Welcome Peter! Tell us – what does GeniusRocket do?
PETER LAMOTTE, GENIUSROCKET: GeniusRocket creates agency-quality video using a curated crowd consisting of the country’s best production companies, animation houses, writers, and creative directors! We deliver video campaigns to brands large and small, non-profits, associations, and others at a fraction of the cost of a traditional agency without sacrificing the quality of production.

What are some of the most notable clients and campaigns that GeniusRocket has worked with?
GENIUSROCKET: In the last few months we have worked with dozens of brands including Audio-Technica to produce “Audio 911”, a product promotional video that organically reached over a million views on YouTube in less than two months!

We also worked with Sylvan Learning Centers to produce four national televisions spots including “Frozen Classroom” that won critical creative acclaim. We’re quite proud!

I must add, GeniusRocket is not limited to only live action; as a full service video agency we also produce animation, motion graphics, and kinetic text content. Recently we created this motion graphic animation for AARP and this video for George Washington University.

GeniusRocket’s slogan is “The First Curated Crowdsourcing Company”. What is Crowdsourcing and why is it important?
GENIUSROCKET: Crowdsourcing is a term that has taken on a life of its own. For many online video production companies it simply means open contests where anyone can submit a video, but only one or two people will get paid. While GeniusRocket orignally had that same “contest” approach, we walked away from the model and created what is called “Curated Crowdsourcing.” Our new model is built upon a vetted community of professionals, not amateurs and students.

We leverage their excess capacity, or “free-time”. They are invited to projects based upon their experience and abilities. By matching skills to projects, clients can be rest assured that the original concept submissions are from writers and creative directors that truly understand their branding needs. Matched by the fact that all of our projects are private and protected by NDAs, brands can now share messaging and strategies that they never would be able to release within a contest.

Our particular crowdsourced concepts allow brands to affordably harness the creative power of the crowd, yet the curation guarantees the professionalism and quality of an agency.

How does a project go from client handshake, through strategy & production to distribution?
GENIUSROCKET: GeniusRocket’s curated crowdsourcing model is based around four distinct phases: Concept, Refinements, Production, and Distribution. Allow me to go into depth for each:

1. Concept: Based upon a strategic creative brief, a vetted set of writers and creative directors submit original concepts for feedback from the client. The one-page concepts not only include an overview of the idea, but also the creator’s strategy around the concept, suggested music supervision, location and casting. For animation projects, concepts are submitted by pre-vetted animation teams and include creative style and tone as well as music supervision.
2. Refinements: Clients provide feedback to each creative team and select typically two to five concepts to move forward to be visually brought to life by professional storyboard artists. The storyboards will be reviewed and quantitative and qualitative feedback will be provided by a crowdsource based online focus group, and by GeniusRocket Critic-at-Large, Bob Garfield. Bob is the advertising industry’s most prolific and well-respected advertising critic. Both the focus group and critic-based feedback will help the client best decide which concepts to take into production.
3. Production: GeniusRocket facilitates pre-production sessions with the client and production teams to review locations, auditions, scripts, and all variables that could affect quality of final production.
4. Distribution: Once production and rounds of edits are complete, GeniusRocket will help distribute the video content through a host of media partners. Whether online or broadcast, GeniusRocket makes sure the video is not only seen, but also engages the client’s target market.

Why is quality more important than quantity with video?
GENIUSROCKET: Well, from the data side of the argument, last year a ComScore study showed that professionally produced video can have 32% increased sales effectiveness over those created through user generated content campaigns!

However, more anecdotally, the vast majority of our clients don’t want 40 videos; they want one or two really good ones. They want videos that represent their brand well and don’t say anything that could hurt their image.

Contests can be a very dangerous path for certain brands. As I explained earlier, what GeniusRocket has done through our “Curated Crowdsourcing” model is bring the control and quality of an agency, with the price point and creative choices of a contest.

GeniusRocket really is the best of both worlds.

What types of businesses benefit from using video advertising?
GENIUSROCKET: I have yet to find a company that can’t stand to benefit from using online video.

Today, there are more specialized television networks than ever before. There are more and more ways to target specific demographics online with pinpoint accuracy.

This, matched with the fact that we know video is the most effective marketing tool brands have, it is hard to argue why it wouldn’t make sense to invest in video. Especially seeing that people like GeniusRocket can produce that content at a fraction of the cost of traditional agencies, now is the time for companies to start creating content for their brand.

But it isn’t just B2C companies that see the benefit of video. When B2B companies see that click-through rates on emails can be increased up to 300% if video is embedded, they should start using video as part of their marketing strategy. Finally individuals will spend over 10% more time on a website if it has video on the site. This is important not just to B2B and B2C companies, but also to Non-profits, universities, and political organization. Its all about engagement. It really is the most power tool that all companies have at their disposal.

Can you give us an example of a client success story?
GENIUSROCKET: When Audio-Technica came to us at the end of last year we knew we had an opportunity to not only be creative, but to work with a brand that would take some risk. In the end they created three videos, one for their B2C headphone market, and two for their B2B microphone market. The B2C project was by far the highest profile of the three.

Audio Technica came to GeniusRocket with a limited budget and a product that had not yet cemented strong brand recognition in the consumer market. They wanted a fun, non-corporate video that would excite its target market and create awareness for Solid Bass Headphones, while also promoting the Audio-Technica brand. Through our private platform, we vetted our creative community for qualified production companies who we knew would be able to creatively respond to Audio-Technica’s creative brief. We were able to then respond to Audio-Technica with 31 high-quality creative concepts. Concepts were narrowed down to three storyboards, and eventually one idea was selected for production. GeniusRocket and Audio-Technica worked together during pre-production to make sure all aspects (such as casting, music selection, and location) fit the brand team’s desire, and were present on-set during production to ensure the everything met the brand’s expectations. Finally, GeniusRocket provided strategy and execution around online distribution.

The result were impressive.

Within 2 months of release, the video, “Audio 911” captured over 1 million views and garnered much attention by the media and most importantly, by the target audience. Not only did the Audio-Technica brand team launch a great commercial that resonated with its target audience, they were able to do so using only a fraction of their marketing budget. They credit the video for expanding their distribution channels and increasing sales.

What risks might a business be exposing themselves to if they avoid preparing for a video in their future?
GENIUSROCKET: Video is the most effective tool that marketers have. The costs of production are coming down rapidly, while the accuracy by which brands can target their customers and clients is getting more exact. The time to get involved with video is now, and if a company isn’t jumping in they can rest assured their competition is. For B2B companies, they should know that 76% of executives state that they watch online video, and their purchasing intent is greatly influenced by seeing this content.

For the B2C space, 98% of Ad Age’s top advertisers are running ads on YouTube. In short, your competition is already fighting for the attention of your target customer. There are tricks to stand out above the rest, and that is what we incorporate into our iterative model, but companies are foolish to think video isn’t important.

Can a company measure the ROI of their video marketing campaign?
GENIUSROCKET: Absolutely.

The bigger mistake is when a client fails to set the measurement of success ahead of time. We work with many of our clients to set KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) ahead of starting a project. The top measurements are views, likes, shares, and basic sentiment analysis. In order for a company to really tie in ROI they need to make sure their marketing is structured to measure sales influence. Video should not be PART of your marketing and sales strategy, it should be considered a strategy of its own.

Many of our readers are of the DIY variety often because cameras and equipment are so inexpensive. What are some reasons you would recommend investing in the GeniusRocket’s solution rather than attempting a DIY production?
GENIUSROCKET: It is all about risk. GeniusRocket provides a solution that is incredibly cost effective and delivers the results and creative control that brands want. Companies that want the quality of an agency and the brand protection that contests or amateur based communities can’t always provide should look to GeniusRocket to see if it makes sense for them. The truth is there are times where a company has relatively no budget, or the video isn’t important enough to be focused on quality. In those cases DIY production may be the perfect fit.

