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Video Tips and How To (for non-professionals)

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Jan

2019

Seven Tips for Engaging How-To and DIY Facebook Videos

Posted On January 14, 2019 By Jennifer Blessing Miceli And has No Comment

YouTube may be where videos are hosted but by far the easiest and most popular way to share a video with friends, family, customers, and industry contemporaries is to post it on Facebook. Facebook video that is popular can jump from social circle to social circle, getting shared and liked thousands of times within a single day. If your company’s marketing campaign includes an element of social media, as it well should, then you have every reason to cater to the crowd with engaging videos posted on Facebook. There are inspirational videos, storytelling videos, educational videos, funny videos, and a LOT of music videos and cat video, but today we’re here to talk about the humble How-To or DIY video.

One of the best ways to reach out and involve your audience is to show them how to do something interesting. This naturally can be shaped by your industry, company culture, and the leading personalities in your business along with the tastes and interest of your target audience. You can repair things, build things, program things, cook delicious foods, or get arts-and-craftsy depending on what you think will go over best with your online following. Want to start brainstorming what might work for you? Here are our:

7 tips for Engaging How-To or DIY Facebook video

1) Start a Series

One of the best ways to get viewers and keep them is to make it clear that your interesting videos are not stand-alones. By running a series of engaging how-to videos you can bring interested clients and leads back again and again to see your latest Facebook video or check to see if you’ve posted a new one. By giving your audience a chance to get invested in your series, you also give them a reason to pay attention to you for a longer period of time. If your purpose of posting videos was to build brand awareness and increase the likelihood that viewers will become customers, this is a great place to start.

When choosing your series, make sure you select a topic that has a lot of interesting potential projects within its sphere. You don’t want to get into the third or fourth video only to realize that you’ve started repeating yourself. Plan your video topics ahead of time and make sure they are diverse and that your audience will find them useful.

2) Multiple Camera Angles

A group of photos by Miceli Productions showing various shots to create visual interest.

Film people from multiple angles for visual interest.

Seeing you clearly in the video is great, but your audience will also want to take a close look at what you’re doing. Rather than constantly moving a single camera, be prepared to support multiple camera angles in order to show what your hands are doing, what’s on the table, or what’s happening with the equipment. You may also want a third camera for distance overview shots depending on the activity. That top down view you see so ofter? We love that for showing what you’re working on.

3) You Don’t Need a Stage

One of the great things about DIY videos is that you don’t need a stage, simply the right kind of workshop, desk or counter. If you’re building something, a backyard, garage, or warehouse space will do just fine. If you’re cooking, any kitchen where the chef can face the camera is fun and you can improvise based on what is available. Modern viewers don’t actually care that much about prop couches and fake plants so pick somewhere that makes sense for the activity and that should be all the stage you need. Just be sure to clear out any clutter so you can get a solid visual.

4) Be Genuine

There have been way too many paid actors speaking from scripts in the last several years and people are looking for something a little more real. For your DIY series, this is the perfect time to ask a legitimate company expert to share their expertise. No need for makeup, costumes, or extra staging. Just put a real person in front of the camera and have them show the audience how to do what they do! The more casual and genuine you can be, the better. Try talking directly to the camera as if it were a close friend with whom you have a warm relationship. The audience will feel that and enjoy being included. Aim for authenticity. And, you know, be authentic.

5) Host Guests

One of the best ways to spice of any video series is with guests. Invite someone else from the company, a business partner, a family member of an employee, or even a contest winner onto the ‘stage’ and have answer questions or help out with the next DIY project. A visiting expert is always interesting, but a visiting novice gives the viewers someone to relate to if they are also new to the project. This gives you someone to talk to in the video, a little more action, and in general, helps to mix up your content. A natural, but specific, conversation can make the video flow. Follow This Old House? They do Facebook video really well.

6) Stop Motion

This is an odd one, a little off the beaten track of basic movie shooting but is also growing in popularity. Stop motion, as in how all those claymation Nightmare Before Christmas and Gumby productions were made, is a great way to show the steps for something very quickly (for the video) without the part where hands are in the way. Simply do the project bit by bit collecting frames when a piece is set or moved, then play them all together to show the extent of a project. This is essentially a ‘montage’ shortcut for DIY videos. Very trendy.

7) Ask for Suggestions

Finally, remember to actively involve your audience. You’re making DIY videos for their education and enjoyment so there is every reason to take suggestions. At the end of each video, thank your audience for watching, invite them to leave comments, and ask if there’s anything they’d like you to DIY next. While not every suggestion will be ideal, taking a few suggestions is a great way to reward your audience for their participation and can spice up the show with new ideas.

Facebook video is one of the most productive and popular methods of inbound marketing available today. When you create engaging and informative How-To and DIY episodes, your Facebook community will come back time and time again. Stay-tuned for more great video marketing tips or contact us today for a consultation to shoot the perfect videos for your company!

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Feb

2017

Ask THIS Before Producing Video For Your Business

Posted On February 1, 2017 By Jennifer Blessing Miceli And has No Comment

What Questions Should You Ask Before Starting a Video Production For Your Business?

By now you have probably been made aware of the wonders of video content for business. There are endless benefits to producing video for your business and integrating it into your marketing strategy; you are better engaging your target audience, giving your followers an inside look at your company, and creating the opportunity to explain your products and services. But before you jump into producing a video for your business, you want a concise vision of your expectations and goals. In this post, we uncover five questions to ask yourself before using video production for business.

