Stop with the Videos with No Forwarding

[roley]

Ive seen several videos online where the marketer thinks... aha i will not let the visitor skip ahead, forcing them to watch my video

uuuuh... no

Your not forcing anyone.. in fact your probably screwing yourself over as I for one immediately leave any web page where a video is playing that doesn't have the option of skipping ahead

Why?

Because I will not sit and be forced to watch some video no matter how interesting a person thinks it is

Its all about control and options. Why do you think they invented TIVO?

Now get with the program!

[jasonl70]

Yeah - tivo is certainly a marketers best friend

Have you tested the 2 and see which converts better?

[Sven Schoene]

I agree with roley. If the video is not interesting enough in the beginning but I still want the content then please do not force me to skip to the interesting part or let me skim through it.

[EndGame]

If I am watching a video and I am forced to watch the whole dam thing with no idea how long the actual video is, I am going to click away.

A lot of marketers would say "a person like that is not going to buy anyway."

Wrong. I am a buyer and have bought many products before and love being sold to via video. Love it. However, I value my time too much to sit through a load of nonsense, buzz words and hype. I am not interested if that is you standing next to your new bmw, I don't care if you have a photo of you hugging mike filsaime, and I could give two hoots about your last holiday as a result of your fabulous income, all I want to know is what is your product going to do for me and what is your price?

If I like the offer, I'll buy it quickly. If I don't I won't, no matter what sales techniques you try and lay down in the video.

Some people will want to see all of that stuff, but for those of us who have been around a while, there are some among us who would just like to cut to the chase. I often sit through the whole sales videos, but only when I can see how much time it is going to take, and how much time I have already spent watching it.

It drives me nuts.

[ExRat]

Hi EndGame,

I seem to be having this conversation a lot recently - here's my take on it -

A lot of marketers would say "a person like that is not going to buy anyway."

I would re-align that to say -

'You are not the target market' - 'a person like YOU is not going to buy anyway'

Or even more strongly -

'They don't want you to buy'

Many people use these type of things as a filter. You already qualified yourself -

those of us who have been around a while

Look at it this way - you said -

I value my time too much to sit through a load of nonsense, buzz words and hype. I am not interested if that is you standing next to your new bmw, I don't care if you have a photo of you hugging mike filsaime, and I could give two hoots about your last holiday as a result of your fabulous income

So, a question for you - do you think that all prospects feel that way?

Put another way - do you think that they put those things into the video purely to massage their own ego?

OR

Do you think that there is a certain demographic where those things are precisely the things that press their buttons and encourage them to buy?

Perhaps that demographic contains people that unlike yourself, 'haven't been around a while'?

And perhaps, if the product isn't actually that good/new/useful, the marketer actually doesn't want people who have been around a while -

a) taking up his resources like video bandwidth, subscriber costs etc

b) talking about his system/product on forums, and discussing it with others who 'have been around' and will reveal the techniques used

c) getting inside his system and sussing it out

You see, if you don't really understand what he's doing, he doesn't want to increase the chances of you working it out. It might be very lucrative and easy.

Perhaps how you feel about the content of the video is very close to how you would feel about the product. And perhaps that rule also applies to those who like it.

So obviously, if the things in the video didn't hit your sweet spot (and therefore nor will the product) why does the seller want you going through the purchase process only to be unhappy and then reverse it?

They don't.

So it goes that if you did like the content of the video, perhaps that would qualify you as being in the demographic that contains the people he wants to be in front of the buy button because they will like the product.

It's a filtering process and as you can see there are many benefits to the seller in using the filter to get rid of the wrong demographic as soon as possible.

Does that help you to see a logical reason why they would do this? The more you think about it and find more reasons to take this approach, the more it looks like very smart marketing.

