In looking ahead to  2013, here’s a checklist to 
consider in addressing key needs for the season and for the coming year:


1.)   Online Video Content:  Have you or your clients  thoroughly mapped out
the video content needs of your current website(s)? Online  customers
increasingly expect to find video to answer their questions, capture  their
attention, motivate their shopping, and to get to know you better with the 
power of sight, sound and motion. Does your website clearly communicate who you 
are and what you do, and is video messaging a big part of your communication? At
  the risk of preaching to the choir here on Video Insider, video really should
be  a key part of the mix.


2.)   Holiday Sale Videos: The Christmas / Chanukah holidays are  fast
approaching, and there is still time to have video make a positive impact  on
retail performance. There are also plenty of other holidays in 2013 that  brands
can strengthen by planning early to incorporate more great video  content.  Each
holiday, from New Year's, to MLK Day, to St. Patty’s Day, to  Easter, provides a
new opportunity for marketers to motivate buyers by using  strong, relevant, and
compelling custom video executions.


3.)   Video for SEO: Thanks to Google’s ever-evolving algorithm,  increasing
the amount of video on a brand’s website or microsites can help to 
significantly increase page rank.  In short, having video will help sites  get
noticed, and that’s worth a ton in today’s competitive marketplace. Video on  a
brand’s Facebook page will also help and can improve its Edgerank.


4.)   Video for Social Media: The social world we live in is  continually
engaged and motivated by stories.  Customers love a good story,  and if it can
relate back to a brand, there can be double rewards for sharing  it.  Great
video stories on social media sites, like Facebook, can increase  a brand’s
awareness and ultimately lead to more sales.


5.)   How-to Videos: Brands can significantly reduce the strain and  stress
placed upon call centers by including clever and effective how-to videos  on
their websites, showing customers easy ways to deal with challenges they may 
face with using a brand’s product or service.  Videos can eliminate that  call
from an irate and unhappy customer by proactively showing them the way with 
video in the “need help” section of the company or product website.


6.)   YouTube Videos: The second biggest search engine out there is  probably
YouTube.  How does a brand rate with its YouTube page?  If it  includes
lots of videos, it’s probably fairing quite well vis-a-vis the 
competition. And remember, brands shouldn’t just include past and present
commercials on its YouTube page, but also include those how-to videos, special 
sale videos, and even custom videos targeting searchers on YouTube.


7.)   Video for News & PR: There is real evidence building that 
including video in press releases and in news articles can increase readership 
and distribution of a brand’s important news. Whether the announcement at-hand
is about a new location opening, a new product launch, a new business 
relationship, or even a new key hire; a short video that supports the story will
  provide great value and maximize the impact of the PR spend.


No matter the path, quality is every as important as sheer  quantity.   There
are obviously many more uses for video, to be sure,  but this is a good
checklist to make sure you’re ready for 2013. In last month’s  Video Insider
article, I listed a few different ways that marketers can obtain  great video at
less cost. Check it out, and good luck in planning for a  successful
2013.



Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/187406/a-video-planning-checklist-for-2013.html#ixzz2DYBMvXy3