What is my Budget? Determine how much you are willing to spend or how much you can actually afford. Once you have set a budget, you will have to make sure the expectations you have for the production of your video fit your budget. A professional video producer can help you determine what you are able to accomplish with the funding you have.
What’s The Purpose of The Video? Without understanding the purpose of your video and why you are creating it in the first place, it is going to fall apart. And without having a definitive purpose for your video, you won’t be able to convey your vision to the professional who is producing your video. Is the video a tutorial? Is it an inspiring story about the inception of your business? Is it a sneak peak promo that gives viewers an inside look at a new product or service you are developing? Your target audience won’t understand the purpose of the video if you don’t understand it.
How Long do I Expect The Video to be? The length of the video should also be considered when you are first establishing the budget that you have to work with. How much content do you have or how much information are you trying to fit into the video? You would be amazed at how much you can convey in a one minute video. As a general rule of thumb, strive to make your video be clear and concise for today’s shorter attention spans. However, you want to establish the type of video you seek to create before determining the length of time you want it to last.
What Are my Audio Needs? Audio is a critical component of any visual piece of content. There are a series of questions you need to ask yourself regarding the audio of your video. Do you want music included in the video? What genre of music? Or do you just want certain sound effects that go along with animations? Also, you need to determine the tone of the video. Is it serious and dramatic or lighthearted and comedic? Is the video being narrated and who is doing the voice over (if there is one)? Consider all of these questions and have your answers ready to present to the video producer before starting the project.
How Can I Make Sure That my Audience Loves This Video? While you can never guarantee the response of your target audience, there is plenty you can do to make sure you have an exponentially better chance at impressing your audience. And this requires doing some research. Come up with five words that best describe your target audience and consider those characteristics when creating the video. Also figure out whether your followers would be more responsive to certain images, visuals, graphics, or any other element that goes into the video. When you know your target audience, you can create a video that will garner better responses and possibly lots of social shares.

Looking for more advice on creating the perfect video for your business? Contact us today!

Jul

2016

How To Create Successful TV Commercial Storyboards

Posted On July 13, 2016 By Jennifer Blessing Miceli And has 8 Comments

TV Commercial Storyboards: A Client’s Checklist

“Great video comes from thinking humans, not equipment.” ― Steve Stockman

As a thinking human, you may want to consider generating a storyboard for your video concept. Storyboards help to keep everyone working on a visual project all on the same page and are the best way to share your vision with others. They’re an important step in the production process when several creatives need to collaborate or when you need to represent visuals to a client.

Once your script has approval, the storyboard can be created. Important details to determine when developing your storyboard can include how many scenes you’ll need to outline, level of detail, key images, voiceover/music notes, and overall style. Depending on the level of complexity, you might not need a storyboard for every video, but they’re a must when you’re working in teams or shooting on location.

Here are some things to think about when looking at, creating, or approving a storyboard:

Storyboards outline all the parts of a production to keep it organized. This includes voice talent, actors, scripts, props, settings, camera angles, locations. The more elements you have in a production, the more complex your storyboards will be to accommodate that information.
Creating a storyboard will help you plan for special effects and test complicated ideas on paper before actually filming on location.
Storyboards explains the actions occurring in each frame. They provide explicit details and the ideas behind what is happening in each frame, such as: “John throws keys to Marsha.” (Thanks, Marsha!) Often storyboards include arrows or instructions that indicate movement.
Each frame of a storyboard includes character dialogue. For each frame in the storyboard, the intended dialogue is written out, for example, John: “Marsha, why don’t you pick up lunch while you are out?” (Thanks again, Marsha!)
A storyboard describes the additional audio needed. For each frame, it adds details about any extra audio in the scene, including who is speaking, off camera lines, sound effects and background music.
The storyboard gives camera instructions. It explains what the camera is doing for each particular frame, for instance, “Camera follows Marsha as she walks to the door.” (Bye-bye Marsha!)
Storyboards provide details on visual effects. Include any visual effects to add after filming your commercial to the frame in which they will appear. For example, if your character is talking about a damaged car, mention in your storyboard that a picture of the car is in the corner of the screen. Also, if there is audience interaction like a link or a phone number that will be added later, that and any additional graphics should go onto the storyboard as well.

A sketch of a door for storyboarding. Photo by Miceli Productions, Hartford, CT.

A sketch of a door for storyboarding for a Miceli Productions’ project.

Beyond the client’s checklist for TV Commercial storyboards above, there are a few other things to consider. An approved storyboard will save you money. Crafting all the visuals in pre-production will keep the production costs down and keep you from having to re-shoot footage. And storyboards make sure clients and video editors are on the same page. A storyboard isn’t high-level art, it is usually either a black and white or color sketch outline for the scope of the production.

An advantage of using storyboards is they allow you to experiment with changes in the story line BEFORE filming begins. A study done on predicting TV commercial effectiveness from storyboards indicates something very important: “the relatively simple images and narrative of storyboards have a reliable predictive value for the impact that TV commercials will have that are made according to the storyboards.” On the whole, the study finds that negative emotions, fear, anger, and disgust are the most reliably predicted. The study also shows that novelty catches hold people’s attention. It’s an interesting study, and makes the argument that storyboards are an even more important tool for testing consumer behavior and conversion early on in the production process. #FoodForThought #PredictiveMarketing

Miceli Productions has offered hands-on high quality commercial photography and video production for the over 14 years. We handle all aspects of our video production projects, including creative direction, script writing, casting, voice over, and filming through post production editing, audio, and animation graphics. To Learn How to Use Video for Business, download our free e-book.

Dec

2014

Using Video for Business: Finding and choosing a great production company.

