5 TERRIBLE WAYS TO SPEND YOUR VIDEO MARKETING BUDGET

Erin Hayes April 07, 2016 Video Marketing, video marketing budget, video budget, marketing budget Leave a Comment

INTRODUCTION:

Are you in charge of a video marketing budget?

Before you commit to a storyboard or begin the search for a video production partner, let us give you a few tips on how not to spend your money.

It's easy to get overwhelmed by what's possible in video production. Everyday there's a new shiny toy to capture footage or a new best way to produce a video.

Let us help you avoid some common pitfalls.

Here are 5 terrible ways to spend your money.

1. Insist on Specialty Camera Equipment

Is the Red Epic Dragon a kickass camera? Uh, yeah. Yeah, it is. Could any production company you hire get a Red Epic Dragon for your production if asked for it?

Yes.

And if the production company didn’t have experience operating it? Then they’d be able to find and hire a suitable operator.

Easy.

But let’s talk about what this choice could do to your perceived budget:

Let’s say you have $10K to spend on this video. If you demand a Red Epic Dragon, then you just told the production company that half of the budget will go to this effort.

They’ll need to take some profit for the deal. After all, they are a business, too. So at best this leaves you with $3K for lighting, audio, additional crew, editing, graphics, music, sound effects and actors.

Chances are this means that the rest of these must-haves will need to be tightly managed.

Read: These must-haves will get skimped on.

Don’t waste your budget on a specialty camera unless you have shots that need that camera. Any professional camera will be HD.

2. Ask Your Co-Workers to Act Instead of Hiring Actors:

"Wait. But my co-workers won’t cost me money and actors will. How is this a terrible way to spend my money?"

Chances are, your coworkers aren’t professional actors.

This means that no matter how tight the script, no matter how professional the production partner and no matter how awesome the filmmaking gear, your video will be subpar.

And spending money on a subpar video is a tremendous waste of your budget.

We’ve been here before. When we were young and learning how to say ‘No’ to clients, we said ‘Yes’ to letting them hire their coworkers as talent.

They'd book us for a half day shoot, but that half day would quickly become a full day. Then, that full day would turn into overtime because the actors were not professionals and had a tough time delivering their lines.

We all know that more production time means longer post-production time. Deadlines for delivery will get pushed when a shoot goes much longer than planned.

We commit to flat-rate pricing with our clients. But we've learned to write a contingency clause in our contracts for these situations.

Read: We have to charge extra for the extra time and extra work. Everyone does.

Now we just avoid this particular mess all together and say 'No'. And everyone is happier.

Acting isn’t easy, folks. Add a bit more to your budget and make sure you hire professionals.

A little more will go a long way. Trust us.

3. REnt Locations

Location rental can cost anywhere from $500 to $100,000 or more a day.

Unless the location is necessary for the storytelling, we suggest sticking to locations you control.

Ask your production partner if they have an in-house studio. Or maybe your office can look the part. And who knows. Maybe your in-laws will let you use their gorgeous atrium for the shoot.

When you avoid adding location fees to your shoot you can be confident that your budget will go to other extras.

Your production partner will be able to put more into production and post-production. Think specialty equipment; special effects; custom graphics; better music and sound effects. The list goes on.

In short, they will work hard to make sure your video is the best possible video your budget can buy.

4. Licensing Music

Sure, Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind is the perfect sound track to your video. But if you insist on using his track then you’re looking at costs that will far exceed the cost of your video.

There are many independent musicians who can custom score your video for a reasonable price. Ask your production partner what their thoughts are on music. They’ll have many options for you, from a custom score to stock music.

Together, you can decide the best sound for your video - and you won't break your budget.

5. Hiring the Cheapest Video Production Partner (or Hiring the Most Expensive Production Parter)

Let’s go back to your hypothetical $10K budget. Say you ask for quotes from three companies. One company comes in at $9,999; another comes in at $8,000 and the third quotes $6,500.

Don’t just choose one based on their price. Take your time and do your research.

Look at their reel; check out their portfolio; ask them about their typical process. And their fee structure.

The most expensive option may only be the most expensive because they have a high overhead. Not because they are the most qualified.

Read: They’re one-man/one-woman shows and have to rent all the equipment and hire freelance crew.

The least expensive option may seem like a great get, but make sure you ask about additional fees.

We recently had a client come to us to redo a video they’d already paid to have produced by a different company. This company originally quoted below the client's budget. But by the time the video was complete, they’d incurred an additional $12,000 in fees and the video still wasn’t what they had asked for.

