Posted on

How Do I Create An Event Video?

image of trade show

Event Videos: Not Just For This Year Anymore!

Here’s a question we get frequently: ┬á”We have an event coming up and would like you to record the event so we can use the video┬áto promote next year’s event.” ┬áTo that, we respond, “Yes! But why wait!?!”

When we get this question, we often suggest that they don’t have to wait until next year to get that promotional video. Once we know a little about the event, we can create a video that piques interest. For example, if the event was targeting business owners that want to know how to use technology to help them in their businesses, how would you help them understand that before the event? You’d use a video like this:

The first 0:34 seconds is the promotional video followed by the actual event. In this case,  there were three messages that were important in this video: Where you should market your business (mobile), where you must list your business, and what are the helpful mobile apps helpful in business?  The top three reasons you must attend the event.

Marketing an event is important. It takes flyers, postcards, social media, and word-of-mouth…Add video to the mix to help people explain the upcoming event more clearly. When the video is added to the mix in social media (or through QR Codes on printed materials) you give people the method to share what the event is without losing the quality of the message. It’s like that old telephone game… you tell me, I tell someone else, they tell someone, and before long…the message isn’t the same. Video prevents this by maintaining the message and providing the platform needed to share quickly, efficiently, and effectively.

If you have an upcoming event and need a promotional video, let us know. We can certainly help you fill the event with interested people!

Posted on

What Can TV Teach Us About the New Video Revolution?

old time television

TV went through a revolution some years ago. Remember when cable first began? Remember when people were asking, ÔÇ£Why do we need a channel just for weather?ÔÇØ or ÔÇ£Why do we need a channel with 24 hour news?ÔÇØ 20 years later, we know we canÔÇÖt live without the 24 hour news cycle (well most of us). Given this, what can we learn from history when it comes to video? Here are a few things we can pull from the history playbook.

TV History ÔÇô A Big Lesson

In Video, Content is King!

Throughout history of television, there has never been a shortage of ideas. Television went from sitcoms to reality TV and back to sitcoms. Television has gone through drastic changes, only to come back to where it began. Not surprising. People like stories. People like to watch reality and sitcoms. TheyÔÇÖre very similar in nature.

What does that mean for you? Since content is king, youll need to focus on how to create content. Think of Google as the masses (the millions of TV viewers)constantly looking for something new, better, and entertaining. Your goal should be to continue to come up with new material to share. Whether its a marketing video, an informational/testimonial video, demonstration video, a training video, or just a recording of an in depth discussion about a topic relevant to a specific niche, new information (content) is king.

Your Action Item: Take approximately 30 minutes to play on YouTube. First, develop a list of keywords to search. See what you find. Watch 5 videos, but only for 30 seconds each. Write down notes about what you learned from each video. Next, search through the most popular videos and channels. Do the same thing, watch for 30 to 60 seconds. What did you learn/experience? Keys to pay attention to are the format each used, the techniques they used (sales), the techniques they used (production), the length of each video, etc. Use this information to come up with new approaches to video and to content.

Got an idea for a great video? Let us know. Want help coming up with one? Let us know.

Posted on

Why You Should Never Let a Local TV Station Create Your Video

man frustrated

A common question we get is, “Will I get the video when it’s complete to use as I wish?” This seemed like a very odd question. Of course! Why not? You’ve paid for it and it’s yours once completed. This prompted us to ask, “Why are you asking this?” The answer will amaze you.

Should I Hire a Professional Videographer…or Just Go with the Local TV Station?

When we asked why they were asking, they said, “Because the local television station┬áwon’t give us our video now that we’ve paid for it.” You read that correctly, they paid for it…but didn’t get the video. That’s what they think! The truth is, if they had┬áread the fine print, they would have known that what they are paying for is the commercial air time. That is what they are buying! The air time, not the video. The video was an extra bonus for signing up! The ‘client’ in this case, does not own the rights for the commercial/video. That’s ok, right?

So What? How Does that Affect My Video If I Use the Local Television Station?

