Small Business Video Branding For 2010
Posted: Tuesday, August 24, 2010
by Kegan Moore
http://www.thegrahammarketinggroup.com
There are still debates going on about how business owners can use social media marketing, however the actual number of CEOs engaging in social media is surprisingly low.
In 2010 it seems that businesses have either grown comfortable, or have been forced to accept sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare.. For example, there are a number of influential CEOs using Twitter to represent their companies and bring a friendly face to their businesses. Tweeting CEOs like Tony Hsieh of Zappos and Guy Kawasaki of Alltop are well-known for their successful social presences and large followings as a result.
Unfortunately this list was very small, which leads us to wonder how long it will take for businesses to catch on to the 800% growth in video viewership on the internet. But for those business leaders taking an active role, we've uncovered some great successes. Here's a list of 9 CEOs and founders using video marketing to promote their unique companies.
1. Tom Dickson, Founder & CEO, BlendTec
Tom Dickson, Founder and CEO of BlendTec, an appliance production company that specializes in blenders, host's his own Youtube channel - Will It Blend? In the series, Dickson tests his blenders on everyday items to see if they will blend. Some recent items put to the blending test included the iPhone 4, a vuvuzela, and an iPad.
Dickson's YouTube series is a huge achievement. With just over 100 videos uploaded, total video views currently total almost 131 million. We would be surprised if that level of visibility wasn't influencing the bottom line.
2. Gary Vaynerchuk, Founder, Winelibrary TV
Gary Vaynerchuk is the founder and host of Winelibrary TV, where he video blogs about wine reviews, updates and news to interested viewers.
Vaynerchuk makes use of Viddler to post his daily video updates, and he also maintains an established personal account on Viddler, where he uploads videos on social media, technology, and branding, among a range of other subjects.
Leaders with large personalities should take note of Vaynerchuk's openness to be real. His message is to the point with a honest opinion. This is why his fan base always comes back for more.
3. Mitchell Harper, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, BigCommerce
BigCommerce is an e-commerce platform that helps businesses launch professional online stores. Mitchell Harper, co-founder and co-CEO of BigCommerce, posts videos to BigCommerce's YouTube channel at least once a week, focusing on subjects of interest to his main audience, e-commerce experts. Primarily the videos carry an educational subject matter while maintaining simple, professional tones. He says:
"I think it's important to use a whiteboard to explain concepts, and it's kind of become my trademark in the videos. I could use a proper studio but I want the videos coming off as genuine and not professionally made. Even when I make a mistake, I don't edit it out, because I feel it takes away from the authenticity of the message."
Harper would seem to be incorporating value to his business and web community. Since starting the channel about six months ago, they have gathered nearly 420,000 video views.
4. Tim O'Reilly, CEO, O'Reilly Media
O'Reilly Media, a media company founded by Tim O'Reilly, publishes books, magazines and websites, and produces conferences on computer technology topics. With over 1,000 videos and 2.5 million video views, the O'Reilly Media YouTube channel is a well-updated source for the organization.
The channel frequently incorporates messages by and interviews with O'Reilly. We respect O'Reilly Media for repurposing helpful content that might have otherwise been lost in the great unknown.
5. Kevin Rose, Founder & CEO, Digg
Kevin Rose, founder and newly appointed CEO of Digg (Digg), a social news website, co-hosts a weekly video podcast called Diggnation, together with Actor Alex Albrecht, where they discuss the best stories from Digg. Diggnation presently has over 3.3 million video views, verifying that marketing your company can sometimes be as easy as shooting videos that discuss what is happening in your community.
Rose keeps his Youtube and Vimeo sites up-to-date as well with information that explores technology, travel, food, and hosts The Random Show with Tim Ferriss, writer of The 4-Hour Work Week.
6. Aaron Patzer, Founder & CEO, Mint.com
Aaron Patzer is the founder and CEO of Mint.com, and now the vice president & general manager of Intuit's Personal Finance Group, since Mint.com was recently acquired by Intuit (makers of the popular personal finance apps Quicken and TurboTax). One of the best contributions that a company can make to an online community is educating its users on how to use its products. That doesn't mean you have to create hundreds of videos, keep it simple and to the point while providing value.
Mint.com's YouTube channel delivers powerful information on how to use the products and services that Mint provides. With just over 20 videos uploaded, many of which Patzer appears in, Mint.com has gained almost 700,000 video views. Congrats to the Mint.com team for keeping it minimalist while still increasing video views. Their channel proves that quality always trumps quantity.
7. Pam Liebman, CEO, Corcoran Group
There are numerous real estate professionals diving into social media, and Corcoran Group, the biggest residential real estate firm in New York City, is ahead of the competition. Corcoran has an extensive social media presence, and their video presence covers to YouTube, Vimeo and blip.tv.
The videos display CEO Pam Liebman responding to inquiries posted by Facebook and Twitter followers concerning the state of the housing market and New York living recommendations. For example, in the video above, Liebman answers a question posted by Inman News' Rob Hahn via Twitter. These types of videos allow the Corcoran team to truly engage with potential customers, as well as showcase their expertise in New York City real estate.
8. Rob Banks (Co-Founder), BuildDirect
Rob Banks, Co-Founder of BuildDirect, a manufacturer and wholesaler of flooring and building materials, has a very active role in the companies marketing strategy. He appears in hundreds of videos on BuildDirect's YouTube channel, discussing a variety of flooring and building materials. The videos often also feature Jeff Booth, President and CEO of BuildDirect.
BuildDirect's mission for the YouTube channel is clearly stated: "We want to educate, to entertain, and to let you know who we are as a group of people." The occasional Pancake Day video certainly gives us a glance into their lively company culture.
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