Selling video production + video SEO for restaurants - not working too well for me?

9 replies
Hi guys,

Inspired by the thread in this section of the forum where someone was selling videos + video ranking on the first page of Google for all searches related to the specific restaurant for a set amount per month, I went out and tried to do the same.

I put together a wordpress site, that covers most of what I do. I'll admit, I could make a better site, but I don't think it's all about that seeing as I provide them samples of videos that I would make for them, and a proposal is written up that is very easy to understand, etc.

I'm not getting many bites. Had one guy ask me for a sample vid in an email, where I actually got him a nice basic sample vid made with his details in it but I supplied that for him today - so no response yet. But not much of a response from any of the others yet either. I've had my caller call around 140 restaurants, of which probably around 100 or so gave us their email to send a proposal through (doesn't mean they were interested they just asked us to send it through probably because they get a lot of offers) and like I said, I've only heard back really from one.

It has been around 3 days since the first batch of emails went out, and I have sent out some proposals via email from the last three days, some each day.

Anyone doing something similar got any ideas on how to get the ball rolling? Thinking to do a video + vSEO to get it to the top of google for a restaurant or two for free for testimonials/reviews and also to show other clients what I can do for them as well.

The other guy doing this was charing $189 per month, which I think is too low. I am charging $250 for video production initially (it is a decent video actually - outsourced).

Then $299 per month on going guaranteeing their video is on the first page of Google, working towards the #1 spot over time (which I am sure I will actually achieve).

I don't think the price is a factor as I am sure I would have got a 'thats way too much' or something along those lines? Or perhaps they don't even bother to say 'too much' and just ignore it. Do you think the price is indeed too high? I just don't want to sell myself short, but at the same time, I dont want to be too low either (this service is valuable).

Any thoughts? I hope that if I get one or two, I start getting some referrals going because it seems quite hard to cold call and get some results (but lets hope in the next few days after the weekend I get a solid response or two)
#production #restaurants #selling #seo #video #working
  • Profile picture of the author Quentin
    I have never been able to sell the video concept either but mobile phone sites for Restaurants that is something they understand.

    Link with QR Codes on their menus etc is a way easier sell.

    Quentin
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  • Profile picture of the author Headfirst
    Video is a great tool, but you need to sell it properly. I would never buy anything from an unsolicited email and most business owners feel the same way.

    Make some promo videos, put it all together on a DVD and stop in to see the owner. Show up during a slow time on a weekday, give them your elevator pitch (30 seconds max!) and give them the DVD and a business card. Let them watch it on their time.

    Immediately send a letter (IN THE MAIL) so that they get it a couple of days after the got the DVD. Thank them for watching it and then preemptively answer a few questions that they might have.

    Follow that up with another letter a week later than stop back in to see them again.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jay Rhome
    I know at first when you hear this it sucks but do a video for FREE for a restaurant that is big or the owner influential. I said FREE but I worded this wrong. In exchange for referrals.

    If they are highly pleased with your work, do another one or bargain the current one for a free meal and some GIFT CERTIFICATES that you'll offer to YOUR clients. It's low cost publicity for him, get people in the door, and say $25 gift certificate probably won't cover the price of the whole meal.

    Most of all, they get to see your stuff first, you propose to barter for THEIR expertise and referrals, sets the wheel in motion.

    And as Quentin said, QR codes are amazing ice breakers. Try my tips above and then talk about printing QR codes on flyers, certificates, etc Mobile sites with menus... From one "free" video you might a lot of business...

    Hell I'll try this one this week (I have to get a smart phone first).
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  • Profile picture of the author krzysiek
    Thanks for the replies guys, I really appreciate it. As Quentin said, it does not seem to be too easy to sell the videos to these businesses - but if it worked for someone else, it has to work for me. Although, it seems to have worked for the other guy selling them at $189 a pop a bit better than me, I still want to give this a go.

    I was actually thinking of offering it for free to one or two restaurants that were already interested (if I don't get a reply) so that I can get my foot in the door. However, it is a subscription, so I don't want to offer it for free for EVER - so perhaps I'll waive the video production fee + give them a month or two of video SEO (which will have them on the first page for sure) but then after this period, if they want to continue it will have to be paid.

    Also, do you guys think I am charging too much at $299 a month on-going? I just don't want to go around asking for too little, but the work involved is not much so $299 seems maybe a bit pricier?
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  • Profile picture of the author Tam Chancellor
    Sell the benefits, not the features. Restaurant owners want more butts in the seats...so to speak. Show how using your service can increase their sales: more customers. Just saying, "first page of G00gle" isn't enough.
    Signature

    "Talking ain't doing." --Zoe Washburne

    "What you do speaks so loud I cannot hear what you say." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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  • Profile picture of the author krzysiek
    Well, I intend on getting the video to the first spot on Google's first page for any searches related to their restaurant.

