SpotMixer: Creating Video Ads That Sell!

By Reggie · August 26, 2008

With the rise of online video sharing over the last few years, you might be asking yourself the question “How do I effectively implement video to promote my business?”  After all it’s an important question since you have so many items in need of promotion. Whether it’s you and your real estate business, a specific home, the surrounding community or testimonials; video has the power to capture emotion while also conveying difficult concepts.

But I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. I would guess the real reason most real estate agents would hesitate to implement video into their business stems from beliving video creation costs outweigh the benefit. Or you understand that self producing video takes skill and time. That’s not the case with SpotMixer a service from One True Media, which empowers businesses to expand their marketing reach through online video advertising.

SpotMixer enables users to create advanced video advertisements without having those advanced video production skills.  Their interface is simplistic, and offers the inclusion of pictures, audio and video. To start, SpotMixer offers over 300 eye-catching templates-even a category dedicated to real estate. All templates come with premixed transitions and music to make producing the video effortless. The background music can be easily substituted. Drag your photos or video to corresponding frames via the intuitive design process. Add text and/or voiceover with onscreen tools to improve your call to action. Once complete you’ll publish the ad and start your subscription. Plans range from $59 to $79 a month.

POSSIBLE IDEAS FOR A VIDEO AD
Persuasive video ads can be a powerful media when implemented correctly, here are 7 ideas explored:

1. Video testimonial: Include photos of families, smiles, voiceover of actual testimonial.
2. Neighborhood overview: Photos and video of park, row of homes, homeowner’s quotes about the neighborhood, map of downtown, closing video of you.
3. Home showcase: Video of approach to home, home photos, floor plan, closing video of you.
4. Community event: Video of event, photos, voiceover w/ history of event, closing video of you.
5. Sell Your skills: Photos of you in action, statistics, voiceover of skill and benefit to consumer.
6. Staging example: before and after photos, voiceover with music, staging statistics, closing video of you.
7. Charity: Charity event video, photos, text describing goals and your involvement.

 
I’VE CREATED MY VIDEO AD, NOW WHAT?

Once you’ve created your new video advertisement, you’ll appreciate the simplicity behind getting it seen via major online directories, guides, and listing services. Start by displaying the video ad on your site or others with the supplied embed code. (see below) Next look to Google TV Ads for increased exposure. 

SpotMixer has an easy post option designed to get your video placed into your Adwords account for use with Google’s TV ad service.  From there you’ll select the programs and channels to display your ad, set your budget and push live.  Then view the Placement Performance report to analyze detailed metrics including ad performance.

Also post that same video to YouTube.  If you’re looking for more exposure you may want to create a full video distribution strategy. Don’t worry it’s easier than you might think. SpotMixer allows you to download your video in MP4 format. Next go to a video syndication service such as TubeMogul to place your video on the top video sharing websites across the web at no additional cost.

TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT VIDEO AD

Truthfully the process is so simple you don’t need me to tell you much. But I should mention that the higher the resolution of your photos the better your finished output quality will be. Images should be standard JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg).  Also remember that you can include video in these ads. To start your video should be MPEG (.mpg or .mpeg), MPEG 4 (.mp4), QuickTime (.mov), Audio Video Interleave (.avi), or Windows Media Video (.wmv).  As Patty Nghiem, the VP of marketing for SpotMixer, mentioned in our interview including video or audio with SpotMixer is one way to enhance the ad.  For example, if your video ad is promoting a specific neighborhood in an ocean front town, video of crashing waves on the beach could be very compelling. If you are creating a video testimonial ad, you may show photos of satisfied customers while including a voiceover of the most gripping testimonial.