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Mar
5
Marketing an Event for $150 Using YouTube
March 5, 2008 | Anita Campbell
Jennifer Laycock, Editor of Search Engine Guide, explains how they are marketing an upcoming conference using a homemade video on YouTube. The video cost them just $148. It took 18 hours of time (divided among 3 people) to create. She writes:
It’s a short video, just a minute and a half, but it sums up the point of our show far more interestingly than a regular blog post or press release would have. With so many shows out there to choose from these days, we knew we had to get across what made us different quickly and compellingly. Of course, that’s the problem being faced by nearly every company online these days. How do you capture someone’s attention online, where information overload has left most Internet users blind to anything resembling a sales pitch?
The video is aimed at small business owners and Internet entrepreneurs. I thought the video was hands-down one of the most creative videos I’ve seen in a long time. Here it is, because I’m sure you’re curious:
So what is it that makes this video ideal for small business owners and startup entrepreneurs? Essentially, it shows an understanding of small businesses. How does it do this? Using a number of small, subtle points. The video:
- Uses language they use — no marketing-speak.
- Suggests that they won’t have to be subject-matter experts, but still will get personalized attention.
- Isn’t filled with big-company speakers that may impress, but from whom they would learn little they can use in their small business.
- Makes the conference sound like fun.
- Appreciates the realities of their lives — that every day away from the office is a day they aren’t earning.
- Explains the cost of attending openly and directly (including that all meals are included, a minor but important point when you don’t have an expense account).
- Tells them that they will get practical knowledge and leave with tools they can use (notice the emphasis on the flash drive and worksheets).
This is a wonderful way to market to small business owners and entrepreneurs. And a good use of YouTube. Nice job, Jennifer and Robert!
PS, for more about the conference, go to: Small Business Marketing Unleashed.
Comments
11 Comments so far
This is obviously one great post. Thanks for the valuable information and insights you have so provided here. Keep it up!
Hi Aurelius,
I thought this video was so inventive that it should have an in-depth analysis of why it works.
Oh, and I forgot the most important reason it works: the upbeat, energetic music. That music makes you feel like you will be successful and happy by attending. Somehow the music encapsulated the emotional gratification of signing up for the conference.
Anita
This video is sure to get a lot of attention. What a great way to convey all the info in a clear fun way. I do agree that the music and the Mexican Fiesta suggests that a fun time will be had by all.
Holds your attention because it is so creative…love the music!
Anything you can do to grab and hold people’s attention is certainly worth doing. Using YouTube is the most modern and up to date way of accomplishing the same task marketers have been trying to perfect for a very long time. Keep up the good work.
Make it Relevant! Anita, this is another example of how the internet enables the small business owner to connect with customers more efficiently, effectively, and affordably.
We will be at this marketing conference if any of you want to meet and share other good ideas.
BringBuyers
A great example of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)!
Great comments. We’ve found that how you write something is often far more important than anything else when you want to reach busy execs or small business owners. Our readers like yours are swamped. Not enough time, too much do, and they’re often wearing too many hats … So just like you’ve done in your description, it pays to use bullet points, simple sentences and direct active language. Julie
ROI?
How effective has the YouTube ad been? How many people have signed up as a result of watching the video?
How was the YouTube video marketed, other than being mentioned in your blog?
BringBuyers, Thanks for the kind words! I look forward to meeting you at the conference. Please make sure you introduce yourself.
Timothy, the event hasn’t happened yet, so I can’t really give any type of ROI yet. From the pubic relations side of things, it’s been astonishingly successful. The video has been picked up and promoted on some of the largest small business, search marketing and social media marketing sites online. In grand total, we’ve reached roughly 400K RSS subscribers through all the sites it has been mentioned on.
Even if only 15% of them actually read the post, that’s still 60K people. Since the video cost us only $150 to make, that’s 1/4 of a penny per eye ball. That’s not bad in terms of exposure.
If we’d tried to buy ad space on each and every one of those sites, it would have totaled somewhere in the realm of $35,000. On top of the ginormous price difference, ads are overlooked far more often than editorial content.
Thus, in terms of exposure alone, the ROI has been excellent. In terms of how many registrations it has produced? Well, we’re still more than a month off from the conference and a few days off from the end of our early bird discount. I should have ROI numbers by the conference.
Why don’t you join us and get the news first hand?
This was so inventive and creative. The music is upbeat and festive, the colors create an air of excitement - makes it all look like a lot of fun. And the simplicity of it also makes it really cute. It was a great idea and I bet it’s working successfully as well.