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Video Marketing Strategies for 2020 by @DONNAAMOS

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video marketing 2020

by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

The video revolution has completely transformed how we consume content. Now, information is delivered in a visual, entertaining, and even interactive manner that engages users better than any other medium. Video is also a natural storytelling medium, making it both compelling and persuasive. These combined elements are why video advertising is so successful.

Let’s look at some facts:

  • According to a Hubspot study, 96% of consumers between the ages of 18-34 watch videos several times throughout the week, and 75% of millennials watch at least one daily video.
  • 64% of consumers claim that marketing videos have had an impact on their purchasing decision.
  • 45% of people watch more than an hour of video on Facebook and YouTube each week.
  • 90% of video viewers say that product videos are helpful in the decision-making process.
  • Videos are shared on social media 1200% more than images and text combined.
  • 85% of Facebook users watch videos with the sound turned off.
  • Videos in Instagram get twice the engagement of videos on other social platforms.

Statistics are from this link.

Using Video Marketing for Your Company

Of course, to be successful using video marketing, you will need to perform some preliminary work. Just creating and posting random videos will not bring leads pouring in. Use the following steps and linked resources to craft an overall approach to video marketing for your company.

  1. Research your target audience. Who is your target audience? What type of video content to they prefer? What social platform do they use most to consume video content? When are they most likely to be watching online video? What are the most effective types of video for reaching this demographic?

Resources:

  1. Outline a Plan for Sharing Video. What types of video will you use? What social platforms will you use to share your company videos? Will you need to craft specific videos for each platform? When is the best time to share video on these platforms? How often should you share video content? How often should you repeat the same video content? How much budget is available for paid video ads and promotion?
  2. Determine Who Will Create Your Videos. Do you need a professional media company? What types of video can your marketing team produce in-house? What do they need to produce quality videos? How much budget is available for creating custom videos? What is the best balance of video types for your company?

Popular Video Strategies for the Coming Year

As you formulate a plan for using video content in your company marketing, consider these types of video and how they fit into your overall plan. We give just a brief overview of each type.

Live Streaming

Live streaming on social platforms is a free, no-frills, personal method of promoting your company messages. Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and YouTube Live all help users feel like they are being spoken to directly. This feeling of intimacy encourages engagement since they know that their questions or comments can be answered in real time.

You can use live videos to promote practically anything, including:

  • New products
  • Announcements
  • Product demos
  • Webinars
  • Question and answer sessions, FAQs and SAQs (Should-Ask Questions)
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Tips
  • Testimonials

These are a great way to start because they require no editing, special studios, or preproduction efforts or costs. Just go live with your phone and create great content.

Video Podcasts

A video podcast, or videocast, is simply just an audio podcast that you record on video. As popular as podcasts are today, an occasional videocast will allow viewers to see who they regularly hear, and observe the behind-the-scenes goings on while the podcast is being recorded. It’s a great way to make users feel more connected with your company spokespeople or podcast host.

Video Tutorials

Tutorials and explanatory videos are highly sought-after content (remember the stats from above). Many consumers search for how-to videos for DIY projects or using certain products. You should have a video tutorial for each of your products. Even if you only provide serves, some video tutorials explaining how you provide those services, especially in certain situations or for particular needs, can be great tools for users. These can be professionally produced, created in your own setting, or done over Live Streaming video.

IGTV and Vertical Videos

Users spend more time consuming video on smartphones than over tablets or desktop computers. This has led to the rise of vertically formatted videos and IGTV, Instagram’s TV-like channel for users and brands. Now, vertical videos can be viewed on Facebook and YouTube. Vertical videos are easier to watch on mobile devices, meaning that your video is more likely to be watched and remembered.

Shoppable Videos

Shoppable videos allow consumers a direct way to make purchases and be redirected to product pages. On shoppable videos, users click on a hyperlink and go directly to the online shopping process. Every social media video should contain a shoppable link.

Testimonials

Testimonial videos are one of the strongest types of videos. They show past or current satisfied customers talking about their positive experience using your product or service. Honest personal feedback from a customer is stronger than anything you could say about your own company. Customer testimonials are usually between 30 seconds and two minutes long and can focus on one happy customer or several.

What kinds of video do you use in your company marketing? What level of success have you enjoyed through video marketing? Share your thoughts and insights with our readers in the comments below.

