Saying Goodbye: What I’ve Learned in my time with SVG

As my time as an intern at Skillman Video comes to an end, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on all that I’ve learned over the past few months. Some things came as a benefit of working with the wonderful clients on shoots; I learned about Tai Chi, the proper safety procedures when installing gas mains, and how easy it is to install wallpaper.

But what will really stick with me is what I learned about online marketing. When I started, my experience with online marketing went about as far as the number of Facebook friends I had. Now, I know about SEO, social video marketing, and what a goldmine sites like Twitter and Google+ can be for businesses. Here’s what I think are the most important elements, and what your company should consider when thinking about online marketing:

1. Social Media: It’s not just for teens to keep in touch anymore. The world of social media has come leaps and bounds in the past few years, and is used by the politicians, corporations, and even major religious institutions. More and more, people are turning to these sites to find new companies to work with, or learn more about businesses they already do work with.  Social media should be a cornerstone in your efforts in online marketing.

2.The Importance of SEO: When searching online, people want their information quickly, and are unlikely to search for a long time to find what they need. As a company, you want to make sure that you are easy to find online, and the key to that is Search Engine Optimization. Without it, you can get lost among the thousands of other web pages, and if people can’t find you, they won’t see what great products or services you have to offer.

3.Keep People Engaged:  Online marketing is more than information, it’s an experience. The design of your website can have more of an effect on visitors than the facts and figures on it. Reaching people through multiple channels is crucial to online marketing success; think video, social media, or a blog. Allow your customers to learn information in a variety of platforms, and they will remain interested and want to learn more.

My time with SVG has been one that I’ll never forget. To all the people I met, thank you for a wonderful experience.

LINsanity: How Social Media is Changing the Face of Sports

If you’re a sports fan, you may have heard about Jeremy Lin, the New Your Knicks point guard who, after years of struggling to make it in the NBA, has had a phenomenal run over the past month. Lin’s story is everywhere, and he has graced two Sports Illustrated covers in the past few weeks. In the magazine’s February 20^th issue highlighting the young player’s success, legendary basketball star Steve Nash praised Lin saying, “If you love sports you have to love what Jeremy Lin is doing. Getting an opportunity and exploding!!” But this quote was not taken from a press conference or interview, but from Nash’s own Twitter feed.

In the Internet age, nothing is truly a big story until it has flooded Social Media sites.  An article posted on MarketWatch.com explains how Lin’s story has taken over Twitter, Facebook, and other major sites. According to Track Social, which measures analytics of various social media, the Knicks have seen an increase of over 400% in social media since Lin’s rise to fame, reaching an audience of about 2 million. The franchise has changed their online presence to reflect this new fan base, changing their facebook picture icon to Lin and filling their website with quotes and clips of the player.

The story of Jeremy Lin highlights the significance of Social Media on several levels. First off, the world of sports reporting has been drastically changed in the past few years. Reporters no longer need to hunt down quotes at press conferences or post-game interviews; thanks to Twitter, the players provide plenty of usable material compressed into easy-to-use 160 characters. Furthermore, fans are now able to have more of a say in who gets attention and, ultimately, more playing time. Before the Internet, the factors that measured a team or player’s popularity were ticket sales and merchandise. Today, millions of people can “like” a player’s facebook page, create hashtag’s on Twitter, or subscribe to a team’s youtube channel. This feedback is free, available to nearly everyone, and can affect change, just like in Lin’s case. The Knicks saw what the fans wanted, and have continued to have their new star play a predominant role on the team.

Social Media marketing and basketball have a lot in common. It’ about teamwork, understanding the game, and  always giving 110%. If your business follows these plays in online media, you can score a slam dunk.

