Psstt…hey, merchant! Yes, you. The one with the great products and good conversion rates but no videos, yet.
I’m talking to you. And I am quite certain that I am not the only one trying to get your attention.
Although I actively post my own how-to and product demonstration videos on my site, it is always good when I can give my visitors a variety of videos. This includes videos made directly by the merchants.
The merchants are the ones with all of the products on hand and the knowledge about how to use them.
The number of merchants with videos available for affiliates right now is incredibly small, compared to the number of overall merchants. Less than 1% of the merchants I’m currently promoting offer video to use in my marketing efforts.
The format of the video is not all that important. Affiliates will find ways to work with YouTube, Qoof, or whatever you give us. If we can embed the video with our affiliate links it is all the better, but it is not necessary.
Some of the merchants who are ahead of the curve are giving us a variety of options. For my visitors who like instructional videos, I love the Sephora how-to videos on YouTube that show everything from how to get the “cat eye” look to which waterproof makeup works.
For general sales, products like the Little Giant Ladder come across much better in their Avantlink videos than in any banner or text links I could put up.
What doesn’t help me is a link from my site to your site where you show the video yourself. That has been done for years. I want your video to put on my own site where I know that my visitors will watch it and want to click the affiliate links.
If the video is available on your site, give me a way to embed it on my site.
Merchants, if you share our vision for the use of video in affiliate marketing and choose to make videos for affiliates; we will find ways to use them. Well-placed merchant videos can be the key to success for all of us in the upcoming holiday shopping season.
Tricia Meyer is the owner of loyalty site Sunshine Rewards. See her mix of videos at http://www.SunshineRewards.com/videoblog.
Download issue 2 of FeedFront at http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue2.pdf
Articles from issue 2 of FeedFront will also be posted at http://feedfront.com/archives/category/issue-2/