Gender Differences in Online Video Consumption by Rena of @teambiteable

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by Rena – Biteable social media marketer

Consider this: users view more than 500 million hours of video each day on YouTube. After Google, YouTube is the second most trafficked site on the internet. With that amount of traffic generating that many millions of hours, it can be tricky to discern who is paying attention to your online video content.

There are lots of factors to consider when crafting your online video content for the right audience. Age, social media platform, and location are all obvious indicators that can help direct your video content. A less obvious element? Gender.

Online video consumption trends between genders vary widely. Here’s some background on gender differences in video consumption — and some things to consider when creating content for a specific audience.

 

Women Vs. Men: Who’s Watching?

Historically, women have shown more engagement in online social networks than men. A study by comScore in 2010 discovered that social networking sites reach a higher percentage of women than men: 76% of women visit a social network, versus 70% of men.

More significantly, women spend an average of 5.5 hours each month on social media, compared to 4 hours by men. This suggests that women are more engaged with the content being shown on social media — and more often than not, the content is video.

A more recent study verifies this trend. In 2014, another study measured gendered differences in Facebook engagement. This time, the trend was even more clear: 54% of women view photos and videos on Facebook, compared to just 39% of men; in fact, women consume entertainment posts at a rate of 43%, almost 10 points higher than men.

 

Online Video Consumption Trends

Overall, video consumption is on the rise in a major way. One estimate anticipated that 74% of all Internet traffic in 2017 will be video. Driven by mobile marketing, video is king. The takeaway here is that these statistics seem to suggest that more women engage with online video content than men. And this is true, but there are underlying trends that content creators should note.

Women and men have different preferences in the kinds of content they seek out. One study found that women generally prefer visual platforms, like Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram — platforms where video is king. Men, on the other hand, are more dominant on text-based sites like Reddit or Digg. Some sociologists believe this difference is rooted in traditional gender roles: mothers have been historically responsible for taking family photos, and visual content online is the next evolution of that trend.

When it comes to marketing, however, the trends shift. Video advertising sees more traction with men than women: in fact, in one study, 50% more men than women interacted with video ads. What this suggests is that women consume content for personal and social reasons, while men look to videos for knowledge, and to learn about products and brands.

Check out this infographic for deeper trends in video consumption.

 

How to Craft Your Video Content

Your content should be true to you and your audience, rather than crafted for a specific gender.

Generally speaking, content that is inclusive, rather than exclusive, will always perform better. Certain video best practices will always reign supreme: clear visuals, an engaging narrative, and keeping your video short and to the point will lead to better views.

There are different types of video you can make for your business as a lead magnet. With this background, an explainer video or promo might do better with men than with women. Conversely, a behind-the-scenes or review video is going to score better with women.

Most importantly, where you post your video often matters more than what you put in your video. Social networks like Facebook and Instagram are video-friendly platforms that are sure to reach lots of women. If you want men to view your video, prioritize YouTube and LinkedIn.

With these platforms guiding your content strategy, you’ll be able to storyboard your video to reach the right hearts, minds, and eyeballs.

 

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Rena, Biteable social media marketer

Rena is a social media scientist in the Biteable Lab. Out of the office, Rena likes late nights and good coffee.

Best Apps for Video Editing by @DONNAAMOS

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best videoo apps for editing

by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

Video is THE number one component in marketing that catches and keeps users’ attention, whether it be on your website or social media posts. And video editing apps are getting better all the time, with new releases coming all the time. Here are some suggested video editing apps for your Apple or Android smartphone for video marketing on the go!

Explore the options with each of these video editing apps, and find a link to YouTube video tutorials to show you the basics at the end of each section. Enjoy!

Enlight Videoleap – Mobile Video Editing App

http://videoleapapp.com/

Create & edit video clips on your iPhone with Enlight Videoleap! This was the App Store’s 2017 App of the Year. Discover how easy it is to get creative with video! Whether you want to make artistic Hollywood-level films or simply share memories and moments with friends, Videoleap video editor is the breakthrough video editing app just for you.

Pros will take advantage of powerful high-end editing features, while amateurs will have fun cutting and combining video clips simply, intuitively – from whenever, wherever! Users can utilize creative compositing, mix videos and images together to create double exposures and artistic looks, and choose layer-based editing – adding videos, effects, text and images. You can also customize video layers with transformation, masking, and blending modes.