Posted On December 29, 2014 By Jennifer Blessing Miceli And has No Comment

Introduction

To use the cliche, not all video content is created equal. High-quality video content with a great story line is usually crafted by great creative minds. But that does not necessarily mean that high-quality equals high budget. Everyone know that you get what you pay for. And, in a sense, that’s right. But video productions have different sizes, scopes, talent and can be designed in all different ways to meet a budget. Your next task should be finding and choosing a great production company that’s a good fit for your company to work with.

The Tools, The People, The Experience Image credit: Miceli Productions, Behind the Scenes

So, how do I match my business with a great production company? First, you’ll need to do a little research. Do some fact gathering on what types of video content they produce and who they have worked with. Knowing your needs is also critical. Now, let’s play matchmaker.

1. Remember those questions we asked internally… well, here they are again.

What questions do I need answered before I call an outside production company?
• What are your goals for your video?
• What is your video’s target market?
• What do you want your video to say?
• What level of production value are you striving for?
• How should you present your company?
• How will you promote your video?

Again, these questions will help you focus your company’s video content needs and budget. When you share the answers to these questions with a production company, they should be able to give you a pretty accurate price range for your project, as well as discuss potential upsides and downsides to ideas. Their knowledge is a valuable resource and can help you further develop your plans to use video content in your marketing.

2. Evaluate examples of their work.  You have a favorite shirt. A bag. A favorite radio station. News program. We like our favorites because we like the way they do things. That shirt fits right. When we need to get another one, we get the same brand, and that one fits right too.You get the picture. When you find a good partner for your business, you go back to them for repeat business. And so is true of your clients and customers hopefully!  When you evaluate a production companies work, look at all aspects and think if those things ‘fit’ your business. How do you spot good, compelling content? First, is it technically high-quality?

Lighting: Are the people and subjects lit properly for the theme or type of video? (i.e. if this is a testimonial, can you see the person’s expressions on their face?)

Audio: Can interviewees be heard with clean, static-free sound? is the music appropriately balanced with speaking voices? does music add to the emotion in the video or does it detract?

Photo credit: Miceli Productions

Framing: Is the subject or the focus of the video properly framed? That is, does your eye go to the right place for the video’s type and topic?

Camera: Watch to make sure that the camera operator or cinematographer is
at the top of his or her game. Are the camera moves smooth? When the camera pans from one person to another does it seem natural or distracting? Did they use the right equipment? A camera can be mounted on a tripod or handheld or flown on a crane… Was the camera getting the right angles? And did the camera move fluidly? No shakiness (unless you’re remaking the Blair Witch project!)

Editing: Is the video well-edited? Do the cuts happen seamlessly, or is there a choppy, disjointed feeling to the editing? Think about how the pacing of the video feels – is it too fast for the information being conveyed? Too slow to create the needed excitement? Are there any cheesy transition elements that detract from the video?

Miceli Productions captures personalities in our images. This is a behind the scenes image of two women real estate agents being interviewed on camera.

Image credit: Miceli Productions, Behind the Scenes

Great direction: This one is tricky. But if the subject is speaking well and you feel comfortable with how they are delivering their message then they have probably been coached by an expert. Rarely do people walk onto a set – be it for a testimonial, advert, speech, or interview – and have a natural way with a camera. Note that video is different than public address – sometimes even CEO’s, president’s, business owners and VP’s have concerns and trouble addressing a camera. A great Director will bring out the best in someone on camera and coach their delivery to be natural, with the proper intent. Using actors? The same goes for coaching local or professional actors on-set. You need to have a Director in control that can get the best delivery from people.

The Right Spokesperson: Have someone inside your company that can deliver a great pitch? An engineer that can speak technically on project design? A client that speaks highly of you? A marketing manager that is passionate about the company? These could all be good choices for your video’s spokesperson. Keep in mind too that not everyone is comfortable on camera. If you need to go with a professional actor for your type of video, that’s ok too. Or maybe it’s a combination of actors and insiders. A great production company can weigh in on the pro’s and con’s for your specific film.

Second, is the STORY compelling? When you watch examples, you’ll want to pay attention to how the video FEELS. Is the message clear? Moving? Exciting? Does it give you all the necessary information? Do you come away with a clear understanding of what they are asking of you? Are you supposed to purchase? Donate? Emotionally connect with company leadership? A great production company crafts great stories. Sure, some are less blockbuster than others – testimonial for hair restoration? – but if your video content is in front of the right person that NEEDS that product, service or message, then will it connect with them?? This answer should be a resounding yes.   Make sure these add-up and you’ll ensure you present your company with its best foot forward. Watch several examples from the production companies your interviewing. Make sure they have a track record of producing high-quality, technically great content.

3. Call and talk with a producer at the production company to see if their company ‘personality’ and methods are a good fit.  

Call around to your top choices. Talk to the real humans that do the work. You can tell a lot about a company by how they present themselves. Is the producer (or director) willing to talk through your basic project idea on the phone? Will they give you a free quote for services? What scope of project do they handle? If your film need actors or a telepromptor or a special set are they able and willing to develop that?

A street in Quebec City looking down from the old city wall at the people shopping and walking below. Quebec, Canada.

Photo credit: Miceli Productions Photography

4. Ask for references. Simply by asking for references, you let a production company know you’re serious about creating compelling, high-quality content. They should be able to get you a few references that you can touch base with about their work.

