Last week some of the Invodo team dedicated their Wednesday morning to prepare and serve lunch to Austin’s less fortunate with Caritas, a local non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources to help individuals experiencing poverty become self-sufficient. Everyone who participated agreed that serving those in need is a big reminder to be thankful for all that we have.
Travis Kenney, an Invodo Market Development Associate, initiated the volunteer opportunity and hopes it will be the first of many. Early Wednesday morning, the seven Invodoians all worked together to chop vegetables for soup and prepare peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Everyone served together on the line as the hungry crowd arrived.
Volunteering at Caritas is just one example of the giving nature of our team members. A few weeks ago, many team members also dedicated their time or sent items to help the victims of the fires that happened near Austin, Texas. If you take a look at our culture page, you’ll notice that we truly value the opportunity to help others. We are humans, not resources.
At Caritas, the woman who introduced the serving Invodoians pronounced our company name, “Invivo.” We think this just might be appropriate for the kind of work we do. Invivo – bringing video to life!
Customer service costs can skyrocket with complex or unfamiliar products. And most customers don’t want to wade through pages of FAQs to find the answers to their questions. Sometimes the FAQ section of a website can be more frustration than it’s worth. So, customers call support. And then, as much as 30 percent of them will call a second time (Impact Learning, 2010).
How can companies reduce the number of calls (and repeat calls) without sacrificing the quality of customer service? Dell credited video with reducing service call volume by 5 percent. And video can deliver high quality service and guidance every time it’s watched. With estimated expenses ranging from five to fifty dollars per call, large companies could quickly save millions.
Here are four tips for creating stellar customer service videos:
1) Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. You’ve mastered every caveat of your product and are ready to answer any question. But always remember – your customers may have limited experience with your product, so jargon should be replaced with universal terms and explanations. Imagine your video content from their perspective. Hold a focus group or send out a survey to gauge how broad or detailed your video should be. You might find several definitive segments of your audience, in which case it could be helpful to create several versions of your video.
2) Use one “expert” across your videos. If you plan on creating videos for several categories, you could have one spokesperson for each category. According to a study by Edelman, an expert’s opinion is the most widely trusted source of information, far surpassing a “person like myself” and a company employee. The product expert becomes an advisor for the customer, delivering key information and gaining trust along the way. The advisor is available 24/7 from a computer, mobile device or even customer service kiosk.
Be mindful of your audience when choosing your product expert. Is a male or female speaker more appropriate? What about the age? According to an Invodo study, the physical appearance of the product expert impacts the view and purchase rates with eCommerce video. See why in the “Mustache Effect” video.
3) Optimize usability by creating multiple language versions. This can easily be accomplished by using voice-overs or allowing a multi-language subtitle option. This way, customers from around the globe can have their questions answered through video, keeping call or email support costs down.
4) Categorize and segment. Allow your audience to explore help topics by category by tagging your videos with relevant keywords. Verizon Wireless uses an instructional video on the My Verizon log in page to help customers better navigate the site. Coupled with a warm welcome message, this video features screencasts to show viewers how to use Verizon’s online account management tools. Beyond this log in page, users can further navigate specific questions and find videos that provide answers to more complex questions.
There are may different kinds of customer service videos, from FAQ answers to site welcome videos and instructional clips. Learn more about the many ways to use video by registering to get the Video Watch, Invodo’s monthly eNewsletter. October’s edition features videos for service, those created for customer service and videos that help sell a service.
This is my second blog. Ever. I think it is probably because I don’t usually talk unless I have something interesting to say. My first blog post was when I joined Invodo one year ago, and I made a commitment that I would write a blog at least once per year, so here goes:
I look back at my blog from a year ago and, of course, it was full of excitement and energy. Now the honeymoon is over. The reality of hard work, hard problems and break-neck growth has set in. So how do I feel? Fantastic. The hard work doesn’t seem hard at all – it is more like fun. The most challenging obstacles motivate the team, and we literally stop for nothing until a solution is at hand.
We have achieved some pretty great things over the past year. We are more than double the size of when I joined and have totally overhauled our entire infrastructure and made tremendous improvements in the ways we serve our clients. In the last few months, we’ve added new InPlayer features like Ratings and Comments, created the Client Partner Team and enhanced our project management hub. New clients such as AutoZone, Crocs and Office Depot are excited to bring our strategy, technology and video expertise into their eCommerce plans.
