Looking for some creative video production inspiration to improve your video marketing strategy?

You've come to the right place!

With January firmly under our belt, let's discuss the Top 5 Video Trends for 2023.

1. Pre-recorded Live streaming: The last three years have seen an explosion in Live Streaming content. The COVID-19 Pandemic created a need to communicate safely with customers, prospects, and leads, and live-streaming content was a highly effective solution for that need. In 2023, significant budget cuts and staffing shortages have created new challenges to communicating business messages. Again, companies are turning to Live Streaming as a solution to this challenge. We've seen a significant uptick in inquiries about partnering with a creative video production team to produce a high-quality pre-produced live stream video to engage with their audiences. Live streaming video lets businesses connect with their audience in real time and create a sense of urgency. And the value doesn't end with the conclusion of the event. Companies can repurpose the assets made for the live stream video in their other marketing communication efforts. Think web, email marketing, social media, fundraising, knowledge base, etc.

2. Short-for Video is an exciting way to connect and engage with customers and leads. The success of TikTok and YouTube Shorts mean that businesses can reach their target audience where they are, when they’re most receptive to their message. And businesses can take advantage of these platform’s built-in analytics and advertising capabilities. TikTok and YouTube have a massive user base. YouTube has over 2 billion active users while TikTok’s user-base is 800 million. Both platforms offer creative flexibility within their platform. Tiktok offers businesses the ability to get creative and innovative with their marketing campaigns. The platform supports a wide range of content formats, from lip-sync videos to dance challenges and more, allowing businesses to showcase their brand in a fun and engaging way. YouTube’s ability to add text, music, and other creative elements, allows businesses to easily create custom and engaging content that resonates with their target audience. And YouTube Shorts is a trending content type. The company reports that more and more of its users are coming to its platform to consume this powerful short-form content.

3. User-Generated Content (UGC) is the more authentic version of Influencer Marketing. Businesses are seeing this and are encouraging and repurposing more user-generated videos to create more relatable content. We’re seeing requests to consult on ideas that will engage their audience in an on-brand way. These include examples from contest pieces and challenges to customer testimonials and product reviews. UGC helps businesses tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing and leverage the expertise, experiences, and perspectives of their customers.

4. Vertical Video: With the rise of mobile device usage, videos filmed in a vertical aspect ratio are becoming more common and are better suited for mobile viewing. Most people hold their phones vertically, meaning a vertical video will take up the full screen, providing a better viewing experience. Horizontal videos often have black bars on the top and bottom, reducing the amount of screen real estate used, which can detract from the viewing experience. Additionally, vertical video is more suitable for platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which are designed for vertically-oriented content. On these platforms, vertical videos tend to receive more engagement and have higher completion rates compared to horizontal videos. However, it's worth noting that the suitability of a particular video format will also depend on the type of content being shared and the target audience. For example, horizontal video may be better suited for certain types of content, such as films or sporting events, where a wider aspect ratio is desired. Ultimately, businesses should consider the goals and objectives of their video content and choose the format that best serves those needs. Hiring a professional production company can provide a way to get the best of both worlds. A good production company will have cameras that can film one video that will work in both a vertical and a horizontal format.

5. Interactive video: Videos that allow audiences to interact with the content, such as choosing their own paths or making decisions, are becoming more popular. Interactive video can be used for various purposes, including marketing and advertising, training and education, entertainment, and more. By allowing viewers to interact with the video, businesses, and content creators can gain valuable insights into their audience and gather data on how they engage with their content. Examples of interactive videos include choose-your-own-adventure style videos, product demos with interactive features, and videos with embedded quizzes or surveys. Interactive video can be created using various tools and platforms, including video production software, HTML5, and specialized interactive video platforms. It's an increasingly popular format for online video content, as it offers a way for businesses and content creators to stand out in a crowded online environment and deliver a more engaging and memorable experience for their audience.

There you have it! Overall, the trend in video marketing in 2023 is to create more engaging, personalized, and interactive content that can be shared easily across multiple platforms. Do you have an idea you’d like to discuss with a team of passionate video producers? We’d love to collaborate with you. We'd love to start a conversation.

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Secret to (Marketing) Success: Do the Hard Thing First

Erin Hayes June 21, 2016 Marketing, marketing plan, marketing strategy Leave a Comment

Every Top 5 of every productivity / hack blog post ever written offers the advice: Do the Hard Thing First.