In short, before you hire a company make sure you know what you are signing up for.

Our biggest mistake starting out was not establishing clear expectations at the beginning of a project. It's just as important for us to understand our clients' expectations as it is for our clients to understand ours.

Establishing these expectations makes creative process fun. Each party leaves the project happy.

Download the Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Video Production Parter:

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, to make sure you get the best video for your budget:

Avoid unnecessary expenses like high end camera equipment
Don't try to cut corners that shouldn't be cut
Work with what you can control when it comes to location
Avoid paying music licenseing fees
And do your due dillegence. Set expectations and make that you and your video partner are on the same page before beginning a project.

We hope you found this post helpful! Here are few other resources you might like:

Additional Resources

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7 Stats About Video Marketing to Make You Look Smart

Erin Hayes September 17, 2015 Video Marketing, Strategy Leave a Comment

Great news! According to Aberdeen's 2015 Marketing Report, marketers have significantly shifted their goals from Viral Views to Engagement.

As video marketers, we've gone beyond the one dimensional video success story and moved on to the concept called the 'multi-touch campaign'.

Marketing shouldn't be about "going viral." Many of us know this.

(Recommended reading: 7 Dos & Donts of Video Marketing)

Marketing should be about engaging and exciting people.

As Seth Godin said in a 2014 interview with Inc. Magazine:

"Instead of thinking, "What do the masses want?," [marketers] need to think about what the people who care want. They are two different things. ... by appealing to the people who care, it is way more likely that a company will be talked about."

Every once in a while someone will hit that sweet spot and they'll achieve both. But it's not a predictable event. It's a bet. And listen, gambling is just not something you should do. Especially with your tight marketing budget.

Aberdeen recently released their 2015 Marketing Report aptly titled Getting More Than "Going Viral" ... Sophistication in Video Marketing.

Aberdeen's findings were encouraging.

Here are 7 of the stats about video marketing we found the most impressive:

1) "70% of Best-in-Class marketers actively use video in at least one marketing channel."

MediaBoss opened our doors in 2008.

In the beginning, we'd spend the first couple of conversations with a prospect explaining why they needed video. Video Marketing was barely a term at the time and not many businesses spent time investing in it.

Now marketers widely accept video as an integral piece of their marketing strategy. And their goals have shifted.

2) "65% of video marketers are concerned with fueling multi-touch marketing campaigns. It’s not just about views anymore."

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Download Our:

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In recent years, every time a video went viral we'd get calls from clients saying "we want a video just like Gangnam Style" or "The Old Spice Guy" or "The Dollar Shave Club". You get the idea.

Our clients wanted to increase their market reach and brand awareness, and quickly. But it was an impossible request.

And it was a request we didn't want to fulfill because we didn't want to steal someone else's creative (and you shouldn't either).

There are many reasons why trying to replicate someone else's creative is a bad idea. Here are three.

People are smart and they know when you're being a poser.
Even if the budget is big and technical quality is top notch, it's a recycled concept and won't be as strong.
There were reasons the video went viral beyond the content which you may not be privy to.

But in the last 18 months we haven't had a single request like this. Our clients want thoughtful, targeted content packaged across platforms.

This brings us to the next stat:

3) "70% of best-in-class video marketers use video for social media."

Clients are much more interested in producing multi-touch campaigns now. This could mean one longer video (about 2 minutes); multiple shorter ones (:15 to :30) for everything from Instagram to Snapchat; and related still images or graphics.

And this brings me to the next stat:

4) "40% of marketers who adopt video are interested in keeping up with new marketing channels for interacting with buyers. This includes social platforms and mobile."

We’ve seen our clients' main goal for video shift in the last two years. It's changed from a desire to tell their audience about themselves to a desire to engage with them.

Five years ago we’d need to coax our clients into creating content targeted for certain channels. For example, we would warn against sharing a 5 minute video linked from Youtube to Twitter or Facebook.

Social is better for a quick hit. 5-minute videos are long in any medium. But... they could be a helpful resource in a targeted email campaign.

[Visible Measures reports that 45% of viewers will stop watching after 1 minute of video and 60% drop off by the 2 minute mark.]

Speaking of YouTube, another big change is:

5) "Best-in-Class marketers have 35% lead over All Others in their adoption of a video management / video hosting platform."

