Getting Your Videos Seen On YouTube
Keen internet observers would have recently noted the changes to Google’s ranking algorithms that may have affected how some real estate listings are found online, since it targets duplicate words targeting spam and older content. Matt Cutts from Google wrote in his blog that it was a ‘pretty targeted launch’.
Slightly over 2% of queries change in some way, but less than half a percent of search results change enough that someone might really notice. The net effect is that searchers are more likely to see the sites that wrote the original content rather tha
n a site that scraped or copied the original site’s content.
So how can you ensure you get your video seen in the places that matter, by the people that matter. Here at Visual Domain we can help you with Search Engine Optimisation, but here are some handy tips:
- Tag it right- tag words are often forgotten when uploading videos, but we can’t stress how important they are. Keywords are how your video is found and pushed to to the top of the search results. Think of as many variations on the keywords as you can.
- Write a detailed description- many people use the description to simply write ‘Contact Me’. Not good enough! Describe what’s in the video and then you can write your contact details at the end.
- Clear headings- make the title of your video clear, concise and to the point. Don’t try to be be tricky or sophisticated, just simply state what it is.
There’s plenty of information on the World Wide Web about SEO, so have a look around and make sure you’re not missing out on the views you need!
A Funny Seasonal Example Of A Viral Video
Remember our post about Viral Video Marketing? Well, with a rather season viral element to it, Visual Domain presents to you one of the funniest videos all year. Up to 3 million hits already, how many more will it have by Christmas Day?
Happy Twitter= Happy Customers
Source: dbnet.com.au
Social media is an ever-changing evolution- once you get comfortable using one medium or site, there’s another bandwagon to jump onto. However, it’s great to see businesses really embracing Twitter and learning how to make it work for their company.
When Twitter really began to take off, companies were simply using it as a platform for free PR. There were constant updates screaming “LOOK AT OUR NEW PRODUCTS”, “50% OFF EVERYTHING FOR TWO WEEKS”, and the list goes on. Despite being so close to their customers, they weren’t personalising their site. It was generic rubbish you could see if you signed up for their e-newsletter or went on their website. In the end, they simply weren’t worth following.
However, soon Twitter started to get the respect it deserved and the corporates realised it was a fantastic way to personally connect with their customers. Brands such Optus, Vodafone, Telstra, and Australia Post are just some of the big names using Twitter to deal with customer complaints, hassles, problems and compliments on a one-t0-one basis. They generally have a dedicated ‘Tweeter’ online during business hours who deals directly with customers. It’s so personal, they generally even sign off with their first name, eg “Cheers, Scott”. So dedicated are they to Twitter, they don’t just respond to people who directly Tweet them (using @), they go searching for any mention of their business name and then respond to those. For example, if someone rubbishes Australia Post by saying they never received a certain parcel, the official Australia Post tweeter will find that tweet and respond, offering to help in any way they can.
Certainly, sometimes it doesn’t work. People sometimes don’t want help and will continue to abuse that particular brand, but more often than not, the customer is very happy to have received a prompt, helpful and polite reply, instead of hanging on the line to an off-shore call centre for 30 minutes of their lunch break! It’s public relations at its best.
Qantas were a brand that jumped on the bandwagon a little late- pointedly, after their A380 disasters. However, how much more efficient and satisfying would it have been if they had regular Twitter updates when there were massive flight delays due to exploding volcanoes and engine problems? Instead of looking at their website and hitting refresh, customers could have had minute-by-minute updates without the annoyance of websites crashing.
So what are our best tips on how to use Twitter effectively?
- Never lose your cool- learn to handle the criticism
- Always be polite and respectful
- Never accidentally post anyone’s private details when responding
- Be active in searching for discussion about your brand
- Reply promptly- either people don’t care a week later, or the damage has been done
- Handball queries to other departments if you must, but make sure they reply quickly
Best of luck!
Lowdown on Viral Video Marketing
For all us non-marketing guru’s, the idea of Viral Marketing may sound a bit bizarre as the word ‘viral’ is mostly used in the medical field; but it in this case, it actually makes a whole lot of sense. The snazzy term refers to trendy new techniques and social networks that help spread the word on your business and increase brand awareness.