Taking a guess at the future, what developments might we see in terms of video marketing creativity in the years to come?
GENIUSROCKET: Not to get too philosophical, but in the last hundred years technological advances always tend to mimic the prior technology. TV first mimicked radio, and the web likewise mimicked print and online video marketing mimicked ads from TV. Most information was delivered in text form. We still see the vestiges of the early web. Brands produce white papers, long-form written reports, and blogs upon blogs. Online video followed a similar path. Early video marketing was simply content made for TV that was repurposed for the web. However that has been changing.

From both a distribution standpoint and a video technology standpoint, there are big changes in our future. You will soon see content that is not just customized to the online property, but to the exact individual in a way that reflects his/her buying and surfing habits. In the past a company couldn’t dream of creating enough content to do that. Now there are technologies in their infancy that do just that.

It should be really amazing to see how creative brands will be when using video to reach their customers and clients in the next couple years.

Great information, glad we’ve been able to share with the ReelMarketer readers! What’s the best way for readers to learn more and to easily be able to get in touch with you?
GENIUSROCKET:
Readers can visit www.geniusrocket.com to learn more about our process, portfolio, and recent news events. If they have more direct questions, find me on twitter @peterlamotte or can e-mail me at peter@geniusrocket.com or call 202.688.3242

Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done!

Video requires new thinking and skills – posing a challenge for marketers, public relations professionals and business owners – at a time when everyone is already dealing with learning social media and a host of other tools and technologies.

Lori Berson

Online video has become a critical part of how we all consume information. It’s even at the forefront of traditional media like print and television. From checking out “how-to” videos (e.g. how to cook pasta) to viewing the latest news footage online, as it’s happening.

But videos come in all shapes and sizes – quality and costs range across a large spectrum. As a result, companies have to make choices about the size of their investment and production quality required, based upon their target audience(s) and business objectives. But, high cost doesn’t always translate into high quality and vice-versa. Videos can be created to meet the needs of any realistic budget.

How to leverage the benefits of video:

1. Take advantage of the medium
“a picture is worth 1,000 words, a video is worth 10,000 words”

Tell a story and engage your viewer’s emotions. Identify that one thing that will strike a cord with your audience. Think about what will interest them and make them feel connected to your brand.
Understand video’s special attributes and take advantage of them. Don’t mimic what you do in print. Intersperse images, b-roll and/or stock footage, screen capture demos (for technology products) and other elements to captivate and hold the attention of your audience.

2. Know your audience
Communicate and engage with them in a way they would appreciate – language and style. If you can, be spontaneous and use humor and informality, when appropriate. An unscripted video has an authenticity that can work well on the web. Have a camera handy to capture unplanned moments for future opportunities. For example: capture a client that stops by your office or a trade show booth for an impromptu conversation.

3. Add video to all your communications – educate, entertain and inform
From high quality, to medium quality and some very basic video – you can use various types of productions for different purposes. Make sure the content and quality is appropriate. Don’t overlook video for how-to’s, product demos, testimonials, facility tours, guides, public relations, FAQs and even research.

4. Plan ahead
Decide how and what the video will be used for and what your goals are. This will ensure you have the proper budget in place and ample time for production.

5. Trust the experts – hire professionals
Online video doesn’t require a large investment to be successful. But there are times when you’ll need high production quality. This of course will depend on your client and your goals. Develop partnerships video production companies that can help with writing, shooting, editing, motion and special effects. As the proliferation of video continues, it’s more important than ever to have trusted partners that will make you look good and help you leverage the power of video. Remember, no video is better than a bad video.

6. Capitalize on video’s potential with social media
Share your video with your social media community (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and others) – increasing publicity and opportunities for exposure. Make sure to engage with commenters and other users. Like or comment on their content, share their works and participate in discussions. This will encourage them to do the same.

7. Optimize your video for search engines
Host your video on YouTube (the #1 place people watch video and the #2 search engine) to drive traffic, grow your audience, and enhance search results. Optimize the title and description of your video with the appropriate keywords so that it will appear in the search engine results. Place your URL first and include a transcription.

8. Measure your success
Online videos can be measured. Based upon your marketing strategy, decide where to host your video, be it be on your website, YouTube or using a third party OVP solution (Online Video Platform). Then learn about your audience with analytics. YouTube Analytics (Free) – for YouTube hosted videos. Google Analytics (Free) for web site stats. For hosting videos on your web site, you can embed your YouTube video or use a paid platform like: Brightcove, Ooyala, Vidyard and Wistia. Facebook Insights provides similar information. Then refine and strengthen your message and/or campaign.

The size or budget of your organization doesn’t matter. Now is the time to leverage the power of video to gain a competitive edge!

Luan Wise, Marketer

If you know how to get the strategy, content and distribution right – the opportunities for video in business are endless.

Why? Video is perfect for conveying complex information simply. It engages and stimulates different senses whilst it’s versatile nature provides the ability to reach huge audiences. Video can give an organisation personality and credibility, inspire confidence and increase transparency.

Strategy

As with any other marketing campaign, a clear strategy is essential. Video can achieve multiple objectives – such as brand awareness or direct response sales – however a single minded strategic proposition is required for greatest effect.

Don’t forget to include an objective for campaign measurement that is more than simply ‘number of views’.

Content

Content is king. Start by storyboarding your video – pick the topic, set the scenes and, if required, write the script. Video works best in bite size chunks, usually 2-5 minutes (depending on its purpose).

Time spent ‘pre-production’ will add value and efficiency to the project. This stage should not be under-estimated.

When filming ‘scenes’ consistency is important to maintaining continuity during post-production editing. This might mean hours of waiting for the weather to behave itself and match previous outdoor filming!

For maximum quality, don’t forget audio – remove any background noise – and ensure good lighting at all times. In short – use a professional! Smart phones and cameras may provide the tools, but they certainly don’t provide the best creative skills, especially when it comes to editing.

Distribution

A key element of the marketing mix – distribution – also needs to be considered and ideally at the planning stage.

Is the video for internal training purposes, is it for customer viewing only or is it for the wider audience? Understanding your target audience is, of course, vital.

Posting a video does not guarantee views – the content needs to be pushed and sharing via social channels encouraged.

As part of a search strategy, video is particularly powerful. The use of keyword tags, metatags and an effective title will ensure your video ranks more highly. Recent Forrester Research found that a well optimized video is 53x more likely than text to appear on the front page of Google.

Now that Google Adwords for video content is out of beta, the analytical power of paid search advertising means that campaigns will now also be able to demographically target users on YouTube.

The ‘embed code’ should also be available for those wishing to add to their own webpage (for this reason, don’t forget to add your own branding to the video!).

Embrace video

So, if your online activity is lacking something that we’re all starting to make much more use of – video – now is the time to embrace the opportunity.

As a marketing channel, there is nothing to fear, the strategic process and creative briefing is the same as for traditional medium. If in doubt, stick to the basics, hire a professional and just KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid).

Welcome Ellen, it’s great to have you on! Tell us about your video production career, and why this is a passion for you!
ELLEN FRIEDLAND / VOICES & VISIONS: It’s great to be able to share my experience and story with the ReelMarketer audience! Starting off, I landed in the field of video production quite by accident and have stayed here for over 15 years! I started my career as an attorney, then I became a print journalist. Pursuit of a story that became a passion for me led me to produce a documentary in 1997 with DP (Director of Photography) Curt Fissel. The PBS success of that project resulted in a number of people calling us to produce their marketing, HR, investor relations, fundraising, and other corporate videos.

We formed Voices & Visions (V&V) at that time, diving into the world of professional business video production with a documentary filmmaking angle that ensured fluidity of storytelling, depth of message, and quality of production at every stage. My passion is fueIed by the passion of the organizations with which we work, each of which has wonderful stories to tell. Curt often says that “every day is a field trip for us.” We constantly learn so much from the diversity of work of our clients, and we love the challenge of translating the knowledge we have gained into videos that convey the clients’ messages.

