Tag Archives: blogs

Well, this is it. Blog post #500. We started blogging in October 2009. No need to do the math, it’s just under three-and-a-half years. It started slowly at first, but for the most part I’ve been blogging four days a week during most of that stretch.

Yesterday, I promised some insights on what I’ve learned about content marketing during that time. Today, I’ll focus on my motivation for starting and how it has changed.

Most people get  into content marketing with a similar mindset. We’ll provide helpful content, over time people will get to know and trust us and that process will eventually lead to added business.

T60’s Motivation for blogging

Yeah… that wasn’t me. While I knew all that going in, none of that really factored into my motivation. For me, it was all about SEO.

Three years ago, I looked at the T60 website and knew it needed a change. I had built it myself, and while I think it looked fine, it needed a professional’s touch and above all else it needed a lot of SEO help.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the cash to upgrade, but once I had enough to move forward I wanted to be ready.

Knowing that the number of pages at a site and frequency of updates factors in to SEO, I thought I’d start writing a blog. I’ve always been a writer, so why not?

Here I am 500 posts later, and the new T60 site is a week or two from going live. We’ll roll the blog into it, so I’m hoping all the hard work will pay off.

Who’s going to read this?

What’s interesting though is the blog has provided me with so much more.

One of the main reasons I wasn’t really into the typical motivation behind content media is that I honestly didn’t know how much interest there would be in my subject matter. Who the heck is going to read a daily blog on video production!?

Well, the simple answer to that is at least 275 people. That’s the current number of followers we have. Not a huge number by any means, but it’s more than I thought we’d have. We don’t get a ton of comments, but we do get a fair share of “likes” everyday. That’s a nice feeling, but it’s only part of our new motivation.

Now… it’s about ‘cred.  Being a consistent blogger has given me/T60 added credibility, and it’s starting to pay-off. I know that’s a big reason why a lot of people get into content marketing, but it has slowly grown on me and I’m here to say it works… only I’ve found it in a different way.

clients love it

I don’t know how much online ‘cred I have, but T60’s clients always seem impressed by the blog. Over the 500 posts, I’ve blogged about a lot of FAQs we get from prospects, so one of the things we now do is occasionally work the blog into our proposals.

For example, if a prospect asks me a question about storytelling, I follow it up with a proposal that includes links to blog posts on that subject… and they eat it up! Not only do they appreciate the actual information, they’re impressed by my commitment to blogging.

Anyway, I’m here to tell you… content marketing works. It isn’t a quick strategy. I’m three-and-a-half years in and it’s just now starting to pay-off, but I’m glad I got into it.

–Tony Gnau

As I mentioned yesterday, our San Diego shoot inspired a bunch of blog posts. Here’s a tease ahead to next week…

Frontera Tortas: I was excited to see that celebrity chef Rick Bayless has his own restaurant in O’Hare Airport’s American Airlines terminal. It serves all sorts of gourmet tortas. I was there in the morning and had one of the best breakfast sandwiches I’ve ever tasted. While sitting at the bar eating, I looked up at the TV and was impressed with what I saw. It wasn’t the Olympics.

American Airlines Safety Video: yes, the video that tells us all to buckle-up and points out that our seats are also flotation devices. Of all things that could impress me, this might have been the most surprising. The video was… terrific. It was a whole new spin on something we’ve all seen before.

Print Turn Video: this is something I’ve written about in the past, but it was driven home during our trip. Print publications that now offer video. Sounds ridiculous, but it’s happening in all sorts of different ways.

Don’t Pass Up Good Shots: we’ve all be there. You’re producing a video, you’ve been shooting all day and put away your gear, you’re tired and thinking about evening plans… when… you spot a good shot. Do you take that camera back out? We did… and I’ll show you why.

–Tony Gnau

Bloggers have long understood the power of the written word, but many have also begun to embrace video. Many, however, have not put the same amount of pride into their videos as they have their skillfully written blogs.

They need to start.

Look, if you’re not a bigtime blogger, please continue to look into your computer’s camera and deliver your vlog that way. On the other hand, if you are a bigtime blogger, you need to step-up your production value.

I’m not talking about a lot of bells and whistles. Simply working on your framing, lighting and editing will go a long way to improving the professionalism of your vlog.

We’ve been doing this for superstar PR blogger Gini Dietrich. She’s awesome, her message is compelling, and now she has a professional-looking vlog to match her top-rated blog.

A little effort goes a long way to adding to your credibility.

–Tony Gnau

Vlogs are simple videos that do a great job of getting a message out to the masses. It’s one of the easiest things businesses can do to establish themselves as experts, and something I especially recommend to CEOs.