YouTube Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vabPQVdtZiE&feature=youtu.be

PhotoFox

http://www.photofoxapp.com/

The PhotoFox video editing app was awarded the prestigious Apple Design Award at the 2017 WWDC and Apple’s App of the Year for 2015 in numerous countries. Photofox introduces a new layers system that pushes the boundaries of artistic photo manipulation and redefines expectations from mobile creativity tools. Photofox brings new tools and enhances previously loved features with a layer-centric flow that gives immense power to aspiring creatives on the go.

The latest app from Lightricks strikes a balance between powerful functionality and streamlined design, creating a seamless user experience within the world’s most advanced mobile creativity software. The new application has been tailored to captivate today’s growing mobile creative community, empowering them with the tools to generate amazing visual art.

YouTube Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA9qmfOg5eg&feature=youtu.be

Snapseed App

https://snapseed.online/

Snapseed is a free photo editing app. It’s more powerful than Instagram, and if you have room on your smartphone or tablet, you should download Snapseed right now, even if you are a professional photographer. Snapseed is a free app available for both Android and iOS mobile devices. Take pictures on your mobile device, apply Snapseed’s filters, and share them on social media platforms.

Snapseed is a Google acquisition acquired to beef up Google’s photo capabilities. Now it’s a Google app with powerful photo-editing filters you can use on your smartphone or tablet. Some see Snapseed as a response to Instagram, but it is intended to be part of a continuing effort by Google to improve its photo-editing and to share software in general. Snapseed isn’t a desktop version of Photoshop.

Snapseed is an artist’s tool with advanced features and recommended for serious photographers, but its easy-to-use controls make it suitable for everyone who likes to play around with their images. For the pros, it’s the app you use when you want to take a while to make an advanced image.

YouTube Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEdQmqAG24Q&feature=youtu.be

Swish Social Video App

https://www.swishvideoapp.com/

Swish is a video maker app that gives you the ability to create and customize your own video ads in under 3 minutes. Endless combinations of specially crafted templates, stock options, color schemes and music yield high-quality results that are polished and professional. Now you can get noticed online without that expensive price tag.

Easy-to-Use Templates

Customize the template to make it your own: change the text and write your own message, pick a font and a color palette that matches your brand best, add your logo, and choose appropriate music from our extensive music library.

Quick Video Editor

Whether you choose your own clip or find a perfect match from our stock, select your favorite part of the clip and fit it to the frame within Swish – no other video editing app required!

DIY Social Media Marketing

Learn which templates work best for you, and customize them: with plenty of templates, professional color schemes and fonts to choose from, you’ll never run out of ways to make great clips. Video ads are the future – don’t get left behind.

YouTube Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3WJi_9HHow&feature=youtu.be

Stop Motion Studio App

https://www.cateater.com/

Stop Motion Studio. Let’s Make a Movie.

Want to create movies like Wallace and Gromit or those groovy Lego shorts on YouTube? Stop Motion Studio helps you to create terrific stop action movies with a whole host of unique features. Like the frame-by-frame editor, the never get lost timeline and the sound editor.

Capture the perfect picture.

Capturing images has never been easier before. No matter if you choose automatic or full manual control of camera settings such as focus, exposure, ISO and white balance. Capture images in 4K or use a live green screen effect. You can also use a second device as remote camera to get a new perspective.

Use your digital camera.

Stop Motion Studio supports digital cameras from all the most popular camera makers, including Canon, Nikon and Sony. Use live view to easily control objects and movements. Control shutter speed, ISO and aperture directly from the app and take advantage of the full-size camera quality.

Desktop-class movie editing.

The unique frame-by-frame view shows you all the images you took in chronological order, much like the single frames of a movie. Cut, copy, paste, delete and insert frames at any position. Zoom in and out on the timeline view so you never get lost, even if you have hundreds of frames. Add audio clips, title, credits and filter effects. Create the movie the way you want it.

YouTube Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jLkl8AQIhA&feature=youtu.be

Enlight Pixaloop

https://www.pixaloopapp.com/

Your photos will never be the same! Join the living photo revolution & animate your images into mesmerizing masterpieces in seconds with Enlight Pixaloop! Enlight Pixaloop living photo creator is FREE to download, with the option to go Pro to unlock additional photo editing tools and creative features.