Ok. So, which hard thing am I referring to, you ask? The big one. The hardest thing. GET ORGANIZED.

This ubiquitous gem is inescapable. And yet, we always seem to try and avoid this tried and true approach of doing the hard thing first.

Why? Because our desire for results makes us tend toward instant gratification. It takes hours, days or weeks to get organized and work toward something.

A good parallel would be a fitness plan. 73% of people who set fitness goals as a new years resolution give them up before reaching their goal. Why?

Because it’s difficult to follow a new regimen; because it’s hard to find the time in our over scheduled lives to work out; and because getting back on track takes time.

You need to approach getting fit in an organized fashion. You need to make time to work out in your schedule. You need to plan your meals ahead of time. You have to make time to cook, etc.

We find our clients struggle with a similar issue when it comes to their marketing plans. Instead of focusing on organizing a plan for the future, they'd rather look back and point out that what didn’t work. And then they waste spend more time wondering why their disorganized approach didn't work.

We get it.Trust us. It’s much easier to look backward at what already happened than it is to look to the future and wonder 'what will happen if...'

The past is tangible; the future is not.

But here’s the deal: When you spend your time looking backwards you are bound to step off a cliff. A giant, “Oh crap, we’re gonna fail” cliff.

Those who are serious about getting healthy and fit will often hire a personal trainer to help them organize a plan and hold them accountable. A personal trainer will help you to visualize a plan. They'll build a tailored program for you to follow. They'll give you tips on finding time to eat well and work out. They will hold you accountable.

A personal trainer may also get your out of your comfort zone. They'll have you try exercises that are uncomfortable for you in the beginning, but yield better results in the long term.

A marketing personal trainer [like us!] can do the same for you.

We can help you organize a plan. We build tailored programs; we break your efforts down in a manageable chunks; we hold you accountable. And we'll probably suggest you try things that you haven't thought of trying before that seem scary at first.

But back to that first Hard Thing on the list: Organization.

Here's our 9-Step plan to get you started on the road to a better organized marketing plan:

1) Pick a Target

This is different than setting a goal. This is the first step – and one of the most frequently skipped steps – to a better organized plan.

Let’s get back to the fitness metaphor again for a second. When you decide you want to improve your physique you have something in mind, don’t you?

You want to be able to keep up with your kids. Or you want to lose a few inches. You tell your personal trainer your ideal endgame and he or she sets you up with a program that will target that goal. Then, when you start to work toward your goal, you'll start to see benefits in other areas. Not only will your stamina improve, but you’ll notice your skin looks better. You’ll lose a few inches and find you’re less tired at the end of the day.

The same thing will happen when you choose a marketing target. Like your body, marketing involves many interconnected parts. When you boost one area, the rest can see the benefit, too.

Example:

Let’s say your target is your social media engagement. Well, what do you need to improve your social media engagement? Among other things, you'll need a strong content marketing strategy and a clear idea about your branding.

But before you get too far down that rabbit hole, second:

2) Look at the Data:

What have you tried to improve your social media engagement in the past?

Document the efforts and share them with your marketing coach. You may say, 'Of course our past efforts are already documented! But go through the documentation and make a second copy to share.

We find the act of revisiting past efforts in detail is invaluable. Things that were not obvious at the time become obvious after-the-fact. It's important to understand what didn't work in order to find what could work. Now, you'll want to:

3) Commit to a Program Launch

Sound obvious enough for an eye roll? You might be surprised how many of our clients struggle with this bit.

In fact, we struggle with it ourselves. Everyone has the best intentions. But too often the planning begins before a start date is commited to.

That's dangerous. Because mid-way through a great plan, you and your team can start to feel overwhelmed. And once we start feeling overwhelmed, we start making excuses.

There's too much to do;
This is too complicated to plan for right now;
We'll need a bigger budget;
We should wait until Q4; Q1; Q2; Q3, etc.

If we begin with a start date, then we can set a realistic plan in motion for what can get accomplished.

If your start date is next week then there’s a short plan we can put into place. If it’s next quarter or next year, then we’ve got some clean air and can get more creative.