Now marketers are able to view real stats on how their viewers interact with the video content they create. They gather actionable information to help them engage with their customers where and how they like to be engaged.

‘Engagement’ is the hottest buzzword out there.

And for good reason.

Check out these final two stats:

6) "Marketers who use video generate 13% more marketing qualified leads (MQLs) per year."

7) "Video users outpace non-users by 63% in increasing marketing’s contribution to revenue year-over year."

The number one thing that set video adopters apart was mindfulness of their buyer’s multi-channel environments and preferences.

Take the time to map out how your buyers will go from viewing a video to interacting with your brand and ultimately making a purchase.

And if you'd like to talk to us about working together, awesome! Reach out here. We'd love to talk to you about your next project.

To download Aberdeen's Getting more than "Going Viral" ... Sophistication in Video Marketing, click the link.

Additional Resources:

Video Marketing Strategy

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.

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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

4 Invaluable Tools Every Video Marketer Should Use

Erin Hayes July 09, 2015 Video Marketing, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

Creation is 20% of the video marketer's strategy. The final 80% involves publishing and optimizing. Here are four tools we find invaluable in our video marketing approach.

Creation is 20% of the video marketer's strategy. Publishing & optimizing are the final 80%.

Analytics

Every platform out there has some form of free analytics. Make checking them regularly part of your marketing strategy.

Evaluating analytics will help you understand whether your message resonates with your target audience.

Google Analytics is an easy place to start. Take a look at the page where your video lives. How long do your visitors spend on this page? What's the bounce rate? Where are they coming from? Keep track of this data and tweak your content according to your findings.

Host on YouTube? Take a look at your analytics there. The first three charts it shows are Performance (total views), Estimated Minutes Watched and Average View Duration. If you have a two minute video but the average view duration is 10 seconds, then you know you've missed your mark.

Vimeo shows you similar statistics. It includes whether the play was an embedded one or a direct one.

For more in-depth analytics, check out Brainshark or Wistia. These platforms give you the flexibility to see how viewers interact with your video. You'll be able to see the common drop-off points in your video and the places your viewers click back to re-watch.

Buffer

If a tree falls in a forest but no one is there to hear it, it still falls. If a video publishes in a vacuum and no one is there to watch it, well. It doesn't do anyone any good.

Promoting your content is part of that 80% we mentioned at the beginning of this post.

There are many great scheduling tools out there. But at MediaBoss we prefer Buffer. We manage many different accounts for ourselves and for our clients. Buffer is the best bang for our buck.

Create custom schedules for each social account and fill them up with awesome content. Keep track of the content that resonated with their easy-to-understand analytics. Adding content is simple with their free browser bookmarklet and smartphone app.

Evernote

MediaBoss's work flow would be tedious without Evernote.
Our team uses Evernote to keep track of everything. We have notebooks for on-going marketing efforts, production processes, inspiration, active projects and more.

This helps us organize creative and practical process without bogging our teammates down with emails.

Our Active Projects notebook is our universal notebook. This is where you'll find our many To-Do lists. We love Evernote's 'check' function. You can see it in the photo below. Everyone can look at the list and check off tasks as they complete them.

The work chat function is pretty neat too. This lets us send short messages to team members or share links to notes.
Here's a recent To-Do note we created to guarantee our process for our latest video blog on Live Stream Production:

Notebook

Yes, as in a notebook with a paper pages. Anyone in the creative field should have one by their side at all times.

It's tough to stay focused when you have the whole world at your finger-tips. The pull to check your email or re-read your latest traffic report can be too great.

There are plenty of apps and plugins to help you stay off the internet when working from a computer. But nothing beats not having the option. When you sit down to brainstorm, alone or in a team, you should be distraction-free. Paper notebooks help this process.

We give each new employee and intern a moleskine notebook when they join our team. It's our expectation that they will fill that notebook and need a new one in a month or so.

You need to catch and jot down your amazing ideas as they come!

Don't hesitate to contact us if you'd like help planning your video marketing strategy. And if you're looking for inspiration for a starting point, download our Guide to 7 Must-Have Videos.

Video Marketing Tips & Tricks

5 Things You Need to Know About Live Stream Production

Paul Bouley July 07, 2015 Video Marketing, Creativity, Social Television Blog, Tips & Tricks, Content Marketing, live stream Leave a Comment

Live stream production is a powerful tool to get your message to the world. And it's something we love to do at MediaBoss.

Whether it's a presentation for your national offices or a product demo across the world, a well produced live stream can be an excellent communication tool.

