2. Powerful Sales Tool according to comScore, the number of online shoppers who watch online retail product videos before buying a product grew 40% from January 2008 to January of 2009.

3. Adding Video is Tops Among Retailers’ “To-Do Lists” even in the current state of the economy, seeing the sales lift from video content on their websites, companies understand they need to create innovative, eye-catching video content.

4. Blogging, Video Sharing and Social Networking Once retailers and online marketers build up video content on their sites, they will then focus on turning their efforts and video assets into customer acquisition tools by pushing video to other sites, such as affiliates, social networking sites and video-sharing destinations, according to Jeffrey Grau of eCommerce.

5. Awareness Online videos can create awareness to the viewers on many levels. Video campaigns should create awareness to the type of company being represented, types of products offered, and any other products or services. Online video is interactive, measurable and cost less per eyeball than any form of print media.

6. Free Advertising Probably the best thing about online video is that everyone – retailers, marketers and even your average Joe – can upload any video, anytime, for free! With free uploading, and a down economy, we may begin to see the highest increase in video uploading and sharing than the Internet’s seen in its short history.

7. Demographics You may be asking yourself, “Why should I invest my time and efforts into online video to promote my product? Only college kids watch videos, right?” Wrong. According to a nationwide survey conducted by Burst Media, online users between the ages of 35 to 44, and 45 to 54, are just as likely to search and view online video content as online users ages 18-24.

8. Better-Educated Leads Users are more likely to watch a visually stimulating video about your products than they are to read a long and possibly boring text document. Online video can stimulate your potential customers or clients to learn more about your products and services before they buy. And, with the knowledge they’ll gain from their viewing experience, your life will become easier when you don’t have to explain what exactly it is that your company specializes in.

9. Results! By having an online video embedded within your site or on YouTube, you are more likely to rank within the top pages of Google search results. As a matter of fact, video is 53 TIMES more likely than text content to rank within the top of search engine results!

10. Your Own Personal Television Station You can produce any type of multimedia content to broadcast your company’s products, offerings and services. You have the ability to produce as much, or as little, content as you deem necessary. It’s like broadcasting your own TV commercials for free!

Lee

I run across this all of the time. New clients don’t yet understand that the way they built their first website back in 1998 is not the way websites are built today. I don’t blame clients for still holding this thought, after all, their business is to run their business. Our business is to help their business and to keep abreast of all of the changes in the interactive world. Well, the need for a “living” website is one of those changes.

Beyond the benefits to your SEO efforts, fresh content on your website engages users and increases your conversion rates. Better yet, it gives your company a personality that people can connect with. 3 years ago I never encouraged clients to set up blogs because I knew they would never write anything. Now, a blog is mandatory for IMA’s clients and we do the writing. Our client’s behavior didn’t need to change. We needed to change. In the end everyone benefits.

And today, with the rise of social networks, creating content is a must. You can no longer build a new site and walk away. The day your site goes live is Day One of a long journey. But, if done correctly, it’s a long, fun, profitable journey.

Create Content or Die (yes, that’s a little over the top)

The following press release was sent to us recently. It claims that Movidmu Productions won an award for Best of Mill Valley (never mind that we haven’t been in Mill Valley for a year). Who is Movidmu you ask? That was the name that Rob and I originally bestowed on IMA. We were purely a creative agency back then and it was short for MOVies IDeas and MUsic. Trouble was, nobody could pronounce it. I think it lasted for a month or two (long enough for us to buy business cards-whoops).

Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is that we won an award! Whoo-hoo! All we have to do is pay $150 and we get the beautiful crystal trophy pictured below. $150 for credibility? Not too shabby.

I’m not a fan of awards. Whether they be Best of, Tellys (another pay for play favorite of which we’ve won/payed for 2), Cleos, Tony’s, Grammys, Oscars…you name it. It’s all pure marketing and has little to do with merit. Which in and of itself is OK but some people really get caught up in “award winning…” which doesn’t help much when they go out of business.

How about we give credit to companies that provide a valuable service to their clients, act ethically and provide a great place for people to work (or work from home). Where’s the award for that?

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Movidmu Productions Receives 2009 Best of Mill Valley Award

U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 — Movidmu Productions has been selected for the 2009 Best of Mill Valley Award in the Audio-Visual Production Service category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Commerce Association
Email: PublicRelations@us-ca.org
URL: http://www.us-ca.org

This is a great post from 37 Signals. Short, sweet and, in my opinion, a concept that a lot of business owners don't want to accept. I have met a lot of people over the last 5 years that want to get into Microsoft or Apple or Nike for the sole purpose of telling other people, "our clients include Microsoft, Apple and Nike". It's an ego requirement for them, not a business requirement. Not that having blue chip clients is a bad thing in and of itself, but most new companies don't have the capacity to operate at the level needed to handle a major client. And if they can pull it off, they are far too revenue dependent on one main cash cow. 

With IMA, I decided to double down on small businesses. It's a great feeling to help a small business because you can see the immediate benefits (their life improves) instead of simply watching a companies stock rise. And if it doesn't rise I'd rather have 20 other clients on the list than 1 or 2. 

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Here is the inspiration:

Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating.

I sent the music to the photographer, Paulo Pinto, who I Googled on the internet. He told his editor, who told a reporter and the story ended up as an interview in the very same newspaper.

Here I've posted a short video made with the photo, the music and the score (composed by the birds).

Music made with Logic.

Video made with After Effects.

The newspaper story about my work (O Estado de São Paulo): tinyurl.com/l4qdbg

Since day one IMA has always done more than video. We were never just a production company. That never made sense to us. We worked on strategy, websites, SEM, etc. It made more sense to us to help create a whole interactive model than to just focus on one element. In 2008 and 2009 and we saw fewer and fewer video production jobs coming through the door. The video projects we did do were tied to other interactive efforts. The larger budgets were evaporating.

Late this summer we decided to reverse that trend. IMA is now looking at ways to produce more video content at a variety of budget levels. We are still doing large productions, and we always will, but our doors are also open to smaller projects, especially if they are for Video Search Engine Optimization. 

Which brings me to the point of this post. In order to put this new, lower budget concept to a true test, I asked one of our longterm clients if I could create a free video for them. The video would be used for their Video SEO campaign. The client agreed. When I showed up for the shoot he looked at me like I forgot something. There was no crew, no camera, no lights. I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket and said, "Let's shoot it". 

The resulting video is below. As I said, we did this for Video SEO only, but it works. The quality isn't great, the sound is pretty bad and the graphics were done quickly. But at the end of the day, this video ranks on the first page organically and it doesn't hurt their brand. And it cost less than a cup of coffee.

I have spoken to a lot of people about entrepreneurship since we started IMA in 2004 and most of them say the same thing, “wow, I really respect that you went out on your own.”  I usually reply that I didn’t know any better and that if they think it’s for them they should do it as well. There are no hard and fast rules, no road maps to ensure success. You just have to try (and be willing to fail, which is OK). I realize this isn’t for everyone but for those that have “it” inside them it is well worth the risk. And if you still think you might be crazy, or your spouse or family does, then take a look at this article. It’s aptly titled, You Aren’t Crazy, You’re Just an Entrepreneur.

You can find it here

Man on Wire website
HD Trailer @ Apple

IMA

Find inspiration and watch how quickly you shift into that creative space. I use books, magazines and the Magic Box to get inspired (and sometimes envious). If you can use the existing art of the world to focus you on your own you’ll be making pretty pictures in no time.

This website is one of my favorites. Art of the Title
IMA