Now that you have a start date:

4) Establish an EndGame

Your endgame can be a date or it can be an accomplishment. Getting back to your fitness goals, your end game may be to play tag with your kids for 20 minutes. Or it could be a date, like the beginning of summer.

No quitting half way through!

How long will you target this trouble area before you expect to reach your goal?

60 days?
6 months?
Forever?

There isn’t a wrong answer. Just choose one. Because that will help you:

5) Set A Realistic Goal

You know your target. You know your start date. Now, by how much did you want to improve? Be realistic. Please. Nothing is more demotivating than the sense of impending failure (though, we recommend not thinking of missing your goal as a failure. More on that in a bit).

If you wanted to increase your social media engagement by 80% then you need to set guideposts toward this goal. You want to see an increase of 5% per month over the next 16 months.

6) Do a Content Audit

What repurposable content do you have in your arsenal? Most of clients excellent material under utilized or has become newsworthy again, these can include:

Blogs
Videos
Slideshares
Webinars

Take a look at your published content and see if there’s a repackage opportunity there. Is there are common thread between some pieces of content? Then, maybe there’s a campaign in there that you hadn’t noticed before.

7) Plan for Production

Now you can create your execution plan. You know your target. You know your lead time to the start date. You know what realistic goal you are working towards. You know what content you already have in your back pocket.

It’s time to start planning what assets you need to produce.

Make a reasonable list of product you'd like to see complete for your start date. Vary the content. It doesn't all have to be big-ticket items like data sheets and videos.

What will your social media content look like? Will you need graphics to help promote certain pieces of premium content?

Make your wish list and assign roles to your team. Re-evaluate that wish list and tweak it until it's a reasonable, doable list for you and your team to tackle.

Now it's time to:

8) Implement Your Plan

It's go-time! Kick off your plan and stick to it! Make it into an event so everyone in your company is aware. When you operate in the shadows of an organization, don’t be surprised if people don’t participate. One of our clients launched a marketing plan by decorating the office with balloons.

9) Analyze Effectively and Tweak

Now that you have a plan and are executing said plan, plan time to analyze your efforts at regular intervals.

It’s important to strike a balance between ignorant bliss and analysis paralysis.

Don’t wait until the end of a campaign to check on the overall success. Personal trainers suggest regular weigh-ins and measurements. This is helps them understand whether the fitness plan they laid out for you is working the way it should. If the results aren’t what they expect, then they can tweak exercises and make nutrition suggestions.

Don’t check your campaign results too often. If you weigh or measure yourself everyday you’ll miss the pay off of seeing results. You may feel defeated if the numbers aren’t where you want them to be yet. You may be tempted to start making arbitrary changes to your plan to try and see a bigger improvement. If you work out for twice the amount of time one day, then you may not be able to work out the next day. You get the idea.

If you chose a target and your plan isn't moving toward your goal, tweak your plan. You didn’t etch your plan into stone. You laid out the best course of action with the information you had at the time. Now you have new information.

If you ignore the new information in favor the old, then there isn’t any point to your plan in the first place, is there?

Remain flexible. Be realistic. Move forward in an organized, thoughtful fashion. And you’ll see positive results. Promise.

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3 Big Mistakes to Avoid in Explainer Videos

Erin Hayes January 05, 2016 Marketing, Animation, Strategy, Video Leave a Comment

When done right, an animated explainer video can help explain your product or service, drive engagement with viewers and increase conversion rates 20%.

But when done improperly, they can end up confusing your viewer and costing you money.

In this post we’ll walk you through the three most common mistakes we see people make with explainer videos. And we'll give you practical pointers to avoid making them.

no 1: focused on features instead of benefits

In 2015 the average attention span was 8.25 seconds. You have 8.25 seconds to grab your viewers' attention and compel them to watch the rest of your video. You won’t do that by talking about yourself. You need to talk about them.

We understand; you love your product and all of its shiny parts. You want to share it with the people whom you know could benefit from it’s amazing features. But instead of explaining the why, you get hung up on explaining the what.

You have between 150 and 300 words (roughly 1-2 minutes) to get your Why across. A good rule of thumb is for every 1 word you write about your product, write 3 about the benefit it delivers to customers (this is a good tip for interviews, too).