The truth is, the station┬áowns the video. If you were the one stuck in this situation and wanted to use the video on another medium (oh, let’s say something important like your website, an email, your YouTube Channel, your Vimeo channel, another television channel, or on a grouping of cable channels) you couldn’t. You’d have to hire someone to create another video. That’s ok if you want to spend money over and over for the same thing, but why do that?

Be productive with your money. Our suggestion: Create a professional video that is good for at least two years, usable in multiple mediums, and, if appropriate, create separate calls to action at the end of variations of the video to further measure the successfulness of your video.

Don’t Be Fooled! And don’t get frustrated like that guy! Got a question, let us know!

Posted on

Does Video Provide an ROI?

image from demo video

Did you know that Digital Video is a very powerful tool in business? Ever notice the games on your iPad or iPhone? Many of them are now using video to advertise to you. Why is that? Because it works.

Product Videos

Video about a product is usually ÔÇÿto the point.ÔÇÖ In fact, the most effective videos that are about a product are under 2 minutes. These videos typically contain information that will help a prospective buyer make buying decisions. They include the benefits clearly and support all other material a possible buyer might encounter. Do you want to improve a possible buyer’s chances of buying? The location┬áof the┬ávideo within the website is┬ámore effective if placed near the purchase or buy now button. Once someone has watched the video, he or she should feel confident in making the purchase. If so, you donÔÇÖt want them looking far for the button to purchase (or phone number, if this is your call to action).

How do you know if Video works?

Good researchers know that calculating cause and effect takes data. Pure data. If youÔÇÖre going to do a video, youÔÇÖll want to know, did it work? One way to determine this is to do some testing before posting the video on your website and after posting the video to your website. Here are a couple of steps to consider: Pre-Test. Measure current data. How long do potential customers stay on a page? Typically people stay on a home page for just enough time to determine ÔÇô Is this who I was looking for? Can they do what I need them to do? Do they provide the level of professionalism IÔÇÖm looking for? Can you do the job? Can I trust you? More time on your site may equate to level of comfort and may lead to more sales. But how will you know unless you measure it before and after? Here are some stats that support having online video:

  • 188.2 Million People in the US watched 52.4 Billion Online Content Videos in December 2013. (Source: http://www.invodo.com/resources/statistics/)
  • Professionally produced video optimized for eCommerce outperforms user-generated video (UGC video) by 30%, delivering a 24.7% lift as compared with an 18.7% lift for the UGC video. (Source: http://www.invodo.com/resources/statistics/)
  • 93% of marketers used video for online marketing in 2013. (Source: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Barriers-Tumble-Video-Marketing-Adoption-Grows/1010374)
  • Mobile is important too! 72.1 million US Smartphone users watched video on their devices at least monthly in 2013. This is expected to rise to 86.8 million, more than a quarter of the US population, in 2014. (Source: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Long-Form-Video-Content-Rivals-Short-Even-on-Smartphones/1010492)
  • 51.9% of Marketing Professionals worldwide cite video as the type of content with the best ROI. (Source: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Which-Content-Marketing-Tactics-Best-ROI/1009706)

While we may be biased, the stats are now screaming out, ÔÇ£Use Video!!ÔÇØ If you have any questions or comments, please leave them here, or contact us directly.

Posted on

Should I Create an "About Us" Video?

Still from testimonial video about Elite Payment Processing

How Does Video Help Your Website?

When we created our website, we contemplated about creating an About Us video or to just have an About Us page. We opted for the text version because we believed it helped our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) because words are easily understood by Google. Since the creation of our website, we’ve learned how important video is to SEO. Not only that, we’ve discovered that an About Us video can help sell products.

Imagine you are looking for a photographer for your event. During your search you find three photographers that you think can do the job. You click on the About Us page for each and find that two of the three pages are┬átext based. When you watch the one with the video, you not only learn about the photographer, you also learn she has a great sense of humor. You think, this is perfect for the event we’re putting together.

Here’s an example of one that could be used as an About Us; however, doesn’t exactly follow the full format of creating an emotional connection first.

Video speaks to the emotions of the buyer, while text speaks to the logic. When you present to emotions, you will connect with the buyer. When the buyer connects with the personality within the video, you have a greater likelihood of acquiring the sale.