What amazes me about Invodo is the quality of people and how smart, creative and fun they are to work with. Of all of the places I have worked, I think Invodo has the best culture. There isn’t a single person in this company that isn’t delightful to work with. And it’s the unique office traditions, like the enthusiasm for “golfketball” or the cowbell we ring when there’s big company news, that give this office the energy to thrive.
My dream job is to work at a place that has super-smart people that are driven to build world-class, game-changing products and have fun working together. Invodo is that place. I am pretty plugged into the companies in Austin and I can’t think of a better place to work. The way we are headed, Invodo will be another great Austin success story. Stay tuned – next year I expect things will be even better.
- Jim Keeler, Ph.D. VP Engineering and Operations
Video is becoming a must-have for online retailers. Bizchair.com is at the forefront of the retail video revolution, driving business results by deploying hundreds of videos on product and category pages. How and why does Bizchair.com use video? What are some of the key video features that increase a video program’s ROI?
Register now for the upcoming Internet Retailer webinar: Lights, Camera, Transaction: Secrets to Video for Retail. Join the expert presenters as they discuss the following:
Presented by:
Sean Belnick – Founder and CEO, Bizchair.com
Don Davis – Editor of Internet Retailer magazine and of InternetRetailer.com
Russ Somers – Director of Marketing, Invodo
Date: Tuesday, October 18
Time: 2pm EST / 11am PST
Trying to add video to your eCommerce mix without a clearly defined strategy is a bit like driving along the narrow, winding and frequently washed out red dirt roads in the Southern Alabama of my youth. Back then, there simply wasn’t enough paved road (or blacktop as we called it) to always get from point A to B. If I wasn’t being held up by a logging truck or a farm tractor, I was navigating old wooden bridges over swift streams that seemed barely wide enough to accommodate foot traffic much less my old 1959 Chevy Apache pickup truck. And, of course, these roads were on no map known to man. Reaching my ultimate destination was seldom a smooth proposition.
A video program, from concept to measuring results, should not be a harrowing journey down an uncharted and unknown path. Instead, plan for success from the outset by engaging in a video strategy session to ensure smooth steering toward increased conversion, enhanced SEO and robust ROI.
Leading auto parts retailer, AutoZone, works with Invodo to create diverse product and how-to videos. Some of the more complex videos produced feature mechanical system trouble-shooting and repair how-tos or installations. Videos such as these require detailed planning and precise execution by Invodo’s production team.
Before video was ever scripted or a single line of player JavaScript was integrated into site code, the AutoZone team and Invodo’s Client Strategy team sat down and dug into every issue that could and would lead to the success or failure of their pilot video program. The comprehensive video strategy session covered all finite details of the video program including:
The result was a clear path of smooth, paved road that led the way to a successful pilot program. The pilot program also yielded measurable data and direct experience which fueled the plans for a full eCommerce video program. Without the Video Strategy Session, none of that would have been possible.
Let me be clear. A real video strategy session is not something you do during a 15 minute meet and greet by the registration booths of whatever trade conference you may be attending. It isn’t a sales pitch disguised in a shiny wrapper.
A real video strategy session and the resulting success plan requires the participation of the extended client and vendor teams during a lengthy and structured discussion. A real video strategy session is preceded by qualifying discovery and is followed by committed adherence to the plan. A real video strategy session is the blacktop that paves the road, the signs that warn of trouble and keep you safe, and the map that keeps you on the path to your ultimate, desired destination. Anything less and you’re likely to find yourself fishtailing along a pothole filled road (or bridge) to nowhere.
While working through your Monday morning email inbox, take a second to ponder, “What is Devin warning us about?”
The Invodo team recently asked themselves the same question. We brought the Austin team to Invodo’s state-of-the-art video production facility in the Dallas metroplex for a recent all-company team meeting. We were instructed to watch this video upon our arrival. So we did…and we asked, “What is Devin warning us about?”
Want to see what was in store for the Invodo team as we arrived at the Dallas production facility a few hours later? Sign up for our monthly eNewsletter and find out.
View content for Bus Prelude Clip.
Autozone, L’Occitane, Office Depot and More Sign On; Platform adds Ratings and Comments to Capture Consumer Feedback
September 12, 2011
AUSTIN, Texas – Invodo®, the only full-service eCommerce video solution, has added a number of high-profile clients, becoming the de facto leader in online video for business. In addition, the company has introduced an InPlayer rating system feature to help gather feedback from consumers and gain insight on how to further optimize video for its clients.