Enlight Pixaloop empowers you to get your photos moving for a new and mesmerizing kind of photo art! Choose any component of your photo that YOU want to come alive and capture a forever moment! Make interiors dance, be back at the beach with the sea breezes in your hair, or tease nature — reversing the direction of water to defy gravity. Pick from a lush menu of cool overlays like flames, light effects & raindrops to add mood — all in a few taps.

It creates animated photos that can bring your art to life. Any photo element: strands of hair, waves, clouds, or clothing can be animated. Pixaloop tools give you precise animation control so you can perfect your idea. Choose the speed of movement you want to create moving masterpieces: from the subtle flicker of a candle flame to Marilyn’s iconic billowing white dress to cascading waterfalls to two-way escalators.

YouTube Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0oYWuFcZCE&feature=youtu.be

Which of these video editing apps do you like the best? Do you have any tips for using them? Share your ideas and comments with our readers in the comment section below.

 

Trends to Watch in the final 365 days of the Decade by @SBSLEducSoltns

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by SJ Barakony | Featured Contributor

 

2019 awaits. How ready are you & your business for these 13 trends?

 

Can you believe it?! Yes, its true: we’re less than 2 weeks away from another New Years’ Day; so, let’s dedicate a toast to our businesses, our families, & friends!

Not only that … did you notice?  It’s also the last year of the first decade of the ‘new’ century.

 

Where were you on 01 Jan, 2010?

 

Was your business even open?

How did you communicate with your clientele?

Have you rebranded since then?

 

…  That’s NINE years ago, believe that!

 

The Mindset of the Futurist

 

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”  — Buckminster Fuller

 

#quotestoliveby #futurist 

( Click to Tweet the above )

 

Many thought leaders, chief amongst them the futurists, visionaries, and creative disrupters, know of Fuller. He laid this cornerstone of thought and its now part of his legacy, to be embraced by generations not yet born. It is from this core thesis that we’ll push ahead – unveiling a market basket of trends that your business will be impacted by in some manner in 2019 ( & beyond. )

 

 

A Bakers’ Dozen

 

Laying out 13 that I, as a futurist, am personally invested in tracking; each of these are invigorating and, in the hands of the benevolent & bold, will usher in as yet unknown amounts of potential energy to our nation(s), states/provinces, and localities:

 

Mobile revolution

Smart Cities

Blockchain / Crypto currencies

Gig Economy ( Conceptual Age )

Automation ( AI, Machine Learning, Robots )

Autonomous Vehicles \ Drones

Holistic Wellness ( > sickcare )

Decentralized [ social & news ] media

Self directed education & learning ( schooling & credential seeking )

Communities / tribes

Social enterprises ( modern mutual aid societies )

Principles > politics

Holocracy ( future of ‘work’/places )

 

 

In pursuit of a deeper understanding of the bright future which awaits

 

Even a rudimentary understanding of 1, some, or perhaps all of the 13 trends shared above won’t be embraced at deeper levels of awareness, acceptance, and consciousness without continually reading, listening ( podcasts, audio books ), & watching ( videos, webinars )

 

Two #mustread books in this space are linked below, to further illuminate your path.

I wholeheartedly suggest investing in them as a holiday/Christmas present for yourself & for those whom you hold most dear.

 

A Whole New Mind

The Code of the Extraordinary Mind

 

Suggested Follows out in the ‘Twitter’verse

 

Futurist Rankings by Ross Dawson

Generations Timeline – After the Millennials by Anne Boysen

Gold vs. Cryptos: Invest or divest … Here … from Gerald Celente

4 questions to test your intellectual humility via Daniel Pink

 

 

Don’t Argue, nor Debate

 

Instead, as we see, hear, and experience more & more creative disruption which impacts our professional sphere ( inc. our business’ cashflow, income streams, etc. ), shall we abandon the negativity, time loss, & win/lose (or worse, lose/lose) outcomes from arguing & debating?

I propose an equivalent swap of the above two non futurist, consumerist terms for those that produce & add value:   Discussion & rational discourse.

