TurnHere Blog

While we'd all love for all our videos to go viral, small businesses currently using videos shouldn’t focus on the virality of a video, but more on how to make each visit to their web properties (ie. Yelp/Google Places listing, website, Facebook fan page) turn into a customer.

In this blog post, we cover three dead simple video marketing tips you can use to grow your business.

1. Add Video to All Your Web Properties

Rather than focusing on making your video go viral (which frankly is highly unlikely), make a good, high-quality video and then add it to the web properties your potential customers are already visiting (ie. your web site, Yelp Listing, Google Places Listings, Facebook Fan Page).

Since shoppers convert as often on tablets as on PCs, make sure the video player you use works on mobile devices like the iPad. Most of the popular video players including the TurnHere player, YouTube and Vimeo all play video on any device.

2. Put Video on Your Homepage

How can you get the maximum exposure for your video? By putting it on the most visited part of your website.

I still see businesses putting video on their services page or the about us page. Although the context of the video may make sense for that area of the site; you're doing your video an extreme injustice by burying it on a part of the site that folks may never visit.

Take a look at Dropbox's homepage. You have two big options - watch the video or download the app. Clean and elegant.

3. Put Actionable Content Next to the Video

According to Eyeview, video on landing pages have been shown to increase conversions by 80%. And another study by the Kelsey Group states that 21% of video viewers either call or make a purchase after viewing a video.

Therefore you should make it easy for the viewer to do something after watching the video. Whether it's calling your business, making a reservation or making a purchase, don't make the viewer look far to find your desired action.

Back in the 1990's we thought having an animated gif on our web page was the greatest thing since sliced bread, but nowadays using an animated gif is considered a huge FAIL. However, by using video on our websites we are able to still capture the “wowness” of an animated gif with much better bottom line results.

Now that video production is affordable to all business sizes, we’re beginning to see companies use video on landing pages and not just their homepages.

Spinning off of Oli’s Your Landing Page Sucks! Here are 10 Examples That Don’t… I wanted to take a look at some great landing pages that incorporate video. Great landing pages explain exactly what you do in a brief amount of time, and video is a great asset for accomplishing such a task.

This is a guest post we wrote for Unbounce. Read full article here.

We are excited to be a part of another Parachute video. We worked with them on a few videos already and the guys have been nothing short of FANTASTIC.

The video was used to announce the annual 2012 Jostens Renaissance National Conference event that brings together over 1200 students and educators from across the United States and Canada to share best practices and promote the philosophies associated with Jostens Renaissance.

TurnHere Creative Mike Lee did an amazing job.

This week TurnHere wants to highlight the video for Creperie Saint Germain done by the filmmaker team Vanessa & Andrew. Upon reviewing this stunning video, I went here for lunch that same day. I was unaware that a crazy good crepe stand was just around the corning from the TurnHere office; I hit up Creperie Saint Germain on the regular. As a side note, check out the cameo from the lovely Alison, rockin' the TurnHere Local Ops team.

How long was the shoot?

Vanessa, Filmmaker: The length of the shoot was close to two hours, which is longer than a typical TurnHere shoot. This was mostly due to the problems we had with the location and the bit of time adapting to the workarounds. 

How was the overall experience?

Z, Client: Easy and smooth.

Vanessa, Filmmaker: Two staff members from TurnHere, whose office was nearby, wanted to meet with us at the shoot so they could get a taste of how it works. The shoot location was on a corner of a busy and noisy San Francisco intersection, which would have made the audio a nightmare to work with. Because the TurnHere office was a short walk away, we were able to borrow TurnHere's conference room to shoot the interview. If that wasn’t enough, one of the TurnHere staff was gracious enough to allow us to cast her as the customer. Every time we watch the video, we think, "this woman loooves her some crepes." 

What is your favorite part of the video?

Z, Client: It looks very professional. They did a great job with editing and the quality is really good.

Any other comments?

Vanessa, Filmmaker: It's always fun to learn about some of the interesting things that happen behind the scenes of a 60-second TurnHere video. We're not always lucky to have a couple TurnHere employees present at a shoot, but thank goodness they were there for this one.

This week TurnHere is highlighting the awesome video done by Anthony Puente for Dragon Books, in Los Angeles, CA. Anthony, great job on the video - you really captured how special this bookstore is.

This is somewhere I’d love to spend the afternoon curled up on a comfy chair by a fireplace with a first edition (and signed!) Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea.

How Long was the shoot?

Anthony, Filmmaker: The shoot probably took 2-2 1/2 hours. According to TurnHere guidelines, shoots should take no more than 60-90 minutes, but I find that if I give the client as much time as they need, within reason, instead of consistently checking my watch and pushing to make the 90 minutes, they are appreciative and give me a better interview and overall better experience.

How was the overall experience?

Cassandra, Client: Overall, it was a great experience. Anthony was very good at what he did, put us at ease, and was very timely with the edits.

Anthony, Filmmaker: Great! The two ladies that manage and run the store were friendly and free to help out in anyway. It was such a hidden gem of a store. All of the design elements lent itself to be a great, visually interesting shoot.

What is your favorite shot?

Cassandra, Client: I think my two favorite shots are the overview shot of the store, and the shot of Rebecca and I talking.

Anthony, Filmmaker: I had a few on this project, but I would have to say that the perspective shot with the Los Angeles book in the foreground and the staff in the background was tops. A great moment to wrack between the two elements as well as a perfect match in post to a previous shot of the employees hard at work.

Any other comments?

Anthony, Filmmaker: Never knowing what is held in store for me from shoot to shoot is my favorite part of the job. Solid research, client phone call and roll of the dice are all you can hope for to prepare yourself.

I really try to pride myself on tackling every shoot with the same amount of passion, creativity and professionalism.