Key Points to a Successful About Us Video

  • Be Unique. Your company has a story, a culture, and a personality. This should come through in the video you post. If you’re an accounting firm, you will most likely want to present a professional, straight forward message. If you’re an advertising agency with flair, you’ll want to present a professional, creative video.
  • Earn Trust. Use a testimonial or two in your About Us video. Think about it. Potential customers are looking for someone, they’ve elected to do more research about you, why not give them supporting material in the form of a testimonial.
  • Keep the Video┬áShort. Try to keep the video to somewhere between 3 and 5 minutes, but make┬áthe first minute the most┬áemotionally connective.
  • Make It Personable. This may sound logical, but many people want to push a sales pitch; instead, make it about the benefits of using your company and the values you hold. Connect with the potential client.

If we can help, let us know! Watch for our About Us video, coming soon!

Posted on

If a Picture Is Worth 1000 Words…Video is Worth 1,800,000!

image of person holding sign that says a picture is worth a thousand words

We’ve had people ask, how in the world do you get 1.8 million words from a video? So, let us show you (I know, the picture says 1 million, but it’s actually 1.8 million).

If we all agree that a picture is worth 1,000 words… And we shoot video at 30 frames per second (fps) That gives us 1000 x 30 = 30,000 words every second!

And we shoot the video to a length of 60 seconds…

30,000 words / second * 60 seconds =

1.8 million words!

Why is this important? If you are thinking about resetting your website or changing the way it looks, a video is a great way to add a stronger message or call to action. Nothing says “Here’s what we do,” “Here’s what are customers say,” and “Here are the results,” better than video!

 Share this Post on Facebook!

Posted on

The 6 Questions You Should Ask a Production Company BEFORE Hiring Them

When hiring a video production company, there are several questions you should ask before proceeding. These are important because not all corporate video production companies are created equally. Sounds clich├®, but when you hire someone to create a professional video, you expect high-quality outputÔǪand you should get it. Here are some questions to ask before deciding on whom to hire:Questions, video

  1. Can you show me a sample (or 4)? ┬áIf youÔÇÖre shooting a corporate video, whether for a website or for television, youÔÇÖll want to see samples of their work. In fact, you should ask to see a portfolio of their work so you can get a feeling for their style and skill level.
  2. Would you describe the personality of our business? Because your company has a personality and culture, youÔÇÖll want to find a production company that fits into that culture and personality. In fact, they should be able to identify and describe the culture and personality of your company during your first meeting. If they canÔÇÖt, they are not paying attention to the details, and will not when you hire them.
  3. What ideas can you provide for this video? When meeting with them, they should be able to give you a couple of creative thoughts of what they visualize in the video they want to shoot for you. Additionally, if you have some ideas of what you want the video to look and feel like, that can be both a help and a hindrance. This can be a dream or a nightmare for the producer. Regardless of whether the vision is right or not, a good producer should provide some insightful feedback about why the vision will work, will not work, and how to improve it.
  4. Do you stay in budget? And, what happens if it goes over budget? If you are focused on the budget prior to calling the meeting, you may be considering the wrong factor. Budget should be a factor, but not the deciding factor. Because a poorly planned and executed shoot creates a subpar video; therefore, a little bit extra can make a big difference. Weigh and balance the budget accordingly.
  5. Can you deliver on quality that matches my expectations? Remember the creative is always subjective, but the quality of the video should be in line with your expectations. Quality also means having the proper sound equipment, the proper lighting, the proper framing, and an attention to detail (such as the background) can all make an impact on the final product. Look at the samples to determine if they have what it takes.
  6. What happens if you miss the deadline? A good producer can describe the timeline associated with the shoot. If he or she cannot map this out for you, your follow up question should be, ÔÇÿhow many deadlines do you miss?ÔÇÖ A good producer can miss a few, but a great producer rarely misses. When you ask this question, look for their reaction. YouÔÇÖll know if they can hit a deadline by their answer.

These six questions are a good start to helping you decide on the proper corporate or web video production company. By asking these questions, youÔÇÖll begin to get a feel for the quality of their work and their ability to perform.