 

As 2019 dawns, I thoughtfully (channeling one of my many informal mentors, Mr. Dale Carnegie), throw down a challenge:

 

Whether with yourself ( self talk ), your staff, clientele/customers, or a prospect, engage in thought provoking win/win discussion or a structured rational discourse with him/her/them in the next several weeks

 

Word Play: Choices to make to embrace the transformation underway in our workplaces  

 

As we ascend the ladder from unconscious incompetence on up to unconscious competence, let’s fully embrace how exciting each of these trends will be in our ongoing entrepreneurial journeys & resolve to learn new words

Some which are becoming anchored to the past as these 13 futuristic trends continue to evolve, expand, & replicate:  ‘employee’ ; ‘hierarchy’ ; ‘college for all’ ; ‘health care’ ; ‘cash’.

Does this indicate that these (let alone others) will disappear forever? Not necessarily. Yet, the early adopters in our business networks will already grasp the above, and quite a number more will eventually ‘see’ as you have/will!

 

 

Websites, articles, blogs, & organizations: Learn More & Take Action

 

Define. Learn. (then) Do.

We’ve defined a vision for 2019 & beyond. With numerous resources are embedded in the post already, let’s expand your learning zone:, what if you want to self educate even more?!

 

Ever more important, investing time in additional concrete steps to ‘future’ prep your business venture would be wise. I’m applauding you proactively, if you choose to do so!

 

 

Trends Research

Future Frontiers

A-speakers

Mind Valley

 

Future Today

AdWeek.com

Visual Capitalist

Futurism Blogs

 

In short …

 

  • 9 years down, 1 to go in the decade #ThinkItOver
  • Suggested Twitterverse follows
  • A bakers’ dozen trends
  • The futurist rankings & further resources to dig into
  • Don’t argue, debate, or fight the existing; discuss & set time for rational discourse
  • Word swaps:  let’s ‘play’ on a 2020’s field
  • What’s coming is exciting & transformational; fear not!  Embrace. Encourage. Uplift.

 

Thank YOU for reading!

& …

Wherever the Camera Goes So Do Consumers by @ScotDuke

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video marketing

by Scot Duke | Featured Contributor 

Have you ever wondered why more videos are being produced?  

If you have, I can certainly confirm the answer being partly explained by this statement…

Wherever the camera goes, so do consumers.  

Yes, consumers are turning to the internet to find videos on subjects and products they are interested in learning more about.  YouTube now has become the Go-To site to check out a new product or service…or just about anything.

A video offers a consumer more than just the product information, it offers a view of the product they cannot get even from seeing it at a brick and mortar store.  Videos allow the consumer to see who is selling the product or services. Videos have become the go-to media for

The Social Video Factor

Add the Social Video factor and the impact of the message about a product or service multiplies.  

Social Videos are rapidly becoming the way to sell a product while building consumer trust.  If an e-commerce site does not have a video of the product they are selling it will more than likely be passed by for a site that does offer videos.

Social Videos are now starting to become the mainstay media used by many professionals and service business people.  Since 2008 the increase in the number of videos posted to the internet has increased nearly 400%.  Sales are bound to follow that popularity.

So how do you go about getting ahead of the movement businesses are making to produce Social Videos?

  • Consult with a professional social video producer
  • Focus only on producing quality videos
  • Develop a long-term digital marketing strategy

Make sure the camera is where the consumers want it.

Let me know how I can help.

How to Use Facebook Live to Grow Your Business by @donnaamos

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Facebook live for small business

by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

Since being launched in April 2016, Facebook Live rose to overtake YouTube as the #1 video streaming service on the Internet. Facebook also has 2 billion monthly users as of June 2017. That’s more than any other social network. So, using Facebook Live to grow your business seems like a no-brainer.

Most businesses recognize the importance of video. By 2019 it’s anticipated that 80% of the Facebook news feed will be video. Perhaps you thought about using video in the past, but the high costs and complexity turned you against it. True, storyboarding, writing, shooting, and editing a professional video can be extremely costly.

That’s the beauty of Facebook Live video. All you need is a smartphone and an idea. The online marketing world is praising live video like crazy because of its simplicity and versatility. Opportunity can meet innovation at any moment to produce a live video stream to promote your brand in any number of ways. All on the largest social media platform available. And FREE.

 

Video Storytelling

The essence of all good marketing is storytelling, and that is the prime focus of video. Storytelling applies to any business or industry, no matter how large or small. Anyone can tell a good story. We tell stories all the time as we talk about our product or service and the people with whom we interact.

