Article Surfing Archive

Many cyberspace entrepreneurs recognize the power of videos on websites as tools for communicating a compelling message. We can't say enough about the importance of including videos in your array of media options, however we think some considerations should be noted. The *who, what, why, when, where* model of developing a message is a good construct for thinking about creating and using videos.

*When* and *Where* are probably the easiest to identify. Your management team can fairly easily define *When* you want the video up and running on your site (*Where*). As the much over-used commercials say, That's a no-brainer. *Who, What and Why* are a little more challenging.

The starting point needs to be defining the purpose of the video (*Why*). Ask yourself questions such as, What are we trying to communicate? What's our message going to be? Do we want to tell our site visitors who we are and leave it at that? Or do we want to communicate something we value, something we believe is important? Or are we trying to sell a product or service? The answers to these questions will provide clarity for creating a strategy for developing the video.

Material you are already using in your business and on your site needs to be identified and reviewed. You already know *what* you have utilized in the past for communicating your message. You may want to use that material, or you may want to create new material if you*re moving in a new direction and have a new purpose in mind. You will be looking at your sales literature, product manuals, brochures and online material in this step. Or, if you are embarking on a new road, you will be creating these materials for the new adventure.

It is critical for you to define your target audience. You need to know to whom your message will be directed because that will determine many components of the final package: language, music, voice, length, pace* just to name a few. We all know something that appeals to a teenager can be vastly different from what appeals to a 75 year old. And what a woman in East Texas enjoys can be worlds away from what a New York female executive finds interesting. Know to whom you are marketing your video.

The final piece of video footage you put on your web site can be compelling and successful if you are careful about planning the effort and writing your script for the project. It's all part of the strategic planning process in any business.