• Behind the Scenes of a Web Video Shoot

    April 28th, 2012

    Great producing and coaching make for great video storytelling.

    Regent Ducas, AR&D’s President of our content marketing division, is one of the best. Watch Regent in action during this shoot for the Aztec Grill which is sold to upscale restaurants. And the testimonial toward the end is done with Executive Chef Chad Ward of the Mercury Grill, who’s prepared food at the White House.

    Posted in content marketing, Social Media, Social Media Video, Web Video | No Comments »

  • Knowing What You Want Consumers to Say, Feel

    July 21st, 2011

    What do you want consumers to remember about your videos? What do you want them to say? To do?

    These are important questions as you develop your video marketing strategy:

    What will motivate prospects to visit?

    What images do you want to etch in viewers’ minds?

    Who should you get on camera because they can speak for your company in a credible way?

    My colleague Regent Ducas, Senior Vice President of Content Marketing-AR&D, and I raised those questions in producing and shooting videos for Medi Weightloss Clinics in Las Colinas. Their major competitive advantage is the fact it’s medically supervised as you’ll see from the opening frame.

     

    Posted in Social Media, Web Video | No Comments »

  • Branding Your QR Code

    July 21st, 2011

    QR (Quick Response) codes represent a powerful marketing tool.  Scan them with an intelligent phone, and they can launch videos.

    What’s unique about this one is that you can see the logo of one of our new clients, Friends of the Family, a non-profit dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence.  

    If you don’t have a free app like ScanLife, search for it under Apps, download it for free, then scan this image to see the video.

    This video provides a straight forward overview showing Friends of the Family’s new facility.  We plan to share their expertise and success stories in future videos.

    If you don’t want to scan, the video follows.  Although my colleague Regent Ducas, Senior Vice President of Content Marketing, and I had limited visuals and people angles to work with, the Friends of the Family team was delighted they can show their first video to get the word out. They now put QR code on cards at events and ensure it’s on every information brochure. QR codes can also go on T-shirts and tattoos. No volunteers yet at FOTF for the tattoos.

    Also, Amanda, their Community Education Specialist, was wonderfully articulate and comfortable in front of the camera.  She only required one take, which Regent and I find rare.  Normally, we provide significant coaching to get the right messaging in a natural, conversational way.
     

    Posted in Social Media, Web Video | No Comments »

  • Use Video to Demystify and Reassure

    July 21st, 2011

    “Do I have to take my clothes off?” That’s one question and concern and many for prospects considering entering a weight loss program.

    The answer from our client Medi Weightloss Clinics is “No.” Even better, Medi and AR&D’s Content Marketing division developed a strategy involving a series of educational videos so people would know what to expect during their first visit. We also wanted to ensure the messaging included a major competitive advantage: This program is supervised by an MD.

    AR&D’s Content Marketing Division shot this video for our client’s website, branded YouTube channel, and other social media channels. Plus, a most basic use. When someone calls, asking “What’s the first visit like,” they can now see and hear for themselves.

    Posted in Social Media, Social Media Video, Web Video | No Comments »

  • Lose Weight and Build Your Business

    July 21st, 2011

    Just about every day you’re hit with a barrage of ads for weight loss programs.  So how how can a weight loss clinic set itself apart?  No matter your business, the marketing concept is the same.

    For Medi-Weightloss Clinics, we’re creating a series of videos for a branded YouTube channel, social media channels like Facebook, and the company’s website.  It’s part of our strategy to leverage what we call “content marketing.”  

    Regent Ducas, Senior Vice President of Content Marketing, and I have produced and shot a series of videos.  They include helpful information to serve consumers Googling this type of information.  The idea is to showcase the clinic’s expertise.

    Posted in Social Media Video, Web Video | No Comments »

  • Producing Convincing Testimonials

    July 19th, 2011

    Consumers are skeptical about testimonials.  Many think if you pay someone, they’ll say just about anything.