Four primary types of storytelling:

  • Informational: Drop knowledge bombs and tell people what you know.
  • Inspirational: Speak to the heart, stir emotion, and motivate others.
  • Entertaining: Engage with people, make them laugh or cry.
  • Experiential: Show people who you are, where you are, and what you are doing.

 

As you tell your story, remember these important tips:

 

Always Be Authentic

The hook of live video streaming is the connection with a real person. This doesn’t mean you don’t want a clear idea of what you’re doing or want to say. It does mean you show authenticity. Be real. Speak to the camera as you would speak to an individual in front of you. Reflect real emotions. If what you’re talking about upsets you, it’s OK to appear a bit upset. If you fumble a word or two, keep going. It’s live, remember? It’s supposed to be real and not completely scripted.

 

Engage with Your Audience

Another great hook with live video streaming is the ability to engage with your audience, and for them to engage with you. This is more than acknowledging when participants join the broadcast or comment. Ask questions for your audience to answer and interact with them as the video continues. The unscripted nature of live video is one of its huge drawing points, so capitalize on that and have fun.

The engagement doesn’t have to end when the video ends. Leave an offer at the end of the broadcast and include an engagement button on the post so viewers can get more information or simply connect with you. Leave the live post available on your Facebook feed for more users to view and engage with later.

 

Promote Live Events in Advance

Covering a live event for your brand is huge, and you want as many people watching as possible, so advertise the live video in advance. Set a time and location when you will be streaming live and promote it on every social media channel and your website. Invite local fans to come and be included in the live video audience.

Consider giving away some freebies to the live audience and allow one of them to choose a remote viewer to win as well. Encourage interaction from your streaming audience and share that with the live audience. This is especially helpful if you have regular online events, like auctions or product showings.

 

Brand Your Content

Always have a purpose in going live on video, and tie that purpose to promoting your brand. You can produce a moving live video session about the homeless in your city that engages thousands of viewers without benefitting your brand in any way. Always tie your video to your brand. What are you showing? Why? How does your brand connect to that event, project, or need?

As you tell your story, include the why. Why is your brand showing this? What makes it important? Why should viewers care? How can they connect your video to your brand? Live videos don’t always have to be about promoting your business; but they should always promote your brand values and showcase your brand.

Do you currently use Facebook Live in your business marketing efforts? What are some of your best tips for using it successfully? Share your suggestions and stories with our readers in the comment section below.

 

YouTube Entrepreneurs. Make Millions Without Leaving Your House [Infographic]

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Zoe Sugg and Michelle Phan

Over the past few years social media stars have made a fortune online, using YouTube to create their own brand. Take a look at how they’ve made their careers and the money that they’re making. From top YouTubers to the celebs you’d forgotten started their careers online, here we take a look at the secrets to online fame and fortune.

”Youtube
Youtube Entrepreuners? by Moneypod.

5 Essential Ingredients for Filming a Great Video by Angela Moore of @SixDegreesDM

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great video

by Angela Moore | Featured Contributor 

I’ve been working with video for a pretty long time now, actually since we launched our company back in 2010.

We make video much different now than we did at the beginning and I’m thankful we hired another video manager in 2013.

When we first started with video we used a Kodak zi8 and a set of softbox lights and a muslin background that was the biggest pain to iron to keep the wrinkles at bay.

Now we have a much better camera and honestly even smartphones can take awesome video nowadays.

While we’ve certainly come a long way since our first days of video, there are things that remain consistent.

If you are comfortable being on camera, here are five essential ingredients you’ll want to keep in mind as you go through the stages of your production. And honestly, three of these points are applicable any video, whether you are on camera or not.

Here are the elements to consider if you want to have a great video:

Script – It all starts off with your script. It needs to be engaging. It needs to be the appropriate length for the message and the medium in which it is being shared.

For instance, a video ad would be a different length than a how-to video.  And both of these may be different than the welcome message on your website. There is no one size fits all but remember you don’t need marketing videos that are ten minutes long.

Audio – This is one of the most important pieces of your video. And a lot of time it’s overlooked. Remember we said how smartphones can take great video these days? Well even if you do use your smartphone for filming I recommend an external mic for your audio. Your audio has to be sharp and you don’t want a lot of other noise picked up. Have you ever watched a video and clicked away because it was just too hard to hear? Yeah, me too. Audio Technica is a great brand and that’s been what we’ve used since day one for live filming. Just make sure you have a quality mic when you film.

