Tag Archives: small business

Quality Videos Reflect The Quality Of Your Business: Part two

Behind The Scenes, DIY ?, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , ,

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
• Grainy – if I didn’t know better, I’d think they were shot with someone’s camera phone.
• Used the on camera microphone – a very big no no. Sound is as important as picture, and since all of these shots were extreme close-ups, to have the voice sound like it was coming from a barrel is quite rude from the position of a viewer.
• Looked cheap. One of the persons were shot sitting in front of a window. The light coming from behind washes the subject out.

Another web designer called to tell me about a client who needed video. Before I could respond, however, he called back to say the client had shot the video himself. He said the quality was just “OK”. The webmaster wouldn’t offer his opinion, and unfortunately, his client may suffer.

Producing videos for businesses is a lot more than Point And Shoot. I completely understand the DIY point of view, BUT. . .

• You have to have an external microphone, period. No discussion.

• The basics of 3 point lighting are simple to learn. 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.

• Seriously consider using a professional. The expertise we bring in storytelling and getting the right message across with the right pictures and edits can make all the difference.

If you’ve made an investment in an attractive website, it’s only right to make sure your content stands out as well.

———- That’s a wrap.

Happy 2011 (if you want it)

Behind The Scenes, Uncategorized,

A couple of weeks ago, one of my Facebook ‘friends” wrote a post about the evil mother-of-all-snowstorms that was headed to Cincinnati on Christmas Day. As we know now, that didn’t happen here. He had little evidence of his prediction. Yet, some folks get their jollies spreading gloom, doom, and fear.

I’ve talked with a lot of individuals in my network in these last weeks of 2010. They all have a very positive outlook on the New Year. Positive thoughts bring positive energy.

I’m blessed that the business I started two years ago has had sustainable growth over the past 12 months. I can’t wait to get started on 2011.

Has the economy bounced back to pre-2006 levels? Not quite. But in many sectors, spending and consumer confidence HAS improved. Many are still out of work, but I know a LOT of folks who are getting hired! My business was better in 2010 than in the year before. It’s allowed me to make capital improvements for all the clients I’m going to serve next year.

Let’s take the naysayers, the doom and gloomers, and the fear mongers and kick them to the curb starting right now! When that ball drops, whether it’s Times Square or Fountain Square; think of it as a fuse being lit. All of us who are small businesses or solopreneurs have the power to make some 2011 fireworks of our own happen.

Are you ready?

That’s a wrap.

9 Reasons to Keep Satisfied Customers

Behind The Scenes, Who Uses Video, , , , , , , ,

Here’s something that’s worth keeping around:

  • 98% of dissatisfied customers never complain, they just leave.
  • 85% of dissatisfied customers tell nine people about their poor experience. 13% tell 20 people.
  • A satisfied customer tells just five people.
  • Over five years, a typical company loses 80% of its customers; 65% because of a negative experience with the company.
  • 75% of the reasons a customer leaves has nothing to do with the product.
  • Retain just 5% of your customers, and profits will increase from 25% to 55%.
  • The top five businesses in any industry have over 90% customer retention. Most businesses average 80%.
  • For every 1% improvement in customer rate sustained over five years, there is a 20% improvement in operating income.

and finally,

The number one reason why customers switch companies is that they don’t feel appreciated.

Ask me, and I’ll show you how using video makes for higher customer loyalty.

–That’s a wrap.

Pretty + Annoying =

Behind The Scenes, Who Uses Video, , , , , ,

The number one rule of multimedia: Let The User Control It. That means when you hit a website, you should not have to be assaulted with noise, music, or things that beep when you move your mouse. If you want to be, fine, you can turn it on. But the default should be OFF.

That goes, too, for those diminutive women and men who live just off the screen. Within seconds after landing on a new page, as you are trying to read text, or just figure out the navigation, one of them will invariably pop out from the side with a cheery, “Hi! “. If you do have your speakers on, it’s a bit disconcerting.; And if you have the speakers off, the model is usually walking right where you want to read.

