Read the related story: “Should You Be Vlogging?”

Entrepreneur Magazine calls video one of ten web marketing trends for 2010: “Online video is interactive, memorable, widely accessible, cheap to create and highly shareable.” It’s also like candy to Internet search engines. According to a study by Nate Elliott of Forrester Research, video is 50 times more likely to appear on the first page of Google search results than a text page.

It’s a great time to become involved with video. “Editing is becoming easier, posting the content to the Web is becoming a lot faster, the price of hiring a professional is coming down drastically,” says Christian Stern, cofounder of WellcomeMat, a video management and distribution platform for real estate professionals. “The barriers to entry are falling at such a rapid rate that it’s really going to grow quickly.”

Here are a dozen ideas to help you incorporate the magic of moving pictures in your business:

Vlog. Video blogs—or vlogs—are a way to reap the benefits of blogging while taking advantage of the increasingly popular medium of online video. To learn more about vlogs and meet two Arizona vloggers, read the related story, "Should You Be Vlogging?”

Capture Testimonials. After three months in their new home, Nashville, TN REALTOR® Brian Copeland asks clients to speak on camera about their new home and the home-buying experience. He asks them to sign a talent release, quickly coaches them about fair housing no-no’s and advises they omit time-specific details (i.e. “the new grocery store will be complete in two weeks”). Otherwise he lets them speak from the heart.

Help Out-of-Town Clients. Elizabeth Newlin with Century 21 Arizona Foothills in Chandler used her Flip video camera to preview Arizona homes for a couple in Wyoming. The videos allowed the clients to narrow down the search to ten homes to visit in person. “They came into town, and we saw all the properties. They made an offer, and we’re under contract,” says Newlin proudly. Dean Ouellette with RE/MAX Diamond in Mesa is excited to explore the Ustream Broadcaster app on the new Android phone. “I can tell my client in Chicago, ‘At 1pm, I’ll be walking through the house. Are you going to be around?’” he says. Ouellette and his client can talk as he tours the house, and the client can direct him to focus on specific features.

Establish Your Brand. Consider investing in a professional for videos that will have a longer shelf life, such as an overview of your business, a feature on a new development you’re working with or segment on a multi-family unit you manage. Services like TurnHere and WellcomeMat connect you with affordable videographers who develop a script, shoot the video and edit it—often for less than $1,000. In fact, TurnHere offers small businesses a free one-minute video for your website over a three-month trial period. If you like it, you can extend the run for $20/month. (View a sample.)

Highlight a Listing. Shoot as you walk through a listing property and present it just as you would do in person (except about 100 times slower, for the camera’s sake). Provide a sense of the home’s flow. Peek into closets and open cabinets. Explore the back yard and walk along the street. Better yet, ask the seller to share their favorite features of the home—the spot on the patio where they eat breakfast, the quiet place they curl up with a book. Consider a professional videographer if the home has a high price tag, unique story to tell and is likely to be on the market for a longer period.

Meet Face-to-Face—Remotely. Paula Monthofer, an agent with Keller Williams Arizona Living in Flagstaff and a real estate instructor, encourages agents to use video calls rather than a phone when reviewing a contract or discussing important details. “You’ll notice when their eyes start to glaze over and know you’ve lost them,” she explains. “That can be hard to tell over the phone.” Skype offers free online video calling—all you need is a webcam and a software download on both ends of the call.

Explore Neighborhoods. If you find video after video of you talking about real estate unappealing, hit the pavement! Profile parks, schools and restaurants in your area of expertise. Interview residents of the neighborhood explaining what makes it the best place to live. Visit farmers’ markets, football games or block parties and let your viewers in on the fun.

Help Potential Clients Find You. Use a service such as Ubertor, WellcomeMat or TubeMogul to syndicate your videos to sites like YouTube, Viddler and Vimeo. To improve search engine results, always tag your videos with strong, relevant keywords (your name, neighborhood name, etc.). Include your website address or other information on all videos so that folks know how to contact you no matter where they stumble across your video.

Build Social Media Love. The Good Life Team, a brokerage in Austin, TX, features both staff and clients in their “What is a Good Life?” video series on Facebook. The videos complement the company’s culture and develop an appealing online vibe.

Go from Slides to Video. Use a service like Camtasia Studio to transform a PowerPoint or other slide show into videos with voiceover. Take presentations you’ve prepared—such as your listing presentation or homebuyer education—and turn them into a video for your website.

Break Out of the Website Box. Don’t limit your videos to your website, blog or YouTube channel. Have them run during open houses. Play short segments during a listing presentation. Shoot a satisfied buyer’s new home, include your contact information on a slide and encourage the buyer to show off their new home video to friends and family via email or Facebook.

At the Broker Level. “We’re using videos not only for listings but to explain to consumers what’s happening in real estate,” explains Kevin Kaplan, Vice President of Marketing, Technology and Training at Long Realty in Tucson. For example, CEO Rosey Koberlein discusses the market in quarterly videos. Long also addressed the expanded homebuyer tax credit in a video with real estate trainer David Knox.