Category Archives: Uncategorized

Bad Video ; Empty Promises

DIY ?, Uncategorized, Who Uses Video, , , , , , ,

I’ve probably blogged about this before, but everytime I see one of these sites, I just want to erect a barricade around it.  Crime Scene Tape if you will.

It’s those sites who tell you how important video is to your website (it is) and then proceed to tell you that they can put one together for you using stock photos and a voiceover. (they can, but it won’t do you any good)

To make matters worse, THEIR websites usually have the well-placed red text that screams “SIGN UP NOW!!” or “LIMITED TIME OFFER!!”  They do this for the same reason Cosmopolitan writes the kinds of headlines it does for its magazine: It’s An Impulse Item.

If you own a small business, since when is your marketing plan an impulse item?

Yes, you can find some very nice looking stock photos, then add text overlays and pretty music, and you have a nice BORING video.

Where does it connect with your customers, your prospects? Where does it engage that audience of people who are looking for exactly what you do?

There are companies that will promise you thousands of hits on your website if you will just buy their e-book or sign up for their monthly program.  Some of these same companies promise you thousands of Twitter followers if you will just pay them “x” number of dollars.

But listen to me: You don’t want thousands of hits to your website. The only ones you want are the ones that will BUY from you. Those are the ones who are already searching for you. They may know that they want the product that you sell, but maybe there are different features. Help them decide. Do THAT in a video that stars you.

Ask people to watch a video with only words spinning and scrolling, and to me, that’s tantamount to the web pages of old with their blinking text and spinning animated gifs.

And it doesn’t tell me who you are.

I want to buy from you. I want to do business with you. I want to feel like I already know you.  That’s what your prospects are saying.  How will you answer them?

A slide show doesn’t cut it.

–That’s a wrap.

6 Reasons Why You Need To Use Flash For Web Video, and 1 Reason Why You Don’t.

DIY ?, Uncategorized, Who Uses Video, , , , , , , , ,

If you’re putting video on your website, you want as many folks as possible to watch it, right?  No matter if your viewer is using Windows, or Apple, they should be able to watch it quickly and without hassle.

There are more than a handful of multimedia formats, and some players don’t play them all.

I’m a PC – always have been; always will be.  Here’s something I didn’t know – not all Windows systems have Windows Media Player pre-installed. On the other hand, not all Apple machines have Quicktime pre-installed.  Windows Media won’t play Quicktime files. Quicktime doesn’t like Windows. But there’s one format, and one player that works with both operating systems.

When it comes to putting videos on your website, Adobe Flash has a lot going for it.

  1. The small file size means it loads quickly
  2. You can pre-set the buffer size, so it starts playing immediately
  3. It embeds easily into webcode
  4. You can determine how you want the player to look.
  5. You can view it full screen if you want
  6. Mobile devices are using it.  (It’s true, Flash doesn’t play well with the Iphone.  That’s why you also need an MP4 version of all your videos.)

Your website visitors don’t want to have to wait while a video downloads. Give them the experience they want, and the information they need, and they will actually spend a longer time on your site.  My average viewer spends almost four minutes on each page.  And there are effective and affordable video players which will even generate the code for you.  All you do is plug and play!

Do it now.  The longer you wait the further behind the curve you will be.  Video is not a craze.  It will become as ubiquitous as text and images are on websites.

–That’s A Wrap.

I Have Never Made An Offer Like This Before

Uncategorized

Yes, I look at my competitors’ websites. Sometimes, I’m impressed. Sometimes, I’m ashamed.

Web video is new to a lot of folks. I know some who REALLY “get it” I know producers who have editing styles I think are brilliant. I know clients and small business owners who understand web video too. They are the people who keep me excited day after day.

Web video is not television.

When I talk about putting Videos On Your Website, I mean it as a whole new way to communicate with your client base. Here’s some conversations I’ve had with business owners recently: “Clients are always asking us how we make our product”, “We have a lot of Case Studies on our website, if only people would take time to read them.”, “I wish my clients would understand more about –..” Very quickly, each one of them grasped the concept of what I do.

If you’ve looked through my site, you’ll notice I have a video on almost every page. Right now, I’m changing them a few times a year. It could be more, and one day it will be. But that kind of schedule is a good place for a small business to be at this stage. Yours, too.

