Tag Archives: marketing video

I found a company producing a ton of video content. The videos are well-produced, tell pretty good stories and are posted on a frequent basis. The only problem is something marketers, PR pros and business leaders need to know about.

If nobody sees your videos, they’ll never matter.

Video content case study

I discovered Schneider Electric recently. It’s a company producing green energy solutions. They have a pretty impressive rundown of videos and by all accounts, they’re doing things right. The company is producing lots of videos, they’re featured prominently at the website and they’re being shared via social media.

Nicely done. That’s exactly how you want to do it folks.

However, I do have one issue. The videos posted at the company website load soooo slowly. I logged on using three different computers just to do a comparison, and in all three cases many videos took about 30-seconds before they started playing.

That’s a HUGE deal. You know why? People’s patience for online videos starting to load is apparently 2-seconds. 2-seconds!!! That’s according to a study by the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Akamai Technologies.

Why your videos might not play

Producing a great video is only part of the process. You also have to figure out how you’re going to host it. There are several platforms, both free and subscription-based. YouTube and Vimeo are the big boys, but you do give-up a bit of control when you use them. The big advantage, certainly with YouTube, is that you get SEO value in return. The videos also load and play quickly.

Now, a bunch of things factor into how well a video plays. The hosting platform, size of the file, speed of the users’ computers, speed of their internet access… etc.

I have no idea why I had a problem with Schneider Electric, and I hope I’m the exception. The key takeaway is to be aware of these issues. Talk about them with your video producer and web manager. Make sure there are as few obstacles as possible for viewers to see your video content.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

ARVE Error: id and provider shortcodes attributes are mandatory for old shortcodes. It is recommended to switch to new shortcodes that need only url

Companies have some tough choices as they produce their corporate videos. One of them is whether to script and storyboard things in advance or take a more organic approach to production.

The recruiting video I found from First Midwest Bank is a prime example of what can happen when you plan things in advance. First, let me say I’m thrilled to see the bank’s leaders are producing a recruiting video. Business leaders who are serious about recruiting top talent NEED to show recruits what the company is all about, and video is a terrific way to do it.

Second, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with the video. It’s clearly professionally produced. There’s good sound bites and a decent story. Here’s the thing though. While I like the sound bites… they sound genuine… everything else is soooo staged. None of it seems natural. In my book, that’s a problem.

I prefer an authentic approach

I’m all about authenticity. I want authentic sound bites, and if at all possible… authentic raw video (b-roll). Even on the occasions we have to stage something, we always try to make sure it looks natural. We have people doing things they would normally do in places they look like they would normally work.

That’s not how things come across in the bank video. They have a series of shots featuring employees smiling into the camera. Okay, we do that sort of thing from time to time, so I get that… it’s a style thing. The problem is the video of people “working” just doesn’t look natural. The shots look and feel staged.

Staging corporate videos hurts your company

Viewers recognize that sort of thing, and your company ends up looking and feeling the same way. Your business comes off as artificial, or worse… deceptive.

Not exactly the impression you want to make whether you’re recruiting new employees, or if you’re trying to market the business.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

ARVE Error: id and provider shortcodes attributes are mandatory for old shortcodes. It is recommended to switch to new shortcodes that need only url

Ending the week on a high note with Hightail. I blogged about the file sharing company not too long ago when they produced a video about its name change from YouSendIt to Hightail. Today, they follow that video with a traditional testimonial.

It isn’t revolutionary by any means, but it’s a great example of solid video content. It’s also something every business leader can learn from.

Why testimonials work

Testimonials are nothing new. They’ve been around and used for marketing purposes for… well… probably forever. Here’s what I love about testimonial videos.

1. you have the option of making them in a way that’s marketing without sounding like marketing… although the Hightail example is a little more overt.
2. getting a client to do a testimonial for you means an opportunity to give them some added publicity as well.
3. no bones about it… real people telling viewers that they like you is a powerful message.

Tactic changes, results the same

It’s funny… probably the thing I love most about testimonials is the ability to sell without selling. You can feature a client, show how they use your product or service and not hit people over the head with the message. I mentioned that the Hightail video is overt. They basically leave no doubt that this is a marketing video, but they do it in a pretty awesome way and one worth mentioning.

The COO featured in the video comes right out and says, “I hate being on-camera, and I hate doing testimonials.” I’ll bet that sound bite changed the whole approach to the video. Throwing that in throws away the notion of selling without selling, but it works.

Actually, I love it. What a great statement to get on-camera! It says it all… I don’t like doing this sort of thing, but I believe in this company so much I’m willing to be here.

That’s a powerful message. That’s the power of video testimonials.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

The cutting room floor… where good ideas go to die. Actually, that phrase should be left on the cutting room floor because there really is no more cutting room floor, so you better not be leaving your good ideas there.

Huh? Okay, a brief history if you’re not up on the origins of that phrase.

The actual cutting room floor

It all goes back to film editing. The editor would have to splice the raw film that was shot into a finished movie, newsreel, etc. That process would result in all sorts of good material that didn’t make it into the finished film literally being left on the floor of the editing room.