What is it about video that makes it so powerful over static pictures and text?
VOICES & VISIONS: Video is alive! The various elements in any given production provide multiple opportunities to connect with audiences on a number of levels. Passion in a person’s voice can be visceral; the look in an interviewee’s eyes speaks volumes. B-roll illustrating a process in motion is educational in a way that a collection of disconnected still photos cannot be. Music that captures the heart of a project can touch a viewer even when no words are spoken. Colorful motion graphics highlighting logos and themes set the tone of a video for the viewer. Combine these elements — always in the context of a well-written, concise, and narrative script — and the power over still formats is incomparable.

Thinking back not too long ago, there was a time when businesses were debating if they should get online and hire a web designer… Now it’s obviously a no brainer – yes, create a website by hiring a professional! Can you give us an analogous example of what ignoring professional video marketing would be like for a business today as more and more businesses get online videos?
VOICES & VISIONS:I think this analogy is good and very real in both industries. It has been my impression that when youtube.com first hit the Internet in 2005, people became accustomed to seeing a lot of poor quality video, and it therefore became somewhat acceptable for a few years, at least for companies with small marketing budgets. Add to that several other factors at that time, such as:

1. The ready availability of relatively inexpensive and consumer-friendly HD videocameras and digital editing systems which gave the impression that anyone could do this type of work — much like the first websites in the ’90s.
2. The cost of professional video when many corporations were still spending the majority of their marketing dollars on traditional avenues, and finally,
3. The recession and the need on the part of many companies to cut marketing budgets.

Now, however, I think the “anything goes” perspective of producing corporate videos (on the part of those who harbored that view) has largely changed. One reason is that the new virtual and social media world has forced companies to shuffle line items on budgets for marketing, advertising, PR, etc., moving campaigns away from traditional outlets toward a multitude of online sites requiring video accompaniment to appear web-fashionable. Consequently, corporations are budgeting for video, which has replaced line items from former marketing budgets.

Second, search engines like Google (and Google’s YouTube) now give increasing credibility to quality, substantive videos (read: professional), which is a real incentive for SEO campaigns.

Third, studies show that people watch online videos in “snack sizes” of under a couple of minutes each. A poor quality production (read: unprofessional!) gets ignored faster than it was downloaded.

Fourth, companies are recognizing that just as a brochure filled with spelling and grammatical errors reflects badly on the company represented in the materials, so does a poorly produced video.

Some videos online look great, but seem to have few views because their audience isn’t stumbling across them. For an online business video, how can a business owner best get that video out to his target market?
VOICES & VISIONS: This is where social media marketing comes in. In addition to creating productions, a full-service video company today should be knowledgeable about social media marketing to help clients leverage the video created, either in full or segments. The video — or images from it — can accompany blogs, tweets, and posts to different audiences on a wide variety of social network platforms, each of which reaches out to new groups. Such a campaign needs to be done in a way that is effective for businesses — a wholly different game than social media for personal use.

When social media channels began to explode, V&V immediately pursued it, learning about then engaging in this new form of media for us and for our clients. We have also developed an expertise in related tasks, like doing analytics to gauge successes, failures, and new directions. Video is a key part of these campaigns because, as noted above, it is regarded very highly by the search engines and because people often choose to watch video rather than read text.

In summary, integrating a video into an effective social media marketing campaign for business will multiply the opportunities for the video to be watched.

Which begs the question – DIY versus hire a professional – what are the beat scenarios for each?
VOICES & VISIONS: In my opinion, to ensure that an organization does not compromise on the quality of its image by compromising on video as a core element of its marketing look, there are only limited instances in which DIY works. One example when it might be effective is when a school program wants videos that relate experiences from the viewpoints of the students involved. Having the students videotape and edit, then posting the finished clips below a page title that clarifies who produced the pieces, might have impact. Even in that case, however, it would be wise for the student videographers to get instruction prior to beginning the project so that the final product looks and sounds clean.

We worked on a project like that with a public school district in New Jersey. We spent a day educating student interviewers and videographers about many details that would enhance the product they were creating, then we went back as the event unfolded, overseeing their work. The end product was very nice.

In most other instances, I think a company should use professional video.

When planned correctly, it need not be overwhelming in price, which presumably is the key reason a company would resort to DIY. For example, in the pre-production stage, if the company and video production firm plan a schedule for the release of different productions over a period of time, the video firm will be on notice of the totality of relevant information that will need to be captured during field production. This can be accomplished in a condensed number of days of shooting, then the footage can be edited as needed without requiring additional days of field production. Likewise, a video company can help clients think about ways to present material on screen to reduce video costs. For instance, much information can be included in graphics that can easily be slipped in and out as needed while the underlying sound bites and b-roll remain the same, costing very little money in post-production edits.

Why are professional videos costs most often in the thousands of dollars? What production steps are involved that incur this cost?
VOICES & VISIONS: The two costly phases of video production are field production and post-production. Speaking for our company, our rates for the former (in which camera, lighting, audio, and other equipment is built in) can include as few team members as a single DP recording an event, to a DP (director of photography) with a producer who can do the organizing and ask interview questions to relevant folks, to additional camerapeople, audio engineers, and other staff depending upon the shoot. The more professionals who are involved, the greater the cost. However, even with small crews, the rate cards of professionals who are highly experienced and award-winning reflect the value they bring.

On the post-production end, when speaking about costs I often suggest a comparison between a traditional historical documentary that may contain a pan across a still photo for ten seconds vs. a TV news screen in which five things are happening simultaneously: the anchorperson reporting a story, a scene from the story being reported, different news running across the bottom of the screen, the stock market report in one upper corner, and the local weather report in the other upper corner. The latter screen contains roughly five times as much work as the former for every frame in every second – and that is without factoring in the audio tracks or any other effects. Add to that elements such as complex motion graphics or animations, which will take a graphic designer a number of days to create, or original music and the price really begins to soar. Other factors which add to the price are transcriptions of interviews, top scriptwriting, and when necessary, translations, closed captioning, travel expenses, a narrator, and other factors.

In short, the high pricing is a consequence of the enormity of work involved in each stage and the competency of the professionals performing it to ensure a top rate product.

When looking to hire a production company, what are some questions that should be asked to ensure a good fit?
VOICES & VISIONS: Speaking as a prospective corporate client, I would ask:

1. There are many types of productions video companies handle, ranging from events to internal corporate productions, to TV commercials to films. What is your experience, and why would you be a good fit for our project and our company?
2. What is the full scope of services you provide? Can I rely on you for all phases of pre-production, field production, and post-production, or do you only handle some aspects of these services? If the latter, how would you help me to get to a finished product?
3. What is your philosophy regarding the partnership between you and us? How flexible are you regarding our desire to be involved (to whatever extent)?
4. What is your position regarding ownership of the final product? When it is finished, will you give it to me in full and in all its individual elements on a hard drive so that I can have full ownership of the materials?
5. Can you provide me with two references of jobs you have produced that are similar to the one we are requesting?

If a business is committed to doing a DIY production on their own, what are the top 3 tips you’d suggest when planning?
VOICES & VISIONS: Top three tips I can think of:

1. Buy a tripod.  And use it! Hold steady shots, pivot on the tripod rather than your shoulder, and make sure you hold the shots for long enough to leave room for edits.
2. Think about the Mic. If a microphone can be wired into your camera, use it and direct it at the person who is speaking. If the camera does not allow it, be conscious of ambient sound to make sure the prominent audio comes from the speaker or event important to capture without a lot of mixed background sound that will not be able to be edited out.
3. Read up on lighting. Too many amateur photographers think HD or editing enhancements can compensate for poor lighting. These innovations can improve what is shot, but the recorded material provides the basic foundation. If shooting outdoors, be conscious of where the sun is and how that affects the particular subject; when shooting indoors, have professional lighting available to highlight the subject, particularly when shooting interviews.

What model of basic camera would recommend for the first time DIY?
VOICES & VISIONS: Our DP (Director of Photography), Curt Fissel, recommends that a first time DIYer use a DSLR like a Canon 5D because of ease of operation. It’s more friendly than more complicated cameras, though the audio will pose some challenges. iPhones are also proving useful, in the right hands.