Unfortunately, I have seen some sample videos from other producers that don’t quite measure up. I had been directed to one site with a client testimonial. Those are easy, because they’re usually the “talking head” kinds of videos. While the lighting on the piece was great, it clearly was shot without a tripod, a serious no-no when filming a static subject. I’ve seen website videos where I can tell that the cameraman is more at home shooting weddings and dance recitals than videos for business. And I know that they’re charging way too much to get those kinds of results.

So here’s my offer:

If you’re considering having a video produced for your business, and you’d like an honest appraisal of anyone’s style and abilities, just email or call me. I mean that sincerely. You have the right to work with whomever you choose, and I won’t try to change your mind. But if there are some things that I can pick up on that may make your video better, I want to do that.

Because this kind of content is an important addition to the structure of your online presence. To get more businesses online with the right content will help video producers everywhere. When you see the kinds of results you’ll get; you’ll be back for more, and so will dozens of other small businesses.

–That’s a wrap.

And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor

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Say you’re watching your favorite show, and it’s time for a commercial. But before the commercial is played, you see, “We Will Return To Our Show In 30 Seconds.” What would you do?
Would you sit thru the commercial? Would you fast forward if the show had been recorded? Would you see if you could find a snack in half a minute?

TV execs are hoping you’ll just sit and watch.

This season, there will be some new techniques for commercial breaks, all of them designed to get you to watch, or engage you. Some shows will only show one 30 second spot at a time. Some shows will be using the actors in character, so that maybe you won’t notice they’ve gone to a commercial.

Well, of course, none of this is new.

Forty years ago and more, actors from TV shows were making pitches in character for hundreds of products…everyone from Dick Van Dyke to the Flintstones.

Actually, network execs have been saying for sometime that they’re worried about folks flashing forward on their DVRs. Hmmm. Let’s think about that for a minute. Which TV spots would you NOT want to fast forward thru? Isn’t there one particular time of year when TV commercials actually make headlines?

That January Football Game.

Why?

Why are THOSE spots watched, and talked about, and remembered, and discussed, and replayed?
Could be that they’re just a tad bit more creative than the norm? Could it be that here are a group of advertisers who understand that the way to engage the audience is to also entertain them?
Why does that happen just in January?

Ok, there are actually some pretty good spots the rest of the year.. I like PC vs Mac, the E*Trade baby, and IKEA. But just like radio, TV spots don’t have to be funny. They just have to be memorable. They just have to show their benefit to the consumer.

Make it relevant, and they will watch.

Folks will watch “TV’s Funniest Commercials Part 8?, but they will remember Mean Joe Green and the kid with the Coke bottle because it touched them. And that’s going to sell a whole lot more product than Smiling Bob could ever dream of.

–That’s a wrap.

What Part of KISS Don’t You Understand?

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“So what exactly is it that you do?” I asked.

“We fine-tune the art and science of delivering performance through our model that embraces a business tangible and intangible objectives to build momentum, and fuel the opportunity pipeline,” They said.

“Oh,” said I, scrambling for my buzzwords dictionary.

“We help businesses communicate to their clients,” They added.

“Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place?”

Communication is about sharing ideas. If you try to Baffle Them With BS; you’ll only get the same in return.

“What do you do?” They asked.

“I help businesses tell their story to customers and investors” I said.

“Wow. We could use someone like that,” They exclaimed.

“I thought maybe you could.”

–That’s a wrap.

Are You Selling Or Teaching?

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A lot of what I do is education. Some of the concepts about how and why to use videos on your website have some folks making that classic deer in the headlights look.

That’s why I try to teach instead of sell. One of the best networking groups I belong to focuses on everyone knowing as much as possible about each others’ business. Because in many cases, people have to learn about your business to want to buy from you. And we already know that those folks aren’t going to be as focused if your message is only text based.

Video is a great way to show and tell, or show and teach, because you’ll get that personal connection with visitors immediately. They’ll be more focused, they’ll grasp more ideas, and they’ll have a better understanding.

Once your website concentrates on delivering value in the form of you being the authority, you’ll be building your video content library. More sales. More customer loyalty. What can you teach me?

–That’s a wrap.

