Tag Archives: Twitter



Vine Ushers in 6-Second Storytelling

Posted on January 28th, 2013 | Leave a Comment

vineOkay… what do you think of Vine?

Not up on the new social video platform? Well, you can read more about it at Twitter’s blog. Basically, it’s a new Twitter app that allows people to capture and share 6-second videos.

What can you share in 6-seconds? I think that’s the idea. Like the 140 character limit, they’re looking for some creativity from users.

business applications

I have no idea how businesses will start to use the service, but if it catches on I’m sure business leaders will be working overtime to capitalize. I take that back, they’ll have their creative teams working overtime.

6-second storytelling… I’m choosing not to be irked and to simply look at this as a challenge.

–Tony Gnau

Be On The Lookout For Great Stories

Posted on November 23rd, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Courtesy: Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines posted a really cool story yesterday on its blog. It’s about a customer who tweeted during a flight about a terrific flight attendant. They promised to always fly Southwest if the airline would do something nice for the woman.

By the time the plane was on the ground, Southwest officials were at the gate waiting for the flight attendant with a present from a local bakery.

GREAT story! Things like this aren’t going to pop up all the time, so businesses need to have their antenna up to spot them. As much as I like the blog post, this had the potential to be a GREAT video.

Now, Southwest’s people had to think fast on their feet to do what they did.  Unless they had a veteran video producer on hand, shooting a good video might have been too much for them to handle here.  The lesson for PR and marketing teams is to be on the lookout for these opportunities. They might not always deal with such a quick turnaround.

Using a quality storyteller to creating a video in situations like this would be a great way to connect with an audience… making them feel like they were part of something special.

–Tony Gnau

PR/Marketing Videos Aren’t A One-Time Post

Posted on October 4th, 2011 | Leave a Comment

One of our clients did something note-worthy yesterday, so I’m happy to point it out.

We have produced a few videos for DuPage Habitat for Humanity, and one of them happens to be the “About Us” video. We’re very proud of that particular video. It turned out so well that it earned a Telly Award.

Anyway, the video was produced last year, but it popped-up yesterday on the organization’s Facebook page. Bravo!

If you go through the time and expense of producing a quality video… don’t be afraid to show it multiple times. Your video doesn’t have to be a one-time social media post.

Now, I’m not saying you should post it ten times a day, but develop a strategy. Maybe the first week you’re posting it you do it Monday morning, Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning… et cetera.

Also, don’t just limit it to the first week your video comes out. Post it periodically every few months. People aren’t monitoring your social media posts at all times, not to mention you’re hopefully continuing to pick up new followers.

Not everyone has seen your video, so why not continue to share it?

–Tony Gnau

VIDEO: DuPage Habitat for Humanity

PR/Marketing Stats Business Leaders Need To See

Posted on August 24th, 2011 | Leave a Comment

I was cheering-on Gini Dietrich yesterday as I read her post at Spin Sucks. In short, she wrote about how difficult it is selling change-resistant business leaders on the ongoing digital revolution.

It’s something we often face as well since the majority of our videos are bound for the web. One of the consistent arguments Gini hears is one I’ve heard a time or two myself. Company leaders say they don’t need online videos because their clients aren’t 20-somethings surfing the web.

Oh yeah? Right after reading Gini’s blog I came across this little ditty at eMarketer.com. A recent study shows Gen-Xers (34-45 year-olds) are watching more online videos than any other age group. More than 74% will watch online video at least monthly this year.

After I got over the fact that my fellow Gen-Xers and I are now in our 30’s and 40’s, I realized how important that information is for business executives. This notion that only 20-somethings are surfing the web, using social media, and watching online video isn’t based in reality.

If Joe or Jane CEO isn’t willing to accept it, maybe their competition will be interested.

–Tony Gnau

Getting Creative With Content Budgets

Posted on August 17th, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Everyone’s budget is tight. We run into it all the time. Business leaders want a professional video production, but they say they can’t afford it.

Video production costs are actually very reasonable these days. What would have run you 20-grand ten years ago costs half of that now. The average video we produce these days comes in between $4,000-$8,000. That’s a high-quality, professional video production.

Even so, I realize times are tough. Budgets are smaller and if you don’t have the money, you don’t have the money. That leads me to a couple of suggestions.

First, companies need to plan ahead. Research your video project in advance, keeping one eye on the next fiscal calendar. Get a proposal from your video provider before budgets are made so that you can work the production into it in advance.