Lighting – Ok so similar to having great sound quality, you also need to be seen. If there are a lot of shadows in the video, it makes it difficult to watch. Unless your video is about shadow puppets, stay away from shadows. To do this you need a good set of lights. Most videographers will tell you to use three to four lights to get your subject lit properly. We’ve gotten by with two or three many times. It really depends on how you have your studio set up or where you are filming. Sometimes you can leverage existing light from a room as well. Investing in a good set of lights is a must.

What to Wear – This may sound sort of funny but then again maybe not. Even if you were going out to have professional pictures taken, you probably spend more time that you wished thinking about what you were going to wear. Now here’s how this works with video. There are a couple of things to think about. One is you don’t want to wear the same color as the background you are filming against. Next is you don’t want a busy pattern. Have you ever watched a TV show or seen a video where the person’s clothing looks like it’s moving, you know all those squiggly lines? Yeah that. Ok so that can happen with certain prints. To play it safe, try to wear a solid color.

One other thing, is if you are going to have a lapel mic for your audio, you want to be sure that you aren’t wearing any necklace that would disrupt the mic.

Call to Action – Ok so the call to action pretty much ties in with your script. You’ve got to tell the viewer what you want them to do next. So if this video is an ad, perhaps you want them to click on your link. If it’s a welcome video on your website, you may want them to fill out a form.  If it’s a video where you are trying to build your brand and get engaged, you may want to tell the viewer to leave comments, or like and share your video. Whatever it is, just let the viewer know what you want.

And that’s it. Now you have 5 essential ingredients for filming a great video! So what are you waiting for, take a leap today and see what you can create.

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Angela MooreAh the Bio section. Let’s change this up and start with a quote. “Don’t adjust your dreams to accommodate your reality, adjust your reality to accommodate your dreams.” Yep I wrote that. I’m Angela Moore, Founder and President of Six Degrees Digital Media. We launched the company in May of 2010 and have the good fortune to still be helping others. We love creating awesome video over at Six Degrees as well as e-Courses and websites. If you need help telling your story, we’re here for you.

Also, I’m a mom of two awesome kids, which I believe is my real legacy. And if you’re still reading this, I’ll throw in that I’m a huge fan of Disney (movies and the park), as well as superheroes. I’d love to save the world but right now I’ll settle for saving the Internet one byte at a time.

Connect with me anywhere you like.

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5 Ways to Work Thought Leadership into your Content Marketing Strategy by @BBorowicz

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600px-Content-marketing-cycleby Brittney Borowicz | Featured Contributor

The intent of thought leadership is to become a trusted source of information for your audience so that they view you and your company as an authority in your industry. Not only does thought leadership position you and your company as the go-to for specific information in your industry, but it also helps to build trust with your audience in both you and your products/services. It is therefore one of the most (if not, the most) important element of your content marketing strategy.

Here are five simple and effective ways to work thought leadership into your content marketing strategy.

1. Be Specific

When I first introduce the concept of “thought leadership” to a client or company, they often run into the problem of trying to tackle a very broad topic. Although you want your audience to know you have a wealth of knowledge, broad topics such as customer service, technology, marketing, etc. are very crowded and make it hard to stand out in your industry.

Breaking that broad topic down into one, two, or ever three smaller topics is a much more effective method of working thought leadership into your content marketing strategy. To do this, you must know and understand your customer. What is valuable to them? What matters to them? What are their pain points? Once you know these things about your audience and can prioritize them, you can create content on specific topics that will build their trust in you as well as make you an authority in your industry.

2. Stand Out from the Crowd

It’s one thing to be able to pick a few topics that will really resonate with your audience. It is another thing to be able to be unique and stand out from all of the other people and companies who are talking about the same topics.

For each topic you choose to focus on, find your own unique angle. What are others saying about this topic? Don’t repeat what everyone else is saying. Find some part of that topic that hasn’t been talked about yet and don’t be afraid to disagree with everyone else as long as you have something valuable to say. Some things to think about are what makes you different and what is something that only your company can say? Maybe your company offers something in your product/service that nobody else does that can help alleviate some of your customers’ pain points or maybe you have some statistics that nobody else can share that will bring more insight to your topic.

