Using Video to Improve Your Business

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You may be working on your business website copy, but have you considered the impact of video on your business? How about video conferencing? Faster broadband speeds and easy-to-use software is making video an effective option for businesses of all sizes. You can even create your own videos and embed them on your website – it is much easier than you think to have them included and they form an integral part of web design today.

Video conferencing

Video conferencing is enjoying a surge in popularity as faster broadband speeds and simple software become more common. Video conferencing has been around for many years but it often involved having to go to a dedicated video conferencing facility at a pre-determined time or hiring/purchasing expensive and bulky equipment.

Big business  – and other companies with employees, offices and clients scattered across the country and even the world – are embracing video technology for several reasons. Video calling connects everyone at the same time and in the same place – in a virtual sense.  It saves time and money because it gives businesses the ability to discuss all aspects of their subject at once rather than having to make multiple calls.

It is cheap and easy to set up as well. All you need is a relatively fast broadband speed (the faster the speed, the better the quality of the picture being streamed), a computer, web cam (the better the resolution, the better the image quality) and the right software. There are plenty of software applications available as well, including many quality platforms available for free.

VoIP

VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is another rapidly evolving technology that is quickly becoming the communication solution for modern businesses. VoIP allows phone calls, faxes and video calling to be done over a broadband Internet connection rather than phone lines. There is no cost for making this video call over your broadband connection – all you have to pay is your usual monthly fee to your Internet Service Provider.

Marketing videos

Potential clients like to see your products in action. But that is hard when your business may have a global reach and physically demonstrating your products in action is not possible. That is where a simple video embedded on your website can be a highly effective marketing tool. You can use a marketing or media company to produce these videos for you, but it can be expensive. There is no reason why you can’t do it yourself.

A few tips though. Make sure you keep it short – research has shown that the ideal video is between 1 and 3 minutes in length. Some basic editing can go a long way as well – there are plenty of quality and easy-to-use video editing software solutions available. Most importantly, keep the video simple and to the point. Avoid a hard sell in the video as well. Let the product speak for itself.

YouTube

One of the world’s most popular websites, video-sharing Goliath YouTube is rapidly becoming a vital marketing tool for business. Videos uploaded to YouTube can engage an audience that was previously out of reach. Videos posted on YouTube can be educational, promote a new product or make an announcement. One of the keys to a successful YouTube video is ensuring you have an appropriate title and description of the video. That way it will be picked up more effectively by search engines, which will give it a wider reach.