If your target video length is 2:00 then you should limit your What to 75 words and your Why to 225. And if the ratio is 50/250, that’s fine too. Just don’t let is skew lower than 1:4.

no. 2: No call to action

You’ve just invested in a video. Your team has worked diligently to boil your message down to 150-300 words; you worked with your production partner to get the video’s look just right. But have you clearly communicated the action you want your viewers to take after watching your amazing video?

If the answer is ’no' then you should stop everything right now and...

Ask yourself this question:

What is the one - and only one - action you want your viewer to take after watching your video?

If you’re not sure then reference the goal of producing this video. (If you hadn't documented a clear goal for you video, consider downloading our 5-Point Checklist at the end of this blog.)

Was it to increase awareness? Increase demo registrations? Webinar registrations?

Now, go back to the script and tell your viewers to take that action.

Don’t leave this to chance - even if you think that action is obvious (it’s a video about your webinar series. Of course you want them to sign up for it!). Include a link to a landing page where they can complete the action you want them to take.

The easier you make it for your viewers, the higher return on investment you’ll see for you video.

Step 3: too many topics in 1 video

What’s worse than not having a Call to Action? Having too many calls to action - for more than one buyer persona. That’s exactly what happens when you try to make one video do the work of two or three or four.

We’ve had clients tell us they want to get the most out their video and that’s why they’ve included all the information anyone could need about their product or service. But including all the information will have the exact opposite effect for these reasons:

The video will be too long (remember, you only have 8.25 seconds to get their attention!).
The video isn't target for a specific buyer persona.
You’ll confuse your viewer about next steps.

Each of these points will lower your conversion rate - and your ROI.

When you try to cram too many topics into one video you confuse your viewers. You're not being clear about whom the video targets.

Think about your buyer personas. Target one buyer persona and speak directly to them in your video. Only cover the points you and your team have identified as important to this persona.

Now, chose one action you'd like them to make after watching the video. Don't give choices.

"Sign up for a demo or register for this webinar or give our sales team a call!”

Choices lead to indecision and indecision leads inaction.

CONCLUSION:

We hope you found these three tips helpful. Animated explainer videos are a fun - and effective - way to educate and engage your audience when done properly.

In summary:

Explainer videos should focus on the benefits your target audience will reap from your product or service
It should have a clear Call to Action
It should clearly communicate just one topic for one buyer persona. Then, it should clearly communicate the one - and only one - action you want your targeted viewer to take after watching the video.

We hope you found these tips helpful! If you're looking for additional, practical help to plan an explainer video, then please download our 5-Point Animated Explainer Checklist:

This checklist will guide you through the 5 planning stages of producing an animated explainer.

It includes suggested questions to ask yourself and your team to ensure you produce the most effective video for your business or brand.

Additional Resources:

Ultimate Guide to Producing an Animated Video

4-Steps to Create an Animated Music Video

7 Stats About Video Marketing to Make You Look Smarter

Our Production Process

Marketing Animation Strategy Video

The Four Biggest Video Marketing Trends

Erin Hayes August 04, 2015 Marketing, Video Marketing, Video, Content Marketing Leave a Comment

2015 has a been a great year for video.

Everywhere we turn, the internet gives us another study reporting the adoption and effectiveness of video.

Hardly anyone questions the strength of video marketing. But what type of video should you use and how should you use it?

We have about a million great ideas to help answer that. So, to help inspire you, we'll start with sharing the four of the biggest video marketing trends we've seen this year.

Mobile Video

The number 1 spot on the Biggest Video Marketing Trends list has to go to mobile video.

Have you checked your analytics lately? How many views are you getting from mobile? I’d bet if you did a comparison from last year, you'd see an increase.

Well guess what? The mobile trend has hit video too.

Google’s algorithm change this spring gave mobile-friendly websites a leg up in mobile search. And according to a recent report by eMarketer, Mobile video viewing jumped 10% this year (this is while laptop and desktop viewing stalls for the first time).

56% of viewers watch video on their smartphones, compared to 46% last year.

If that jump isn't enough to convince you your customers are embracing mobile viewing, check out this stat:

69% of smartphone users say videos are a perfect solution for smartphone viewing because it gives them a quick way to understand a product overview.

It’s more important than ever to make sure your videos are mobile-ready. If you self-host, check in with your webmaster to see if they’ve optimized for mobile. If you need help, I’d recommend trying any of the following hosting services:

Video in Marketing Automation

Marketing Automation is another big video marketing trend.