They try and beg or cajole you with generic gobbledygook that says nothing about what I want to find out, or why I came to the website in the first place. I’m usually gone from that page within the first ten seconds.

The “Video Spokesmodel” is the spinning .gif of Web 2.0

I realize there are some business owners who prefer to remain hidden. Their website has no email address, and the About Us page is a collection of mission-statement speak that is foggy at best. So, in order to seem more like a REAL person (instead of a faceless website that is asking you to give up your money or your email address), they use a Video Spokesmodel as Lilliputian window dressing.

And it could damage their credibility even more.

When you put a face on your website, it should be YOUR face. Or at the very least, someone with whom I would be familiar if I were to buy from you.

Tell me your passion. I love to do business with people who love what they do. Show me what’s new in your world that could change my life. Take me behind the scenes to meet the heroes of your company. Let me hear from your Raving Fans about why their experience with you made them want to come back for more. Engage me.

Do that with your prospects, and they’re more likely to become customers.

Could I show you some examples?

That’s a wrap.

21 Signs Your Company Is Ready To Put Videos On Your Website

Who Uses Video, , , , , , , , , , , ,

It took me about five minutes to come up with this list. I like the number 21. But there are a few dozen more I’ll save for another post. Ready?

21 SIGNS YOUR COMPANY IS READY TO PUT VIDEOS ON YOUR WEBSITE

1. Your “time spent on site” analytic is less than 60 seconds

2. Visitors do research on your site, then buy from a competitor

3. Visitors read the “About Us” page then leave

4. You sell a service which is performed in your customer’s home

5. You sell a service to customers which is performed in your home

6. You compete in an industry that has a less than stellar reputation

7. You keep trying to get on the first page of search engine results, but never make it.

8. Your company president asks, “What is You Tube?”

9. Your company president asks, “What is the internet?”

10. Your Unique Selling Proposition is better customer service

11. You have to show your customers how your product works

12.You have to show your customers the safety features of your product

13. You need to show why your product is built better than the other guy’s

14. There are questions you WISH your customers would ask

15. Your company is celebrating a milestone anniversary

16. You want your customers to meet your staff

17. You want to build brand loyalty

18. You want to show off your expertise

19. You want to be the “go to” person in your industry

20. You’re getting ready for a price increase

21. You’ve just started a new business

Do any of these sound like you or someone you know? Let’s talk about it. I’ll buy the coffee. Maybe I’ll even buy lunch.

That’s a wrap.

30 Days To Success With Website Videos

Behind The Scenes, Who Uses Video, , , , , , , , ,

I am very pleased when one of my clients tells me about something that’s happened as a direct result of putting videos on their website. Consistently, something positive always happens in the first 30 days.

I produced a video for an executive recruiting firm. They had recently doubled their staff, and wanted to share their unique point of view, as well as getting more quality leads. They were thrilled with their video, and it went up immediately on their website, blog, Facebook page, and about a half dozen other social sites.

Within two weeks, they were contacted by a local TV news crew who wanted to do a story on them. They were perceived as a leader in their field, which is exactly where they wanted to be.

I did another video for a company who was already showing well in the search engines for “expert” in their specialized niche. In the first month, their website traffic had increased by 60%. To top it off, not only were they showing up on the first page of results for their keywords, but so was their video. And the views on their YouTube channel skyrocketed.

I started working with a new company just three months after it had been founded. We began producing a series of video blog posts. I have just learned that as a direct result of the videos, they landed $8000 in new business within the first 30 days.

These stories are not extraordinary. Not only does video jumpstart search engine results, but it also gives your prospects a reason to remember you.

In the future having videos on your website will be as commonplace as having buttons for navigation. Right now is the perfect time to start. By jumping in with both feet and using compelling, engaging video messages, you can lead the way in your category. It will garner results now, and the equity you build as an innovator, will pay off in the future.

