Tag Archives: corporate communication

Okay… yesterday we celebrated our 500th blog post and promised some insight into our content marketing strategy moving forward.

We’re happy with the blogging… I mean, 500 posts… that’s a lot of content! Thing is… we need to do better and in one specific way.

Basically, it comes down to walking the walk.

For the last few years, I’ve been blogging a lot about how video can help PR and marketing strategies. While we post our fair share of videos, they typically feature the work we’ve done for clients. We’re still going to do that, but we’re also going to produce more original content of our own.

We dipped our toes into this last year with our video series, “How Video Helps Us.” Each one featured a T60 client talking a little bit about why and how they’re using video… their video strategy. When we produced it, we basically blocked a week and went out to shoot all three in the series. Moving forward, we’re going to talk with clients about including them in the series during the process of producing their video.

I’ve never been hesitant about asking. It just always seems to slip my mind. Not anymore though, I’m going to make it a priority.

Once we start producing those videos, we’ll roll them out using the blog, our social networks and probably through email campaigns.

It’s a great way to show-off our clients and provide viewers with some fresh perspectives on how they can use video.

–Tony Gnau

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

Our most viewed post of all-time…

Ir’s a big week for T60. Tomorrow will be our 500th blog post. I hadn’t thought about how much content that is until a couple of friends who blog themselves were noticeably impressed. But this isn’t about “way-to-go us,” it’s about our readers. We don’t have a ton, but we appreciate everyone who’s out there.

This week I’ll fill you in on some of our content marketing motivations at the beginning and how they’ve changed, where that strategy is now and finally about how we’re going to improve things moving forward.

Today… something simple… a list of our top three viewed posts of all-time…

1. Put On A Black Jersey And Share Your PR/Marketing Message
2. Hyatt Understands Video Content
3. Goose Island’s Marketing Success Sudsing Over

All three posts are timeless and offer some terrific examples of how organizations set themselves apart using video.

Enjoy!

–Tony Gnau

It’s a fine line. You want to brag about yourself, but you don’t want to come off like you’re bragging about yourself. That’s the line we walk producing videos for every client, and it’s a lesson we’re learning ourselves as we build a new website.

Some business owners want to throw every accolade into their videos. Others are somewhat afraid to include any. I’d like to say split the difference, but the truth is every situation is different.

go with your gut

The best advice I can give is let the content and your instincts guide your decision-making. If it doesn’t feel right to include some self-praise, it probably isn’t. Remember, video isn’t about facts and figures, it’s about emotion. That’s why it’s good to go with your gut in situations like this.

But by all means, if it feels okay to brag on yourself a little… go for it. Just don’t over-do it.

–Tony Gnau

You need to focus your marketing videos to what you do best. I know, Captain Obvious reporting for duty!… but I’ve seen plenty of business leaders get sidetracked.

Here’s the thing… you start producing a video and all of sudden everyone has an opinion. We should add this… we should add that… next thing you know you have a 7-minute video nobody will want to watch.

Questions to keep you focused

You really need to focus. What do we want to communicate? Who’s our audience? How do we serve them?

These are the questions you want to ask regardless of the type of video you’re producing. And About Us video… an event video… marketing a brand… you name it. What do we want to communicate? Who’s our audience? How do we serve them?

Staying focused will keep those outside voices at bay.

–Tony Gnau

You’re interested in a particular company so you head to its website. You hit the home page… maybe you move on to the About Us page.

If company leaders have some marketing moxie, you should have run into their video by now. If not, you’re probably trying to decide whether or not it’s worth your time to read all that text.

This is what people are faced with everyday when they visit your company website, so why haven’t you produced a video?

Expense

I don’t buy it. Our prices start at less than $1,000, and you can find some who’ll do it for even less. Still too expensive? Fire up your iPhone and produce your own.

Nobody will watch

Seriously? You know it in your gut… people are more likely to watch a video than read text. Your gut’s not good enough? Google the countless studies that back up that feeling. While you’re at it, look at study after study demonstrating how many people are watching online videos.