Marketing Automation on it's own is just plain smart.

58% of top-perfoming companies (defined as those where marketing contributes more than half of the sales pipeline), have adopted marketing automation. (Forrester Research).

And...

B2C marketers who take advantage of automation have seen conversion rates as high as 50%! (eMarketer)

This year, we’ve seen a marked increase in the use of video with marketing automation. And the increase has been for good reason.

[tweet_dis]Just using the word ‘video’ in an email subject line increases open rates by 19%![/tweet_dis] It also increases click through rates by 65% and reduces unsubscribes by 26%. (Syndacast)

And while we're on the subject, did you know that 45% of the companies that use marketing automation, regularly repurpose content?

We particularly love this statistic. We are big proponents of repurposing content.

If you’d like a video, but want to get more than a single use out of it, contact us. We can help!

Less Gimmick, More Story

Remember the Old Spice Guy? How about A Dollar Shave Club? Both were great video campaigns that seem out of place in 2015, right?

We’ve noticed that, this year, video has come back to storytelling. And we’re relieved. Not that we didn't like the gimmicky video. We did. We just didn’t love it. We love storytelling.

The rise of content marketing adoption has helped bring marketers back to the Engage, Educate and Entertain model. Consumers want quality content that helps inform their decision making process. Of course entertainment is still a priority, but the priority is back where it belongs: In third place.

Overall, the popular videos we’ve seen take off have stayed away from the gimmick and stayed true to the story.

Take Puppyhood by Purina Puppy Chow for example. It engages people by telling a familiar story in an entertaining way.

We’re not saying that gimmicks are no longer a part of video marketing. They are. But this year more often the story is there first.

Personally, we’re relieved.

Here are two more commercials we really thought hit the mark:

#RealStrength: Dove, Men+Care

#DodgeWisdom - Official 2015 Dodge Super Bowl Commercial

Live Streaming

Thanks to Meerkat and Periscope, everyone can live stream! Social video has been on the rise for the better part of this decade, but platforms like these make it accessible to anyone.

Of course, that doesn’t mean every one is doing it well (how many fridge tours can one person take??). But there are plenty of brands out there that are killing it in this medium.

For example, do you follow "Central Intelligence" star Kevin Hart? Well you should. That man is smart. And his interactivity with his fans is inspired.

How about Netlfix? This Spring, Netflix used Periscope to stream a guinea pig wandering between zones on a floor. One was marked, “Study” and the other “Netflix”. They put this out around college finals season.

And General Electric used Periscope to live stream a behind-the-scenes interview with astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson and scientist Bill Nye.

We expect to see more brands adopt Periscope and Meerkat into their marketing strategy in 2016. The use cases are close to endless.

---

We'd love to talk about you about how to integrate any of these trends into your video marketing strategy. Remember, 2016 is just around the corner.

Download our 7 Must Have Videos and get planning!

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The Ultimate Guide to Producing an Animated Video

Erin Hayes July 23, 2015 Marketing, Video Marketing, Production, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Animated video is a powerful communication tool. Humans have communicated by using pictures since the beginning of time.

Our ancient relatives drew Pictograms and Ideograms to convey their messages. And our love of visuals has not waned over the course of millennia.

Visual content is the key ingredient to make the marketers' coveted unicorn - online engagement. Posts with videos attract 3 times more inbound links than plain text posts. And videos increase people’s understanding of your product or service by 74%.

This is because people process visuals 60,000 times faster than they can read.

We're contacted about animated videos for two reasons:

1. Clients are looking for a highly shareable video. Most of us grew up watching animation and learning from animation. The threshold to inspire a potential viewer to click on an animated video is low.

2. They have a complicated product or service they'd like to explain. Animation lends itself well to explainer videos because it can make the complicated sound simple. And that is appealing.

'All right', you say. 'Sign me up. But how do I go about producing such an incredible communication tool?', you ask.

This is where our Ultimate Guide to Producing an Animated Video will help.

1. Know Your Goal

We love animation. Most people do. But chances are, you aren’t producing an animated video just for entertainment. Defining the goal for your video before you write the script is essential.

How do you define a goal? Easy. What action are you trying to inspire your viewers to take?