I Have A Website, But I Haven't Looked At It Since 2004

Uncategorized, Who Uses Video

I look at a lot of websites everyday. I do it to see how folks describe their businesses and I look for places where videos can fit in. Then there are those sites where it’s kind of like walking through a ghost town.

Old information, dates that, in some cases aren’t this year, or even last year. The worst of all: either NO email, or an email form that doesn’t work.

It’s a brochure.

You may think you know your customers; no one has asked you about your website. But what about those who WANT to do business with you. If you get any kind of referrals, there’s a 90% chance that before someone contacts you they are going to take a look at your website. An updated and user-friendly website says that your business is updated too.

Whatever equipment you use in your work, I would be more likely to believe that you have the latest and greatest if your website is up to date. That site can be a lot more than an online brochure. It is your 24/7 authority on all things YOU. It is a statement of your brand, and a promise to your customers: “Here’s where you can find us, here’s how you can reach us” And like, I said most businesses are there. Now, it’s time to take the next step.

Put a face on your business. Yours? The receptionist? A customer? All are great ideas, and everyone of them would make a great video. Show off your success. Show off your expertise. WHY are you better than your competition? Everybody can answer that question differently. But the way YOU answer it is something your future customers are dying to hear.

The people who do business with you, and those who might do business with you are Facebooking, texting, Twittering, and even calling their friends and sharing information. You need to get your voice into that mix. You can’t help that they talk about you, but you can influence what they talk about. It will happen with a well-produced video.

I’d like to help tell that story. It’s what I’ve been doing since before the PC was a twinkle in IBM’s eye.

–That’s a wrap.

Doctor Up Your Website With Professional Video

Uncategorized, Who Uses Video

Medical Professionals, and that includes everyone from Dentists to Chiropractors, are honing in on the message that putting VIDEOS ON YOUR WEBSITE is a smart thing to do.

You may be the friendliest, smartest, most talented professional in your area, but how will anyone know if you don’t show them!

Studies show over 80% of the American population heads straight for the internet. This is a fact. Whether you or your office is referred by another practitioner or a friend, people go straight to the internet to check you out.

Now, here is the next best thing to a face to face meeting. You. On a video, introducing yourself and your specialties. Show off your offices. Interview the staff. Use testimonials. People like recommendations. They feel more comfortable going to a provider when someone else holds that provider in esteem.

It’s the best value for your marketing dollar.
—-That’s a wrap.

Quality Videos Reflect The Quality Of Your Business

DIY ?, Uncategorized

New blog.  First Post.  I was going to hold off on this until my site redesign, but after what I saw tonight, I think it’s an important thing to note: Don’t shoot amateur quality videos and sell them as professional productions.

Tonight, a friend passed a referral to me.  I went to look at the company website – we’ll call them “LLC.com”.  Their web design firm has posted some videos about what a great place this company is to work for.  Now, defining your corporate culture is an excellent use of video in today’s climate.  Google has done it with the Life At Google series on YouTube.  The Google series is shot well, and has compelling themes.

The videos I watched tonight on  the LLC site were (a) Grainy – if I didn’t know better, I’d think they were shot with someone’s camera phone.  (b) used the on camera microphone – a very big no no.  Sound is as important as picture, and since all of these shots were extreme closeups, to have the voice sound like it was coming from a barrel is quite rude from the position of a viewer. (c) one of the persons were shot sitting in front of a window. The light coming from behind washes the subject out.  It looks cheap.  I can’t hear what they are saying, so even if it IS a wonderful place to work, no one will know.

Truthfully, I don’t know if their web designer is also the video producer, but since the design firm touts multimedia production on their website, I could make a pretty good case for it. “LLC” has a nice website.  The designers did a good job.  Was this thrown in at the last minute?  Was it made to be a “value added” component ? At this point, I don’t know.  Maybe I can find out.

Producing videos for businesses is a lot more than Point And Shoot.   Some folks just love to do things like that for themselves, and that’s okay.  BUT
** You have to have an external microphone.  No discussion.
**The basics of 3 point lighting are simple.  So use  room lamps, and buy some Perfect Daylight bulbs so at least your colors come out right, and your subjects look like somebody you would want to watch.

And if you find that you’re in over your head, ask for help.   Your business and the image you convey can be seriously harmed by thoughtless multimedia.
———- That’s a wrap.