivable! The opening keynote from Guy Kawasaki was an amazing start to an amazing day. He spoke to the Twitter "takeover" and how to use twitter and the many twitter tools for your brand. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be blogging specifically related to key points taken away from this conference. I have a whole notebook full of notes so bare with me...but you can also look at my twitter page for insider tips and points from conference. I twittered live from each session to try and give everyone not in attendance some of the important points. There were so many, it was hard to keep up!

Stay tuned for more good info!!

PPC Summit in Chicago, NYC and LA

With all the hype out there over social marketing and the twitter phenomenon, it's important not to lose focus of the essentials. SEM and PPC are still very much alive in the world of online marketing tactics and should continue to be explored and researched. It's very evident in the statistics that are being released and talked about that everyone has some idea of what PPC ads are and what they look like. Engines are very concious about making sure that PPC ads, although paid placements, are still relevant to the consumer and speak to the language they in turn are speaking in their search. The days of buying up a gazillion keywords to market any message is OVER. 

I'm doing some research on conferences that should be considered for interactive marketers this year and the PPC Summit being held in Chicago, NYC and Los Angeles this year is on that list. Chicago in April, NYC in May and LA in September. http://www.ppcsummit.com/ It is a conference we are actively looking into and considering being part of. Although the art of the PPC message and the choosing the words to market may not be something we all need refreshers on, the WAY in which engines and web sites are offering their PPC ads and HOW they are offering them is changing and we need to stay ahead of the curve. Just wanted to pass along some good info I found. Check back soon for a list I am putting together of those top conferences for the rest of 2009. 

Until Next Time! :)

KC 

Prepping for the SES Conference

Search Engine Strategies Conference in NYC...I'm really excited about being part of this conference. March 23-27. So many sessions, speakers and workshops plus a key note from Guy Kawasaki. Needless to say, I will have so much to come back and blog about! I'll be twittering from the sessions and commenting on the workshops as they happen so make sure to follow me closely on twitter March 24-25 which will be constant sessions and networking. I'll be concentrating on social, economic stimulation, messaging to consumers and of course media influence. :) I'll be holding interviews with organizations while I'm there to bring back topics for the next JBU webinar on April 8th. Stay tuned!!!

Social...Is the New "Black" this Season

It's officially everywhere, more mainstream than we've ever seen before. Sitting at the cafe in Barnes & Noble you look around and everyone is on their Facebook, they are twittering, blogging, posting comments to forums and groups they belong to. It's ridiculous! Doesn't anyone work anymore?? Actually in my line of work, being social and twittering and blogging...is work. It's how I stay in front of consumers and businesses each day and share my knowledge and kindly except others knowledge...I love it. How many other jobs allow you to legitimately Facebook during work hours? On CSPAN this weekend, the CEO of Twitter discussed with a panel of journalists just how far Twitter will go this year...and yes, it's spreading...to other countries, languages with new features and new ways of accessing and twittering from mobile devices. I have to say I'm so glad for this, I'm such a Twitter addict for more reasons than one. :) So, being social is like wearing the bright spring color fad...or the new flamboyant jewel fad. Be social, don't be afraid to share your knowledge with others and follow the trend...Wear your new "black".

JB University...Talk about Virtual Education

The new program from Jennifer Barbee, Inc., JB University, is a program that is being backed by some of the largest destinations in the country. I am so proud to be affiliated in any way with this program. Talk about a virtual blast of education...we so need this in our industry right now. We all get massive amounts of articles and stories in our email everyday and yes, they are informative but who has the time? Really? I'm so slammed with tasks and staying ahead that I just want to be guided sometimes. Just tell me what I'm missing...that is why this program is so needed. JB University takes education in the travel & tourism industry to the next level, allowing any level of marketer or agency to be involved in the process of teaching and being educated. The program allows you to share your challenges, your questions and concerns and addresses needs individually and as a group. Like being part of a virtual classroom. We've all sat through boring webinars that are more like sales pitches than education and if you are like me, angry when I hang up because it just wasted an hour of my day. The first webinar is on March 2nd and I can't wait to be part of it and see just how pleased and enthused people are when they see the difference this program will make in tourism marketing. Sign up! It's well worth it. www.jenniferbarbee.com/jbu

A Good Read...

I'm reading this new book, Guerrila Publicity (2nd Edition) and I can't stop. I'm almost done and I have learned more tips and insight in this book then I took away from any of the many other PR books I've read over the last year. I think we have all seen the benefits the internet gave to the PR professionals over the last decade but the rise of social networks has been the best gift we could have asked for. The groups you can join and the information you can spread across these networks is massive. Just this morning I joined a group on Facebook that caters to the PR business. Minutes later, I received a message asking me where I would be the first week of March...someone needed an active blogger and PR professional to attend an event and share with the world how great it was...too bad this event was across the country because I would have definitely done it. At this point, I'm having to dedicate one whole day out of the week (not to mention countless time on weekends) to be "social". And we thought Fridays were supposed to be date night...these days my Friday dates are all online. :)