Before you run screaming, hear me out.  We all know or may not know how important it is to have a blog for our business or service.  It is a wonderful marketing platform and one that should not be dismissed.  However, what makes people cringe is the thought of writing.  Some individuals don’t enjoy writing but that is not a reason not to blog.

In fact you can incorporate videos into your blog.  If you are not a writer, using a video will be very helpful and actually quite enticing.  One of the biggest trends today is the use of videos.  So now you may be thinking how you can incorporate videos into your blog.  Try the following tips to incorporate videos:

• Sharing your product
• Explaining the services you may provide
• Tutorials
• Inspirational
• Review of products

Above are just a few examples of how you can use videos on your blog or website.  No fancy equipment is needed to achieve a successful video for your site.  If you are new to the video scene, using a simple Flip video camera is a great option.  You can then upload your video to a platform such as You tube and embed the video onto your site.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to adding videos to your site or blog.  Don’t just sit on the sidelines with excuses.  You can do it, I have complete faith in you.

We all know that in order to succeed with an online business or any business for that matter you must stay connected. With an online business staying connected is the foundation of building long-lasting relationships that can lead to sales, partnerships, networking and more.  Since I enjoy videos, and I’m sure you do as well, why not stay connected with video emails?

Instead of the same old text email, which is still very effective, use a video to convey your message.  The difference of viewing and hearing your message supercedes that of a text.

You can use a video email to promote a new project, new website, promotion or simply a way to connect.  Some have incorporated videos into their newsletters as well.  You can make the videos as long or as short as you like.  Remember that the attention span of most is not very long.  Most videos are between 3 and 4 minutes in length unless they are educational or music videos.

Video in email is a fast growing trend and the increase in click through rates can be as much as two to three times.  Some things to keep in mind if you intend to incorporate videos into your emails:

- Respect your audience’s time..keep the videos short and sweet (try to keep them less than 2 minutes)

- Incorporate a tracking system to determine the click-to-view of the videos

- Be creative and use the videos to grab their attention, don’t overuse the video system

- Don’t add large or extra large animated GIF’s – {those are annoying}

- Most importantly..have fun and experiment

Next email you send consider adding a video for more impact, you’ll be amazed at the response.

In order to generate results from your online video ads and compete with the larger organizations there are some tips you must keep in mind.

- Don’t be complicated, in other words, ‘keep it simple’.  When creating a video ad, it is important to keep it simple, and to the point.  In order for your video to be viewed and become a successful ad, it is important to be concise and remove excess text.

- Stay on topic.  It is very easy to divert from the subject but you must stay on track.  Your video ads must be specific, offer some sort of benefit such as a discount, in order to resonate to your audience.

- Incorporate visuals that are attractive.  When choosing graphics for your videos it is important that those graphics will express a relevant message.  It is wise to choose clean and simple graphics that are more appealing to the eye.

- Test and test again. It is wise to experiment and be creative with your message.  Make a video ad and test it out before investing a large portion of your budget until you know the response you will get.  Change the visuals, your text, your call to action or promotion and keep track of the visits. If you find your message is not being displayed appropriately, then you must try again.

- Monitor the length.  Although there isn’t a specific length to the best video or video ad, it is wise to keep it short and concise in order for your video ad to be successful.  Too often you are enticed by a video, only to find out in the end that it is an advertisement of some sort.  Experiment and visit several video ads on your own, take note of the items that attracted you to the particular video ad and incorporate the same into yours.

Most individuals if not all, are accustomed to reading text, in the form of print newspapers, websites, books and the list goes on.  But did you know that video can attract a large audience as well?  With the wave of new technology increasing on a daily basis, it’s no wonder that more and more individuals are viewing videos as opposed to reading text.

In order to increase the views of your videos there are some useful tips to keep in mind.  Below I will share a few with you.  But first I want to be perfectly clear that video will in no shape or form replace text.  Video is enticing and a connection with the viewer is formed but there are many forms of learners.  Many will still be attracted to text, where others are attracted by music and then others to video.  You can incorporate all three to make your videos rank higher then others and here is how:

1.  Keep your videos short – the attention span of individuals is one that is short and in order to keep your audience motivated and interested it is best to keep your videos short but impactful.  Much can be said in 3 minutes which is most likely the longest an individual will watch.

2.  Incorporate text into your videos – Include a title page, perhaps some texts throughout the video along with credits at the end.

3.  Use text and video – When sharing an article you may consider describing a product or service in print, adding a video for more information, then having a conclusion in print.

4.  Make your videos entertaining – When making a video to promote a service, a product or for education purposes, it’s important to make it entertaining.  No one wants to watch a video that is boring, or reminds them of being in a boring lecture class.  Remember to smile, and love what you are sharing; all this is evident in your face, your posture and your eyes.

5.  Let’s not forget music – Incorporating music into your videos will give your videos a more professional appearance.  Be certain to not pick loud music that will distract from the message.  Choosing soothing music or music that will complement your message will also keep your audience attracted to your videos and will actually listen to your message.

As you can tell there is no real competition between video and text.  However, incorporating them both into your video is a creative way to entice your audience to come back and watch more.

If you want to include videos into your marketing plan it is now easier than ever to do so.  Gone are the days where you had to purchase expensive equipment to make a decent video.

With the new Flip Video Camera, you can now take videos and market your business or product quite easily.  With the Flip video camera, you will not need to invest in fancy software since the software is built in.  This camera is handy because it is small enough to fit in your pocket or purse.  It comes with a built in USB  plug that can easily plug into your computer to download your videos.

Some of the Flip features are the following:

- can record up to 2 hours

- play back videos

- delete videos

- available in HD

- inexpensive, approximately $200

- small and compact

The Flip video comes with built-in software called FlipShare and some of the features include:

- import directly to Youtube

- can trim the video

- email a link to your video

- burn to a DVD

- export directly to your computer

- best feature is the simplicity and ease of use

If the fear of cost or complexity has kept you from taking videos, this camera puts all those fears aside.  With a small investment of approximately $200 you can take videos that look professional.  The ease of uploading videos to Youtube and other online video venues makes this concept attractive.

There are programs available that help you share clips from your video and add music to the background that will enhance your videos more.  One of those programs is called Animoto.  Animoto allows you to incorporate still photos, text, video and music into a more creative video.  This program comes with a fee of approximately $99/month.  This is one of the many programs available to help you enhance your videos.  But, do not let the worry of making videos and adding music keep you from developing your own creative videos.

The time is now to incorporate videos into your marketing plan.  The best part is you are able to incorporate it without breaking the bank.