Thank you Ellen! What’s the best way for readers and viewers learn more about your business and be able to contact you?
VOICES & VISIONS: A note of gratitude to ReelMarketer for reaching out to me, for highlighting these important issues, and for asking good, thoughtful, and thorough questions. Please visit our website at www.voicesandvisions.com, write to me at ellen@voicesandvisions.com, or call us at 973.746.3050.

Neil Davidson, MyWebPresenters

The Internet is awash with video content. Most markets are over-crowded or at least feel that way. It is difficult for a business to be heard amongst all this noise; viewers become deaf due to overload and if you want to be remembered you need to break from convention and shake things up.

Knowing that 6 billion online videos are watched by UK internet users every month should be enough to encourage any sensible business to embark on the road of video marketing. You really do have to be in it to win it, but it is only worth doing if you are committed to doing it properly. A strategy which includes a focus on outcomes and ways of measuring success is essential.

Inject Rebellion into your Video Marketing

‘Rebellion’ is one of the ‘7 fascination triggers’ that Sally Hogshead has defined. The theory is that the 7 triggers are part of a predictable system that can be manipulated in an audience in order to elicit a particular response.

So, how does the rebellion trigger work?

People don’t like things to be the same all of the time. They get bored. They also like to do things that they aren’t supposed to do. By being aware of this facet of human nature, you can use it to provoke a particular response from your target audience.

To inject rebellion into your video marketing strategy, you need to break some rules. Examples of businesses who have used the rebellion trigger effectively include Apple, Dyson, and Zappos. They all have in common the fact that they invented creative solutions that depart from the norm and change the game in the market.

Dyson was innovative by bringing the bagless vacuum to a market that was solely focused on price. They managed to set themselves up as the superior vacuum cleaner to the extent that there is now a huge element of prestige in buying a Dyson.

Zappos’ relationship marketing strategy has resulted in 75% of their customer base being repeat buyers. At one point, Zappos offered special return shipping assistance. This was was not in their policy and they were therefore not obliged to do it; positive word of mouth endorsements spread quickly across the Internet as a result.

Apple have changed the game repeatedly; the iPod, the iPhone, iTunes, to name but a few. iTunes is a great example of how Apple proved the market wrong. They showed that people are willing to pay for music online, as long as the price is right and the software is usable.

Don’t Lose Trust in the Process

Rebellion can shatter trust. If you are developing a strategy based on rule breaking, keep in mind those customers who are happy with what they know and who might be uncomfortable with change. You need to keep hold of their trust by keeping your deliverables consistent; your message may have changed but ensure that you do what you said you would, when you said you would do it.

Using Rebellion as a Small Business

Using rebellion as a tactic can be the way to launch a small business to the next level. The key is to pick on one established norm, and do the complete opposite. By keeping it simple, and focusing on one thing that you can change effectively, you will put yourself in a position to compete at some level with the bigger players in your industry!

Ask me any questions you have below in the comments now!

Great to be sitting down with you! For those who’ve not heard of your company yet, who are you, and what is Imagination Media!
TIM DANYO: I started doing video professionally in 2003, but before that I was always involved in art, film, photography, and music. Getting fired from a really bad cable TV company actually kick started my video career oddly enough. I started using my trusty little Sony TRV-900 to get some quick live event gigs and then some commercial work. Things gradually progressed from there. I ran the gamut of video production and produced everything from fundraising videos, real estate video, TV commercials, weddings, documentaries, personal biographies, you name it! As the the social media fire really began to ignite in 2007 my focus began to shift away from traditional broadcast and DVD delivery to the immerging field of video marketing. I was intrigued by the notion that anyone could become a broadcaster or a publisher and that with high speed internet and web 2.0 I could see a new online video revolution starting to happen.

It took me some time to transition out of doing live events and B2C work, but I am so glad I did! I rebranded my company as Imagination Media in 2009, specializing in video content production and marketing with a focus on business development through client education and engagement.

Your tagline is “Content That Connects”. Many people have an idea what ‘video production’ is, but what is ‘in-bound marketing’ specifically?
TIM DANYO: Inbound marketing is actually a term coined by the folks at Hubspot. In-Bound Marketing is basically attracting customers through providing remarkable content. You could also call it “permission,” or “relationship” marketing. The gist is that you don’t pummel your audience with advertising messages that are annoying and interruptive, or “outbound” in nature, but rather, provide incredible value in the form of helpful information that solves customer problems, answers questions, inspires them, provides unique perspectives on your industry or field of work, and stimulates conversations and engagement around the products and services you are selling.

The goal with Inbound Marketing is to win the customer’s confidence and trust in your company so that they will do business with you. It’s true, people are more apt to do business with those they know and like. It’s that simple.

And how is this concept related to video production/marketing?
TIM DANYO: Online video is such a powerful inbound marketing tool because it communicates and educates the most effectively online. The internet is growing more visual everyday. Photos and video images carry more click throughs and interaction than text only. The explosion of sites like Pinterest and the recent timeline overhaul by Facebook, making images and video the focal point, say a lot about the direction of the web. Also, Facebook just bought Instagram for 1 billion dollars! That tells you something! Eye candy attracts engagement, especially in an attention deficit environment like the web. With video you not only have the power to attract, but your video keeps visitors on your site longer, informs them, entertains them, gives them more value, and converts visits into sales.

That is the core of Inbound Marketing.

Why is an inbound marketing strategy important?
TIM DANYO: It is very important to develop a content strategy even before you press start on the camera. The strategy begins with the client, but more specifically, your best clients. I can’t stress this enough! The whole reason to engage in content marketing is to attract the right people who are looking for the services you offer. Why spend time and money creating amazing content for a clientele that is not ideal, or will not help grow your business? Take time to understand who your ideal client is. Do they pay on time? Do you get along with them on a personal level? Do these clients refer you? Do they provide a steady stream of business for you? Then get to know every aspect you can about who they are. What their needs are. What problems they are facing. The demographics, and what social media circles they are hanging out in. Get as detailed as possible. Take them out to lunch and get to know them better and ask them these questions, (letting them know why of course) but you will find most clients are happy to share what they know because you’ve already established that rap pour and trust.

This exercise should be a foundation for all of your marketing, but I think there is an impression out there that businesses need to be all things to all clients and they take his sort of shotgun approach to marketing. I counter that by saying, the more you can niche your information to target your ideal clients needs and provide them with extreme value and an exceptional experience, they will be more loyal and refer you to others in their social circles. I’d rather have fewer clients that pay me on time, love what I do, I have fun with, have built lasting relationships with , and refer me to their friends, than a thousand time sucking, money losing clients any day!

So the number one strategy for inbound marketing is to start with your ideal clients and produce content specifically for them.

Is there anyway to measure the ROI of investing in video?
TIM DANYO: Yes there is. First you need to start out by defining your video marketing goals. What actions do you want your audience to take? Is it a subscription sign up? A social media share? A click on a product link, or a combination of several actions? After you’ve established your client’s action goals, develop a model to calculate what those sorts of engagements are actually worth to your company and assign a specific dollar amount. For instance, a social share is worth 1 dollar. A product click is worth 5 dollars of advertising. etc. You can then measure the ROI against the cost per views. So, if your video cost you $1000 to produce, you would need to receive a certain amount of likes, subscribes, and clicks to break even. Assigning value to engagement is crucial to understanding the video marketing ROI. This is very similar to how traditional advertising ROI is measured, even pay per click.