I’m not good on-camera

Put a talented storyteller to work and they’ll figure out a way to make you look and sound good. Still not convinced? Who says you have to be on-camera? There are plenty of creative ways to produce a video where you never appear in the video.

Why Video makes sense

An About Us video is a great way to make a good first impression. It gives you an opportunity to talk directly to people who are interested in your company. You can show them what it is you do and what makes your business so good.

An About Us video brings your company to life.

–Tony Gnau

It’s funny… we produce PR and marketing videos for businesses all the time, but ask us to do one on T60 and it always seems to get put on the back burner.

I don’t think that’s unusual. No matter what product you produce or service you provide, if there’s a way it can help you and your business, you’re probably the last one to get it.

Customers come first

Why? It’s not because we don’t value our own product. It’s because we value our customers first.

I’ve been trying to produce a new “About T60” video for months. Every time I’m ready to start, either the phone rings or an email pops-up from a client needing help with something.

throwing down a gauntlet

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good problem to have. We’re here to serve them and their needs. This is the week though. I’m throwing down a gauntlet for myself. I’m getting this video done!

There’s a renewed sense of urgency since we’re just about ready to go live with our new website. Seems pretty silly to launch a new website featuring all sorts of great videos and not have a shiny new one for us.

What sort of internal projects have you set aside to serve your clients? Any advice you can give me to focus and get this sucker done!?

–Tony Gnau

I’ve been blogging a lot lately about when DIY videos are okay. My theory is if you’re a tiny business with zero marketing budget, by all means produce your own videos.

On the other hand, if you’re a more established company, it’s better to turn to a professional storyteller.

I think the subject has been on my mind a lot because I’m basically putting my money where my mouth is. No, I’m not turning to someone else to produce a video on T60. That’s crazy talk. I’m talking about web design.

When I started T60 eight years ago, I sat down at iWeb (does Apple even make that anymore!?) and created the company website. Honestly, I think I did pretty darn well for a novice, but creating it and updating it over the years meant me learning a lot about web design and stumbling my way through it.

Thankfully, T60 has come of age, and in the next couple weeks we’ll be going live with a new website… one produced by pros.

Julie at We Cre8 Design and Brian at Net Elevation have done an incredible job. They’re the reason I’ve been thinking so much about DIY lately. They created something I never would have been able to do on my own. They’re the pros, and I’m glad I turned to them.

I’ll take expert help over ineptitude any day.

–Tony Gnau

We’ve all heard it before, but it’s true. Content is becoming a more and more valuable tool for businesses, and the better they do it the better it makes the company look.

It’s one of the biggest reasons to make sure you’re picking a good storyteller to produce your videos. You want to create content that’s going to appeal to your clients and prospects. I’m sure Ted in accounting puts together some terrific home movies, but we’re talking a higher degree of storytelling sophistication here.

A quality storyteller will be able to take what you want to communicate and deliver it in a way that draws in an audience. There’s no point in creating content for content’s sake. You want something that will connect with people.

I guess the point is that content isn’t king… quality content is king.

–Tony Gnau

Last week I was blogging about when it’s okay for a business to produce its own videos. Basically, it boils down to budget and size. If you’re a small business owner with zero budget for marketing, please feel free to produce your own stuff. Everyone else… you should look for a video pro.

What I didn’t get into was WHY everyone else should get professional help. So… here it is…

You want people to take you seriously. You want clients and prospects to look at your company and have a sense of confidence. You want them to look at you as professional.

Your reputation is on the line

So why would you entrust your company videos to non-professionals? Video has never been more accessible to the masses. Anyone with a smart phone can shoot, edit and post videos to the web. The problem is most of what they post is garbage. Not exactly the image you’d like to give people about your company.

If you’re a small shop and people know and understand this, an amateur video is kitschy. It can work to your advantage.

If you’re a solid business with an earned reputation, an amateur video is cheap… and it makes you look that way.

Show some pride and find a video pro to tell your stories. They get paid to make your business look like it deserves that reputation.

–Tony Gnau