They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. So, what happens if your pictures are also a video?

For financial advisors, using video to communicate with clients is a way to stand out from the crowd, and also a way to make clients feel special and well informed.

Several services now exist to allow the recording, emailing and broadcasting of video online, effectively turning the user into an online television host. The savvy advisor can use these services to provide his or her high-value clients with better service.

For example, advisors trying to keep all their clients informed can produce a regular video message explaining at a high level what is going on in the financial markets. Such a video update could be accessible by all of your clients via your website or through a group marketing email.

Video messages can also be useful when targeting individual high net-worth prospects or clients. For instance, you could send a prospect a video message telling such individuals how you are looking forward to an upcoming meeting. When the business is won, a follow-
up message can be sent.

Such attention to detail will impress clients. But the forward-thinking advisors could take things further. You could customize video updates for high-value clients, together with customized advice.

Video services break down into three main types: video email, live videoconferencing and online presentations with a video component. These categories will sometimes overlap.

RECORDING VIDEO EMAILS

One of the most promising video email services is called eyejot (www.eyejot.com). It uses a computer’s webcam, in combination with an online web application, to record video emails that you can then send to recipients.

One of eyejot’s most attractive features — apart from the free account option — is that it allows users to embed eyejot messages directly into a web page, which could be useful to provide a publicly accessible video weblog update, for example. The eyejot service also offers a paid account, which provides other features, including the ability to use a branded player with no advertising-supported playback.

For full on video e-mail marketing, jiveSystems (www.jivesystems.com) represents a higher level of service than others. It allows users to record up to 60 minutes of video (which is about as much as any recipient would want to consume), and it also includes coaching services as part of the account setup, enabling videophobes to engage their audience effectively without having to learn the presentation techniques themselves. Moreover, jiveSystems’ consultants claim to be able to integrate the service into email marketing and customer resource management systems so you can track leads more effectively.
@page_break@Being able to integrate video messaging with videoconferencing makes it possible for you to mix recorded presentations with real-time video sessions for clients who need further guidance. Logitech Inc. , which makes webcam hardware, also operates a service called SightSpeed (www.sightspeed.com), which offers both video email and videoconferencing.

Another service, TokBox (www.tokbox.com), focuses on videoconferencing and video meetings. Available in a variety of pricing plans, including a free one, the service enables users to videoconference online with up to 200 other people. If you call someone for a videoconference and he or she is not available, you can leave a video message, effectively turning TokBox into a combined video email service.

The alternative is a pure videoconferencing system, many of which are free. For example, Skype (www.skype.com) offers a free videoconferencing service that can be used to link to Skype-enabled machines anywhere in the world. Using third-party software, it is even possible to record these calls, making them even more effective in some ways than face-to-face meetings, which generally are not recorded.

VIDEOS AND SLIDE SHARING

Another approach is to marry online video with a slide presentation, something that financial advisors could find particularly attractive. This can be done during a live online conference, using a service such as WebEx (www.webex.com), which is an online meeting service owned by Cisco Systems Inc. WebEx allows a mixture of videoconferencing, audio conferencing and slide-sharing so that one participant in the meeting can see the screen of another.

And then there is Zentation (www.zentation.com), which allows presenters to record online presentations by mixing PowerPoint slides and video, which can be useful when sharing prepared educational sessions with your clients. Zentation includes an online player that provides viewers with a simple outline of your presentation, so they can easily skip among different parts of it without having to wait for the presentation to download. Viewers can also comment on the presentation.

The free version of Zentation requires you to upload video of yourself to YouTube, upload your PowerPoint slides to Zentation, then use the service’s built-in tools to synchronize the two.

The premium version offers advanced features. You can host a private video presentation directly on the Zentation servers, so it is excluded from search results and not accessible by the public. Zentation also allows for video lengths of up to 90 minutes, as opposed to YouTube’s 10-minute maximum. Finally, you can take advantage of reports on viewer statistics.

Whatever service you choose, ensure that the process goes smoothly. A web camera is crucial; however, most computers now come with a camera built in. Make sure you have decent audio (including minimal background noise) to stop the presentation from becoming annoying. And don’t neglect the visuals: pay attention to lighting, backdrops and your wardrobe. They matter more than you may think.

High net-worth clients want to feel as though their advisors are taking care of them. What better way to do that than to offer an innovative, easily digestible presentation on a regular basis that clients can access wherever they are? IE