Tag Archives: video production

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

If you hadn’t noticed, American Airlines recently changed its logo. I was pretty surprised when it popped up in my Facebook feed.  I like it.

A logo change is usually a big deal for a company. All new stationary, business cards, all sorts of stuff needs updating. Now imagine you have a fleet of passenger jets. Yikes!

American Airlines produces good Videos

American is pretty good about using video to inform its passengers. They produced one of my all-time favorite corporate videos, and the latest one involves giving their planes an all new look (VIDEO). While it’s not exactly award-winning storytelling, I enjoyed it and learned some interesting things.

That’s what video can do for you as a business. American picked a subject they thought would interest people (painting a plane) and delivered content to satisfy that interest.

What’s something you’re doing at your business that might peak someone’s interest?

–Tony Gnau

Mrs. G and I are terrible dancers, and yet on our wedding day we chose to do a choreographed dance in front of all our guests. I blame my in-laws for providing the dance lessons gift certificate prior to the big day.

We took lessons at Ballroom Dance Chicago. Our teacher was very good and very patient. She needed to be, but what it earned her is recommendations like this. It’s a great place to take lessons.

where am i going with this?

Ever since then I’ve been following the business on Facebook, and over the last three months they’ve been posting more and more videos.

The videos… aren’t great. Some are better than others, but you know what I like? They’re trying.

Someone they know clearly has a little editing ability, and they create their own videos. Like many business owners, I’m sure they’d love to have professionally produced videos, but this is what they can manage.

worth doing an amateur video?

There are some video pros who would tell you, if this is all you can manage… you’re better off doing nothing. If we were talking about a good-sized company, I’d agree. But what we’re talking about is a very small business, so to them I say go for it.

The lesson here is if you have a marketing budget, pay a pro to produce your videos. If you’re a small business owner with no budget (and I mean NO budget), go forth and produce your own videos.

There’s room for us all.

–Tony Gnau