As a semi-frequent business traveler, Hyatt is T60’s hotel brand of choice. Hyatt Regency McCormick Place also happens to be a client, so no surprise I follow Hyatt on Facebook and was excited yesterday to see them post a video (read below on how to find it).

It’s not a T60 video. I presume this was something produced by their corporate office, but it’s clear Hyatt “gets” video content. The video features the company’s volunteering efforts, and it serves as a great example of how employees give back to the community.

I have a few things I would have done differently with the video itself, but it’s a solid effort. More importantly, this is the type of thing all businesses should be doing.

If your company is involved in its community, there isn’t any reason you shouldn’t be sharing the news with your social networks… and there isn’t a better way to do than producing a video.

–Tony Gnau

FINDING THE VIDEO: to see the Hyatt video, visit their Facebook page, scroll down the Wall a bit and look for the video entitled, “Hyatt Thrive.”

Some props today for public relations expert and blogging maven Gini Dietrich. She wrote about how all businesses these days have become media companies… and she’s right.

Thanks to social media, from Facebook to YouTube, business leaders need to realize they’re now a part of the media industry so they need to start thinking that way.

The number one thing to consider… why is our content relevant? Why should someone watch our videos? If your answer is simply… because they should be interested in our product or service… you probably don’t have many people paying attention to you.

Start focusing your content on the audience. Make it relevant to them and they’ll start showing up in greater numbers.

–Tony Gnau

Make sure your videos are authentic. Viewers these days can spot something disingenuous a mile away.

That’s one of the reasons I prefer PR and marketing videos that don’t follow a script. Let the people involved tell the story in their own words.

That’s an authentic voice.

–Tony Gnau

All week we’ve been reviewing the video series that Hyatt Regency McCormick Place had us produce. It’s worth examining because it highlights a marketing idea more businesses should consider.

Producing a video these days is a no-brainer. Between company websites and social media platforms, it’s important to let potential clients know what a business does and video is a terrific way to communicate.

The problem is some businesses produce a single video and leave it at that. In many cases this is fine, but if a company offers multiple products or services they could be doing themselves, or worse, their customers a disservice.

Instead of a single video that tries to be all things to all audiences, they may be better off producing a series of short videos allowing viewers to pick and choose which ones interest them. It saves customers precious time, and it also ensures companies get a motivated audience.

The Hyatt Regency McCormick Place sales and marketing staff wanted videos highlighting the hotel itself, the hotel ballroom, the McCormick Place Grand Ballroom, and finally McCormick Place’s West Building.

FEATURED VIDEO– Hyatt Regency McCormick Place: the West Building

Now the hotel’s potential clients can simply choose to learn about the venues that make sense for them.

–Tony Gnau

It’s day three of looking at Hyatt Regency McCormick Place’s video series, and today is when the whole concept really comes into focus.

The hotel’s sales and marketing staff opted for a series instead of a single video to give viewers options. They understand that each of their potential clients has different needs, so they wanted them to be able to choose the videos that best apply to their unique situation.

Hyatt Regency McCormick Place is Chicago’s convention hotel. It’s attached to the city’s convention center, McCormick Place, and that fact allows them incredible flexibility in dealing with meeting planners and corporate clients.

I have already shown you videos on the hotel itself and the hotel’s ballroom, but the videos I’ll show today and tomorrow are great examples of why giving clients viewing options is a nice way to go.

Working from the perspective of a client who needs to host a HUGE event… I’ve stayed at Hyatt hotels in the past, so I don’t feel like I need to watch the hotel video. My event is way too big to host at a hotel ballroom, so I know I don’t need to watch that video. I look at the video lineup a little further and see options for McCormick Place’s Grand Ballroom and West Building… now those are videos I’m interested in!

VIDEO– Hyatt Regency McCormick Place: the Grand Ballroom at McCormick Place

No need to waste valuable time watching a single video that includes every aspect of what the hotel complex has to offer. The client can simply jump to the one that interests them.

Tomorrow, we’ll wrap-up the series with a look at the West Building.

–Tony Gnau

We’re continuing our look this week at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place video series.

The sales department made a smart move by avoiding a single video trying to be all things to all audiences. Instead, hotel leaders opted for a series so potential customers can pick and choose to watch the videos relevant to their needs.

Today’s video features the hotel’s ballroom. The sales staff wanted to emphasize its versatility and all the options available for breakout rooms.

VIDEO– Hyatt Regency McCormick Place: the Regency Ballroom

This is a great example of why the series is a good move. The hotel is attached to Chicago’s convention center, McCormick Place, but has more to offer than just accommodating the convention crowds.

Non-convention customers don’t have to waste their time learning about those facilities. They have their own standalone video focused on their interests.

–Tony Gnau

All this week we’re featuring a series we completed for Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. The hotel is Chicago’s convention hotel… no doubt about it. It’s attached to the city’s convention center, McCormick Place, but the sales staff isn’t content to rely on that fact alone.

They’ve been creating their own videos for a while, and customers have responded well so they decided to kick it up a notch with a professional production.

However, instead of having a single video produced that includes a little bit of everything, they decided to create a series. This way potential clients can watch the video that’s most relevant to them, and not have to watch content that doesn’t apply to their needs.

Today’s video is the first of four and simply features the hotel itself. The sales staff wanted to highlight that the hotel is modern, good for networking, and has a bunch of dining options.

VIDEO– Hyatt Regency McCormick Place: the hotel

–Tony Gnau

Coutresy: Hyatt Regency McCormick Place

Producing a video is all about the audience. What’s going to interest them? Why should they care about your content? How does your content help them?

These are just a few things your videos should address, which is why it’s crucial to keep them focused and on-point. In many cases, breaking things down into separate videos makes a lot of sense.

We recently had a client who did a great job with this. The Hyatt Regency McCormick Place sales and marketing staff wanted to show clients why their meeting space is top-notch. Instead of packing everything into a single video, they decided to break things down into a series of shorter videos.  Now potential clients can focus on the areas that are relevant to them.

Starting Monday we’ll share each video and a behind-the-scenes story.

–Tony Gnau

Your company wants to produce marketing content. You grab the CEO, shoot all sorts of video, and you produce a terrific company profile.

Great… but don’t stop there. Many business leaders recognize the importance of having a company video, but they fail to follow-up on it. Video is a great way to engage with your customers and in many ways help them.

Courtesy: Nikon

Nikon is a photo powerhouse and does a great job of serving customers with interesting videos. Watch the following example I found through the company’s Facebook page. It’s a fun tutorial on how to shoot great photos of kids.

VIDEO– Nikon: Taking Natural Looking Photos of Your Kids

There’s no mistake it’s a Nikon video, featuring one of its products, but the focus of the video is on the audience. How can we as Nikon help our customers? We’ll show them how to better use our products.

By taking the focus off yourself and putting it on your customers’ needs, you actually benefit the company in the long run. Building loyal customers who appreciate hearing from you.

–Tony Gnau

Courtesy: Virgin America

Any company putting on a big event these days that doesn’t incorporate video is missing a great opportunity, and Virgin America provides a nice example.

I’m not talking about featuring video at the event, although that can be done as well. What I’m referring to here is having a production crew shoot video during the event and creating a video that can be shared after it’s over.

By doing so, the event lives on even after the party’s finished. Send email links to participants. Share it with anyone who couldn’t attend, and by all means pump it out via social media.

I saw a good example over the weekend. Virgin America has moved into the Chicago market. Instead of making a one day splash, they created a video that I saw on Facebook.

Now I’m in on the party and celebration… thanks to their video.

–Tony Gnau

VIDEO– Virgin America