The document outlines how PR professionals can utilize web videos to enhance client promotion, emphasizing benefits like increased website visits and accelerated customer engagement. It discusses essential tools for content creation and distribution, highlighting the importance of audio quality, screen resolution, and effective video hosting services. Additionally, it stresses the significance of SEO practices, audience retention, and the role of platforms like YouTube in video visibility.

1. How PR pros can use Web videos to promote their clients David Strom and Sam Whitmore Mediasurvey.com Webcast 11/09

4. Advantages of Web video Sticky visits to Web sites with unique value-add Powerful way to get your message across Moves a customer through the buying cycle quicker Generates leads and potential VARs Ties up fewer expensive live demo/marketing resources

6. Content creation tools Screen capture software Audio editing software

7. Sound quality matters, too Speak clearly, crisply, and engagingly Record the soundtrack/script first Don’t sound like you are reading from a script Use audio editing software (Audacity) if needed

9. Screen capture programs

11. Screen capture tips I record in 800x600 resolution Many network-centric products are designed for >1280x1024 screens Use the zoom/pan feature sparingly, it is distracting

12. Content distribution tools Video embedding tools Video distribution networks Video tracking and analytics Promiscuous publishing and promotions

15. Wistia tracking tool

16. Heat maps and reverse DNS

17. Wordpress video embedding Wordpress.com allows for video uploads directly: Self-hosting requires a third-party service, such as Wistia or Kaltura:

20. Kaltura video tool

21. New video hosters Brightcove v4/Express (from $100/month and 40GB/mo bandwidth) -- better analytics, player debugging tools, player skin customization, iPhone SDK and more Fliqz.com (free and $100/month for unbranded players)

24. Some lessons learned Where to post videos Self-promotion matters Put some text around the video

25. Pixelpipe.com covers:

26. Promotions/links important

27. Anchor video with text on Web page for better SEO Choose keywords carefully and consistently Snappy titles help Include relevant vendor contact and pricing info critical too

28. Video = has to be visually interesting Voltage (“email encryption”) was just static screens Altiris workflow has a lot of action, activity, and jumping around Viewers can hit pause/rewind if they want to slow things down

29. YouTube matters. A lot. Still the best place to showcase videos A third of my total views are there (the rest are spread among 20 other sites) Two best-viewed Symantec videos: Veritas Backup Exec (>6600 in 6 months!) Altiris Workflow (3100 in 15 months)

30. Build audience slowly And you will keep them longer, too It isn’t always about “going viral” Need regular infusions of new content, just like a magazine or newspaper

31. Questions? David Strom [email_address] http://webinformant.tv (310) 857-6867