Well, very few people still shoot and edit on actual film. The vast majority of what you see in theaters, on TV or online is all shot on digital formats and edited on computers.

The point behind this history lesson is that your good ideas and cool shots don’t have to end-up dying. Save that raw material for future projects whether or not it makes it into the original project. Your creativity doesn’t have to end-up scratched and broken on the cutting room floor like old film strips.

We’ve got that b-roll

Mrs. G will tell you, I even shoot stuff when there isn’t a specific need for it. Over our vacation, I shot some video of Bond Falls in Ottawa National Forest. Did I do it for any specific project? Nope. But why not shoot it? You never know when it might come in handy. You need waterfall b-roll? We’ve got that b-roll!

Back in the day, storing random stuff like that would have been a nightmare. Developing the film, storing it in bulky canisters, knowing that most of it would be destined for the cutting room floor.

Not any more. I shot some raw b-roll in Washington, DC about four years ago and used it for the first time in a project last winter. Bonus… I can save that same raw video and use it for multiple projects in the future because it’s all digital.

There is no more cutting room floor, so keep those ideas alive.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

Video content excels at a lot of things, but one of its best benefits is the ability to put your passion on display. Audiences can see it… hear it.. and feel it.

That’s a powerful thing for businesses trying to set themselves apart in the marketplace. Our industry is no exception, which is why I’m so surprised more don’t take advantage of the medium they help others use.

Practicing what we preach

When I was updating the T60 website, I looked at a ton of other video production companies’ sites. I was surprised to see not many produced stories about their own business. Most had some sort of highlight reel featuring past client work, but few produced a video specifically highlighting how and why they produce videos.

That’s just crazy to me. It should come as no surprise then that one of our top priorities was to produce a short video letting people know about our passion… storytelling.

Your video content challenge

So… here’s my challenge for you. Start researching your competition online. Checkout their websites. Do they have video? If so, what types of videos have they produced? A basic About Us video… product videos… testimonials? Do they look like they were made in-house or by pros?

It’s a good thing to do for a couple of reasons. First, if none of them have videos, you now know this is a great way to set your business apart from the pack. Second, if they are producing videos, what they’ve done might give you some ideas as to what types of videos you want to produce for your company.

Either way, it should be a valuable exercise.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

Back from vacation… batteries recharged! Last week my family and I went to Wisconsin’s Northwoods for a summer get-away at the Estrold Resort. Good times. I even walked away with blog post idea regarding website video. You know… the About Us video.

Not enough businesses have one.

It’s really kind of crazy. I visited about 10-20 websites researching things for and during the trip. Do you know how many had a video? Zero, zip… I was stunned.

Big city, small town… shouldn’t matter

On one level, I understand it. The Northwoods is small town America. You might not expect small town businesses to be producing high-quality storytelling. One… they don’t have access to the number of professional video producers as big cities. Two… business competition probably isn’t as fierce.

Umm… right and wrong.

The first point is totally valid. I did a search for Northwoods video production and there aren’t a lot of companies to choose from, but there are a few. The second point… I think business owners there would argue.

Competition for your dollars is fierce everywhere. Big city… small town America… wherever. Business leaders are always looking for a leg-up on their competition. For a long time, there was a debate as to whether or not companies needed a website. That debate is over.

Website video sets businesses apart

The new debate is what should be on the website, and without a doubt video is a way to stand above your competition.

Consider this… only 24% of national brands are using online video (Kantar Media). This at a time when online video viewing is skyrocketing. Cisco reports it’s expected to double to 1.5 billion users in 2016.

So if there are more and more people watching online videos… and more than 3/4 of brands are not using online videos to market themselves… what does that add up to? Opportunity.

What an incredible opportunity for business owners to set themselves apart from their competition.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

Email marketing remains a big part of many businesses. One of the things that’s great about it is that we have numbers… lots of numbers to track exactly how email campaigns are working. You know what’s working? What’s really driving revenues up? Email video.

Whether it’s embedding video into the emails themselves using html5, or simply linking to a video… it works. The numbers don’t lie.

The Relevancy Group recently conducted a study called, The ROI Of Video In Email Marketing. All I can say is, “Wow!”

How good could it be?

The survey polled 266 marketing executives and found only 25% using video in their email campaigns, but the ones who are have been successful.

Our survey found that marketers that utilize video in email have increased their click-through and conversion rates, and are generating forty percent higher monthly revenue than those that do not use video.

In case that slipped by you… the survey found that marketers using video in their email campaigns are generating 40% higher monthly revenues than those that don’t use video. 40%!!!

I’ll be honest, I don’t know what kind of marketers were surveyed, and the study doesn’t say. Mrs. G thinks that’s a big deal. What if the people surveyed work for big companies? They could have an easier time generating more revenue.

Another factor… we all know email marketing is a numbers game. The bigger and better your email list, the more likely it is that your email campaigns will pay-off.

