• Start Strong and Be Brief: With video, you have about eight seconds to capture a viewer’s attention before they click away. Therefore, wow them right out of the gate and/or create suspense that will make them want to keep watching. Also, consider being very specific in your opening, which can help eliminate watchers you’re least likely to convert, while enticing qualified prospects.  To get the most sales-generating potential from your videos, keep them brief. Analytics from Wistia show that videos of 30 seconds or less are most frequently watched in their entirety by viewers; videos of two minutes or less also trigger stronger engagement than those of longer lengths. Remember, too, that longer video times often deter would-be watchers from ever clicking on them.
   
• Showcase Your Expertise: Create videos in which you feature select products from your most trusted suppliers. Display things like hot new items or products that may be on special. Succinctly discuss what makes the product unique and then offer a couple ideas about the types of promotional initiatives it would suit. Consider doing these videos as a series; create another video in the series every two weeks or once a month. Have clients and prospects sign up to receive the video via email. By positioning yourself as an expert in a video series, you can stimulate sales you otherwise may never have gotten.  
   
• Spotlight Your Evangelists: Quality testimonials from satisfied customers can help influence prospects to partner with you. Video testimonials can prove especially powerful in helping to increase your sales. So, create videos in which your top-shelf clients discuss specific orders, describing how your consultative acumen helped generate great results. Have clients show or wear the product(s) you delivered while they explain the initiatives, their goals and how you helped them achieve those objectives. 
   
• Be A Bit Zany: The promotional products business is a fun industry, so have some fun with your videos. Incorporate appropriate humor, or even create a higher-concept video that delivers laughs and entertainment. One industry company that does the latter well is Ryonet (asi/528500). In addition to practical how-to videos, the seller of screen-printing equipment and supplies has produced videos that showcase the company’s fun culture, including one that incorporated a Back To The Future theme to convey how quickly Ryonet delivers products. A creative video that’s funny and entertaining stands to be seen by more people, increasing the chances that it will stir leads – and sales.
   
• Encourage Action With Smart Video Tactics: Include an end-screen with a strong call-to-action. Consider putting your website, Twitter handle, phone number and/or logo in a graphic box in the video. Furthermore, use relevant keywords in the title, description and tags – “relevant” being words that you think target audiences may search when looking for services you provide. Finally, consider using email gates in your video to drive traffic to other marketing vehicles, such as your newsletter or website.  
   

• Post and Promote: YouTube is the second most-used search engine behind Google, so be sure to establish an account on the video-sharing site and post your creations there often. Encourage people to subscribe to your channel; if they do, your most recent video will appear on the homepage of their accounts. Build your subscriber list by subscribing to other channels and participating in comment-section discussions. 

  Next, get more exposure by including videos on your blog and sites such as Vimeo and Dailymotion. Promote through your social media channels, posting links to the videos on the social platforms upon which you are active. If you have a special section on your website for housing the videos, ensure a section header is clearly displayed on the homepage.

 

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