Video Marketing impacts businesses every single day. Studies have shown that adding video to business profiles:

• Increases number of business profile views more than 100%
• Increases number of profile clicks more than 30%
• Increases number of calls generated by more than 18%

When deciding what type of videos to create for your business, creativity is the key if you really want to draw in your target audience.

In fact, some of the most successful video interaction results from potential public relation disasters.

Public Relation Disasters

Consider Aflac executives, who found themselves in a bind when they abruptly fired Gilbert Gottfried, voice of the famous duck, after several insensitive tweets about the Japanese tsunami disaster.

Making lemonade out of lemons, they launched what became one of the most successful online contests of its kind.

They invited viewers to submit online video auditions for a chance to be “the next voice” of their feathered spokesperson. The winner was selected from over 12,000 videos.

BP (British Petroleum) has a multi-pronged approach to bringing back its image and online video plays a leading role. In its “My Gulf” campaign that will ultimately include 28 YouTube videos, BP uses the two-and-a-half minute spots to illustrate Gulf Coast lifestyles.

Since the first ones rolled out, the videos have accumulated thousands of Facebook “likes” and thousands of Twitter followers.

Online Video Successes

Successful branding campaigns through online video have been seen with many industry leaders.

For instance, over a million new Facebook fans signed up on Macy’s page to follow the Macy’s Million Dollar Makeover.

Reflect on the genius in this – Macy’s didn’t have to push a single product.

Customers flocked to the sites to enjoy the content, leading to the happy side-effect of increased sales.

Old Navy is experimenting with video to connect with Hispanic shoppers, who account for 12% of their clothing sales.

They have developed an online mini-novel series with characters focused on fashion.

This turns marketing on its head, as return visitors are enticed by the drama, rather than promotion or sale price.

Start Slow with Online Video

As you can see, there are many creative ways to implement online videos into your business’s marketing strategy.

However, you don’t have to start off doing huge campaigns such as these. You can start small and still receive amazing results with online videos.