Tag Archives: marketing

I saw a Verizon piece on YouTube recently that really drives home what an effective communication tool video can be.

The Verizon video is about how their network is helping firefighters get home safe. The video itself is highly produced. They obviously staged some sort of training exercise and also inserted some fancy graphics.

Some thoughts… first, I had no idea Verizon was doing this kind of work, so I took away some new information. Second, the video did a great job of visually making an impact on me. Had I simply read this information, I don’t think it would have captured my attention the way this did.

Folks… that’s the power of video. It communicates information and does it in a way that makes an impact.

Every business has products being created, services that are available, programs taking place that their audience doesn’t know about. Producing videos on these efforts will drive home all the great things a business is working on.

–Tony Gnau

Everyone has tight budgets these days, so when you’re shopping around for a video producer don’t be afraid to share that budget with them.

I know… nobody wants to give up the farm. You don’t want to tell them you have a $4,000 budget if there’s the possibility they’re going to give you a quote for $3,000.

Here’s the thing though… there are so many variables when it comes to putting together a video quote that you’re better off sharing the budget from the start. That way the producer isn’t building in things you may not need and don’t want to pay for.

Occasionally, we’ll have clients come to us and say, “We want to produce a video on x, y, z… what could you do for us on a $5,000 budget?”

Trust me, when you have a dollar figure to work from the project becomes much clearer. How many shoots will it take versus how many they can afford? How much time creating a script, building graphics, editing the final video, again, versus how much they can afford.

If a production company wants your business, they’re going to bend over backwards to make that budget work. Now, keeping that in mind, use this approach when you start shopping around and that’s when things get interesting.

Every company has their own way of pricing and executing the project. One company might only be willing to spend three days on your project, another might be willing to devote ten. You’ll also get a sense of their customer service. Are they working with you to get the deal done, or maybe your budget isn’t worth their time. You’ll find out.

You might not save any money by sharing your budget in advance, but what you’ll find is what sort of value you’re getting for your dollar.

–Tony Gnau

The message business leaders need to understand… storytelling is the way to reach people. Need an example? I have one in the form of a young entrepreneur.

Please… I repeat… PLEASE… watch this video entitled, Caine’s Arcade. It’s 10-minutes long, but I assure you it’s worth it.

As you watch, I want you to think about what you’re viewing. Don’t think of it as a video about a cute kid with a fun idea. Think about it as a business story… how a new venture is born.

Also, consider the storytelling taking place. The video producer doesn’t come right out and tell you what’s happening. They allow the story build. They release small bits of information in the form of surprises. This is quality stuff!

Every business has a story. They might not have a cute kid from East L.A., but look back at a company’s humble beginnings and you’ll find compelling material.

A quality storyteller can bring that past to life. Jane in accounting might have made some good home movies. Jack in the marketing department might have put together a fun video in college… but this is the company’s image we’re talking about.

Put it into the hands of a professional. They can tell a compelling story.

–Tony Gnau

p.s. I’m not advocating 10-minute corporate videos. You don’t need that long to tell a good story. A pro can do it in 3-minutes… 2-minutes… even 60-seconds.

We had a b-roll shoot yesterday for Lincoln Park Zoo. One of their gorillas, JoJo, is being moved to Brookfield Zoo as part of a breeding program, so LPZ leaders threw him a going away party.

Our job was to shoot some video and cut it together so that it could be provided to media outlets. It’s something we do occasionally, but I wonder why more companies don’t do this more often… especially in our digital age.

Let’s face it, the bigger the TV market your business is in, the less likely you are to have one of your events covered. Lincoln Park Zoo is legendary. When they hold a media event, they’re certain to get at least a little media coverage.

Despite that, they know they’ll get more if they make it easy on the media. Enter T60 and companies like us. We can provide professional video that’s broadcast ready.

The zoo sends out a news release with a link to download the video and tah-dah! Whether it’s a TV news organization or a blogger who uses video,  they now have all they need to do a story and they didn’t even need to attend.

My background is TV news, so I know what I’m writing about here. If you provide an assignment editor or producer with a relevant story, compelling video, and make it so they don’t have to devote a crew to shoot it… you just gave yourself a better chance of getting into the newscast.

Video news releases (VNR) are nothing new, but now they’re easier and less expensive. No need to print materials or burn DVDs (or video cassettes… yikes!).

Going digital means you have the ability to entice the media that much more.

–Tony Gnau

Storytelling is crucial to marketing a business, and I love a recent inc.com article entitled, 3 Reasons to Master the Art of Storytelling.

It talks about why entrepreneurs need to embrace storytelling. The article contends that stories are memorable, easy to remember, and inspire action.

All true!

I’ll contribute another thought, add video to the equation and you’ll increase the effectiveness of all those qualities.

Video draws in the audience. It transports them to wherever the story is taking place. Video also taps emotions better than any medium out there.