All they have to do is sit down in front of the camera… and talk from the heart. Whether it’s about something their company is doing, or something that’s affecting their industry. Creating a vlog is a great way to talk directly to customers, prospects, employees and peers in your field.

The key is to produce them on a regular basis. Once a month, once a week, whatever you choose… just do it on a consistence basis. The payoff is that the more people see you, the more they’ll begin to trust you. That’s the power of video.

A lot of people produce these videos themselves using the camera on their computer, a FlipCam or the camera on their mobile phone. I’m here to tell you though, even a vlog can use a professional touch. A pro can take a boring vlog and turn it into a polished message befitting the reputation your company.

Even better… a professionally produced vlog won’t cost you much.

T60 is working on a vlog series as we speak… for a very popular PR pro… but more on that tomorrow.

–Tony Gnau

My dad taught me a valuable lesson when I was a kid. I might have been eight or nine years-old when I said something insensitive to my mom. My dad was furious but it didn’t lead to a tirade. He simply leaned forward, looked me in the eye, and said, “Think before you speak.” I’ll never forget that.

I’m guessing Alexandra Wallace didn’t get a similar lesson when she was a kid. Wallace is the UCLA student who filed a video blog on YouTube ranting about Asian students in the library talking on their cell phones.

This is a teachable moment for businesses that have employees blogging or vlogging. Think about your message before hitting the upload button because once it enters cyberspace… it’s out there.

Now, I know there’s a movement advocating unfiltered content. Keep the message “real.” I get it and to a certain degree I’m with them, but there’s a big difference between being guarded and being smart.

Businesses need to be smart with their social media. Be open and share… just be smart about it. It’s a lesson this UCLA student learned the hard way.

–Tony Gnau

p.s. did I mention she attends UCLA?

Give ’em all the facts and figures you want, but in the end many consumers will take a good story over logic any day.

Yesterday, Seth Godin blogged about the limits of evidence-based marketing. He also offered up an alternative… persistent storytelling.

I like the sound of that. As a matter of fact, regular readers here know it’s one of my favorite subjects.

Simply put, storytelling sells. Give viewers interesting stories, deliver them on a regular basis, and good things will happen.

That’s because they trigger and emotional response. The better the stories, the more favorably people view the subject matter.

So… are you ready to tell people the stories surrounding your business?

–Tony Gnau

Videos don’t need to long, substantial… epic. A series of short videos done on a regular basis can actually have a bigger impact than a single, big time production.

Why? Good quality, short videos are something people can look forward to, they’re easy to share with friends, and they’ll earn you a following.

One incredible video might get you some attention at first, but a solid series will keep people coming back for more. Business leaders should decide whether they prefer a big splash or a steady stream.

–Tony Gnau

Content is king these days. Cyber consumers are demand it, and businesses are struggling to deliver it.

Don’t get me wrong. They’re trying. Many businesses are churning out lots content, but is it worth-while content? Is it stuff that will benefit customers? Does it make a good impression? I’d argue that a lot of the content is pointless, and even worse, some of it could put companies in a bad light.

Take a look at many of the YouTube/Facebook videos companies are posting. They’re boring, poorly produced, and a waste of time. Is that the image a business wants to convey?

In the midst of this content push, someone at these companies needs to stand up and be the voice of reason. Let’s not just produce content. Let’s produce quality content.

–Tony Gnau

Own it. That’s what a leader does if they make a mistake, especially in social media land, and there’s a great example of why this week.

The American Red Cross was embarrassed when someone goofed and posted what should have been a personal Tweet to the organization’s official Twitter account. You can read the full story and see the Tweet at the American Red Cross Blog, but basically it gave the appearance someone was drinking beer on the job.

Instead of going into damage control mode and getting defensive, Red Cross leaders responded with an honest explanation of what happened, apologized, and even injected a little humor. The result… their supporters rewarded the honesty with sympathetic posts and even donations.

A great lesson in corporate accountability.

–Tony Gnau

Gini Dietrich blogged yesterday about positive attitudes being an important component to successful leadership. I couldn’t agree more.

A positive attitude can influence everything you do. It’s something I see all the time on video shoots. You can plan all you want, visualize all your shots in advance, but chances are once you get to the location you’ll have to throw it all out the window.

Things rarely go as we envision them. How you react and adjust to them will determine how the situation turns out. A positive, upbeat reaction will likely produce the same result.

Want to see what a positive leader looks like?  Just watch former USC head football coach Pete Carroll (now the Seattle Seahawks’ head coach).

“Something good’s just about to happen.”

–Tony Gnau

VIDEO: 60 Minutes “Coach Carroll” (2008)