That's why today, I'm going to share 5 things you need to know about Live Stream Production.

[Check out the video above or jump down to read the transcription]

1. Connection is Everything.

Beautifully shot, HD video means nothing if you don't have the bandwidth to properly send it out or keep a consistent stream. The last thing you want is for your feed to drop in the middle of your broadcast. Make sure you have a good connection to keep your stream up and uninterrupted!

Beautifully shot, HD video means nothing w/o proper bandwidth or a consistent stream.

2. Preparation is Key.

Yes, we can integrate your old commercial. Sure, we can manipulate your slide deck. Of course we can create and run custom graphics. But everything takes time and last minute changes can compromise a broadcast.

3. Remember, this is Live TV.

Think about your live webcast like the news. There is a show clock. Things need to happen at a certain time. If your production team doesn't have all the information something is bound to go wrong. Share the details with your production team and your broadcast will go off without a hitch.

4. Your event is more than just the Live Stream.

Think about your live stream as a series of stand alone segments. Everything we do is recorded to High Res files on solid state drives that can be edited down to individual videos however you'd like. Content creation is the name of the game and a live stream has legs well beyond the live event.

5. Why Have 1, When You Can Have 5?

Filming a single camera stream can be efficient, but it is likely to bore your viewers. Think about how many cameras a typical news program has. Now think about an NFL game. You want a one shot? Done. Back to a wide? Sure thing. Product close up? We've got that.

The additional costs for extra cameras won't break the bank. But a poor broadcast may cost you even more.

Those are the top 5 tips. If you have any questions about live streaming an event, we'd love to talk to you. Feel free to email me anytime: paul@mediabosstv.com

Video Marketing Creativity Social Television Blog Tips & Tricks Content Marketing live stream

Where to share Video: 4 Tips

Erin Hayes June 10, 2015 Video Marketing, Tips & Tricks, Content Marketing Leave a Comment

Now that you've invested in Video Marketing, it's time to take the steps to get the best ROI for your completed, perfect video.

How do you do this? You publish it and promote it!

Not sure where to start? Here are 4 quick tips on where to share video.

1. Landing Pages

In previous posts we’ve discussed setting clear goals for your video before you start production. Creating a landing page to help focus your goal is a good idea.

In fact, according to a recent study by webDAM, landing page conversions increased by 86% when a video was included in the content.
If you aren’t sure how to create an effective landing page, check out this resource:

The Ultimate Guide to Creating Effective Landing Pages

2. Email

Did you know that the ROI on email marketing averages $1 to $44.25?
Email marketing is also 40 times more likely to snag customers than Twitter and Facebook.

Now, combine email’s strength with the engaging power of video and you’ve got yourself a great way to reach out to your prospects and to stay top of mind with your customers.

In fact, a report by Eloqua found that including video in an introductory email reduced the number of subscriber opt-outs by 75%.

Here are a couple more fun statistics:

Tip: It’s important to note that your emails need to be mobile friendly. If they aren’t mobile friendly you’re leaving a lot up to chance. According to comScore, just as many people read emails on desktop as they do on mobile. If your emails aren’t responsive then a large segment of your subscribers won’t be able to read your message.

3. Social Media

Video and social media are a match made in heaven. Video sees 12 times more shares on social media than their text and link counterparts!
Social media is an opportunity to create a few custom, shorter videos to lead to a larger video and broader campaign. Think about posting a 7 second teaser to twitter with a link to your landing page or a 15 second teaser in Instagram.

And if that’s not enough to convince you that you should share your videos on social media, check this out:

Shares of Facebook videos increased by 43% in the first three months this year.

4. Blog

There’s no question that your business should make blogging a priority.

The next time your team is stuck for topic ideas, look through your video library. Publish your videos on your blog with written context.
You could write a quick synopsis of the video; include the transcription; or you could write an engaging behind the scenes break down of how the video was shot. After all, 1 minute of video is worth 1.8 million words!

Here’s a good read:

The Why: 12 Distinct Goals for Business Blogging

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Know you want a video but aren't sure where to start? Check out our Guide to the 7 Must-Have Videos for any content marketing strategy.

Video Marketing Tips & Tricks Content Marketing

6 Helpful Interview Tips for Your Next Video

Erin Hayes June 02, 2015 Video Marketing, Video, Tips & Tricks Leave a Comment

It’s Not What You Do. It’s The Way You Do It.