Posted on

3 Tips from a Video Production Pro

Want some lessons from a professional video production pro? With years of experience and hundreds of videos created, we can provide some insights into how you can better create a high-quality video on a shoestring budget. Since it would be nice to have an unlimited budget, it is unrealistic. We realize that. So here are a couple of tips that can help you improve your DIY video. Remember, nothing beats a high-end camera, high-quality lighting, and the right audio components; but, you can get some decent video for your video blogs by following a couple of tips:

Know your angle. This doesnÔÇÖt mean the angle of your story, this means the angle of your camera. So many people use their iPhone to shoot some decent video. With the addition of HD video to many mobile phones, many people believe this provides the best there is. It simply doesnÔÇÖt; but, it can provide enough for some websites. If youÔÇÖre going to hold a phone to do a video, please hold it the right way. Think about your TV. Is it taller than it is wide, or wider than it is tall? ThatÔÇÖs the way you must hold your phone. In fact, most computer screens are shaped the same way. Shoot your video accordingly.

Steady as she goes. Even the pros use tripods. Holding a camera or phone steady is very difficult. DonÔÇÖt fight this fact. An expensive tripod isnÔÇÖt necessary, only something that will hold the camera steady. Remember, people want to watch your video, so make it appealing by making it steady.

Video isnÔÇÖt all.Lavlier, Audio, Video While it is usually referred to as video, one other important component is the audio. The audio can turn people off very quickly. If itÔÇÖs difficult to hear, has a strong echo, or the audio is muffled, youÔÇÖll want to add a lavalier microphone (or lapel microphone). These are relatively inexpensive (less than $50 at Amazon or Best Buy) and well worth the expense. We like to say that ÔÇ£A professionally produced video can draw clients in just as easily as a poorly produced one can drive them away.ÔÇØ

If you must do your own video, we hope these tips help. Every single tip listed here was inspired by at least one DIY video that weÔÇÖve been exposed to when sitting down with potential clients. These are the things that they donÔÇÖt like about their video and call us to fix. Video is more difficult than it seems, so donÔÇÖt be afraid to call us for some other tips!

Posted on

When Is It Time To Add Video to Your Marketing Plan?

image of video camera with words

Websites used to be just a way for people to find you. And it still is. But it has become even more than that. For example, when done correctly, your website should be interactive, solution driven, and easy to navigate. The website world is changing quickly. Websites used to be pretty static, unchanging, and a place for people to get basic contact information. Not anymore!

Today, people are researching companies, people, and groups via Google, Bing, or other search resources. ItÔÇÖs time to manage your online identity. One way to manage your identity is provide good information about what you do and how you do it. This can be accomplished through video. But, when is it time to add video? Here are some perfect times to add video to your repertoire:

When You Are Rebuilding or Re-Launching Your Website

Video is a critical part of new websites. If you make the video the showpiece of your site, youÔÇÖll find people spend more time on your site, improving your stats and, possibly, your SEO metrics. In less than 2 minutes, you can describe what you do, how you do it, and why a potential customer should contact you.

New Product or Service Offering

If youÔÇÖre providing a new product or service, this is usually a good time to add video to your site. A video will allow you to describe the new product or service quickly and even provide a demonstration. Highly powerful. Always effective. Additionally, if you have a product that must be assembled and are having some difficulty getting your customers to assemble the product correctly, a video might be just the solution.

Re-Branding

If youÔÇÖre in a position of re-branding your business, think about how you might add video to your site to describe why the re-branding has happened, what is the benefit of the new brand, or, if applicable, why the re-brand wonÔÇÖt affect your current level of service. Just make sure the video launch coincides with the entire branding strategy so that you can lengthen the shelf-life of the video.

An Event

If you have a tradeshow, a fundraising event, or youÔÇÖre unveiling a new product, people love a video presentation. A video always does better than a PowerPoint presentation or speech. No matter the size of your business, a video supporting an event is highly productive.

The best way to stand out and apart from your competition is a video. When you invest in a high-quality video, your business stands out. Let us know if we can help!