5. Ask about their ability to stick to budget and what the plan is for project changes and additional work, if needed.

Sticking to budget is the hallmark of a well-managed production. A great production company plans for every contingency. They should be able to tell you what the plan – and cost! – is if something changes. Maybe that good idea everyone brainstormed at the start of your film turned into a great idea and you want to make it a reality. You should know in advance what the project’s production budget is and how it will change with new information.

6. Discuss the level of involvement needed from your company.

This is an informational, but great question to ask. Someone at your company will need to be the project point-person. Setting up the way your company communicates with your chosen production company can save headaches down the road when revisions and edits need to be made. Think about who will be hands-on. The CEO? Is he out of town often? The Marketing Director? Will s/he have autonomy to make changes or need to pass every little change to upper management? Make sure your know who will be managing the project on both sides of the table.

7. How many revisions will there be to my film?

A simple, straight-forward question. But make sure that this is spelled-out before project starts. You want to make sure there are enough revisions to enact your video edits. But be realistic, and organized. Your point-person should be watching to make sure things are correct with each project version. Typos and small changes can be costly mistakes if they are say, used in a 3D graphic element that needs high-level editing. A good rule of thumb for most videos for business is sharing of one rough-cut, followed by a few revised preview versions after changes are executed, then delivery of the final film. Choosing a production company to work with is like choosing other business partners. By knowing the answers to the questions above you should be able to develop a successful relationship with a production company. The right partner should be invested in making great content. Look on them as a partner, an extension of your in-house marketing endeavors. A great partnership can lead to spectacular video content that can drive the results you need. Finding and choosing a great production company doesn’t have to be a struggle.

Now what? Download our USING VIDEO FOR BUSINESS Success Kit for a more in-depth discussions of the process.

Using Video for Business topics discussed include:

Chapter 1: Video Content Basics.
Chapter 2: Types of Videos to Use for Business.
Chapter 3: A discussion of where and how and to use different types of video.
Chapter 4: I want to market using video… Now what?
Chapter 5: Finding and choosing a great production company.
About Miceli Productions PHOTO + VIDEO

Dec

2014

Using Video for Business: I want to use video to market my business… Now what?

Posted On December 22, 2014 By Jennifer Blessing Miceli And has No Comment

Introduction

Statue of an American Indian Chief looking off into the distance with his hand raised to shield his eyes. Statue located in Bushnell Park, Hartford CT. Photo by Miceli Productions Photography.

Photo credit: Miceli Productions

Your company has decided to add video content to their content marketing strategy. You’re a busy CEO of a mid-sized company or a marketing manager looking to use video content. You have a lot to do and want to do what makes the most sense, efficiently. So you ask yourself in the bathroom mirror, “I want to use video for marketing my business… Now what?”

Think about your resources. You have two main routes available: you can speak to outside video content creators or production companies, or you can talk internally with your team. As with most things, the route that gets you there the fastest, cheapest and with the best-value-for-dollars-spent is a good option. If your team has video production knowledge and can brainstorm a video content strategy internally, this is a great starting point. And also know that many production companies will discuss potential projects during a free consultation and this could be a good option if video content is unfamiliar to your team.

Using Video for Business: I want to use video to market my business… Now what?
Focus your energy on the following questions & answers:

Discuss budget considerations. You’ll need to set a realistic budget for the type of video you want to produce. Again, think about the project – are you crafting a new product feature that should sell 10,000 or 1 million items? Or are you looking to connect to your followers on social media about the soup kitchen your office staffs weekly? To set a realistic budget, your team will need knowledge of what goes into a video production at the quality level you want to achieve. Here is where talking with a professional production company has advantages. As with sourcing other vendors, a good rule of thumb is to solicit several project quotes. Make sure you talk with a few vendors, get a range of the services they provide, the scope of projects they handle, and the cost. Then compare. To find out more on costs that go into a quality video production read the next chapter on Finding and Choosing a Production Company.
How do I prepare to use video?
Photo credit: Miceli Productions

Decide on the best type of video for your immediate needs or make a plan for producing a series of videos for a library. (Libraries are good for larger topics like a suite of How-To videos, all products from a specific product line, etc). Talk about what company goals generating video content will meet and which video type fits each goal. Then decide who from your team will be your point person for this project. Perhaps a designated marketing manager. Perhaps a senior level VP. It’s important to give someone direct decision-making powers on this since that is most efficient. You also will want to determine how will your company balance the scheduled launch of both professionally produced video content and in-house videos? where will these videos fit into the overall company marketing plan? Many companies save professional crafted content for their brand messaging (web, adverts, events, products) and generate in-house content for social media sharing.
What types of video content can be created in-house? As part of your brainstorming session, you may have to address the question of cost vs. benefit on your video investment. Ask what content should be done with a professional video production company and why? You may choose to create all your content with an outside production company in order to build a relationship with a reliable partner that will get to know your business. Or, you may designate someone on the marketing team to capture social media events with an iPhone and keep video content dollars for the more polished Company Overview and product unveilings. There is a wide range of choices here and the best plan may be a combined approach. You do always want to be producing high-quality content for your company, but what level of production matches with your marketing plan? Side note: There is often the misconception that video is “easy” when done in-house, or “cheap”. We can tell you from experience that producing high quality video in house is never as easy or cheap as you’d like to think, and poorly produced video reflects badly on the company sending it out. Having said that, you probably don’t want to spend $10,000 on capturing the office holiday party or summer picnic even though it could be great for PR – it could be a great story, a place where everyone gathers to support the office charity, etc. So think about it as a positive iPhone behind-the-scenes opportunity for social media, then, remember to budget for the pros for your multi-million dollar new product launch. Right? Right.