Imagine you scored a 20 minute, 1-on-1 interview with one of the hottest talents in your industry. Now imagine they’ve said yes to having it filmed. This is an opportunity that could make or break your career.

How do you prepare?

A bit of background:
For five years in my 20s I had the opportunity to interview some of the most talented people in the world for a Boston newspaper. I had the chance to talk to big names from Former Vice President Al Gore to screenwriter/director Nora Ephron. Some of the interviews I’m proud of (Mr. Gore told me I was his most entertaining interview!). Others haunt me (Nora Ephron had me tongue-tied).

My mistakes helped me develop 6 interview tips to guarantee a great end product and a great experience for me and the interviewee.

Here are my 6 Interview Tips for Video:

1. Do Your Research

Spend an entire day pouring over every article, video, online resource you can find on your subject. But remember to fact check the sources you find against other articles.

Search TED Talks. Look up their LinkedIn, SlideShare, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Get to know the type of content they choose to share. This practice will open a window into their personality. It will give you insight into how they like see themselves and inspiration for what your portrayal of them could be.

i.e.
The Person Behind the Myth or The Person with No Myth.

Personal experience:
I interviewed Tommy Lee Jones for a film he directed in 2005, The Three Burials of Melquaides Estrada. I had done plenty of research on the production of the film, the casting and his personal impetus for taking on a project that dealt with border issues between Texas and Mexico. However, I missed one crucial piece of information: Tommy Lee Jones is bilingual. I don't remember exactly what I asked him in regards to speaking Spanish, but to be frank, he was not impressed. Lesson learned.

2. Know Your Goal (Story Arc)

Don’t skip this step. It’s the step that many people overlook, my former self included. Take the time to sit down and write your Interview Treatment. Think of it as your Show Bible.

Too many interviews are open ended ramblings. This awkward for you, awkward for them and confusing for your viewer.

Plot out your storyline by combining the research you’ve completed and your own spin on the insight you’d like to glean from them.

This. Is. Critical. When you have a clear goal you are more relaxed and when you are more relaxed, your subject is more relaxed.

This step serves as the scaffolding from which candid conversational points will grow. It will serve as the structure your end product will need for success. When you are in the editing room, you won’t have to back into the story. It will be neatly laid out for you (and your editor).

3. Get the Bite

Sound bites are key. They are important for written pieces but they are crucial for video. They make your video stand out and perhaps even more importantly, they make it repurpose-able. Think blog series, video series and 15 second social promos (videos 15 seconds and shorter are shared 37% more than their 30 second counterparts).

In your head, make a list of 5 simple phrases that you’d like to hear them say so you can get your video done.

"Working at Good Will has been the greatest satisfaction of my life."
"The single most important day of my life was the day I met Bill Gates."
"The most transformative book I've ever read was Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott

You get the idea.

Now that you have a list of bytes you need, set your subject up to say them. Write pointed, passionately phrased questions. And this leads me right into Number 4.

4. Be Innovative

Don’t regurgitate interviews you’ve seen with this person. Don’t start listing off their achievements. They’ve lived through both, and you’re blowing an opportunity to create compelling content.

You’ve done your research, you know your goal, you’ve got this.

Imagine this talent has been the CEO of three successful startups. Imagine you know from reading the forward of his autobiography that he/she loved building with legos when he was a child. If it was important enough for him/her to share, there must be a story behind it.

Come to the interview with a lego set and present it to him or her.

'I read that you enjoy legos. Is there anything that you loved doing as a child that translates into your present career trajectory?'

I guarantee you that you'll get a smile and an answer you (and your viewers) haven't heard before.

Personal Experience:
I had the opportunity to speak with writer/director Robert Towne during his Ask the Dust film press junket tour. Ask the Dust is a book by John Fante that Towne adapted to film. Now, I'm a John Fante fan. A geeky, geeky John Fante fan. But somehow the fact that I had poet/novelist Charles Bukowski to thank for the knowledge of Fante eluded me until I sat down to do my research.
My first question was "How would you thank Charles Bukowski for giving you the opportunity to work Salma Hayek?"
He laughed and thanked me for not asking what it was like to work with Colin Farrell (who played the lead and Salma's love interest). We went on to have a great conversation about his friendship with Bukowski.

5. Make Eye Contact

Engage your guest. You are there to have a conversation with someone who has generously agreed to give you their time.