Sign up for a webinar?

Join an email mailing list?

Dive deeper into your website?

Sign up for a demo/free trial?

Share the video with their networks?

Choose just one goal. Define that one goal and list the ancillary goals under it.

2. Know Your Tone

Do you have a style guide? If you do, then it will outline the tone your animated video should take.

If you don’t have a style guide, then now is a great time to think about tone. How should your company handle communicating your message?

Should the tone be straightforward without nuance?

Should the tone be playfully smart?

Should the tone be academic?

Should the tone be colloquial and contemporary?

Trust us. Taking time to decide on tone before you start writing the script is a good idea. Knowing the tone will make writing the script easier. It will keep feedback cycles manageable. And it will help you communicate your vision to the production company you hire.

3. Know the Feedback Hierarchy.

Speaking of feedback, knowing who's involved in the approval process is a must.

Before you get into production, find out who needs to sign off on each stage. This may seem like a mundane task and one that can be pushed until the process begins. But trust us, it isn't.

We've seen it happen before. A client gets the approved script to us and they sign off on the storyboard. We deliver the final animation and suddenly there are changes to the voice over and/or the graphics. Not only does this delay the final product, it costs more money.

Clarifying exactly who needs to approve assets before you begin will limit surprises down the line.

4. Create A Through-line

Now that you know the video’s goal, its tone and the approval process, it's time to think about the storytelling.

A through-line is the structure on which your script's story hangs. Typically, this is a character’s journey. But you don't need to personify your character.

Your character may be your product's buying cycle or your service’s benefits. And that brings us to number 5.

5. Use Metaphor

Does your product create a speedway from A-Z for your customers? Then think about a driving metaphor to help tell your story. Does it give your clients a detailed view into their billing? Then maybe a scientist with a microscope could work. There are no wrong ideas.

The bottom line is this: If you have fun writing the story, your audience will have fun watching the story.

6. Keep It Short and Simple

Did you know that 20% of viewers will click away from a video in 10 seconds or fewer? That percentage only increases with time. According to Visible Measures, 45% of viewers will stop watching after 1 minute of video and 60% drop off by the 2 minute mark.

Animated video should be between :30 and 2:00. This means your script should be no longer than a single page, or about 300 words. Worried you can't hit all your key points in 300 words? Don't be. You got this.

And you know what? If you don't, then the production company you hire can help. We're happy to work with our clients during the scripting process.

7. Understand the Process

Animated video is a little more involved than live-action video. There are many moving parts (har, har).

Understanding the process will help you manage expectations across the board. Your team will feel more at ease and your production company will too.

The timeline to delivery depends on the complexity of the animation but the process is generally the same. Here's a breakdown of what to expect.

Step 1: Creative meeting with the production company

This is a good time to discuss goals, tone and any creative concepts you have for a through-line. It's also the time to talk about look and feel.

Step 2: Provide approved script:

Nothing can move forward without a script. If the production company is writing the script, build in at least two weeks to your production schedule. This time allows for iterations and your feedback cycles.

Step 3: Storyboard

Once you approve the script the production company will create a storyboard. The storyboard will show you how the visuals will tell the story. These are either simple sketched drawings or clip art, depending on the company’s preference. We prefer to sketch our storyboards.

Step 3: Voice Over

Once the storyboard is approved, the script will get sent to a Voice Over artist. This step generally happens after the storyboard’s approval. The visuals will help the production company give acting cues to the actor.

Step 4: Animation

Once the approved, final voice over is in-house the animators will begin animating. Animations are created to the specific timing of the VO. Any changes to the VO will change the animation. Changes to the VO and the animation will add to both production time and to production cost.

Step 5: Music and Sound FX.

Once the animation is finished the animator edits in sound effects for texture. This could be footsteps, wind, office background noise, etc. Then the video is scored with a music track.

Step 6: Delivery

The video is then encoded and exported. Depending on the complexity of the animation this could take 10 minutes or an entire day. Once it's exported, the animated video is delivered to you! Barring any mistakes on the production company's end, this version is the final version. Any extra changes after the final is delivered will need a new invoice. This is why it was so important for you to know your feedback hierarchy!

We hope you found this guide helpful! If you'd like to talk to us about an animation project we'd be happy to connect. Contact us here.