    That’s why the person you interview must come across in a convincing and authentic way.  It’s also important they refer to what makes your product or service uniquely valuable.  In producing and shooting a series of testimonials for our client the CI Web Group, we aimed to do just that.

    Notice the candor and specifics in this short testimonial by the owner of a Dallas area company that scans paper, creating digital files.

     

    Posted in Social Media Video, Web Video | 2 Comments »

  • Great Example of Making Your Point Clearly and Compellingly

    July 11th, 2011

    The key is always to separate yourself from the pack.  My colleague Regent Ducas and I like to ask new clients the question, “Why YOU?”

    We keep asking questions until we get an answer that can convince consumers to come onboard.  This video does a good job of that for the insurance category. The competitive advantage is clear and the person communicated it convincingly.

     

     

    Posted in Multimedia Journalism, Social Media Video, Web Video | No Comments »

  • Web Videos: What You Need to Know

    July 10th, 2011

    Here are key points:

    Keep the video under 2 minutes, preferably 90 seconds.

    Capture attention in the first 10 seconds.

    Instead of using spokespersons, use owners and principals.

    Tell an interesting story about customer experiences and success stories.

    Make sure the video can be viewed on all devices — mobile phones, tablets and PCs.

    Don’t be afraid to take fresh approaches — like the Blendtec folks whose Will It Blend? videos went viral.  In this case, you’re looking at blending an iPhone.

    Here’s the video, which is nearing ten million hits followed by a few important still frames.

    My colleague Regent Ducas and I underscore the fact your videos need to be real, authentic, and you. If it looks like a high gloss commercial, people will tune it out in most cases. Yes, Super Bowl commercials are definitely an exception. You’ll notice what makes the Will It Blend? concept so powerful is not slickness.

    Posted in Social Media Video, Uncategorized, Web Video | No Comments »

  • Avoid this Mistake

    July 9th, 2011

    This is one of those things that’s obvious to viewers but not to many videographers.  What’s wrong with the shot in the still frame?

    The problem:  The person trying to connect with viewers avoids looking at them.  In this case, it’s a testimonial aimed at convincing visitors to this website that this email marketing service is the one for them.

    You probably know what viewers say when the person talking with them looks to the side.  ”What are they trying to hide?” or “Why can’t they look right at me?”

    This vendor paid good money to get these produced, but they fall short in the opinion of my colleague Regent Ducas and myself.

    As part of our content marketing strategy, we ask people to look directly at their audience.  Yes, it takes some coaching to get them to look directly at the camera, but it makes a big difference.

    For example, click on this link, then see the difference.  Two Shot Power

    Also, you’ll notice a lot of wasted space in this small screen.  It’s better for the person trying to connect with viewers to fill most of the screen — especially when the video frame is small or viewers are watching on a cell phone.

    IN ALL FAIRNESS

    We don’t mean these comments to suggest this company wasn’t trying to do its best with the information it had.  But with our more than three decades of TV video experience and deep knowledge of viewers, we’ve become trusted advisors to help our clients avoid these mistakes.

     

    Posted in content marketing, Power Tools for TV Journalists, Web Video | No Comments »

  • Heavy Up on Show and Tell

    June 26th, 2011

    Find someone to show and tell, so you can shoot it.  In this case, Faith Cherry, a visitor to the Four Seasons Resort to watch part of the HP Byron Nelson Golf Tournament, is trying a so-called “QR” code.  She scans the code with her iPhone, then a video optimized for mobile pops up about a new promotion.

    The sequence is straight forward, starting with the scan, then reaction shot, then showing viewers the start of the video Faith sees.


     

     

     

     

    My colleague Regent Ducas and I are developing QR codes and videos for clients like the Four Seasons Resort because they…

    • Target the demos they want.
    • Play to the considerable power of video storytelling over text.
    • Can create a buzz as many people are curious about them.

     

    Posted in Bob Kaplitz video, Social Media, TV news training, Web Video | No Comments »

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