A lot of people seem to automatically assume that the only sensible approach is to try to sell a product to as many people as possible. Not many people immediately see the downside to this approach. Others might think that it's better to sell that product to a targeted group, and then instead of spending time trying to sell it to the wrong people, instead spend that time creating another product that is also correctly targeted to it's ideal demographic.

If you have a targeted campaign, a powerful line of products and an effective funnel - why would you want untargeted and unsuitable prospects clogging up the system, hogging resources and causing external issues?

Better to move them along as soon as possible and build something that is ideal for them, target it at them, and get them in their own ideal funnel.

It drives me nuts.

If so, then the product probably isn't right for you anyway. But instead of going nuts, take something useful from the experience by trying to suss out why they are doing something, that at first impression, is so obviously annoying to you.

I don't think they're agitating people for kicks, and as mentioned above, I don't think it's an ego related thing. They're qualifying and filtering and targeting.

[Sven Schoene]

Wow, Roger, that reply kicked ass! I can certainly understand EndGame's frustration with these types of sites, I do have them myself.


But looking at this little thing as a filtering process is just plain genius! Actually, I hate myself now for not coming up with this explanation/idea. Not bad, keep up the good posts, Roger!

[ExRat]

Hi Sven,

Cheers. (Or should I say 'prost').

Trust me, I can get (kind of) frustrated too. There are a whole host of things that can annoy me too, when someone's trying to market/sell to me.

The trick is, when you are at your PC connected to the internet, don't allow yourself to be sold, by being too busy selling.

I'll spell out what I'm saying between the lines there - even when you're being pitched at, if you put yourself in that position in the first place in order to study the process, find the obvious lessons and ALSO the not so obvious ones (IE you approach it as a marketer, self-control in place, fully aware of what you are doing it for and what you are NOT doing it for) then it won't be so annoying, unless it's crap and there's nothing to learn.

Self-education, enlightenment and picking up new money making techniques is meant to be a thoroughly enjoyable and exciting thing to do.

[new guy]

I guess as a seller, it would be something you have to test in your own market. Personally, if I see a video, I want to know how long it is going to be. i may not have 15 minutes to sit there and watch it right then. Doesn't mean I won't buy or am not interested but I am a busy guy and might not have time for that video right now.

As far as video goes in general, I am not that big a fan of them. Well, yes use, them, they do work. But don't use them in place of other good salesmanship (i.e. copywriting). I have been on a site before where the video get half way through and then froze. I was not able to buy the guy's product because there was no copy selling my anything. I personally access the internet via satellite connection and it is not always as fast as it needs to be so if I see a video on a site, I may pass by. certainly a video can enhance what you are doing, but don't just replace it. Of course, the best idea is to test and know. So many people come on to this forum looking for the magic answer so they don't have to do any work. Well, the magic answer my friend, is to work hard and test everything.

[Sven Schoene]

Originally Posted by ExRat

Hi Sven,

Cheers. (Or should I say 'prost').

Trust me, I can get (kind of) frustrated too. There are a whole host of things that can annoy me too, when someone's trying to market/sell to me.

The trick is, when you are at your PC connected to the internet, don't allow yourself to be sold, by being too busy selling.

I'll spell out what I'm saying between the lines there - even when you're being pitched at, if you put yourself in that position in the first place in order to study the process, find the obvious lessons and ALSO the not so obvious ones (IE you approach it as a marketer, self-control in place, fully aware of what you are doing it for and what you are NOT doing it for) then it won't be so annoying, unless it's crap and there's nothing to learn.

Self-education, enlightenment and picking up new money making techniques is meant to be a thoroughly enjoyable and exciting thing to do.

Hehe, that's a nice trick... And the reason why I don't unsubscribe from all these stupid marketers mailing-lists. I love to analyze their copy and to see how they treat their list. Also, analyzing sales-pages and their copy can also be a lot of fun.


So, you're right, if you want to learn something then take a look at all this stuff in action (=analyzing the marketing material of successful marketers).