How to Choose the Best SEO Company for your Business

The internet is a great tool; with the amount of material available on almost any subject matter, it’s no wonder the term “information superhighway” was coined.  But the sheer bulk of information can be overwhelming and make it difficult to discern what is a quality source and what is a scam.  And while the woman you met on a dating website may have used an out of date picture, the risks become much more serious when you use the internet for your online business needs

A recent post on Business Insider talked about the danger of SEO scams online. The author Lisa Barone explained a situation involving companies that appeared on the list of top 100 SEO businesses. Rather than based on customer satisfaction, the list seemed to focus on the amount of money the company’s made, and even suggested that these businesses paid to be on the list. Barone then highlighted some more practical and effective ways your company can choose an SEO provider other than awards.

Barone makes some very good points about what you should look for in a SEO company. Rather than empty accolades that can’t be measured, choose more effective ways to determine a company’s worth. The best suggestion Barone gives in the article is to look at their history, especially in the form of testimonials and customer feedback. Seeing the feedback of other company’s, especially one with similar marketing goals, is a great way to predict your own experience.

One thing not mentioned in the article that I think is also important is finding a company that can provide other services besides SEO to enhance your online marketing strategiesa. After all, SEO isn’t enough, and needs to be backed by social media, video, and other internet platforms. The big companies that make the top 100 list won’t have the time or interest in your small business to make sure you get the complete package, and without these other tools, your business could fall short.

So when you’re looking for an SEO company, don’t be blinded by empty awards. Find a company that can cater to your needs, and deliver quality SEO and Online Marketing solutions. Skillman Video Group is dedicated to providing the highest quality services to our customers, and we can do the same for you.

B2B Marketing Solutions for 2012

Recently, the website marketingprofs.com posted an article about the five trends in B2B marketing that will be essential to success in the upcoming fiscal year. B2B, or business-to-business marketing is an essential component for many companies, and although Marketing Profs stresses this element,  many of the strategies included can be applied to your online business marketing even if you deal directly with consumers.

The article includes some interesting statistics on what types of information business are looking for online. For example, 85% of engineers go online when searching for components or suppliers, but what’s interesting is that 78% also go online when looking for instructional manuals.  Even if your business is not in the industrial sector, this statistic shows how people are using the internet to gather information, and just how beneficial a how to video can be to your company. As we’ve mentioned before, a how to video can be a great way to introduce potential customers to your products or services, and with these new statistics, the time has never been better.

After reading the Marketing Profs article, I think the most useful tips are the emphasis on content and the use of social media.  Here on the blog, I talk a lot about how social media is a fantastic way to engage potential clients and customers. However, with the amount of social media sites online, trying to optimize for all of them is a waste of valuable resources. Marketing Profs’ article emphasizes finding the best channels for your business, and not using social media as the be-all and end-all in your b2b marketing.

The article also stresses the importance of content, and making sure that what you post is “the information your customers and prospects need to make informed buying decisions is available to them”. It’s a simple strategy, but incredibly effective.

Read the rest of the article here to learn more about B2B online marketing solutions.

Super Bowl Commercials: How to Win Big in the Online Marketing Game

This afternoon, Super Bowl 46 will be held in Indianapolis between the New England Patriots and New York Giants, re-igniting a fierce rivalry between the two teams. And while many people tune in to catch the touchdowns or the half-time show, a highlight of the game every year for many is the commercials. Thousands of people tune in to see what creative and interesting ways companies will promote themselves in 30 second slots throughout the game. The best and most memorable commercials will stay in the media conscious for weeks to come, and be talked about around water coolers across the nation. A Super Bowl commercial even revived the acting career of Golden Girl Betty White, who starred in an advertisement for Snickers and has since appeared in movies, hosted SNL, and even has her own television show.

Buying a Super Bowl ad isn’t cheap; it costs 3.5 million dollars for a 30 second time slot during the big game. This means that companies have to make the most of their airtime, and so a method has been perfected to create the most effective commercials. Many of the tools used by these big corporations can be applied to your business, especially in online video marketing. Here are a few things Super Bowl commercials do that you should consider in social video marketing for your company:

Keep it Short: 30 seconds doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but a good commercial tells a complete story and gives the audience an understanding of the product in only half a minute. An online video doesn’t need to be quite this short, but somewhere between one and a half and two minutes is recommended. This gives you enough time to introduce your business to prospective customers, but is short enough to ensure that they watch the video until the end.