For a business interested in investing into video, what are the main arenas that you’d recommend to consider exploring and why?
TIM DANYO: Sure, let me cover the top three:

1. Homepage: Video is attractive and convenient for first time clickers especially. The homepage is still considered a starting point for viewers to get a first impression. Make video the center piece to your home page and be willing to spend more on crafting a focused and marketing driven message about your company with a problems/solutions/benefits/call to action message. Hire a professional video company to produce it, because you only get a couple seconds to make a good first impression. Make it count. It needs to look and sound amazing as well as cause the viewer to take the next action step. This will take some time, energy and collaboration to execute well, but the ROI impact is very great here, because you have the opportunity captivate, educate, and motivate your audience from the start. Some good examples of video companies that specialize in home page videos are Epipheo Studios  and Common Craft. They are amazing at what they do!
2. About Us page: The About page is one of the most neglected and under developed types of pages on the internet! Studies have shown that it gets clicked the most. Why wouldn’t you have a video on there? This is a great place to let loose and be yourself as a company. Tell your story. Share how things came into being. Who works there. Maybe provide separate employee spotlight videos? Have fun and make it entertaining. A company may want to self produce a video like this. I say go for it if you think you can pull it off! But I would still lean towards hiring a production company. Again, it’s a well crafted message that needs to have higher production value. Meet or exceed your audiences expectations. Don’t disappoint by distracting, poor quality video and audio. Don’t bore your audience with a talking head at a desk, or a rambling message that doesn’t engage the viewer. Make is social. Make it real. This will take some planning and effort to get right.
3. Educational web series or VLOG (Video Blog): This should be your companies content marketing center piece. I would suggest making this content DIY (Do It Yourself). You may need to hire a video consultant to help with the set up and a creating a solid video content strategy, but for ease and cost, do it yourself. It comes down to viewer expectations. Most of the time, for a vlog, the viewer is not expecting a broadcast quality show. They want to get in, get the info, and get out. If it’s valuable enough, they’ll share it or comment on it. Over time, those shares will turn into subscriptions and follows and then into paying customers. The blog should be looked upon as a long term strategy for building up your position as the most helpful and knowledgable business in your niche.

As a leader in the production arena, any predictions for the future of video and in-bound marketing?
TIM DANYO: Video Inbound Marketing is only going to grow more popular as companies increasingly see the value in online video. I see SocialTV or ConnectedTV growing up fast within the next year. Second screens, being smartphones and tablets, are increasingly becoming apart of the TV viewing experience. Traditional broadcasters and advertisers are also making the leap into social media and SocialTV is a natural progression of that. Apple is soon to announce a new TV product and I have a hunch it’s going to be a SocialTV of some sort. I also see more and more local shops adopting a content marketing strategy- producing their own educational shows and web series. Exciting times my friends!

What are the best ways to find Imagination Media?
Thanks for having me! I can be easily contacted through the following:

Website: http://www.imaginationmedia.tv
Email: tdanyo@imaginationmedia.tv
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/timdanyo
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/imaginationmedia
Google+ https://plus.google.com/114107929152764851795
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/timdanyo

It’s great to have the chance to sit down and share Poptent’s story! What does Poptent offer?
NEIL PERRY, POPTENT: Thanks for having us on! We’re a video production house that uses crowdsourcing, which in our case brings to-bear a social network of nearly 50,000 videographers and producers in 140 countries! Poptent produces thousands of commercial videos each year for our clients, which include numerous Fortune 500 brands and agencies.

Poptent’s slogan is “The World Leader in Crowdsourced Video”. How does this address a real-world ‘pain’ felt by businesses?
POPTENT: Crowdsourcing is a unique, modern era phenomena that takes typical in-house activities (which can be expensive) and outsources them to a crowd which delivers scores of great videos to choose, at incredibly low prices. It’s true pain relief for small and large businesses. Poptent has been around since 2007 and has become the world leader by virtue of our global reach as well as our client base.

Can you give us an example of a recent client success?
POPTENT: Dell wanted to create some lifestyle videos to showcase on their website … real people, doing real things where a Dell laptop was an integral part of their lives. Poptent reached out to thirty of our best creators and asked them to take the challenge and come up with four different lifestyle approaches for Dell to review. Dell looked them over, and selected a Seattle-based creator, Sam Akina, to produce the videos. Sam did four great spots which now appear on the Dell website and on YouTube. One of the videos was so good, Dell commissioned Sam to cut down his video to a 30-second spot which ran on all of the BCS Bowl games, as well as regular rotation during ESPN SportsCenter. It’s called the Musician.

What makes video advertising so attractive to consumers?
POPTENT: It’s not just one special ingredient, it’s a combo of sight, sound and motion. Since the first days of TV and movies, marketers quickly realized that sight, sound and motion sells products fast. It engages consumers with the product or service, lures them in, and motivates them to action.

What types of businesses can benefit from using video advertising?
POPTENT: It’s not just video advertising. It’s really video in general. Businesses should be communicating with their customers on their websites and elsewhere with video: messages from management; testimonials from satisfied customers; video instructions on how customers can set up that brand new surround-sound speaker system they just bought; entertaining product demonstrations; etc.

We all turn to video for commercial messages, but in today’s high speed, electronic era, video should be and now is quickly replacing the printed message in many of our important communications with customers.Video is here now, and here to stay.

Video marketing is gaining in popularity. What risks might a business be exposing themselves to if they avoid preparing for a video in their future?
POPTENT: I like the analogy of Kodak. Here was an iconic brand which owned the 35mm film category. They saw the trend to digital, but failed to act. Now they are in bankruptcy, and no longer are the leader they once were.

Businesses need to recognize that the videoization of their website and their messaging is critical to surviving in the new economy. We live in a multi-screen environment, and your customers are engaged with video, not text.

With online video, is there a method to track conversions?
POPTENT: Online video is eminently trackable all the way through an online purchase or action. Trackability is the promise of the Internet, and a promise that has been kept. The Poptent Audience Network routinely tracks consumer behavior and action, from an initial view to moving toward a purchasing decision.

How can a business measure the ROI of their video marketing campaign?
POPTENT: If the campaign is a conversion-based campaign, and trackable, it certainly can measure ROI. However, many marketers are using video for broader brand-building and awareness-building. These are more difficult to measure as they are often in concert with a television buy; a radio buy; print and social media activity. Separating out one from the other is incredibly difficult. However a recent Nielsen study indicated that having the video message on more than one screen simultaneously can significantly increases awareness and likeability.

With the newly released Poptent Productions, what solutions are additionally offered?
POPTENT: After a 6-month trial, we’re proud to launch Poptent Productions. Poptent Productions allows marketers and agencies the opportunity to obtain videos for any consumer need in a remarkably short amount of time, from any geographic part of the U.S., or for that matter, from most of the globe. Our network of nearly 50,000 creators is or are everywhere, and we can vet the appropriate producer for any assignment quickly and easily to fill the needs of advertisers.

Many of our readers are of the DIY variety often because cameras and equipment are so inexpensive. What are some reasons you would recommend investing in the Poptent’s solution rather than attempting a DIY production?
POPTENT: The Poptent Productions solution includes one very important and valuable component over a DIY approach, and that’s our Executive Producers. Poptent has hired three experienced, highly qualified executive producers who have overseen extensive production work for major brands and TV networks. These EP’s work side by side with our selected creators to insure that a brand will receive the quality video work they requested in each and every assignment. Additionally, if some of your DIY readers are interested in getting involved with Poptent, it’s a great opportunity for them to further their careers and potentially work with globally known brands and agencies along the way. They can learn more at www.poptent.net, home to our creative community of videographers and producers.

What are the three ‘Poptent Solution’ phases, and what happens in each?
POPTENT: Since 2007, we’ve honed our successful process which we label our ‘Poptent Solution‘:

1. Strategic & Creative Brief Consultation. First, Poptent works with the brand or agency to ensure that the creative brief and strategic framework of an assignment is accurately conveyed and appropriately targeted for the crowdsourced creatives that Poptent has assembled.
2. Assignment. Second, Poptent launches the assignment to the appropriate community or crowd of creators and communicates with the participants throughout the creation period to ensure that quality work is produced.
3. Poptent Audience Network. Finally, once the creative is produced and ready to air, the Poptent Audience Network is brought into the picture to distribute the work through its extensive online video audience network.

The placements are optimized throughout to ensure that the brand’s message is efficiently and cost-effectively delivered to the intended audience.

Great information, glad we’ve been able to share with our audience! What’s the best way for readers to learn more and to easily be able to learn more about Poptent?
POPTENT: It’s been fun speaking with you! For information about our process and services, please visit www.poptent.com for complete details. If you’re a creator looking to produce high quality videos for top clients, come on over to www.poptent.net and check us out!

