I was considering hoarding last month’s zombie marketing goodness from HELL PIZZA for the Halloween season but it seems the use of horror, paired with viral video content is going to be in abundance this season. It’s only September and we’ve got another great horror themed viral video campaign.

This time, the video comes from the platform of the popular online time-waster Chatroulette. Even I can often be found on the site (fully clothed!) and have given thought of creative ways to use the popular medium for a marketing campaign. However the hurdle of innapropriate content that has become synonomous with the site was a mental roadblock for me.

Enter the viral video campaign for the film “The Last Exorcism” where Lionsgate edited the most successful pranks pulled on the online video chat service and produced a highly successful and funny youtube viral campaign. With over 3 million hits in 2 weeks on the official youtube release channel alone, this campaign has no doubt created some additional buzz about the film.

The campaign is no doubt better watched than explained so enjoy:

Here are some things I love, in order:

Somehow, someway, they all got drunk, had some freaky orgy and gave birth to a new “Choose Your Own Adventure” style viral campaign from Hell Pizza, a franchise eatery in New Zealand. An easy win for our Video Marketer of The Month for August 2010:

Like any good viral campaign this one draws you in and allows you to interact with the brand. At first I was hesitant to take on the seemingly long task (more than 60 seconds in the youtube time/space continuum) of going through the entire adventure, but the high production value, great fx and comedic moments (I dont know why but it kills me every time a New Zealander calls someone a dick) had me stuck to my desk chair until the end.

I had to jump in early on this one, the only accolades I could find at the moment were 100,000+ hits within 4 days and a Video Professionals award but Im sure many more are to follow suit. Add “Avoid Ego Media’s” Video Marketer Of The Month to the list if it makes you feel any better… and if you can find some time away from all the new customer traffic you must be mustering!

Links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p1yBlV7Ges

http://hellpizza.co.nz/

Here is a quick video I promised on the topic of using video to better market your websites online.
I hope you find it helpful!

I often come across a client who cannot immediately come up with topics for videos to share and help market their website. This is usually a place where a good brainstorming session can really pay off!

I recently came across a brilliant piece of video marketing from a company who manufactures industrial shredders. Possibly the greatest part of the marketing effort was I didn’t even consider it to be marketing until after 6 or 7 minutes and watching a dozen or so videos of “WATCH IT SHRED!” I could not help but remember their company name and take a visit to their website.

Here is one of their more memorable shreds!

So don’t be afraid to get creative with your marketing video topics!

EASILY USE THE INTERNET TO ESTABLISH YOURSELF AS AN EXPERT, BUILD EQUITY IN YOUR REPUTATION, AND DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE!

I’ve written a number of articles and books related to the internet, and when I needed a title for my monthly column I came up with “Ask The Internet Expert”. Why you ask? Allow me to explain.

Who do people like to do business with?
You guessed it – “the expert.”

Think about the last time you came across an “expert”. It was most likely watching the news or browsing the Internet. Aside from a flashy graphic labeling this person an “expert” what actually made them an “expert”?

There are several common traits that lead an audience to determine that the person they’re listening to is “an expert.”

• Someone who is sharing his or her expertise.
• Someone who has been able to publish articles related to their field of business.
• Someone who is being interviewed in print or appearing on a professional video of some sort.

Now ask yourself:
Do these people have credibility?
If you were in need of services in their industry, would you be likely to consider them?

Most times the answer to both of these questions is, YES!

We often assume that if a person is in the media, then someone has checked them out so they MUST be an expert. They ARE qualified to be writing that article, sharing that information, appearing in that video or giving that interview.

Do you know what it takes to become an expert in your industry?
It’s easier than you might think!

The first step in becoming an expert in your field is by appointing yourself “an expert”. Congratulations, step #1 complete!

The next step is to begin sharing your expertise. Some of my clients have written books, published articles or have gone on public speaking tours throughout the world, but I said this was “easy” in the title right?

One of the greatest powers of the Internet is its ability to make almost EVERYTHING easier! Video is the hottest trend on the Internet today. It is considerably easier to get your video listed on mega-popular sites such as YouTube or MySpace than it is to get your site listed on standard search engines such as Google or Yahoo!

I’ve been using this simple fact to begin cross promoting my clients as experts on such sites by uploading videos, watermarking them with their website’s URL, and providing links to the “expert’s’” website in the video description. What would have taken 3-6 months to get done on Google now gets done in less than 24 hours on Youtube. You can go from being a nobody, to being the primary source of information in your chosen field in under a day.

In addition to these valuable links to your website, you will begin building the image of yourself as an expert in your field with each and every helpful video you upload! In addition, you will build trust with each person searching for an answer to the question or topic your video covers because they will be getting this information from you directly, not a book or article. Trust brings comfort, and what is better than doing business with people you feel can actually help you, and with whom you are comfortable?

So there you have it! Get out there and start sharing your expertise. Establish yourself as an expert in your field and begin driving some additional traffic to your website as a bonus! If you need help producing some professional, Internet videos feel free to give me a call! I have a local video production studio available to suit all of your needs! 631.696.0324.

Ask The Expert!
Send your internet questions to:
expert@generationsbeyond.com

The “Internet Expert” is Jesse Wroblewski of Long Island web design firm Generations Beyond
 and author of 25 Hacks, Tips & Internet Tricks ANYONE Can Do!

Sending mass emails and e-newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your clients and overall help market your website, products and services.

Capturing and maintaining your clients’  subscriber info as well as keeping track of any unsubscribers can easily get out of hand if you are managing it all on your own. You also do not want to send more than 10 emails out at a time as doing so will flag the message as spam on some servers which will decrease it’s chances of reaching its final destination. (BCC’ing your entire contact list is not a good solution!)

There are many services that can handle the above problems for you and make sending mass emails simple. Some offer many bells and whistles and each span a wide range in pricing.

For the website owner who likes “quick and easy” try www.ymlp.com

I’ve had plenty of experiences with other services such as Constant Contact, Aweber, Bravenet and more but I have found Your Mailing List Provider to be amongst the cheapest and easiest to use.