These questions are meant to start your journey – there are many more that you will encounter along the way.

Now what? Download our USING VIDEO FOR BUSINESS Success Kit for a more in-depth discussions of the process.

Dec

2014

Using Video for Business: A discussion of where and how and to use different types of video.

Posted On December 15, 2014 By Jennifer Blessing Miceli And has 1 Comment

Ok, so we’ve discussed Video Content Basics and Types of Videos to Use for Business.

Now, it goes without saying that you need to pick the right type of video for your application. You need to connect with your target audience. There is a reason we use the term ‘video content marketing’. What we’re doing with video these days is really still marketing – but using the visual tool of video and your online space to gain market share, connect with users, advertise, or socially inspire fans and followers. The key to great video is crafting messages that inspire, captivate and enthrall – messages that really CONNECT with viewers. Scripting video messages that drive ENGAGEMENT.

Image created at Wordle.com

We discussed in detail the types of videos to use for business and some of the reasons for using those specific types. However, as with most things, we can look at it from another angle. Let’s analyze WHY we use certain types of video in certain places – where are we going to put our company overview? How should we promote that event video? Should my company really have a YouTube channel? Why IS video important in my content marketing strategy?

In today’s environment of mobile, social, easily consumable information, we find THE VIDEO. Content marketing strategy these days is much more than just the printed word. Good content strategists strive for content that is readable and understandable, findable, actionable and shareable in all of its various forms. (Content Marketing Institute. “Creating Valuable Content: An Essential Checklist“. contentmarketinginstitute.com.) Video content fits into a good content marketing strategy. When properly crafted it can be found in search, keyword-ed, is socially sharable, can make topics easier to understand, and can have embedded calls-to-action. If you want to fully jump into the Inbound Marketing lake, round out your content with well-crafted video. Dollar-for-dollar, video content is delivering great returns on investment as we discussed in Video Content Basics. (Don’t take it from us, take a look at industry-leader Brightcove’s “Analyzing the ROI of Video Marketing”. Their first point? Why Video.)So, where and how can you capitalize on using video for business?

Where? Your Company Website.   Video should be all over your company website. You can optimize it for search engines (SEO). Videos will return separately in search results, many times driving up your content search results. Your company Homepage, About As page, Recruitment page, Product pages – all are prime real estate for video content that delivers the specific message you want. For many companies, their website is their primary interaction point with potential clients/customers.Your Homepage is your first impression for many potential partners and customers and loyal customers may return frequently. Give them content they can use in the form of updates, milestones, announcements and rewards. Don’t let them read text with their own tone – put someone interesting on screen, using your product. Burton snowboards? Meet Shaun White or Kelly Clark. Celebrate your company’s 75th Anniversary? Roll out a short documentary history of the company. Duncan Hines? Show your version of hand made cake pops. The list goes on. But remember – video can be engaging or off-putting. (Think about those uncomfortable Windows commercials last year.) Create high-quality video content that resonates with your audience.Produce a high-quality company overview. Post either on your Homepage or your About Us page. Period.Got products? Use video on sales pages to discuss special features of each product you offer. Make something unique? Deliver product information in an easily to understand video like Rowland Technologies. Rolling out something new? Discuss the design with the project engineers and let your customers meet them with video.
HealthyWage Homepage

Let people learn MORE about your company. Let them see behind the veil. What’s your take on social responsibility? What is your culture like? What do your people do for fun? How does the leadership shape company morale? Where did your company ‘grow-up’? Craft great stories. Great story-telling has been the key to remembering message from the dawn of human communications.

To use the cliche, there is no limit to what your can do! Creativity knows no bounds. (Budget is another matter – we’ll get to that in the next article.)
Where? Your social media channels.   Use video to announce special offers. For loyalty programs. Behind-the-scenes. Let your audience peek into the goings-on of the company. Enhance the transparency of your company. Show them, don’t tell them!  
Image from iStockPhoto

Videos on social media are HUGE. They are easily sharable and can link to other places you have content. A call-to-action to the viewer to then become a fan or follower can help populate your social media channels with devoted customers. Everyone knows that keeping in touch with your social media followers is important – use video as another avenue to reinforce the bond you have with them. Don’t underestimate the value of user generated video content as well. Social media is the perfect informal place to solicit user generate video content and use it to drive an initiative – a contest, giveaway or reward program. Many organizations use UGC with great success.
Where? Your Youtube Channel.   YouTube give your videos a far-reaching audience that is searching specifically for content. YouTube video content, when keyword-ed properly, is also returned in video search results, beneficial for content creators that might be competing with other companies for the same keywords.
Miceli Productions’ YouTube Channel

A YouTube Channel also gives your company an easily managed curation tool for your videos. Do you have a library of product videos? Want to segment them by type? Create specific playlists for each variation. Can you develop content that drives user engagement and WANTS to be kept ina public media library like YouTube? The Home Depot has several playlists of ‘How-To’ projects for the do-it-your-selfer, and that content ultimately drives more customers to their stores. Users can embed from other places for SEO benefits/search-ability or ease-of-use benefits. You can also use video content posted on YouTube to embed to your company website. Thus gaining the benefits of having video both on your website and on YouTube.

Conclusion

Video content is an integral part of your content marketing strategy. Along with the other pieces of your marketing collateral, carefully consider where video best fits in to your brand. Story-telling authenticity makes for great content. CONNECT with your audience by telling great stories through video.

Now what? Download our USING VIDEO FOR BUSINESS Success Kit for a more in-depth discussions of the process.