Welcome Mark! Your production company, Mosaic Media Films, has an impressive portfolio – tell us a bit about your company’s history.
Thanks for having me, I’m glad to help out and I appreciate the opportunity to share my knowledge to assist those looking to learn how to choose a video production company. Mosaic Media Films spawned from my passion for both marketing, video, and creative. I worked in the marketing department for a phenomenal company called, Schutt Sports – the largest manufacture of football helmets and face guards in the world. For nearly 6 years I worked with Schutt as the Digital Marketing Manager, having the opportunity to create, develop and work with nearly every facet of traditional and digital media ranging from print, packaging, web-site, photography, email, social media, project management and most importantly video. This vast exposure to marketing drove my passion for creating compelling content with the intention of conversion. Through that experience and knowledge, Mosaic Media Films was formed – A company dedicated to creating compelling stories that resonate with viewers and increases conversion.

What is it that makes video such an engaging marketing platform?
The statistics and conversion rates for a well crafted video far exceed alternative marketing efforts and study after study reinforces that. Some of my favorite statistics are: 60% of online viewers watch video but only 3% of sites have video – couple that with conversion rates of over 20% and it’s very apparent that video is no-longer an option it’s a MUST.

Video does so well because it can effectively communicate to the viewer on so many levels – The audio helps inform and educate them while the visuals and music can help create an emotional response and evoke attachment to the product, people or service. Perhaps the biggest appeals is when you craft a video well it can effectively humanize your company. It enables viewers to ” know you before they know you.” They get a sense of who you are, what’s important to you, how you interact with others, what customer’s experiences have been with you, and your unique approach to your business. When executed properly prospects should have a “I want to work with them felling” and other factors like price are less important.

Describe a client project that you’re particularly proud of. How did your company surpass the client’s expectations?
A project that I’m particularly proud of is a branding video for “The Shoe Hospital.” The client never worked with video before but he was looking to nationalize his service, enabling clients to ship their shoes to to his repair facility. If you’re a male with an expensive pair of boots or a female with a stylish pair of stilettos, shipping your prized positions to a repair company you don’t know is like having someone baby-sit your fist born for the first time – You just don’t want to let go. With that in mind the primary goal of the video was to establish credibility, build trust, and showcase the passion and craftsmanship the team has for repairing shoes.

To see the video click here.

When the video was completed the client was overwhelmed, and if far exceeded his expectations. He said, ” I knew it was going to be good, but I had no idea it was going to be this good, you totally nailed it – everything is perfect!” Not only was he pleased with the end product it has done exceptionally well for him with sales leads. He was generating about 100 calls per month from Citysearch but once the video was incorporated in the Citysearch listing he was generating over 500 calls per month!

When looking to hire a video production company, what are the top 3 questions that one should ask to gauge competency and fit?
When you’re looking for a production company, consider who is going to be the best fit for your needs and the individual or group that is most passionate about telling your story. Here are the top three questions to ask and why:

1. Question 1: Where Can I see your portfolio? This is a must, seeing what they’ve done in the past and if their style and approach is consistent with your brand image will help determine if it’s a good fit
2. Question 2: What would be your approach to a promo video for my business? After talking to you for a little bit a good video person should already be able to visualualize and articulate an effective approach to telling your story. If you feel confident in their knowledge and creative ability then you’re off to a good start.
3. Question 3: What makes you different from other videographers? They should have some clear points of differentiation from other videographers, what’s important is that they are not trying to bash other’s in their industry, rather they are able to articulate what their unique offering is and why working with them will be an ideal fit.

Why does a video project often seem expensive at first glance?
Ultimately what it comes down to is, “What is going to be the best reflection of your company and brand?” I saw an ad from a SEO company on; “WE CAN MAKE YOU SHOW UP ON GOOGLE’S FIRST PAGE WITH OUR HD VIDEO!!” After looking into it wasn’t even what I would call a “video”, it was a slide show with a very cheesy music track with super loud page peels and diamond transitions showing before and after shots of people’s teeth from an orthodontist’s office. So what’s the focus here? Is it to get a whole bunch of people to find your video on google’s first page so they can watch or skim through this god-awful “thing” that they are calling a video? You might get views but are you getting calls, visits and sales? Because at the end of the day that’s what really matters.

What goes into a video production that contributes to cost?
The most fatal flaw was by the Orthodontist who actually spend money on this thing they are calling a video. She probably invested 75K in her education perhaps another 30K + on her practice then a couple hundred dollars on a slideshow video with customer’s teeth? That’s like sprinting towards the end zone then stopping and taking a nap at the one yard line. A promo video should be a reflection of who you are, what you do and why people should work with you. It should reflect your passion, the positive influence you’ve had on past clients and create an emotional response that makes viewers want to do business only with you specifically.

When I work with a client it typically takes 4-7 hours over the course of the day to film a video that includes interviews, testimonials and visuals to have enough content that distills down to a 2min video that takes nearly double the time (8-12 hours) to craft in an effective way. If you want a video to be done well, it takes times, skill, effort and cost; but from that you’ll get a product that you’l be proud of showcasing with all of your marketing materials – that is a true reflection of you and your business.

At first glance several thousand dollars for a video might seem like a lot but business owners should view it as an investment more than it’s an expense, it a purchase that will help generate more business and give you the opportunity to build relationships with future clients that can turn into life-time clients.

Beyond costs, what makes finding a production company with ‘a vision’ important?
I believe that the expense aren’t important. When it comes to lighting, camera gear and editing software, they can only do so much on their own. What it really comes down to is skill, creativity and passion.

• Skill: I could buy a $2,000 set of golf clubs but it’s not going to make me Tiger woods just as someone that picks up a $1,000 HD camera doesn’t make them a filmmaker. It’s not what you have, it’s what you can do with it. A videographer’s portfolio will reflect what they are capable of doing with their gear.
• Creativity: Being creative in both your filming and editing is what’s going to help you break through the clutter. If you have an awesome camera but don’t use good composition or you don’t understand effective editing principles for the specific brand image then the end product will not be as good as it could be.
• Passion: For me it comes down to being passionate about the project and the client. I have some amazing friends who do beautiful cinematic weddings and they are so happy to film couples as they embark on their life together – for me it’s more seeing what drives a business owner, their life’s work, why they decided to choose their career path and the passion they have for their clients and company. That drives me, that pushes me to tell their story in a creative way that is going to highlight their unique offering.

Where can a DIY (Do It Yourself) project make sense? Where does a professional-production make sense?
DIY projects make a ton of sense when you’re creating content on a consistent basis like a video blog. When I work with clients I encourage them to create video content in a way that can bridge the gap between the super cheesy handheld flip camera work to the high end production content I create. I firmly believe that there is a happy medium between the two that can be accomplished.

I do recommend that you spend the extra money to have someone create a promo video for you. A promo highlights what your company does utilizing a combination of interviews, testimonials, and compelling visuals to tell a unique story about your company. This video should be your extended elevator pitch and should be the first thing viewers should see on your site so having a well produced piece by someone who is good at telling your story is ideal.

What are the top three mistakes that you see many online videos making that could easily be corrected?

• Inappropriate Length: Many times customers will make their video too long. You have to understand that you’re fighting for viewers attention as they are constantly being distracted with Facebook, Twitter, email, other websites or even kids in the background. So keeping your videos, short and concise are important. The sweet spot is 1.5 to 2.5 minutes in total length, if you can keep it with that time frame that you’ll increase your viewership.
• Poor Types of Shots: When you see an amateur video you’ll typically see a ton of wide or medium shots all the time. That’s just what people do, they shot everything cause that’s what they see. If you really want to enhance the video, change you’re point of view, look for things interesting, shoot close-ups or ultra-close ups. Having a variety of shots makes it both compelling and gives you more to work with when you’re editing.
• Poor Music: When I hear a garageband or Microsoft track it’s like nails on the chalkboard to me. They are typically so overused and it just screams “I don’t want to spend any money on a good track, so I’m using this free one that everyone is has!” I highly recommend going to a royalty free music site and buying a music track that is a good reflection of the project and avoiding the out of the box tracks from Garageband or Microsoft . Just because they are there and free doesn’t mean you have to use them.