(Wow, I must have outed myself as a freak here... Using "analyzing sales-pages" and "fun" in the same sentence... Is my reputation forever ruined now? )

[EndGame]

Exrat,

Do you do coaching? Seriously.

You have such a clear thought process and you take time on everything you do here, it is beyond incredible. Where did you pick up the ability to think and analyze everything in that way?

[ExRat]

Hi EndGame,

Thanks

Do you do coaching? Seriously.

Not currently. Without wanting to sound unconfident, I feel that currently I talk it much better than I walk it, so I'm focused on walking it a lot better first. Then, if I choose to, I might consider getting paid to talk it.

But I'm not one of those who agrees with faking it or winging it. People who know me well, and even some of my 'enemies' (used loosely) know that I still have a way to go. I like to do things properly - particularly when I'm dealing with people who are either 'walking my path' or I am 'walking theirs'.

I did hear a rumour though, that an ex-list-builder might be donning his autoresponder again quite soon

You have such a clear thought process and you take time on everything you do here, it is beyond incredible. Where did you pick up the ability to think and analyze everything in that way?

Thanks again. That's easy. I picked most of it up right here in this forum (clarity provided (mainly) courtesy of Paul Myers). That coupled with my other experiences. Also, I've spent my life veering away from the norm in many ways. Sometimes by choice, many times early on - not. I'm an independent, a bit of a loner in many ways, although I also mix well at the right times.

I reckon that has a lot to do with it. You get a different view from 'here'. Which is why I like my forum tagline - 'dare to be different'. I like to encourage others to realise that by exploring and finding a unique 'view', you not only see what most are missing, but it also provides you with a perspective that has more value - useful in saturated markets where many are trying to be the best 'recycler'.

If I ever do, you will get a special price for encouraging me.

[DavidTheMavin]

Here we go again.... same argument as the super long sales page as far as I'm concerned

I hate them both, but whatever floats your boat I suppose.

[Steven Fullman]

Roger,

I must say...you've been in damned good form lately.

Great posts.

Mentorship? Consider it, mate.

It'd be like my local Post Office on pension day...queues out the door.

Steve

[jasonl70]

well put roger.. I've tried so many times putting those thoughts to words, and seem to always fail. I keep at it though, because it is a rather fundemental part of marketing.

Whether it's marketers showing off their ferraris or yachts, frank kern playing video games and hanging at the beach (ie, showing a life of leisure), etc - it all comes down to identifying the market you are targeting and pushing THEIR hot buttons. It's not about catering to the lowest common denominator, nor trying to be all things to all people.

Too many folks around here seem to think that THEY are THE market, or the most profitable market, and hence if a marketer does anything that THEY don't like then the marketer is doing things wrong, losing money, not "building a sustainable business", etc..

[ExRat]

Hi jasonl70,

Cheers, and I have to add that you have a very interesting and clear natural-marketer-type opinion that you share here, and which I learn from.

I reckon that those with more experience than myself would add that in very tightly defined markets with targeted products, those buyers will feel that the product was 'made for them' and will pay more - not least because it's likely to be those with success already (in IM for example) who can afford to splash pre-tax income on specialist knowledge.

Hi Steven,

Thanks mate.

Whenever I'm in good form with the ladies, it resembles that analogy -

like my local Post Office on pension day

As you're in the UK too, I am compelled to ask 'why aren't you in bed?'

But then I'd have to ask myself the same question.

Which would compel me to then ask 'why aren't we in bed?'

But that wouldn't sound so good, eh?

We have a local bar called 'bed bar' which is run by my friend's relative. If we go for a bevvy, we always pop in to see him as we trawl around the pubs. After some embarassing moments, I have now trained myself so that just prior to the time where I predict that Bed bar will be next, I approach my friend and quietly ask him 'where next?'

I adopted this approach after the time he thoughtlessly and oafishly shouted across the pub, "Shall we go to bed now?"

Thanks again. I like your posts too Steven.