Marketing Video Marketing Production Tips & Tricks

MediaBoss Selected Winner in the 36th Telly Awards for Ready, Set, Snow!

Erin Hayes June 25, 2015 Marketing, Creativity, Press, Video, Content Marketing Leave a Comment

This winter we sat down with people behind Framingham's Public Works. They wondered if we could produce a video that showcased their snow clean up and removal operations. Of course!

Although the Public Works story may seem mundane, we were up for the challenge to prove otherwise. A strong DPW is the key to any successful community. And the key to great video is great storytelling. Great storytelling is what MediaBoss does best.

We were honored to tell their story as their dedicated team worked around the clock to keep Framingham's roads safe and clear in the midst of the worst recorded winter in the history of Massachusetts.

And the best part is, we kept our word and we did produce an award-winning video.

Ready, Set, Snow! won a Telly Award for online informational video.

Check out the video below. The full press release follows.

[az_lightbox_video_sh image_url="http://mediabosstv.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Daniel-S-Nau.png" thumb_width="" link_url="https://vimeo.com/124556314" title="" gallery_name="" class=""]

Framingham, MA June 24, 2015 - The Telly Awards has named MediaBoss Television as a Bronze winner in the 36th Annual Telly Awards for their piece titled Ready, Set, Snow!. With nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries, this is truly an honor.

Ready, Set, Snow! follows the intrepid team at the Framingham Public Works through the snow clean up and management during the worst winter in Massachusetts’ history, the winter of 2015.

"When we sat down with Framingham Public Works we said we were going to produce an award-winning video that showcased their hard work and dedication,” Ian Barrett, MediaBoss Creative Director said. “We’re so excited that this story of an epic winter was captured and shared and that people have responded so positively to it."

“We’re proud to have partnered with MediaBoss Television to produce this award-winning video for Framingham’s Public Works. Their gifted and talented approach to informing the residents on our technology, equipment, and personnel, and the combined services that they provide to the Community, has achieved a high standard of excellence that is apparent in the quality of this video production, ” said Peter Sellers, Executive Director of Framingham Public Works.

[tweet_box]We’re proud to have partnered with @MediaBossTV to produce this award-winning video for @DPWFramingham[/tweet_box]

The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 and is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online commercials, video and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world.

“The Telly Awards has a mission to honor the very best in film and video,” said Linda Day, Executive Director of the Telly Awards. “MediaBoss Television’s accomplishment illustrates their creativity, skill, and dedication to their craft and serves as a testament to great film and video production.”

About MediaBoss Television

MediaBoss Television is a full-service television and web video production company that produces compelling video content for broadcast, corporations and start-ups alike. MediaBoss Television is based out of an 8,000 square foot converted industrial studio in Framingham, MA.

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Marketing Creativity Press Video Content Marketing

Corporate Video Production: Catalogic ECX Launch

MediaBoss Television February 13, 2015 Marketing, Production, Social Media Marketing, Video, Content Marketing Leave a Comment

We love being the corporate video production partner to our clients. Here's a great example of how hard we work - and how well we work together as a team - to deliver the best quality of product regardless of short deadlines.

One of our technology clients, Catalogic, approached us mid-January with a question: Could we produce a suite of original visual content, including 6 videos and a multitude of graphics to support both the videos and social media efforts in time for their February, 10th launch?

We're always up for a challenge and this was going to be a big one. We said 'yes', of course.

We quickly scheduled three shoots for the next week in our 30 ft x 30 ft studio space; two with their CEO Ed Walsh, and one with one of their incredible Sales Engineering and Services Manager Sathya Sankaran. We captured two high level videos and one deep-dive demo into their new product that would be edited into two versions - a highlight video and a complete video.

Tip: When we produce demo videos we like to shoot at least one angle of the presenter and edit in a screen capture of the demo in post. People engage with people and if you leave the friendly face out of your demo, you leave a lot on the table.

Our production manager, Paul, and editor, Monica, worked closely to achieve a streamlined post production process for these three videos. Two of the videos were over 15 minutes in length, while a third was 5 minutes long.

Our Creative Director, Ian, flew to Texas to capture two customer interviews with our two-DSLR, ARRI Light Kit flypack while the rest of the studio got to work on new, branded graphics and social strategy.

