How We Got Started Doing Video - A Case Study

We're still so excited about having just shared at MozCon that we thought we'd post just once more about it. Yesterday we shared the link to the Slideshare presentation that accompanied our VP's speech. Here is the video that went along with that talk:

It all began at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Over a plate of pasta, Jeff McRitchie, the vice president of marketing for MyBinding.com, decided to start making videos for marketing. Mark Colligan said, “Hey, I can do that...I think.” What if we could use the power of video to increase sales? So we started with a couple of hands, a top selling binding machine, a makeshift studio with lights and a camera – better make it two, cheap ones.

But wait, we sell binding machines, laminators, paper trimmers, and stuff like that. So we began to think through what would people watch. We're not a very sexy company, it's not all that slick to sell a binding machine. So, what do they want? We brainstormed and came up with some lists: top sellers, frequently asked questions. And from our customer service department department, we came up with product reviews and how tos. In short, we wanted to be helpful. And when people are searching for answers or a particular product, we want them to find us.

Armed with our questions, customer needs, and our expertise, we raided the warehouse, grabbed a lot of product, stacked them high, and began to shoot. We got some new cameras, added a few lights, and showed the world we knew what we were doing. We used a home office to edit the videos and add voice-overs. Toni made product graphics, Chelsea did the transcriptions and uploading to video sites, we're pretty sure this guy did something, the marketing team weighed in with their ideas. And with effective video distribution and great customer focus, we've gone from zero views to fastly approaching over two and a half million. Not bad for a binding company.

What video tricks have worked for you?