If you had to guess, what technological developments are coming that will affect the future of online video marketing?
Interactivity is going to be huge and is going to revolutionize the way we view online video. We’ve seen some glimpses of it already with annotations from YouTube and other sites that popping up. Having the ability to interact with the video player, choose different options, and develop more story based content will be a huge leap forward for businesses, gamers, and advertisers in the future.

Thanks Mark! What is the best way for readers to learn more about Mosaic Media Films?
The best thing to do go over to mosaicmediafilms.com. I have some amazing top-secret DIY production & marketing products in the pipeline so if you send me your email via the contact us page you’ll be registered and the first to know and benefit from from the training content.

Very accesible and no barriers to viewing a property! Does Social play a role?
RENTSEEKER: Absolutely. We also utilize social media to the max, by having a very active presence on channels like Twitter and Facebook, and YouTube for viewing and sharing videos. Most people today know how popular social media channels are, but only a few rental sites integrate them well and use it for the specific purpose of apartment marketing. As one can see from our follower base on Twitter and Facebook, there are thousands of prospective renters “out there” that are on these channels. Now that they can utilize a rental site like RentSeeker.ca to follow, they can ultimately find their next apartment using social media.

What services does RentSeeker offer? To which clientele?
RENTSEEKER: We now offer a host of online marketing services for landlords, property managers, realtors, developers, etc. Our services now include:

1. Listings & Syndication. Syndication means that when a client lists a property with RentSeeker.ca, it also automatically gets listed on partner sites which they get sent to automatically via feeds thus expanding the reach of each listing for maximum online visibility.
2. Property Videos. We produce property videos and market them by adding the videos to the clients listings on RentSeeker.ca, as well as adding them to video portals such as viddler and youtube , again for maximum online visibility.
3. 3-D Floor Plans. Most people are familiar with standard black and white floor plans, but using available technology, we’re able to convert the standard plans into 3-D models with furniture placement, and can even customize these plans down to the minutest detail such as bed ruffles within the plans. Clients can then add these 3-D plans to their listings on RentSeeker.ca, as well as use them in print ADS, and even as handouts to prospective renters, so truly an amazing marketing tool.

As I mentioned earlier, we also offer our clients social media set up and management packages, as well as website design and SEO for those clients who are looking to launch their own websites to showcase their properties, which is always a good idea, especially for the clients that own multiple properties.

I should note, our website is 100% free for renters searching for rental properties! It’s full of great features to help with the searching, such as a walkscore in everylisting, tenant forums, student & school school, floor plans and rental agent contact info!

Are many tenants seeking rental spaces asking for video, and if so, how is this an opportunity for the landlord to capitalize on?
RENTSEEKER: Given the amount of subscribers (over 1,000 now) and views (over 200,000 now) on our YouTube channel of the property videos we’ve already produced, I think the answer is a clear yes.

Renters asking for videos in a big way.

I think landlords are seeing those numbers as well, since demand has surged for property videos. We now have well over 100 videos produced and over 150 more in order & production stages. I think it’s safe to say within a few years, you’ll be seeing 1,000’s of property videos on our channel and an increase in general on the web. On a side note, I think that you can parallel the demand for videos with the hot-selling tablets such as the Apple iPad which really makes video marketing so much more popular.

Could you please share with us a great example of well-produced and engaging video of this nature?
RENTSEEKER: While I would love to share one with you, I really think all our videos are well produced and engaging. No specific video more than another. To elaborate, our video production service is a full service. We begin with scripting a narrative for each individual property, specific to the property location and area. Once we finalize the script with the client, we go to shooting mode, where we take the highest quality shots of the property, inside and out. This includes amenities within the property. For example, if a property has a swimming pool, we would make sure to include that within the video.

Once the shooting and editing is 90% complete, we add extensive branding, a call to action, a contact information, music, voice over / narration, and then final production. We focus on every detail of the property within the video, so the end users, the renters, can get a fully detailed description of the property and be able to contact the client immediately after viewing the video.

What are the top reasons why a landlord or realtor should have video of their property?
RENTSEEKER: I think the top 3 reasons that every landlord should have, or at least consider adding videos to their marketing stratedgy is:

1. Keep  it Short ‘n Sweet. Videos, just like commercials on television are the most clear and concise way to get a message across to a customer, in this case renters, in usually under 2 minutes.
2. High Quality is the Way to Go. A well produced and high quality video will have a shelf life of forever (and in cases of major renovations or ownership changes, which do happen) can be edited in most cases and continue being used in the future. A low quality video won’t hold up – if you invest once upfront, spend what it’s worth to do it with the right production company.
3. Video Marketing is in High Demand. With the growth of the smartphone and tablet market as well as the popularity of videos online (namely youtube), video marketing is only going to increase in popularity and demand.

When should a rentor make video DIY (do-it-yourself), or should they consider hiring a professional video creator?
RENTSEEKER: I have seen many DIY videos. While some may work for homeowners looking to rent out a basement, most won’t cut it for a condominium, home or larger property. Most landlords that own rental properties that have multiple units or landlord that own multiple properties and there is consistent turnover in some capacity, a well made professional video is well worth the cost, given the shelf life, quality, and of course being able to produce a video that tells a story the way it should (ie describing the property, amenities, area, etc) The experience saves time and money and gets the job done right the first time – our clients are coming back for more, which shows it’s worth it.

What are some common mistakes that DIY creators quite often do that should be avoided?
RENTSEEKER: Professional video production takes time to learn and understand so I’m not sure that there are specific common mistakes for those DIY’ers, rather than just not having an understanding of video production, the importance of the quality of the shots, and understanding the importance of refining a script to ensure the video does it’s job properly. I guess I would add, there is a reason that companies that sell products on TV (ie retailers) don’t shoot the commercials themselves and hire agencies skilled in the area of commercial production.


What are some practical tips that should be heeded before shooting a property video?
RENTSEEKER: Great question, I can answer this very specifically:

1) Staging Adds Value. Properly staging with furniture, etc available units is always helpful in ensuring a renter can visualize the living space.
2) Watch the Skies. Weather plays a very important role when it comes to property videos since the quality of the video will always be enhances when the weather is right.
3) Show More. Specific to property videos, area amenities are always importance to include when possible, as it allows renters to understand quite a bit about where they are going to be living, transportation, shopping, etc.

How and where should videos be shared or shown so the right people will see them?
RENTSEEKER: That’s a great question. We’ve had many clients approach us with videos that were produced for them and they weren’t exactly sure what to do at that point. That’s one of the reasons we promote our video work as “video production and marketing” because we not only produce videos, we help market them by first of all adding them within the clients listings on RentSeeker.ca (which is a video friendly site), as well as adding them to the clients corporate website, and then of course to the most popular video hosting site in the world, youtube. The reason youtube is so great is because it gets picked up in search engines, so titling the video properly (ie addresses), and adding tags and appropriate keywords when uploading them, will help renters using search engines, come across the videos.

That was really great information, it’s fantastic to get to speak with you Chaim! How can people easily learn more about RentSeeker.ca services online?
RENTSEEKER: Thank YOU again for the opportunity! This was a lot of fun, we love sharing our passion with people people that care – hopefully your readers have learnt something from our chat!

To learn more about us, people can visit www.RentSeeker.ca,

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HANI MOURRA: It is truly my pleasure to be here interviewed here today. I’ve been involved with video for the past 8 years. As an online video marketing coach and an owner of a video production company just outside of Toronto, Canada, I’ve had the privilege of working with a wide variety of clients to create videos to meet their specific needs. I’ve also coached clients on how to use online video marketing to generate more leads for their business. Although my formal education is in Electrical Engineering, my true passion has always been video. I eat, sleep, and breath video all day long. That’s one of the reasons why I started my online video marketing blog “Easy Online Video Tips | Video Marketing Made Easy”

How does video play an important role in marketing businesses online?
HANI MOURRA: Great question. I honestly believe that marketing with video is a critical component to any marketing campaign. Video engages your potential clients more than text because it targets both their audible and visual senses. Video is also a great avenue for your potential clients to get to know you and your business at a more personal level, especially if you as the business owner appear in the videos. The more people get to know you and your business, the more they will like you. Once they begin to like you and the content you deliver, then they will start trusting you. And as we all know, people buy from people they know, like, and trust. Video helps achieve all 3 before the potential client even walks in the door. That is a HUGE advantage.

