Tag Archives: storytelling

Packed house for yesterday’s American Marketing Association-Chicago Chapter seminar on social media. Adam Lilly from Goose Island Beer Company talked about their social strategy and Nader Ali-Hassan from Razorfish talk about social’s future and how to measure its impact.

One of the big takeaways I hope everyone got was the importance of storytelling. Adam talked a lot about what the Goose is doing to tell its story and how it’s building a following using social media.

He also talked about how the company gets everyone involved. Marketing works with all departments to find stories that might interest their followers. They also use those people in the videos. Gone are the days of a single company spokesperson. If an employee has an interesting story… they’re in!

This is how you serve an audience. Focus on content that they will be interested in and feature real people.

–Tony Gnau

Your team members are your best sales people. They might not know it, but they are.

Highlighting enthusiastic employees who buy-in to your company and are passionate about their jobs will help you make more sales.

Don’t get freaked out because they’re not in sales, marketing or the C-Suite. They’re real people who will appeal to real audiences.

Feature your team members in your videos and you’ll love how they make your company look.

–Tony Gnau

It’s no secret. Goose Island Beer Company has been a frequent topic of conversation here because they’re a T60 client doing a lot of things we all can learn from. Today… another example… this one regarding social media.

Adam Lilly is the Brand Director at the Goose. We interviewed him the other day for a video separate from Goose Island. He’s participating at an event put on by the American Marketing Association-Chicago Chapter, and we shoot the organization’s event preview videos.

Anyway, Adam had a lot of great things to say about how Goose Island is using the medium to connect with customers. One of them… no surprise… is video. We’ve done more than a dozen videos for them in the past, but these days they’ve taken their video investment to a whole new level.

Goose Island is producing their social media videos in-house. They’ve bought multiple cameras, quality sound equipment, and they’re dedicated to producing video content for their social followers.

A big reason for all the video is to give people a behind-the-scenes look at the stories behind their great beers. Is it any surprise why I love these guys!?

Anyway, I won’t steal his thunder. If you want all the details on Goose Island’s social strategy, I encourage you to attend the AMA-Chicago event. Both members and non-members are welcome (sign-up here).

Tomorrow I’ll offer some thoughts on Adam’s co-presenter, Nader Ali-Hassan from Razorfish. He too thinks video is a critical component to social media.

–Tony Gnau

Any video professional can produce a video that looks good and sounds good from a technical standpoint. Even amateurs can have a go at it these days with as good as the equipments is getting. The trick is finding someone with a storyteller’s spirit.

Storytelling is a true art. It isn’t a craft you become good at overnight. It takes years of experience and a ton of time behind the viewfinder.

That’s what you’re paying for when you hire a professional storyteller to produce a video for your company. It isn’t cameras, microphones and lighting. It’s the skill and vision of someone who’s dedicated themselves to becoming a craftsman.

You’re paying for their expertise.

–Tony Gnau

The tide has turned. It’s no longer enough to simply tell people “what” a company does. Audiences are demanding better content, making storytelling a important part of any PR/marketing strategy.

There are countless stories at each and every business. Finding them is just a matter of opening your eyes and looking for things that will connect with viewers.

Turn to the employees. Everyone has a story. Chances are some of them have stories that are not only interesting, but relevant to the company and its clients and prospects.

Examine the business itself. Are there any fun traditions? Maybe there’s an interesting way the company communicates with clients? How about ways the company cleans its equipment and facilities?

Tell those stories. What seems boring and mundane to you can be interesting stuff when put into the hands of a master storyteller.

–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.

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

If you’re a regular reader here, you know I admire Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. I’m a proud Trojan, so it goes back to his time as the USC head coach.

My wife and I actually have a quote of his from a 60 Minutes story hanging in our home, “I keep thinking day-to-day that something good is just about to happen.”

Lately, I’ve needed a little attitude boost, so what pops up in my Facebook feed yesterday? A blog post from Pete Carroll entitled, Compete. It was just what I need to kick myself into gear.

One of the things I love about Pete is that his leadership goes beyond football. In the piece, he writes about competing in life. I read that post and thought about it as a husband, father, son, friend… and video storyteller.

T60 helps our clients compete. We help them by highlighting what they do best. We help them by showing people what they’re all about. We help them compete by telling their stories.

Something good is just about to happen.

–Tony Gnau

Access to the world of video has never been more abundant. The video camera on your iPhone produces a better image than professional cameras did just 10 years ago.

Maybe this fact is tempting you to produce your own company videos? I’m not going to try and talk you out of it. Go for it. Keep something in mind though… this is your company’s reputation you’re putting out there.

I’m frequently surprised by how willing business owners are to turn over their company’s image to an amateur. Whether it’s themselves, or someone else on their team.

They’ll hire a graphic designer and go over several proofs before approving as much as a business card design, but the company video… we can have Ted in accounting do it.

What!? Video is an art. Storytelling is a skill. Ted might be a wiz with numbers, but there’s little chance he’s going to create a video that captures an audience and leaves them feeling good about your company.

There might be small video projects you can create on your own, but it’s better to turn to a pro when your company’s reputation and professionalism is on the line.

–Tony Gnau