3. Thought Leadership is a Team Sport

Being a thought leader doesn’t have to be an individual effort and in fact, having a team of supporting players can bring even more success to you and your business. The more people that can support your position on a topic, the stronger your position becomes.

The best people to have on your team are those who have a grasp of what your stance is on a specific topic and then can effectively communicate it. Start by getting the CEO and executives in your company involved. Make sure you all have a consistent message when writing about a specific topic or speaking about it at conferences. Next, make sure your marketing team is putting the word out there about your areas of expertise. Finally, get the rest of your company involved in that messaging! Start by having employees share your content and then have them create content of their own that supports your stance. Another route to consider is outsourcing some of your content. As with your other teammates, be careful with this and make sure any outsourced content that is being created supports your position.

4. Variety is the Spice of Life

If you are ONLY blogging, you are doing content marketing wrong. Mix things up! From the type of content to distribution channels, thought leadership knows no bounds.

All people digest information differently. Some people just need text, while others are more visual or need an auditory element to truly understand your information. Obviously, blogging is one of the most well-known types of content out there. Some other types of content that thought leaders should invest their time in include social media, infographics, public speaking, videos and more. While your company’s blog may be a great start to get your content distributed, don’t be afraid to venture out into conducting webinars, writing ebooks, or even writing guest posts for OTHER peoples’ blogs.

5. Connect with Other Thought Leaders in Your Industry

Engaging with other thought leaders in your industry and building a relationship with them is mutually beneficial. This goes back to the point about thought leadership being a team sport. Having someone else in your industry supporting your stance further builds trust with your audience. In addition, when they share your information, it is being disseminated to a different audience and platform than the one you already have established. Work together with these thought leaders to exchange information and ideas, share each other’s thoughts with your audiences, and even contribute to each other’s content!

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Brittney BorowiczBrittney Borowicz is an integrated marketing professional with a strong communications background specializing in journalism, public relations and social media. Originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Brittney has spent the past few years working with entrepreneurs and start-ups in the Chicagoland area to enhance their marketing and social media efforts.

Prior to her current role as the Marketing Manager for an embedded networking company, Brittney realized her affinity for all things media and marketing while working in radio and television and as a professional presenter. Later, she began working at a couple of small marketing agencies in Chicago as a Public Relations and Sales Director and Account Manager, which required her to be well-versed in coordinating specialized public and media relations strategies, creative marketing initiatives and cohesive sales process implementations.

As a strong believer in intimate consumer/brand involvement, Brittney helps her clients create content that engages and educates brand audiences while establishing each individual or company as a thought leader in their industry.

Twitter | LinkedIn | Personal Website


Terrified To Negotiate? Change That, Fast. {video} via @DevonMSmiley

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How To Embrace Negotiation

 

by Devon Smiley | Featured Contributor

Are you a big fan of negotiation? Or does it kinda make you cringe? You know you should be doing it…but ugh – the though of actually taking action gives you the heebie jeebies.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

In today’s video, I’ll share with you the 3 key things you need to do to shake off those negative reactions and embrace negotiation.

http://youtu.be/vMU4d_3Mjwc

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and out of your element when tackling a negotiation, and in this video we learned that:

  • We don’t have to call it negotiation. Changing that word can change our mindset.
  • Negotiation isn’t really about what we think it’s about. Recognize this, and you’re on the fast track to Pro status.
  • You can’t be great at everything. But what you are great at can help you create fantastic results.

 

I’d love to know your thoughts on this. How can you reframe? How do you build great business relationships? What are your business superpowers? Let me know in the comments below.

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Devon Smiley – Negotiation Consultant

Devon Smiley - Negotiation CoachWith over a decade of corporate experience, Devon has negotiated $1000 product returns, multi-million dollar procurement deals -and everything in between. Her experience is distilled into spot-on analysis and actionable advice for companies of all sizes, bringing them the benefit of her laser focus on results and strong strategy development skills.

Devon is a firm believer that no business is ever too small to negotiate, and she gets a kick out of helping entrepreneurs uncover ways to bump their results up a notch (or two!), and build the skills and confidence they need to ask for – and get – what they need to achieve their best yet results. Knowing that many entrepreneurs struggle with figuring out how negotiation can help them move their business forward, Devon created the ‘3 Must Do Business Boosters’ guide to jumpstart the process.