The top prediction for 2010 from Nielson Wire, an Internet source for market research and trend analysis, is that businesses will embrace online video (social videos).

What’s more powerful, an article or a short video of the same content?

High engagement makes video an irresistible choice for online marketing. The user experience is rich, the call to action powerful. Momentum is already building as half of the American population has clicked on an online video.

Will a video help on my home page?

Absolutely, expect up to 80% of your visitors to click on it. But wait; if you optimize the video for search engines, the SEO video will drastically increase your chance of being on first-page rankings.

Where do I start?

I recommend a flip camcorder, which costs around $100 – 150. They are easy to use and have a USB port that goes directly into your computer for uploading your content.

From there, edit down with software (there are lots of quality inexpensive ones and some come with the computer such as iMovie for Macs) to 3 minutes or less (based on research, a video should be no longer then 2-3 minutes for a home page).

If you’re careful with your recording, you might not even need to edit. From there post it to your favorite social video site such as YouTube or Vimeo. And finally embed the code to your personal site.  This way, you are spreading the word about your video through multiple channels, and the power of embedding lets anyone add your video to their blog or website.

Today, video is a compelling choice for engaging content that can be brought to life in a matter of minutes.

Do

1. Listen – Before you start following others, listen to conversations happening related to your business.
2. Follow back – Don’t simply let people follow you and not follow anyone back. It is good to keep your follow-to-following ration fairly even. Remember, Twitter is about two-way interaction. If you don’t follow others, it is difficult to interact with them. If your new to Twitter, don’t feel as though you should follow everyone back – it’s not rude! On the other hand you should follow others who’s tweets you find meaningful and have the same interests as you.
3. Reply using the @ symbol – Many businesses using Twitter simply broadcast messages but never really engage in conversation. This isn’t the point of Twitter. Be personal and respond to Tweets. Engage in conversation.
4. Add value to the Twitter community - Help others learn about the area you are an expert in. This may include tweeting advice, or even providing links to interesting articles and useful resources.People don’t join Twitter to hear corporate statements or marketing in a traditional sense.
5. Learn - Take in what others are saying. Ask questions. There are millions of people using Twitter, and many have interesting things to say. Learn from them.

Don’t

1. Broadcast – If you are simply pushing out advertisements about your business, no one will listen. This is why faceless advertising doesn’t work. Conversations on Twitter should be two-way.
2. Auto-Follow - Setting up a system to auto-follow people that follow you is impersonal, and can be interpreted as fake. Remember – you want to follow people that will add value to you.
3. Tweet about every detail of your life – People don’t really care that you are going to the grocery store. Instead of updated what you are doing every minute, try to add value to conversations happening at the time.
4. Spam – Even if you have a lot of great information, make sure to space out your Tweets. People get annoyed when they see 10 tweets in a row from the same person.
5. Be impersonal – While it is important to be professional, make sure you add a touch of personality to your Twitter presence. Businesses are run by people. Make sure you show your personal side.

While it may sound a little silly at first, I’m sure you will find Twitter to be a valuable resource – both in meeting new clients and in learning from others. Happy Tweeting!