Our FX Boss, Nick dreamed up some animated lower thirds and an animated logo to give the videos energy, while Catalogic's VP of Marketing weighed in on how he wanted the video's art cards to look.

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Meanwhile, Erin and Social Media Manager Erica worked with Catalogic's PR Team to implement a content sharing strategy that would create anticipation for their upcoming launch.

When our Creative Director returned, Paul and Monica worked with their VP of Marketing and their Product Evangelist to make sure the storytelling was exactly on message.

We worked for four weeks straight and were able to deliver the 6 final assets to the Catalogic team in time for their (very successful) launch.

Our core team has worked together since 2008 and this certainly was not our first tight deadline. Our process is tested and true - and honestly, we love the challenge and love meeting a challenge together.

Marketing Production Social Media Marketing Video Content Marketing

How to Avoid the Zombie Lead

Erin Hayes November 18, 2011 Marketing, Creativity, Tips & Tricks, Content Marketing, Sales Leave a Comment

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Your sales cycle is killing your leads.

Beware of the zombie lead.

Previously thought of as 'dead,' these leads are now known to come back.

Mediabistro recently published an article discussing what to do with 'dead' leads. They quoted research from Ed Gandia's "The Wealthy Freelancer."
According to Gandia's book, a large percentage of your 'dead' leads will hire someone to do what you do within 18 to 24 months of your contact.

In his example, a 'dead' lead qualifies as someone who responded to a pitch you gave, but did not return your follow-up call. Gandia says a common mistake sales people make is to follow up with only those leads who express either immediate interest or down-the-line interest. They drop the leads who do not respond to a follow-up call!

This baffled me.

In the five years I've done business for myself, I've never had a 'dead' lead. I've only had long sales cycles. I'm sure anyone entrepreneur understands what I'm saying.

2015 Update: 63% of people requesting information on your company today will not purchase for at least three months – and 20% will take more than 12 months to buy. -Marketing Donut

That has been our experience again and again. We'll have someone contact us and say, 'Yeah, so-and-so told me about your company a year ago but we just weren't ready to hire yet.' Or we'll have someone we went back and forth with six months ago come back to us and engage again.

Sales is as much about creating an experience for and building relationships with people as it is about turning a profit. I believe that once a project is over, both parties–the vendor and the client–come away with more than a payment and product. They come away with a relationship. And relationships last a heck of a lot longer than a client/customer project.

When a potential relationship doesn't return a phone call or an email, we don't take it to heart. We understand building relationships can take time. We're more than willing to put the time into that development. We'll shoot them an email down the line or give them a quick a call after awhile, but we make it more about them and less about us. Because let's face it, no one likes a one-sided relationship.

Our sales cycle is a long one. I can tell you that 75% of our sales this year came from conversations and pitches we gave in early 2010. I can also tell you, with a fair amount of confidence, that at least 30% of next year's profits will come from these same leads. They'll either come back to us or they'll refer us to someone in their network

If we had given up on these leads as dead after eight months - and if I had not checked in every few months with a friendly email - we 'd not be in the position we're in now.

The lead is dead, long live the lead. I certainly hope so.
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Marketing Creativity Tips & Tricks Content Marketing Sales

Marketing

Looking for some creative video production inspiration to improve your video marketing strategy?

Looking for some creative video production inspiration to improve your video marketing strategy?

1) Pick a Target

2) Look at the Data:

3) Commit to a Program Launch

4) Establish an EndGame

5) Set A Realistic Goal

6) Do a Content Audit

7) Plan for Production

8) Implement Your Plan

9) Analyze Effectively and Tweak

no 1: focused on features instead of benefits

no. 2: No call to action

Step 3: too many topics in 1 video

Mobile Video

Video in Marketing Automation

Less Gimmick, More Story

Live Streaming

1. Know Your Goal

2. Know Your Tone

3. Know the Feedback Hierarchy.

4. Create A Through-line

5. Use Metaphor

6. Keep It Short and Simple

7. Understand the Process

Step 1: Creative meeting with the production company

Step 2: Provide approved script:

Step 3: Storyboard

Step 3: Voice Over

Step 4: Animation

Step 5: Music and Sound FX.

Step 6: Delivery

Your sales cycle is killing your leads.

Beware of the zombie lead.

Previously thought of as 'dead,' these leads are now known to come back.

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