Across the globe 2010 saw a huge increase in viral video marketing promotions and this was the case throughout a variety of industries. And no doubt it will be on top of the 2011 list for millions of businesses around the world- including Australia. Whether you are a real estate agent, recruitment agent , fashion designer, car dealer, or anyone who has a website for their business; using videos to promote your product or service is a great step towards success.
This type of marketing has an abundance of advantages to the online business owner and can increase incoming hits and traffic. Really, the concept of this style of marketing is quite simple, yet extremely effective. Viral video outlets are now considered as new global marketing tools that will effectively change the way business and companies advertise themselves.
Here at Visual Domain we have spent a number of years happily producing professional videos for a variety of clients Australia wide. It’s very exciting for us to know that nowadays all these new and cool social devices will give our clients the opportunity to use their videos in more ways, which in turn will help increase profit margins.
Viral video marketing means you can distribute video clips to groups of people, whereby this group of people will then send it on to other people; creating a fabulous domino effect that every business longs for. Viral media marketing strategy is fantastic, powerful and effective.
Check out this prime example of viral video marketing by Old Spice.
To put it in simple terms- it’s ‘word of mouth’ marketing online. Your professional videos can be submitted to numerous video sharing websites so that search engines can view it. So we are talking Google, Yahoo, iTunes, YouTube and the list goes on.
Apart from that, the business videos that you are submitting are also helping your website to increase its page rank on the top search engines because these videos promoting your products and services, along with the keywords that you have tagged are seen by search engines such as Google and Yahoo.
Now stay tuned as we will be revealing some hot tips very soon on how to optimise the potential of Viral Video Marketing to make your business stand out from the crowd.
Might & Power: Social Media
The power of social media, in particular Twitter, has recently being proven in quite extraordinary circumstances. The ongoing cricket test (something called The Ashes?) has proved to be a rather lacklustre affair, however with some accidental ‘hashtagging’ and intelligent tweeters, the series has proved to be rather exciting OFF the field.
For those unfamilar with how Twitter works, every Tweep’s profile is preceded by an @. For example, to tweet Visual Domain you write @visualdomain. To tweet about a topic, start a trend or write something funny, you use a #. For example, a popular hashtag is #firstworldproblems- used after you tweet about something minor like “They didn’t have my favourite colour for my manicure today.”
So, where was I. Yes, so instead using a hashtag to discuss the ashes- #theashes- Twitter novices uses @theashes. Incidentally, this turned out to be a 22 year old American woman called Ashley Kerekes, nickname obviously The Ashes. When it first started, she was furious, tweeting “I AM NOT A FREAKING CRICKET MATCH”. She didn’t even know what a cricket match was at this point! However, she soon realised maybe she had reacted too soon. People jumped on the bandwagon and were soon tweeting @theashes on purpose. She went from under 300 followers to nearly 14,000 in almost a week- staggering numbers.
By then, such was the novelty of repeatedly tweeting @theashes, that corporate tweeters started taking notice. A campaign was started to #gettheashestotheashes. Vodafone, an official sponsor, adored the idea and said they would provide Ashley with tickets and a phone if she could get here. And so wasn’t it handy that at this point in time, as Qantas were having major public relations problems with engine problems, that they decided to offer @theashes an airfare to get to Australia? What a way to take the heat off a corporate disaster. And don’t you wish you had a coincidental famous name?
Ashley is now (almost) a household name in Australia, and she has certainly managed to milk her 15 minutes of fame with appearances on shows like Today and national radio programs. This story is really a testament to the power of social media and how one accidental tweet can lead to a nationwide wave of attention.
And in business terms- how many people really are paying attention to what you tweet. Use it to your advantage.
Next Wednesday, we’ll be posting a blog about how big corporates like Optus, Australia Post & Myki are using Twitter to communicate with their consumers.
