Video Marketing for Social Media: Part 2

Okay, so apparently some of you are still not buying my theory that video and social media go together like a Hammacher and a Schlemmer. So be it. Here are some of the latest objections:
1. Sharing my Big Important Video with my Social Media Network will Cheapen my Big Important Video.
Of course it will. And that’s a good thing, because your social network doesn’t see itself as a collection of Big Important People. They’re ordinary people who are capable of understanding complex ideas (provided they have incentive to do so) and who, believe it or not, can gain value from your Big Important Video. Look, video is not fine china; you don’t only take it out on special occasions. Video should be a regular part of your communications strategy. And if it’s not, then you might as well not create it at all. (And I’ll see ya on the unemployment line.)
2. People in my Social Network Don’t Share Video. Why Should I?
Why? Because people in your social network don’t share video. You’ll be vanguard, a sterling representation of the limitless possibility of the future of e-communications. Talk about unique content; you’ve cornered the market!
3. Everybody in my Social Network Shares Video. Why Should I?
Because if you don’t, you’re behind the curve. Video is unique in that it requires a response in the same medium in order to be effective. In other words, if everyone in your space is using video, it is nearly impossible to be part of that conversation unless you too are using video. I like to think about it in terms of rap battles. If one rapper insults another rapper in a video on YouTube, which he then shares with his extended network of a gazillion people, with the offended rapper be able to exact his revenge in a blog post? Probably not.
4. My Boss Won’t Let Me Shoot Video (or anything else, for that matter) in the Office.
So take it on the road! If your boss is one of those who scoffs at the idea of using video on the InterWeb, he’s probably also the kind of guy who still makes you attend trade shows and conferences. Go there, talk to a couple of clients and celebrities, and video tape the whole thing. Then, when you’re done, show your boss all the nice things your clients said about you and tell him you should put it on the website. The cost of video production has been absorbed by the cost of the trade show, and from this point on the videos will cost next to nothing to host. No harm, big reward.
Point is, there are lots of ways to use video, and about a gajillion reasons to do so. But production is only half the battle. You have to share your video content somehow, and social media is the perfect avenue for that.
And if you don’t believe me, wait ten years and ask anyone who’s still in business.