  Using Video for Business topics discussed include: 

Chapter 1: Video Content Basics.
Chapter 2: Types of Videos to Use for Business.
Chapter 3: A discussion of where and how and to use different types of video.
Chapter 4: I want to market using video… Now what?
Chapter 5: Finding and choosing a great production company.
About Miceli Productions PHOTO + VIDEO

Dec

2014

Using Video for Business: Types of Videos to Use for Business

Posted On December 8, 2014 By Jennifer Blessing Miceli And has No Comment

Introduction

Business Video Content is quickly becoming the norm, taking long form written content and replacing it with shorter, focused video content. The Content Marketing Institute has repeatedly discussed how business video content is thriving and online video is on a projected pathway to increase in viewership. You already know that video can deliver great returns-on-investment because you read our article on Video Content Basics. In the broad categories we have the following:

• A company overview 
• Interviews 
• Social media videos (Customer engagement, loyalty programs, or special offers )
• Product demos and showcases 
• Sales & marketing videos, testimonials 
• Commercial advertising for TV & Web
 • CEO addresses to shareholders or employees 
• Public addresses for PR 
• Brand awareness messages

So let’s discuss in depth what types of video you can use to impact your business.

Social media videos for customer engagement, loyalty programs, or special offers
These videos can really can be anything your team thinks will drive engagement on your social media channels. Are your customers young, using the mobile web, socially engaged? Try a contest where customers submit user-generated video content like Fibron’s Who will Win the $20,000 Deck Givaway? Are your customers Moms with kids? Announce a loyalty program like Amazon did with a video that explains the perks of their program. In a specific market? Try something you think connects with YOUR users specifically – like this Vine video from Simon & Schuster, where they managed to fit a whole month’s bestseller catalog into a 6-second flipbook.
A Company Overview

Amphenol at the New York Stock Exchange Photo credit: Miceli Productions

The company overview can be a cornerstone piece for creating video content for your business. Whether you’re a small mom-and-pop-shop or a Fortune 500 giant, the company overview gives customers and clients an up-close introduction to your company and its leaders and staff. Overviews can vary widely from being a simple interview of the business owner with a getting-to-know-you feeling, to full scale TV-episode type videos where we see company facilities, headquarters, meet the CEO, senior staff and get an ‘insider-look’ into the corporate culture. Most importantly, they let your customers, clients, fans and followers know WHO you are without their having to read a stuffy bio or About Us page. A solid and well produced company overview film can deliver your company image in a fraction of the time it would take to read the same information. AND, the impression it makes is not left up to the reader’s interpretation. YOU control your image on screen. If you want to seem cutting-edge and techie, Main-Street or Wall-Street, the design elements and the clips you showcase can put your company personality in front of your audience the way you intend it to be perceived.
Interviews
Interviews are a staple for videos that engage and there are many possibilities. Recruitment videos for HR can offer slice-of-life views that entice new talent. Lead designers can offer insights

Real Estate Agent Darcy Sledge Photo credit: Miceli Productions

into new projects. Interviews with a panel of experts in your industry can offer in-depth discussions. The list goes on. The common thread among these? Interviews let you meet people. They showcase your employees’ values, how they hang-out, what their family time is like. Recruitment videos have multiple viewers – from talented people looking for employment to customers wanting that inside-look at how your company makes the products they love. Meeting the people inside the company give people a better understanding of your company, its products, and what you stand for.
Product Demos and Showcases
The product demo or showcase is exactly what its titles says – a video that demonstrates your product or products. These can be beneficial when you are launching a new product, targeting a new market for an existing product or showcasing a family of products. These too can take many forms – from a live show host asking someone to demonstrate use (think vacuum cleaner) or 3D graphic video showing the many parts of your product (think jet engine). The key take-away here is that video connects your products with new audiences. It’s also easily consumed and you can tailor the message to be accessible. This is especially important if you are looking for product adoption on a new release. Tailor your script to a clear message, couple with a good delivery method and drive viewer response.

Product Photography, Photo credit: Miceli Productions

5. Promotional, sales & marketing videos, testimonials
Promotional videos, sales videos, marketing videos and presentations – more food for the video content marketing machine. Give customers clear reasons to choose your company’s products and services. Basically all the videos we discuss here can be used for promotional, sales and marketing – depending on the delivery and placement. Other types of video that fall into this category? Influencer interviews that promote your product and discuss best practices, trends and experiences in the industry can be extremely valuable. An informal interview can get picked up and syndicated by industry publications and reach more of your target audience. Keynote speakers and presentations – think SALES presentations from days of old – get a new make-over in today’s video world. These presentations can move through the newest product features (think Apple) or discuss the latest industry trends. The sales video no longer has to be a stuffy, boring sales pitch. Spruce it up with comments from company designers, product managers and others who drive your team successes.

Photo credit: Miceli Productions

Customer stories and testimonials fall into this category as well. Nothing endorses a product or services better than a super satisfied customer. Get those stories on video, in good light, and use them to promote your company.Another way to market your company with video? Show them Behind-the-Scenes! Show them your factory. Your data center. Your employees at work. Your products being built. Your designs coming to life. There are MANY ways to do this – from animating blue prints and CAD drawings to tours of your facility or the set move(in our case!) Brainstorm the best way to capture your company and get it on film.

6. Commercials – Advertising for TV & Web
The traditional :15 or :30 TV commercial is still going strong. Both on cable, network AND internet channels. Products can still connect with their potential audience by using demographic viewing information to reach target audiences. Local TV spots are viewed regionally, during news programs or popular shows and generate audience response. And these commercials don’t have to break the bank.