Bits & Bobs at Visual Domain
With 2010 soon to coming to a close, plenty of people will be breathing a sigh of relief. What a tumultuous year it has been! Whether you’re an AFL fan or politics lover, it’s been a year of ups and downs and complete unknowns. Hung elections, hung grand finals- it’s been mayhem for the real estate industry. Hopefully next year will bring a lot more stability to the industry.
I’m really looking forward to checking out end-of-year market updates and reports. With final annual clearance rates and sales numbers in, it will be an interesting reflection of how the market reacts to unexpected events and circumstances. We’re filming a few at the moment and I’ll be sure to to post them here for you have a look at.
The end of a year is a great time for reflection- How can I do better? How can I increase my clearance rates? How can I get my name out there? How can I expand my database?
If you really want to reflect on these questions, why not do it in style? If you made a fantastic sale this year, and I mean FANTASTIC, why not splash out $40,000 a week on this amazing holiday house. It’s comforting to see that there is a still a market for these sorts of properties!
And in exciting news for Visual Domain- we’re a mere 600 hits away from hitting 100,000 video views on our YouTube page. Extremely exciting! We were promised a party when it happened- lucky it will hit just as we’re celebrating our Christmas Party!
We also have some fantastic videos due to be edited this week. A beach box auction. A charity boxing match. And a ‘very cute’ Christmas message with some furry friends.
So, stay tuned to our Twitter, Facebook and Blog page for the most up-to-date updates!
What About A Christmas Video Message?
Can you believe tomorrow is the first day of December? This year seems to have flown by. But have you thought about how you’re going to thank your clients for their support throughout 2010? A bottle of wine, box of chocolates or maybe a gourmet hamper? How about a Christmas video message? A unique way to personally address your clients, a video message can be tailor-made, anyway you like!
Think you have a nice singing voice? Sing a Christmas carol. Think you have a knack for making some awesome Santa hats? Bring them along to the shoot. Or simply want to give a heartfelt thanks for all the amazing support you’ve received this year? Done.
A Christmas video certainly stands out from the paper cards that get delivered in the post, and the receiver will be intrigued and will certainly play it straight away! It is also a lot longer lasting than a paper card, so you’ll stick in the memories.
As well, the video gives you an opportunity to talk about some of the highlights of year- whether they be record sales, a new office or hitting an important milestone.
So have a think, get creative and then give us a call to book your video Christmas message- be quick, it’s nearly the 25th of December!
Have a look at the below examples for some inspiration.
Laing + Simmons
Starr Partners
If you can’t beat them, join ‘em!
Every day millions of Aussies are connecting to the Internet and according to marketing analysts Nielsen, we spend an average of 17.6 hours a week online.
Whether it’s a bride- to- be searching for the latest wedding trends, a master chef seeking a new recipe to tantalise the taste buds, a grown man looking for a fast toy, or a homebuyer needing a hot new property- the first place most people now turn to is the Internet.
That’s right! According to an international study 70% of homebuyers take their search online. With the average homebuyer also getting younger and having grown up with multimedia, it’s no wonder this is where it all begins.
Considering how time poor most Sydneysiders are and with traffic being such a nightmare on any given day (especially Saturday’s, which is the most popular day to view properties; getting from home A to B can be so frustrating) it makes sense to use this easy and fast option.
The entire home purchasing process takes half as long for homebuyers who use the Internet as those who don’t. So whether it’s at your work desk, on your iPhone at the bus stop or from your laptop in a chic café sipping on a latte– the easiest and most convenient way for Aussies to begin looking for a new home, is on the Internet.
When you come to think of it, Internet users will spend half as much time with their real estate agents, visiting only half as many homes as traditional buyers before making their purchase.
Being able to view listings online, means you can easily narrow down your search to the few homes you are strongly interested in. This means less confusion and a quicker outcome.
Homebuyers using the Internet are also more knowledgeable about the purchasing process, and are able to express greater interest and satisfaction with their real estate agents. More expensive purchases, shorter search cycles, and happy clients- could it get any better that this?
If you’re not marketing online, you’re losing a fortune of prospective clients.