High-definition, fancy editing, flashy graphics… all nice to have, but a good story trumps them all. Find yourself a video producer who is a storyteller at heart.

–Tony Gnau

There are a few things to consider when hiring a video producer, but one of the most important things… and most overlooked… is to remember that you’re hiring an artist.

You might buy lots of widgets at your business… from cleaning supplies to top of the line computers. Your video producer does not fall into this category.

Sure, we provide you with a product at the end, but it’s the artistic vision that goes into creating it that sets each of us apart from one another.

This is one area where saving a few bucks shouldn’t be your goal. I’m telling you… you can always find someone on craigslist to produce a video on the cheap. The problem is you’ll end up with a cheap video at the end.

Set your budget and go looking for someone who fits that budget. Narrow it down to 2-3 people/companies based on price, then watch their work.

Look at the shooting style, pay attention to the editing, but more than anything… follow the story. Do they tell a good story? Do they tell it in a compelling way?

When you find that person, you’ve found your artist.

–Tony Gnau

I spoke with someone yesterday who’s doing their best to get their company executives onboard with producing more videos. Not just producing videos, but having them professionally produced.

They’re getting the same resistance many people get… why should we pay for video production when we can buy our own camera and do it ourselves?

It’s a touchy question, but this is how I typically answer.

You run a successful company. You put a lot of time, effort and money into crafting your company image. You hire talented people, make sure the office looks professional, you have a nice website designed, et cetera. In short, you want people to see you as professionals… industry leaders.

Keeping that in mind, why would you then go out and self-produce a mediocre video? There’s no question, companies can create their own videos. They just won’t look or feel like a professional did it.

Keep in mind, your company video is going to be your first impression for a lot of people. You could have talented people working on every client project, the most beautiful office ever and a website taking home design awards… but if you don’t have a video to match? All people will see is that you produced your videos on the cheap.

Now, I’m not saying you have to spend a ton of money on your videos. The average price of a T60 video is about $5,000. It’s not chump change, but there are a lot of businesses that spend more on stationary.

The bottom line is that this is your company image. Don’t go through all the work to craft a great image then through it away by producing a video below your stature.

–Tony Gnau

Indianapolis week continues with a trip to the zoo. We love zoos in our family. We’re members at Lincoln Park Zoo, and LPZ is also a T60 client. So, whenever we visit someplace new as a family, that city’s zoo is a typical destination.

We loved the Indianapolis Zoo, and one of the things I enjoyed was that zoo leaders integrating video into some of the attractions. The one that stood out the most was at the dolphin tank.

Places like this love to educate people. They do it through text-filled displays, interactive games, and yes… video. A well done video is bound to draw people in and get them interested. They tend to start by watching some video, then move on to the text for more detailed information.

Does this sound familiar? That’s exactly what happens when you integrate video into your company’s website. Video becomes a first impression. Web surfers watch your short video, then move on to check out other areas of the site.

Integrating video is a great way to entice people to learn more about you and your company.

–Tony Gnau

Okay, I’m officially dubbing this “Indianapolis Week.” My wife, daughter and I recently took a little trip there and it definitely inspired some blog posts.

Today, it’s a pretty amazing way to link people to video. We passed by the city’s most famed steak house, St. Elmo’s, when I noticed something on the sidewalk… a QR code.

Take a look at the picture. The restaurant put a QR code in the sidewalk that links to their video. I’ll be honest… I couldn’t get my phone to read the code, but I was still impresses.

I checked out their YouTube channel figuring the video must be there. They have three videos on the channel, so I don’t know which is linked to the code. None of them are anything special, but WOW… what a creative way to deliver them.

I found a newspaper story that says the restaurant installed the QR code prior to this year’s Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Pretty innovative thinking.

I hope your wheels are turning like mine trying to think of creative ways to deliver your own videos.

–Tony Gnau

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Last week’s Facebook Question of the Week topic at spinsucks.com was one that Gini Dietrich and I collaborated on a bit. The question was about when to delete outdated or irrelevant videos. I’ll let you listen to Gini’s take on that subject, so please check out her video.

Now, I have an amendment to Gini’s comments that came up after a trip to Indianapolis and discovering an obvious video that needs to be taken down.

My wife was speaking at a convention there, so I was checking out the convention center website and discovered a video entitled, Indianapolis with Peyton Manning.

I didn’t even have to watch the video to know it needs to be taken down and replaced with an undated version. If you’re a football fan, the title says it all.

I did watch the video. It’s your basic “visit our city” type of thing, and it’s narrated by former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

I stress… FORMER Colts quarterback. Manning was recently let-go by the team, and he was immediately signed by the Denver Broncos. I’m sure you’re understanding why it’s time for a video update.

While Manning will always be identified with Indianapolis, as long as he’s playing for another team… it’s time to take down the video.

I don’t mind former employees who pop-up in company videos… unless they’re high-profile like Manning.

In the case of Indianapolis, they can always resurrect the video after Manning retires.

–Tony Gnau