Image courtesy The Cleveland Orchestra

Simply filmed TV commercials can be enhanced with stock video footage, animated print materials, professional voice overs and studio produced graphics. Or they can be multi-scene, highly produced spots that gain following for your brand. See our favorite commercial of all time, Old Spice’s The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.Got milk? No, really. One of the most successful branded video campaigns to date. Since 1993, they have run video ads with content that is engaging and entertaining. All over YouTube you can find Got Milk? video content – copycats and originals. They have built on their successes and gone into story-telling with their newest spot ‘Brave’. Their brand has attained the mythical unicorn of ad success and become part of our culture.

7. CEO addresses to shareholders or employees
This is a specific type of interview, but worth calling out individually. These videos are usually made monthly or quarterly to update people with the latest information. For shareholders, it can be a regular update to chart stock performance and company performance. Usually this type of video is delivered directly to someone via inbox or intraweb so there is a direct connection to the viewer. Since the CEO (or CFO or other copany leader) is directly addressing shareholders, they can announce changes, news or other items of direct interest to those viewers. For employee addresses, a message by company leadership can connect employees across far-reaching geography or make information more accessible in larger companies. As with other types of video, the main point again is gaining that face-to-face time. Video takes you directly to your audience and allows you to “speak” to them – bringing them into a conversation dialog, making them feel a part of the company.

8. PR Videos (including Event Videos)
Show them, don’t tell them. Event videos tap into the experience of BEING there. These are usually videos that show genuine customers or enthusiasts using company products leading the life the products help them lead. Think Harley. REI. LL Bean. Jeep. These are brands that have loyal followers and there are many events that these audiences attend. Creating an unscripted event video is a power marketing tool and can directly reach other like-minded customers without seeming like a “sales” message. The depth of information that an event video can convey about your company, products and culture is unrivaled. Panels, keynotes, presentations and speaking engagements offer other unscripted but video-friendly events that capture what your audience wants to see – namely discussions of industry trends, cutting-edge technology and your company’s forward-thinking initiatives. Target the keywords that your audience is searching for. Think TED Talk. Or Steve Jobs product discussions on the newest Apple product.

Every Dollar Feeds Kids Bike Run. Photo credit: Miceli Productions

Don’t underestimate other PR videos as well. Reaching your clients and customers with video of your company’s charity fundraiser, company-wide cause, anniversary celebration or special announcement can drive engagement, add to your social following and resonate with outsiders likely to adopt your products, services or brand.

Conclusion

These are the types of business video that we see most companies adding to their visual content marking initiatives. They are by no means the only types. A company has to have a good understanding of how their customers and clients consume video – if you have a traditional audience, traditional types may be for you. If your audience is better reached by marketing creativity, you may also want to try Vlogs (Video Blogs), Vine videos, contests that use consumer video submissions or something else entirely!

Your team should discuss the following relevant questions:

• What are the needs of your organization?
• What are your goals for your video?
• What is your video’s target market?
• Who are you trying to reach?
• What do you want your video to say?
• What level of production value are you striving for?
• How should you present your company?
• How will you promote your video?

The answers to these questions will direct and inform your company’s path for creating great video content that can reach your target audience. Now what? Download our USING VIDEO FOR BUSINESS Success Kit for a more in-depth discussions of the process.

Dec

2014

Using Video for Business: Video Content Basics

Posted On December 1, 2014 By Jennifer Blessing Miceli And has No Comment

You’ve been paying attention.

You know you need video content to market your business. To engage with customers. To reach more prospects. To communicate with your global company. To showcase your products.

But where do you start? Oftentimes, mid-sized companies like to DIY (do-it-yourself) – headed up by a Marketing Director or even the President or CEO. But you still need content creators. A production company that can be the extension of your marketing department. Filming. Editing. Recording voice overs. Crafting a polished video or film that reflects your company. Truly capturing what your company stands for. Its culture. Its personality. You need video content that successfully resonates with your clients, customers and prospects. A good video production company that can deliver this is a valuable resource.
The term ‘Video Content Marketing‘ is now one of the latest buzz words in the emerging field of Content Marketing, defined as ‘the creation and sharing of media and publishing content in order to acquire and retain customers.’ Remember: it has to be valuable, relevant content. And that’s only one way your business can use video to reach all types of PEOPLE you interact with – employees, distributors, advocates and yes, customers.

In our global world, video can connect you with people across the world.
Video possibilities for your company include:

• A company overview .
• Interviews.
• Social media videos. (Customer engagement, loyalty programs, or special offers. )
• Product demos and showcases .
• Sales & marketing videos, testimonials.
• Commercial advertising for TV & Web .
• CEO addresses to shareholders or employees .
• Public addresses for PR .
• Brand awareness messages.

The list is vast.

So, why should you invest in video for your company? Because the metrics say the ROI on video marketing is killer. Don’t take it from us, take a look at industry-leader Brightcove’s “Analyzing the ROI of Video Marketing.” Their first point?

Why Video?
“Before we get into the data, let’s consider the basic question: How can firms use video to successfully influence buyers in the Hidden Sales Cycle that defines the new buyer’s journey? The answer may be found in that old expression: “facts tell, but stories sell.” Perhaps more than any other media in the modern content marketer’s arsenal, video is inherently a story-telling medium (at least when done well). In Aberdeen’s November 2012 report Video and Collaboration in the Sales Cycle: Fighting the Forgetting Curve, we noted that video helps both marketing and sales cut through the clutter with a differentiated voice, thereby increasing both information retention and the perception of the quality of the message it delivers. With so many companies now adopting content marketing, competition for buyers’ attention may be more important than competition for their capital. Impressively, as seen in Figure 1, Best-in-Class companies are more likely to use video in their content marketing mix than any other media.