What’s a good example of an organization with a decent video, but poor or an under implemented online marketing strategy?
HANI MOURRA: I can’t pinpoint one particular example, so instead I’m going to share a small checklist that will help you get targeted leads to your website from your videos. Here is what I suggest doing for each video that you have already created (or about to create):

1. Choose A Topic For Your Video. This can be a common problem your clients have, frequently asked questions, or a tip to help them save time or money.
2. Research EXACT Keyword Phrases. By using the free Google Keyword Tool, you will know the exact keyword phrases people are typing into the search engines that are specifically related to the topic you chose above. Choose 5 to 10 of these keyword phrases that have a high monthly search volume but have low to medium competition.
3. Choose A Title For Your Video. Now that you’ve done your homework, chose the most relevant keyword and incorporate it into the title of your video. Try to keep the keyword phrases as close to the beginning as possible. Also, try to include a second keyword phrase in your title (don’t force it though, you don’t want the title to sound unnatural)
4. Create Your Video. Each video answers one question or offers one solution. Don’t try to cram too much into one video. Keep your videos short, sweet, and to the point (no fluff). Another important thing to note here is that you should physically say the keyword phrases you researched in your actual video (as many natural times as you can without sounding like a parrot). The importance of this will become more clear in step 7.
5. You also want to add a clear call to action at the end of every video. Tell the viewer exactly what you want them to do and be very specific. The call to action can be to click on the link below the video to visit your website and sign up for your newsletter, call a phone number, connect with you on your social media channels, or even to ask them to subscribe to your YouTube channel. Whatever it is, just make sure you ask them to do ONE thing only. You don’t want to give your viewers options…if you do, they won’t take ANY action.
6. Upload Your Video To YouTube. Businesses have a tendency to shy away from YouTube. I think they are missing out on a valuable source of traffic. YouTube is 2nd most popular search engine out there (after Google). Your potential customers are now looking to YouTube for solutions to their problems. Another thing worth noting is that Google owns YouTube. About a year ago, Google has started serving YouTube videos as part of their search results. Getting the pages of your website ranked on the first page of Google is a very challenging task, but getting your YouTube videos ranked on the first page of Google can be more achievable.
7. Optimize Your YouTube Video. The goal of this step is to place your researched keyword phrases in strategic locations on YouTube to help your video rank better. The key areas include the title, description, and tags. You can do this as you are uploading your video to YouTube.
8. Another thing you must do is add a live click-able link to your YouTube videos so you make it easier for the viewer to hop over to your website after they are done watching the video. There are two places you can do this. The most common place is to put the URL of your website (staring with “http://”) in the first line of your YouTube video description. This is usually followed by a small comment on what they will receive after clicking on that link (free tips, discounts, etc). The second place is to put it right inside of the video using YouTube’s Call-To-Action overlay.
9. Upload A Video Transcript. Uploading a video transcript will help YouTube learn more about your video. By saying keyword phrases in your videos and uploading the corresponding transcript, you are re-enforcing with YouTube that this video is truly relevant to the title, description, and tags you entered. This will help rank your video higher in the search results.

If you create scripts before shooting a video, you can simply upload it and YouTube will take care of showing the proper closed-caption text at the right time in your video. If you don’t create scripts before shooting (I don’t usually), then you can hire someone for $5 from websites like Fivver.com and they will create a transcript for you. This will be the best $5 you’ve ever spent.

There are many more tips and tricks that you can do to help your video rank better and drive more targeted traffic to your website, but by simply doing these 7 steps, you’ll be ahead of most of your competitors.

What’s a cutting-edge example of a business using online video marketing?
HANI MOURRA: One of my all-time favourite companies is Apple. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit of an Apple-holic. Besides their technology, these guys are incredible marketers! One of my favourite examples of an effective online video was when they launched the new MacBook Air about a year an a half ago (You can watch their video here). I was impressed by how engaging and effective this video was, yet it was relatively simple. They had a few a members of the team on camera with a clean white background talking about their product. The thing that captivated me the most was how passionate they were about their product. Their passion alone got me excited about the product. They also do a great job showcasing the product features in a very subtle, yet effective way.

The reason why I picked this example is because I want to emphasize a point about creating marketing videos. Making videos doesn’t necessarily mean expensive cameras, special effects, fancy animated text, etc. Making a video is an opportunity for your potential client to get to know you and your business. If you are passionate about your products and services, then that message will be conveyed through the video and will resonate with the person watching the video. Be passionate about everything you do….including your videos

What are some tips for a business planning to start using video take their first step towards creating their strategy?
HANI MOURRA: I think you’ve mentioned a very important word in your question…strategy. Creating a video is not a one time thing that you do and hope it goes viral. You need to have a goal before you start creating videos for your business and a plan to achieve those goals. Videos can be used to drive traffic to your website, train clients on how to use you products and services, train employees, etc. First decide on your overall objective.

Assuming your objective is to drive more targeted traffic to your website (I think most businesses could use more traffic), then it is time to decide on what to talk about in the videos you are about to create. Videos that offer a solution to a common problem are extremely valuable. You want to make sure you offer incredible value in each of your videos or else you are wasting the viewer’s time.

A good strategy when brainstorming video topic ideas is to solve the common problems or answer questions your current customers have. This is where you may need to ask your existing clients what they struggle with the most. You can also do some online research in forums (in google type “your area of expertise + forum” for example) and social media groups to see what the common questions people are asking. If your video can help someone accomplish something or overcome a problem they are having, then you are providing value to them.

Once you’ve chosen the topic and researched a few video ideas surrounding a particular topic, then you can follow the checklist above for each of the videos you are about to create. Remember…each video should solve only one problem.

I’d like to offer some tips about video creation, based on my own experiences and the experiences of my clients. Don’t get caught up in the technology (video cameras, video editing software, lighting, etc). If you find yourself going down this rabbit hole, don’t panic. Stop what you are doing immediately and contact me. I’ll get you back on track by convincing you that the technology is not as important as the message you are delivering. Use whatever equipment you already own now and get started today. Down the road, you can invest and upgrade some of the the components to improve the quality of your videos. If you have a computer with a web cam, then are ready to start creating videos today (I create the majority of my videos using the web cam built into my laptop). Don’t let technology hold you back from delivering your amazing message to the world.


What are your predictions for the future of online video being used for marketing?
HANI MOURRA: Hmmm….let me pull out my magic 8-ball… With Internet download speeds getting faster and faster (even on mobile phones), I predict that people will start to expect videos on all websites. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video must be worth at least a million words. You can deliver so much more information in a shorter amount of time by using a video. People don’t have the time (or attention span) to read through paragraph after paragraph of information to learn about your business’s products and services. A short 1 minute video is what they will expect.

This also holds true for people visiting your website using their smart phones or tablets. They will EXPECT to expect mobile-friendly websites with mobile-optimized videos.

Thank you Hani! Anything else you would like to share?
HANI MOURRA: My pleasure – thank you for arranging this. It has been a blast! For anyone looking for one key takeaway from this interview here it is: Get out there and start creating videos for your business TODAY….no more excuses!

How can readers get in touch with you!
HANI MOURRA: Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to get my latest Online Video Marketing Tips and Videos or ask a question on my Easy Online Video Marketing Tips Facebook Fan Page!

Connect with Hani:
- Blog – http://www.easyonlinevideotips.com
- YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/hanimourra
- Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/hanimourra
- Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/hanimourra
- LinkedIn – http://ca.linkedin.com/in/hanimourra