–That’s a wrap.

6 Absolute Musts For Shooting Yourself On Video

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

I have seen a handful of vanity channels, so-called business presentations, video blogs, and all the rest, and I gotta tell ya.. owning a video camera or a web cam no more makes you a talk show host than owning a guitar makes you Erc Clapton.

I was compelled to start watching these folks because they had a headline that drew me in, they said something interesting, or because I know them. Truthfully,  I didn’t last more than 3 minutes.

So I keep coming back to something I’ve said time and time again: Either you want to be known as an expert, or you want people to buy a product or service from you, so be as professional as you know how, or the next guy will.  Online video has no excuses for poor quality.  If you’re going to shoot yourself, here’s how to do it with a little class:

  1. Find an uncluttered spot. Look at your surroundings the way the camera is going to see it. Don’t let anything get in the way of the camera’s main focus.
  2. Back Away From The Camera.  Really. All this fisheyed e-trade baby video is making me nauseous.
  3. SMILE !!!!  And hold eye contact. Put a picture of someone you care a lot about beside that camera lens.  Then talk to them.  You will be more natural
  4. Take off the headphones.  You don’t have to hear yourself. It also looks really low tech. If there are music cues or an interview you have to respond to, get an earpiece, or just set the phones down out of camera range. You’ll still be able to hear it.
  5. Don’t take five minutes to get to the content.  I don’t really care that this is your fifth show, and you now have two thousand viewers.  Acknowledge what I came to see. At least Letterman and Leno start with a rundown of what the show’s going to be about.  It’s not a bad idea for you to do that, too.  Of course, it will mean actually planning, and not talking off the top of your head.
  6. That will directly affect your “um” quotient.  Take notes, and use those notes to prompt you for the next idea.  Planning and focusing keeps the “ums” to a mimimum.  A little silence is a lot more preferable to inane babble.
  7. Keep it short and to the point.  I’m not going to watch you for an hour. Especially if it’s just you on camera.  Sorry if it hurts your feelings.  Brevity is the soul of wit. You’ll get more viewers with a shorter piece. You’ll be more focused.  Did you know that all of the network evening news shows used to be 15 minutes long?

If you can do those simple things, you’ll be surprised how better you look, and how much more professional you come across.

–That’s A Wrap.

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.

Ad-ology Insights To Advertising

Who Uses Video, , , , , ,

What if you could put a blindfold on your competition? And what if you could then make yourself the hero in the eyes of their customers and prospects? Whatever you sell, be it product or service, what if everybody considered you the expert?

If you could put a blindfold on your competition, would that help or hurt your business?

Well, there’s a good chance that’s happening right now. In a recent advertising and media study by
Ad-ology, a Columbus Ohio company, they asked 1100 small business owners about social media marketing. By the way, small businesses in this case is defined as 100 employees or fewer. The study was done November, 2009.

31% of those small business owners say THEIR CUSTOMERS don’t use social networks! Let me know when you’ve picked yourself up off the floor…

Isn’t that amazing? When Facebook has enough users to qualify as the fifth largest country in the world, one in three small business owners think their customers ignore social media.

Here’s another of Ad-ology’s findings: 73% of those small businesses don’t use YouTube. Why not?

• They don’t have the equipment to shoot and edit video
• They don’t know what subject matter to present
• Some actually don’t know how YouTube works
• They think YouTube is only for cute cat videos

Whatever the reason, those are all things I can help with. Yeah, I even have a couple of cute cats, but that’s another blog.

YouTube is the number 2 search engine behind Google. There are product demos and how-tos galore. Do folks actually search for them? Well, yes, some of them do, however the best reason for putting an optimized video on YouTube is because it will show up on Google organic searches. And it’s 80% more likely to show up on the first page of results. Add some of the other video sharing sites to that, and it turns out putting Videos On Your Website is pretty good for business.

Know anyone not using video, and still wants to grow their business? I would love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with them.

–That’s a wrap.