Frank and Cathy  

One of the things that amazed me when I entered the field of online marketing is the way the Internet fit my background. I just found so many perfect fits that I knew I had found a new home.

The way I found that this was most true is in the field of video. I have been involved in producing videos as a hobby for more years then I care to admit, and when I came to online marketing, I saw that video plays a HUGE role in online sales. Imagine my surprise when I found that all the skills I had sharpened just for my personal fun could now make me money!
That is kind of an unfair advantage, but let me tell you, it is such a switch for me to be actually on the favorable side of an unfair advantage. I am sure you can relate.

Video is a complicated topic. Software writers have done their best to make it as simple as possible, but even at that, its not that easy. It takes a lot of thought, planning, and patience, and most people do not have that. So I have made it my mission to help others learn video.
It is true that television advertising has always been a key tool in boosting sales, and with the spread of broadband access, video has migrated to the web quite nicely. The considerations for online marketing are slightly different from television, and this is part of what I want tot talk about.

Television advertising is dictated by the presence of the sceptre of the couch potato, the remote control. If the viewer is in any way less then thrilled by what is before his or her eyes, a simple wave of the hand and a push of the button removes it from view. In the same way, the mouse rescues the computer geek from exposure to boring video content on the web. But that’s where the similarities end.

Television advertisers have a unique advantage, in that their ads sit in sort of a hammock. Standing at the beginning and end of the television ad is the television show, the content that the viewer is seeking. If the show is compelling, the viewer will be drawn back, and watch some more. If the show is VERY compelling, the viewer may just sit through the advertising, and maybe, just maybe, the ad will actually register. I know from my own experience that I have seen the same television ad more then 7 times on occasion when suddenly the message will click in my head.

Internet advertising is slightly different. Almost all Internet viewership is a deliberate choice. Content that is presented to the surfer in an unexpected manner is incredibly irritating. Marketers on the Internet started in the early days by assuming that people would react to pop-ups and Spam in the same way that they reacted to an unwanted television commercial....they would simply glaze it over and tune it out. To follow this line of reasoning further, Internet marketers also assumed at one time that the cure for this reaction would be the same as television, repeated exposure until the message stuck.

This line of thinking is VERY WRONG, and has led to a major backlash concerning online advertising. Now I have to admit, irritation advertising works on television, and I cant help thinking of that commercial that I hated so badly, but may never forget.....that one that kept repeating "Head on- Apply directly to the forehead!". Internet advertising cannot be irritating; it just will not work for this medium.

Modern Internet advertisers must embrace the concept that people use the Internet to seek information or content by choice, and they must find ways to encourage the surfer to choose their video voluntarily. Unexpected or unwelcome messages are just simply rejected.
The surfer must be led gently to the video using some enticing bait, and once the video is clicked, the content must hold their interest for the duration of the presentation for the message to be effective.

Now, let me talk a little about effectiveness in advertising. This is yet another way in which video for television differs from video for the web.

In television advertising, the advertiser can rely on sheer repetition to convey the message...if fact, the medium has gotten to the point where this is necessary Television commercials are so pervasive that viewers rarely watch them, even when they stare directly at them. More frequently, the viewer will use the restroom, grab a beer or some chips, or exchange a few comments with the other viewers during commercials.

In video, we get one shot, period. We will almost NEVER get a second chance to make that good first impression. This is because, again, all viewership on the web is voluntary, and if the message does not hit the first time, it will not get a second look.

Which puts another requirement in the lap of the Internet marketer, the need to strike a chord with the viewer. The content of your ad must be visually acceptable, and must also address a need the viewer has. It must do both of these things clearly and compellingly the first time it is seen.

I want to share what has been my definition of art for some time now. I have heard it said, "I don't know what art is, really, but I know it when I see it". Well, that quote has led me to my personal definition of art. You will know it when you see it because it makes you FEEL something. As an example, a song will make you want to dance, a book will take you into its reality, a movie will make you laugh or cry, and a picture will make you think.
Well, you might not accept my definition of art, but you would be well served to heed the advice that your video should make the viewer feel something. Because you are only getting that one shot, you need to make sure that the viewer does more then watch, ideally, they should feel the message that you want to convey.

In summary, video for the web may LOOK the same as video for broadcast, but do not make the mistake of thinking that they are the same. The way that they are received by the viewer is totally different, and if you don't pay attention to those differences, your videos will have much less impact then they should. Video isn't easy to produce and distribute, so try to make sure that your effort is not wasted.

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