Invodo recently signed a number of new clients including AutoAnything, Autozone, Coffee For Less, Hammacher Schlemmer, L’Occitane, Office Depot, Really Good Stuff, and The Sports Authority. These businesses join the ranks of current Invodo clients such as Altrec, Bizchair.com, Crocs, Golfsmith, The Land of Nod, Lenovo, Living Direct and Moosejaw Mountaineering.
Amid the growing client base, Invodo has also announced the company’s newest product feature, Video Ratings and Comments. The feature allows clients to discover first-hand how the Invodo solution helps consumers shop. The feature offers online shoppers the opportunity to rate and comment on the videos they watch. Resulting data will provide insight into which video components are most useful and why. Invodo will use these findings to bolster the company’s data-driven insight into best practices for business video.
“We signed with Invodo because they’re able to meet our needs for creating video content at scale,” said Sean Belnick, Founder and CEO of Bizchair.com. “Results from their analytics platform prove that their solution is driving bottom-line results for us. We’re looking forward to deploying their new Ratings and Comments feature to learn more about our customers’ needs and preferences.”
“Measuring the effectiveness of the videos we create is incredibly valuable for us and for our clients,” said Craig Wax, CEO, Invodo. “The data and consumer feedback collected from our new InPlayer rating system will enable us to improve videos to further enhance the consumer shopping experience online.”
Invodo is currently participating in the Annual Shop.org Summit in Boston, MA September 12-14, 2011. Attendees can meet with Invodo at booth #1036 or during the “Test Driving Video to Create a Road Map for Success” roundtable discussion with Craig Wax on Wednesday, September 14 from 12:30 – 1:45 pm ET.
About Invodo
Invodo helps businesses sell more through the power of video. A full-service eCommerce video solution, Invodo creates high-quality product video at scale and develops new technology to influence consumers where it matters most. Invodo videos increase sales conversion rates, reduce returns and drive site traffic for customers, including Internet 500 retailers and major brands. For more information, please visit www.invodo.com.
Contact
Jen Cadmus
jcadmus
invodo
com
512-934-835
Digital Retail’s most influential event, the Shop.org Annual Summit, is just around the corner. The best and the brightest in online retail are gearing up for three days of compelling content and priceless networking. The 2011 Shop.org agenda is jam-packed with keynotes, concurrent sessions, roundtables, and so much more making it daunting to plan your days. To make the most of your time in Boston, here are Invodo’s top Shop.org Annual Summit picks.
Monday, September 12
Daytime: The Online Retail Boot Camp is an ideal workshop if you are looking for a year’s worth of learning in one day. Attendees will get into tiptop eCommerce shape and explore numerous aspects of successful eCommerce businesses including social media, search analytics, email, and merchandising for conversion. Attend the Online Retail Boot Camp to optimize online basics and learn various eCommerce program specifics.
Evening: Kick-off Shop.org Annual Summit in style with the three most exciting and innovative solution providers in eCommerce: Invodo, Baynote and Monetate. Offering Monday Night Football, free food, beverages, and networking with the best in eCommerce, it is the hottest ticket in town. At 6:30pm, immediately following the Shop.org Opening Reception, referees will be waiting outside the Convention Center to whisk away party attendees to Game On! at Fenway Park where the best in eCommerce will watch the New England Patriots take on the Miami Dolphins. Did I forget to mention that party goers can also test their baseball skills in the Official Red Sox Team batting cage?
Score your VIP pass to the event here! melissainvodocom
Tuesday, September 13
Daytime: Tuesday is the day all Shop.org attendees are anticipating. Over 200 solution providers will be centralized in the EXPO Hall to showcase products, technologies and services created to enhance the online retail experience. The EXPO Hall also features the BIG !dea Sessions, roundtables, and networking throughout the day. Of course, Invodo booth #1036 will be the number one destination featuring eCommerce video examples, client success stories, and of course, free 5 hour energies. EXPO Hall doors open at 9:45a so get there on time to take advantage of all the EXPO Hall has to offer.
Tuesday also offers full conference attendees the opportunity to attend multiple keynotes. Author and futurist, Ray Kurzweil, kicks off the summit by discussing the impact of technological Innovation on consumer behavior and retail as we know it followed by Mick McCormick of Columbia Sportswear Company, who broaches the subject of industry stagnation and ways to gear up for growth. Lastly, President of Direct at Charming Shoppes, Bill Bass, shares the lessons he has learned in 15 years of cross-channel retailing. All great thought leaders and keynotes worth attending.