    So, if the restaurant was called 'Hot Spice' for example, I would get the video to the top for 'hot spice', 'hot spice restaurant', 'hot spice reviews', 'hot spice opening hours' etc etc.

    However, I am not too sure how many *NEW* customers such a method can get them, since the people are already typing in their restaurant. So is it new customers that should be the primary benefit, or better / more professional exposure of their business? Although, more customers does sound a whole lot better.
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  • Profile picture of the author jsherloc
    If you are going to rank the video and put the SEO work in, you should get the video ranked for the "cityname + restaurant category" and similar searches.

    It won't hurt to get the video ranked for their "restaurant name reviews" etc, but like you already mentioned...these will be people that are ALREADY AWARE of the restaurant. If you boost up a bunch of web videos and other web properties for "restaurant name + reviews, hours, etc" it will help convince people that are debating (provided you are boosting primarily GOOD feedback of course).

    To reach new people and put new people in the restaurant's seats, optimize for category keywords like "mycity italian food" and "mycity mexican restaraunt" , "mycity pizza" etc.

    I agree with doing the actual videos for free, then charging for SEO maintenance presence on a monthly fee...or just using the video as a lead in for additional SEO monthly fees(on top of the video SEO) will probably be your best bet.

    It will be tough to JUST rely on the videos in the organic results, you will probably want to use some additional web 2.0s, maybe some of your own domains(exact match .com,.net,.org), article directories, social media profiles, etc. This way, when the video drops out of the rankings for awhile for whatever algo-update Google is performing, the restaurant will still have their Internet presence and you won't get any calls wondering where their presence is (if you are targeting smaller businesses and only charging a few hundred a month, expect a lot of people that want the world, but fortunately it seems like you can maintain control of who you want to work with in this model).

    - Jim
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  • Profile picture of the author krzysiek
    Jim,

    Thanks for your input - some really great ideas. However, the way I would (ideally) want to approach this is a little different to the way you describe.

    I definitely understand the idea of actually getting the video to rank for a much 'broader' term like 'restaurant city'. This is no doubt a good idea, but due to conflict of interest reasons, I would only realistically be able to work with one restaurant in my city.

    The way I see it is, if I could sell a video for their own restaurant keywords only, for a much lower price than I would sell a video that ranks for 'restaurant in city' then I am effectively allowing myself to work with a lot of restaurants. But doing it for 'restaurant city' I am really just putting it down to 1 client. And I would charge this client more, realistically, but I don't imagine I could do it for any more than $1000 (I do think there is a lot of value in being the ONLY video for that niche in that big city) but that is likely the LIMIT.

    As such, if i lowered my service to $199, all I would need is 5 sign ups out of the 250 or so restaurants in this city and I am already covered for that, + maybe I could squeeze in some more. This is important also because I do plan to offer some further services to these restaurants later, so the video is more of a 'get the foot in the door' type of thing as well.

    But I mean, if it doesn't work out - then I don't have a choice other than to 'really' offer a LOT of value - but the price would need to go up for this, as the work would definitely be a little harder to get it for the 'restaurant city' keyword.
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  • Profile picture of the author jsherloc
    Ohhh OK I gotcha. Makes total sense on your end (you can do a LOT more similar restaurants in your area in a lot less time), but the tough part will be convincing the owners that what you are doing is going to benefit their business on an ongoing basis, justifying your ongoing fees. The good thing is, there are several other ways that they/you could use the videos and this opens up more opportunities like you mentioned above.

    Upload the video to their Google Places account. Upload the video to all of your local community websites/local tv station websites/newspaper websites/etc. I'm not sure about over there, but here, most of the major cities/areas tend to have a few community blogs/ directory/ restaurant review sites. Many of these sites DO get a decent amount of local eyeballs, especially the RESTAURANT REVIEW sections as these local media outlets are CONSTANTLY advertising them(as many local media outlets are in the process of switching over a lot of their stuff to digital). So I would seek those types of sites out as well. This way, you can add a lot more value in just a little bit of time. Also, offer to do build them a simple facebook page, and you can add the video to that as well and it will show up for the "restaraunt name + review"-type local searches., etc. There's also national review sites like Yelp, though not sure what the video capabilities are over there at the moment.

    Do you have any of those popular community/national review sites in your area?

    Hope that helps,

    - Jim
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