One factor that may contribute to the rapid adoption of video is the reduction of cost barriers. It wasn’t that long ago that producing high-quality video content required high-end camera and sound equipment, as well as perhaps a specialized studio or employment of a production company with access to state-of-the-art video editing and effects technology. These help to be sure, but sophisticated video capture and editing capabilities can be had for relatively modest cost, meaning that many freelancers and regional agencies can provide excellent, professional quality video content without breaking the content development budget.”

So, now that you know video can deliver great returns-on-investment, next you need to start the brainstorming process. Your team should discuss the following relevant questions:

• What are the needs of your organization?
• What are your goals for your video?
• What is your video’s target market? Who are you trying to reach?
• What do you want your video to say?
• What level of production value are you striving for?
• How should you present your company?
• How will you promote your video?

Jan

2014

3D Animation Sequences Bring Your Brand to Life

Posted On January 14, 2014 By Jennifer Blessing Miceli And has No Comment

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then imagine what a 3D Animation Sequence video can do for your business. What is the Value of Video?

3D animation sequences have untapped potential when promoting your brand, logo, or business proposal. This type of animation allows your audience to visualize products and devices in development. Sometimes it is difficult to conceptualize an idea still in the development phase, and animation allows for an audience to “see” the finished product. It is also a great way to bring your logo to life and achieve that memorable visual. Prime example? Check out the logo animation introduction we did in the Rowland Products Showcase video.

3D Animation Sequences allow for achieving a hyper-reality, manipulating time, utilizing numerous graphic overlays, and creating a compelling visual that your audience will remember. 3D animation sequences are a highly powerful marketing draw.

According to Interact, an eMarketing firm, a dynamic animation on your plasma screen can help you stand out and draw crowds to your booth [at tradeshows]. Animations can add incredible power to your management’s PowerPoint presentations and to your sales team’s pitches. And they can give strong appeal to your website by reaching out to grab the general public, whose standards and expectations for quality animation have surged with the ubiquity of high-end animated films and commercials.”

3D animation sequences also boost your company’s image. Why not rebrand your business with new photos or video? The added production value of artistic, elegant animation can say a lot about who you are as an organization. Whether for marketing, sales, training, proposals, or educating the general public, 3D animations enable you to make your point clearly, concisely and convincingly.

Miceli Productions HD can create 3D animation sequences for any project.

We capture images. Moving. Still. Corporate. Commercial. Emotive. Scintillating.
Contact us today and take your business to the next level (203) 936-7761.

Nov

2013

What You Need to Know About Yelp

Posted On November 18, 2013 By Jennifer Blessing Miceli And has No Comment

When you’re looking for a good restaurant in town or a good bar or a place to buy a vacuum cleaner, Yelp is immensely helpful if you are a consumer. When you are a business owner, Yelp can be tricky to navigate.

But what happens when your business is being reviewed? Do you even know if your business is on Yelp? And what if your business has negatives reviews? On a more basic note, do you even know what Yelp is?

Yelp is an American company that operates an “online urban guide” and business review site. It is highly engaging and extremely locally based. There are over 47 million business reviews on Yelp. If you don’t know if your business is listed on Yelp, you should look right now.

A recent study shows that “approximately 72% of consumers surveyed said that they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, while 52% said that positive online reviews make them more likely to use a local business.”

According to Todd Wasserman of Mashable, “Next to Google, there’s probably no more important site for small businesses than Yelp.”

So, here are a few things that you, as a business owner, need to know about Yelp.

Claim Your Business Listing. It is free, but the claiming process is a bit time consuming. Go through the entire process and claim your business. Then, once it is verified, you will be able to make necessary changes to the listing itself and receive alerts when there are new reviews of your business. See our listing on Yelp.

Encourage Yelp Reviews. Encourage your clients to review your business on Yelp. And if you don’t get the five star, rave review you are looking for, use this as an opportunity for constructive criticism. Also, use Yelp as a platform to convey to clients that you hear them, you understand them, are sorry their experience wasn’t five star quality, but that you are willing to do things better next time. Remember that on a site like this, there tend to be a lot of extremes. People are driven by emotions and those emotions are attached to an experience – the experience of engaging with your business. So, if clients’ experiences were above and beyond positive, they will write about it. If their experience was really negative, they will write about it. No one is really driven to write about an okay, so-so, middle of the road experience.

Try not to take it personally. This is easier said than done, especially since small businesses are personal. Review sites can get very heated and once you send it out on the internet, it may be extremely difficult for you to fix the damage. The repercussions of negativity and anger on a review site could be detrimental to your business and your reputation on and off line. Rather than taking negative reviews to heart, try to be objective. Respond quickly to the comments. Reach out in an authentic manner to correct the client’s experience swiftly. Reviewers have the opportunity to edit their reviews, so if you can fix it, do it rapidly.

Have you worked with Miceli Productions? Yes! Please leave us a review on Yelp.

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Paul Marte from Hartford Stage says…

We use Mike and his company numerous times a year and his work consistently exceeds expectations. He's able to take raw video footage and with little or no guidance turn it into an effective web or video piece that captures the essence of our individual productions, creating a positive impact on web traffic and sales. Great with turnaround and has been very accommodating with scheduling."

Paul Marte
Communications Manager
Hartford Stage
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