Video is the future, says Vignette's Westlake

Guy Westlake, senior product marketing manager EMEA at Vignette, has offered businesses tips on ways to use video as a tool to communicate and drive revenue.

Video has been an integral part of advertising for quite some time.

The internet, however, now enables organisations to use video for a wider variety of marketing purposes.

Content 'snacking' and the explosion of user-generated content mean that video segments are increasingly being tagged and shared across user communities, meaning videos are often viewed by large audiences.

This provides good return-on-investment (ROI) as you only have to provide the content and consumers subsequently tag, share and comment on it, creating a buzz at little cost to the business.

A good example is the recent Lynx 'roar' campaign.

Not only has this got its own microsite with an interactive video but it has been syndicated on many other websites as users share it with others in the online community.

It is therefore a great tool for increasing a brand's profile with the public.

Videos on a website can be a useful way of building awareness of and interaction with an organisation's brand.

The use of videos can be attractive as it offers users the chance to enjoy some entertaining or informative content as part of their online brand experience.

The BBC is good at posting short videos generated from clips that have been sent in from journalists and viewers alike.

The recent snow saw clips of people sledging in the south-east of England.

Meanwhile, viewers can share their own recent experiences, posting clips of what they have seen and done.

These videos enable users to share comments, join forums and network to increase their brand engagement.

Retailers that offer these opportunities can use video and associated web 2.0 features to attract and engage potential customers.

If engagement is the first step, converting that engagement into sales is the ultimate goal.

The use of video to see a product or service in action can help the consumer visualise what they could have and lead them to crave what they are viewing.

The fashion website, ASOS.com, uses video to show what the clothes look like on the catwalk, bringing the clothes to life in a way that static images cannot.

Video, in this instance, is a good way for companies to encourage their loyal customers to make purchases as a result of what they see on the company's website.

Some people absorb information better with visual stimulus, so videos can serve as a great educational tool for sharing it.

Increasingly, companies are using videos as a medium to show consumers how to use their product or service.

For example, Kingston Technology creates videos to show consumers how to upgrade memory modules on their PCs.

This is a low-cost way for companies to educate their customer base, reduce the cost of customer support and deliver a superior level of customer service.

Employee training can be given via video to help reduce the costs often associated with it (such as travel).

It can ensure that all workers receive the same information in the same format regardless of their location and make separate departments and disparate parts of a business feel unified by delivering consistent corporate messaging.

Monthly video blogs from the chief executive officer posted on the corporate intranet, for example, can keep everyone informed and show each employee that they are valued and respected as part of the larger team.

In this way, videos can inspire a passion and emotional response to the business that words just cannot.

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