Evening: Free for all Full Conference registrants, Shop.org is hosting an evening reception and dinner at the famous Jillian’s Boston. Expect to have fun while you bowl, dance, and network with fellow Shop.org attendees. EXPO Hall only pass holders- Don’t feel left out! Dinner tickets can be purchased for an additional $125.
Wednesday, September 14
Daytime: Start you day off by getting all your digital retail questions answered during Forrester Research’s Sucharita Mulpuru and Rue La La’s Ben Fischman Q&A keynote. Next, make your final rounds in the EXPO hall which opens at 10:15a to discover new eCommerce solutions and pick up remaining swag. After your tote bags are full and stomachs begin to rumble, swing by the vendor-retail case study roundtables also located in the EXPO Hall. Roundtable 21 will surely accelerate your eCommerce strategies after you hear AutoZone’s Jamey Traywick, and Invodo’s CEO, Craig Wax, discuss “Test Driving Video to Create a Road Map for Success.” Finally, wrap up your day with some great sessions from the following four tracks: Advanced eCommerce Strategy and Planning, Global Retailing, Online Marketing Strategy, and Mobile Retailing.
Evening: For most, Wednesday evening will consist of in-flight entertainment and airplane snacks. For all others, Boston will be their playground. Try catching a foul ball at the tail end of the Red Sox vs. Blue Jays game, taking a stroll on the Freedom Trail, or stopping by the Samuel Adams Brewery to wind down after a long week.
Have a great Shop.org Annual Summit and make sure to stop by booth #1036 and say hello to the Invodo team!
As a marketer, you’re probably already using Twitter, Facebook and other social media. You’re monitoring conversations, joining them when appropriate, and sending out tweets and Facebook updates. But is anybody listening? The hardest part of social media is getting friends and followers to interact with your brand. Without that interaction, your social media programs may amount to a tweet falling in a forest with no one there to hear it.
That’s where video comes in. If you want to drive interaction, you have to provide content worth sharing. People like to share video. But not every video gets shared. Below are 5 tips to optimize your videos for social media.
1) Find the right placement
Knowing your audience is the first step in creating a successful social video strategy. If you’re uploading to Vimeo, and your target audience only uses YouTube, there’s going to be a missed connection. Put your video on channels that your target audience is already using to increase reach and visibility.
2) Make it easy to access
Social site visitors have a whole world of content to explore, so you’ve got to make sure that your videos are easily accessed. Optimal placement of the video on a social media site can double the chances that people will engage.
3) Choose the right content
What kind of videos do your followers want to see? People are on social networks to engage with each other, so why not just ask them? Have them take a quick poll and reward participation with a coupon. The responses you’ll get will provide insight into your target audiences’ preferences.
Try out different kinds of video to test how people interact. Product videos, how-to, customer service or branding clips could all be valuable and some may be more so on certain social media channels.
4) Make it sharable
Make it easy for viewers to share with buttons next to or directly on the video player or by providing code so people can re-blog your video. People comment on and like or share social media content with their friends, creating a social context for the video. That’s why over 4 million YouTubers are connected and auto-sharing videos to at least one other social network and why more than 50% of YouTube videos have ratings or comments.
5) Make it measurable
If you’re spending time on social media, you’ll want to see the effects on business goals. When including links on social sites, be sure to measure the click through and check out your website’s top referring traffic sources. You might be surprised to see LinkedIn or Twitter in the top ten.
There’s a reason why Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks lend themselves to easy uploading of photos and videos. Unlike plain text or graphics, video creates a connection with the viewer that stimulates an underlying urge to share and get involved.
How do you share videos across social media channels?
Check out #dailyvid on Twitter to see some examples.
On opening night eTail Boston was already in full swing. Monday’s action began with an Advanced Search Summit, a Social Commerce Summit and an email Marketing and Segmentation Summit. Featured speakers included leaders from Crocs, HP, and CoffeeForLess. But the event kicked into high gear with the evening cocktail party. Retailers and vendors mingled and the event looked to be bigger than the projected 700 attendees.
Tuesday’s agenda will split into three tracks:
(Guess which one we’ll be at!)
Invodo CEO Craig Wax will present on eCommerce Video Innovation during Track C at 2:45p, and Joe Preston from Invodo client Really Good Stuff will speak on a panel as well. Tuesday is shaping up to be a fantastic and very busy day.
We’ll tweet from the show floor as @Invodo, so follow us on Twitter to see what’s happening in real time.
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