“Hi Joe Video Producer, we’re working on next year/quarter’s fiscal budget and we want to have a video produced. Any way you could give me an estimate?”

Trust me, they’ll be happy to help.

Second, look for sponsors. Every business is different, but think about vendors your company works with and see if they have any interest in contributing.

“Hi Jane Vendor, we’re producing an online video for YouTube, other social media, and an email blast. We’d love to get a few of our vendors some exposure as well.  If you’re interested in participating, we can do product placements for $100 or even interview someone from your company for $500 and include a few sound bites.”

Those are just random numbers I threw in there, but you get the point. Would that be tacky? I don’t know, you tell me. I’m just brainstorming here. Keep in mind, I’m suggesting contacting the vendors you purchase from, not customers you sell to.

I’m certainly open to other ideas. In fact, I’d love to hear how businesses are getting creative about paying for any content they’re creating… so let me know!

–Tony Gnau

Marketing Videos Going Beyond YouTube

Posted on July 19th, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Posting video on YouTube isn’t enough. Facebook, Twitter… all social media need to be in play. Businesses have to share their videos using these tools if they really want some benefit in the end.

There’s even new research to prove it. ReelSEO reports that videos shared through social media outperform those that don’t. One of the key reasons is allowing others to share your videos gives them more credibility.

People trust their friends. If someone you know posts a video, you’re more likely to watch it than if a business sends you the link.

Getting your videos out into the social web could turn a fun marketing project into a profitable investment.

–Tony Gnau

Looking Past The Google+ Buzz

Posted on July 18th, 2011 | Leave a Comment

While the social media world is all a-buzz about Google+, I’ve been focused on something else… Netflix.

The DVD and streaming video giant changed its subscription structure and raised prices, outraging many loyal customers. I wasn’t exactly outraged, but it did cause me to start looking at alternative services and it really got me thinking about corporate video.

The rise of online streaming services means yet another way to deliver video into people’s homes. Only now you can bypass computers and send it straight to their televisions.

AppleTV, Roku, Playstation, many Blu-Ray players… these are all devices incorporating online video streaming capabilities and allowing people to received countless “channels” featuring tons of videos, movies, and TV shows.

While the world wonders about business applications for Google+, they’re easy to see in this area. People following a company through social media may soon find those feeds delivering videos to their TVs. There’s already a Facebook channel on my Roku player where I can watch video. Vimeo has a channel as well. Sooner or later someone’s going to develop software to consolidate channels into a single feed making them even easier to browse.

Yet another way for a company to deliver its message.

–Tony Gnau

Content’s Story Comes First

Posted on June 1st, 2011 | Leave a Comment

Many business leaders are all about the numbers. Let’s face it, they have to be. Numbers are the backbone of just about any company, but they need to take a backseat when producing a marketing video.

Here… the story comes first. The story is what’s going to hook the audience. A good story will keep them interested, and that means they’ll be more receptive to the video’s message.

Numbers are fine. In some cases, they do a good job of backing up the story. Think of them as supporting characters, but they don’t play the lead role.

The star of the show is your story. That’s what will help the audience connect with your business.

–Tony Gnau

Content That Invests In Your Customers

Posted on April 19th, 2011 | Leave a Comment

There are all sorts of videos that can help a company make a sale. Whether you provide a product or a service, a good video highlighting what you do can go a long way to earning new business.

But don’t discount your current customers.

A good video can also be an investment in them. If you don’t think your competitors are trying to lure their business away, you’re kidding yourself. That means its just as important to share your videos with your “faithful” clients as it is with your prospects.

It’s an investment worth making.

–Tony Gnau

Companies Need To Get Emotional

Posted on April 18th, 2011 | Leave a Comment

I watched a good interview over at the Social Media Examiner last week, and it really hit home because it gave me a different perspective on one of my favorite topics.

Social Media author Scott Stratten talked about corporate video and how businesses need to tell emotional stories to get people to share them. He thinks this is the key to making videos go viral.

Anyone who reads this blog knows my feelings on this subject. Video is all about emotion, not facts. Call it my mantra. A good video touches emotions and connects with the audience. A powerful concept for any marketer.

Anyway, Stratten did open my eyes though because I’ve never thought about it from a “sharing” perspective, but it makes sense. People rarely share videos because they have great facts. They share videos that elicit emotion.

In some cases, facts lead to emotions, but it’s still the emotional response that’s driving viewers to share.

Emotion is apparently a key that opens many doors.

–Tony Gnau