How email video is working

However… despite those factors… what video is doing is maximizing those emails. The survey shows…

• Increased click through rates
• Increased duration people read the email
• Increased sharing
• Increased conversion rate

Any of those things interest you? They interest me. So much so I’m revamping our own email marketing… sign-up for our newsletter… shameless plug (ding)!

I know… I know… there are all sorts of reasons not to produce a video. We don’t have any stories to tell… it’s too expensive… we can’t take the time to produce them. The thing is… they’re all just excuses.

The truth is you do have stories to tell… video doesn’t have to be expensive… and when you have a pro do it the production won’t take much of your time at all.

Don’t let those phony excuses get in the way of you maximizing your email marketing.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

Alright, this needs to be said… or written in this case. If you’re going to make the commitment to produce corporate videos, please do it right.

I just read a blog post in which a marketing person for a major hospital group was giving video storytelling tips. I’m not going to link to the post. I’m not here to embarrass anyone, but it does provide an opportunity for a teachable moment.

Honestly, the tips that were given were all solid. Think about interesting ways to tell your stories, pick the right equipment and remember that videos don’t need to go viral for them to be a success.

Sounding good

Solid, right?

I was kind of digging this, so I decided to check-out the company’s YouTube channel. OMG. What a disaster.

Don’t get me wrong, I saw a lot there of what was being talked about… it’s just… none of it was good. In most cases, the stories were boring and came off amateur-ish.

Producing good corporate videos typically takes a pro

So here’s the teachable moment… just because you know what to do, doesn’t mean you know how to do it.

Video is a tricky thing. It looks so easy. Set-up a camera, hit the record button, maybe do a little basic editing… and there you have it… an awesome marketing video!

Ummm… no. It’s not that easy. As a matter of fact, it takes a lot of experience to produce a quality video that’s going to connect with an audience. Maybe the biggest problem with inexperienced producers is that they sometimes produce videos that have a negative impact on audiences.

Video is about emotion. In nearly every video we produce, I’m hoping viewers leave with a good feeling about the business. I want them to feel confident in that company. A bad video has the complete opposite affect.

Picking a seasoned video pro will go a long way to making sure your video doesn’t make your business look bad.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

I recently blogged about the importance of doing your own storytelling and not letting others do it for you. This is especially critical for anyone facing tough reviews or upset critics.

It isn’t hard to find examples of it being put into practice. Take a look at big time businesses in that situation and they’re all using video to tell their stories. Case in point… Walmart.

At least half of you just cringed. It’s a company that’s popular for its prices, and unpopular for… well… a lot of reasons.

We all know Walmart faces a ton of PR challenges, but its leaders are doing their best to be storytellers and get out messages they probably feel like the traditional media isn’t reporting.

You can find some of them at Walmart’s YouTube channel under the playlist… Our Stories.

They aren’t anything magical. All of them are pretty short… less than a minute. Some have a “commercial” feel, others tell more of a story. I’ll let you guess which ones I prefer.

Anyway, the point is that the big boys get this issue. When you’re facing harsh critics, it’s important not to let them define you.

It would be easy for companies like Walmart to sit back, take the criticism, and count their dollars. Instead, company leaders stand-up for themselves and point out the things they’re doing right.

Ideally, businesses should be doing this all the time which counters any harsh reviews that may come up. Whether it’s customer testimonials or highlighting the company’s charity efforts, there several types of stories you can tell to define yourself.

Be a storyteller.

 –Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.

It might very well be my mantra. Video isn’t about facts and figures. Video is about emotion. That’s why video marketing is so powerful. It taps something inside of us.

We all know this deep down, but I’d like to personally thank Forbes for doing some additional digging and research to prove my point.

Brain backing video marketing

Sean Rosensteel wrote a story earlier this year about why businesses need to include online video as a part of their marketing strategies. It breaks down some of the numbers showing how popular online video has become, but then he digs deeper behind “why” video is such a good marketing tool.

For this, he cites Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D., also known as “The Brain Lady.” She pinpoints a few areas…

• our brains are hardwired to pay attention to faces as a way to gather information and judge whether or not it’s believable.
• the sound of the human voice converts information into meaningful content.
• emotions are contagious. We see something that appeals to our senses and we want to share it.
• our brains are naturally drawn to movement.

Taking these physiological facts into account, it’s no wonder why video is such a powerful marketing medium.

Helpful tip

The area that actually peaked my interest was the first one about faces. I think a lot of less experienced video producers cover as many of the talk-head shots as possible with “better” video. While I like to cover-up talking-heads as well, it’s important to pay attention to what the talking-heads are saying. If it’s something of critical importance, something that gets to the heart of the video, you should always make sure it’s being said on-camera.

Anyway, all four are interesting points, and they certainly make sense. Video is about emotion, and that’s why it’s so powerful.

–Tony Gnau

Tony Gnau is a three-time Emmy-winning journalist. He is also the founder and chief storytelling officer at T60 Productions. T60 has won 11 Telly Awards for its work over the last eight years.