I know it’s tempting to check your questions while they’re talking. But while doing so may ground you, it disengages your subject. They were having a conversation and then suddenly, they are talking to the top of your head. Their entire demeanor will shift. At best they’ll follow your lead and look down at their feet or off-camera. At worst they'll sigh or roll their eyes in frustration.

It’s a great idea for any interviewer to engage their interviewee. To keep eye contact, to smile, to encourage their responses with facial expressions. But it is absolutely critical to do this for video. Your subject could say all the right things. They could hit every one of your must-have bytes, but if they aren’t engaged with you, they could gaze off camera. They could look around in the room or in the wrong direction and then it doesn’t work in the shot. You need to take an active role even if you are off camera.

Think of yourself as the host of a two-person party. Your job is to make your guest feel at home and appreciated. You wouldn’t welcome party goers into your home only to retreat into your bedroom to read a book; don’t invite someone to sit down and have a conversation with you and then not pay attention to their physical cues.

Personal Experience
I'm an Eye Contact Ninja and I've been one since I was a child. I'll tell you why: my auditory comprehension speed is sub-par, to be polite about it. If I'm not looking at you, I'll need seconds to figure out how I should react based on what you said. I'm terrible on the phone. If I am looking at you, my understanding is instantaneous. I'll be able to tell how you hoped I'd react to your statement and give you encouraging facial cues before my brain catches up to speed.

You don't want lag-time during an interview. Even a second of incomprehension can lead to visible frustration. These brief looks will render your footage unusable. Do not look at your notes mid-answer. Don't do it!

6. Keep Your Questions Short and Sweet

Think 10:1. For every 1 word you say, you should hear 10 words from your subject. In short, your questions need to be short.

When you sit down to compose your innovative questions, slap the writer and/or marketer in you on the wrist and remind them that writing and speaking are two very different mediums. You will not get points for complex thoughts and a large vocabulary in an interview setting.

Get to the point, and get there quickly, one, short question at a time.

The reason behind short and to the point questions is the same reason you put just one call-to-action on a landing page. If your questions are 2, 3 or 4 part-ers then you run the risk of confusing your interviewee about how you want them to respond and you get a convoluted answer that doesn’t effectively answer any of your points. And your editor will grumble about you under their breath.

Interview Tips In Summary:

Do your research and fact check
Know your story arc
Get the bite
Be innovative
Make eye contact
Keep your questions short and sweet

Bonus Interview Tip:

If you won't appear in the video with your guest and are asking the questions off-camera remember to ask them to repeat a part of your question in their reply.

Example: When did you know you wanted to become a submarine commander?

Answer: I knew I wanted to become a submarine commander the first time I heard The Beatles song, Octopus's Garden.

Now, what would you add to this list? What tip(s) has/have helped in your interviewing process?

[starbox]

Video Marketing Video Tips & Tricks

Video Marketing (2)

It’s Not What You Do. It’s The Way You Do It.

1. Insist on Specialty Camera Equipment

2. Ask Your Co-Workers to Act Instead of Hiring Actors:

3. REnt Locations

4. Licensing Music

5. Hiring the Cheapest Video Production Partner (or Hiring the Most Expensive Production Parter)

Additional Resources

1) "70% of Best-in-Class marketers actively use video in at least one marketing channel."

2) "65% of video marketers are concerned with fueling multi-touch marketing campaigns. It’s not just about views anymore."

3) "70% of best-in-class video marketers use video for social media."

4) "40% of marketers who adopt video are interested in keeping up with new marketing channels for interacting with buyers. This includes social platforms and mobile."

5) "Best-in-Class marketers have 35% lead over All Others in their adoption of a video management / video hosting platform."

6) "Marketers who use video generate 13% more marketing qualified leads (MQLs) per year."

7) "Video users outpace non-users by 63% in increasing marketing’s contribution to revenue year-over year."

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

Analytics

Buffer

Evernote

Notebook

1. Connection is Everything.

hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(1712426, '440546a6-17c3-4384-8715-e2bef3d6f50c', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"});

2. Preparation is Key.

3. Remember, this is Live TV.

4. Your event is more than just the Live Stream.

5. Why Have 1, When You Can Have 5?

1. Landing Pages

2. Email

3. Social Media

4. Blog

It’s Not What You Do. It’s The Way You Do It.

Here are my 6 Interview Tips for Video:

1. Do Your Research

2. Know Your Goal (Story Arc)

3. Get the Bite

4. Be Innovative

5. Make Eye Contact

6. Keep Your Questions Short and Sweet

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