Your online presence has the potential to be the key asset for generating leads and increasing sales for your company. And here at Visual Domain we know just how to help you do this.
The Internet is here to stay, so if you want to set yourself apart from the competition and confidently showcase your property- Visual Domain has the answers for you.
Now watch this space…in our next blog, we will give you tips on just how to make your properties stand out on the Internet.
Social Networking With The Best Of Them
Looking after Visual Domain’s Twitter page can be an interesting job. We get all kinds of followers , ranging from a disgruntled house hunter who got so fed up with what he calls ‘dumb agents’ that he created a Twitter page and blog in said name, to money hungry Americans from the midwest asking Visual Domain to help them make millions (help me first, please!), and then of course those so passionate about property, rates and any news at all, that they update every single minute (can kind of clog up the feed…).
Follow us @visualdomain
However, what Twitter does offer is access to some fantastic links or videos that you may not normally come across on the world wide web. The internet is a large, and sometimes scary, place to navigate, and a single Google search can often produce millions upon millions of hits- with probably only around 0.05% actually relating to what you need to know. I’m often on the hunt for fun facts and statistics about the benefits of video and social networking, but often there are so many DARN IRRELEVANT hits and I have completely wasted my time. However, today I was casually scrolling through our tweets and I came across three completely fabulous links I just had to share. They’re all about the power of social networking and having brand presence on the internet, something which we at Visual Domain often seek to proclaim!
The first was thanks to @shereenmitwalli who tweeted a fascinating and entertaining video about the power of social media. Once you watch it, you’ll be certain that you need to crank up your social networking! Check it out for yourself.
The Socialnomics book
Secondly, through the power of ’networking’, I have discovered the website for Socialnomics who created the above video. Love it! I could spend hours scrolling through and reading the interesting notes, watching their videos and studying their graphics. Their passion for social media is awe-inspiring, and really all the hard work is done for you- they’ve compiled the stats and facts and they are there for your use, making it a very handy site before it’s time for an important presentation.
Thirdly, after coming across his tweet on my Twitter feed, jeffbullas.com has been added to my bookmarks menu. I am always amazed by sites like this that manage to compile so many facts and make them easy to digest in concise form with graphics (basically picture books for the internet). Jeff is an expert in social media marketing and digital optimisation, meaning he’s in the same field as Visual Domain. We love hearing other people’s perspective on the industry, and his is a great website to stay across.
Take your time and have a read through some of the sites and check out their videos. You’ll be impressed by what you read. And then retweet our blog link!
It’s All Good At Visual Domain
Our new office in Sydney has been producing some fantastic work. It’s been a big week for prestige properties and you’ll want to have a look at a couple of videos Dougmal Real Estate have purchased. The first is 3 Pembury Close, Denham Court which is billed as ‘The Ultimate Luxury Resort.’ Also, have a look at Garth Makowski presenting 28 Cubitt Drive, Denham Court. Another luxurious stunner, this is an executive manor. It’s amazing how video really captures the spirit and essence of these properties.
We’ve also had some feedback from Garth Makowski about his experience with Visual Domain:
“Your guys could not have been more accommodating – very professional and personable decent guys too – well done on your recruitment & process. They have gone beyond the call of duty and I am very thankful for their efforts to assist me to be able to market and promote this property at the highest level – my vendor will be very appreciative also.”
We also had some feedback from Heather Steadman at Buxton who recently filmed an agent profile:
“Just wanted to give you some feedback after the filming for my profile this morning. Tim arrived on time and was quick to put my (reluctant) children at ease, and also myself. I had scripted a short ‘blurb’ to deliver but was afraid that I would come across quite ‘wooden’ and scripted. I was right, as I think when I delivered that bit, I did! Tim simply asked questions, and generally made everyone not only at ease, but enjoy to the experience. After he left, both my director Craig, and my testimonial Peter, made separate reference to how good Tim was in the way he captured the footage he required. Overall, after being quite sceptical on how this would turn out, I am now eager to see the first proof! Well done to you, Tim and the Visual Domain team!”
With those fantastic results and lovely testimonials, why not give video with Visual Domain a go?