Be Selective With Your Information: The purpose of an online video, like a commercial, is to provide enough information about your company or product so that a viewer is interested in learning more. But avoid too many fine details, long winded speeches, or an overwhelming amount of text, as it can be off putting to a viewer.

Make it Engaging: No matter how wonderful your product is, if people forget your advertisement, you’ve wasted your time and money. And with $3.5 million on the line, the marketing experts behind Super Bowl commercials know how important it is to make it engaging. For your social video marketing, the keys to keeping it interesting include a high level of technical skill, quality video production, and showcasing your product or services in a unique way. Many viewers are drawn to humor if it’s done well, but this isn’t the answer for every business video.

Use the Internet to its Full Extent- This year, every Super Bowl commercial is linked to a Facebook page, Youtube account, or Twitter feed. Even with a viewing audience of 111 million, companies know there are still millions more that can be reached online. This dedication to getting their brand out there is exactly what your company needs to be thinking about. Having video on one website isn’t enough; think about linking it to your Facebook, Google +, website homepage, or Youtube account to get the most of your social video marketing.

So whoever wins the big game today, watch the commercials. Pay attention to how this year’s commercials adhere to tools and suggestions in this post, and see if you can use any of their creative solutions for your business needs.

SVG Shoots Two Marketing Videos for Arch Painting

This week, Skillman Video Group shot two online promotional videos for for Arch Painting, a Boston area company providing quality painting and wallcovering throughout New England. Wednesday’s shoot showcased Arch Painting’s superior craftsmanship in residential home painting, and on Thursday the shoot was based around the company’s quality work for commercial clients. Skillman Video used a combination of client testimonials, footage of the professional painting crew in action, and a voiceover outlining Arch Painting’s capacities as a company.

Making two videos was essential to the success of Arch Painting’s marketing campaign. Commercial and residential clients are looking for very different capabilities from a painting company. A residential home may be concerned about the painters’ cleanliness and friendly attitude, where a business may need the painting to be done quickly and for the paint crew to work seamlessly within the space while business continues as usual. Combining these specific needs into one video would force the company to leave out important information that could, in turn, lead to missing out on important clients.

If your company’s client base is broad, sometimes one video for your website or social media pages isn’t enough. If you try to reach every group of customers in one clip, trying to include all the necessary information will lead to the video being too long. Online customers are not the most patient people, and probably won’t wait through a 15-minute video to learn what they need to know about your company. On the other hand, if you cut out too much information to shorten the video, you risk viewers not learning enough about how wonderful your company is. By breaking the information down into several shorter videos aimed at specific clients, the information they need is presented in a simplified way, making it more likely they will learn about all the advantages of your business.

If your business has a broad client base, talk to Skillman Video Group, and we’ll work to find the best way for you to reach each and every one of them.

Coming Soon: Skillman Video’s Newest Social Marketing Video

I have been an Intern here at Skillman Video Group since November, and in that time I have learned a lot about online marketing, and in particular the benefits of a successful Social Video Marketing campaign. Now, it’s time for me to put these skills to use, producing a short video for online distribution. I have written a script and made some design and costume choices already, and I will be starring in the video when we shoot it. I’m very excited to see this video come to fruition, and to talk about some of the stylistic and technical choices I made to maximize the videos success online. I wanted to share these tips with you when thinking about your own Social Video Marketing strategies.

1. Keep it short: The final video will be around two minutes in length, which is a good length for what I wanted to do with the video; introduce SVG as a company. While it can sometimes be frustrating to limit yourself to a short video, in the long run it will be beneficial to the success of the campaign. People are more likely to retain the information from a short video and seek out more about the company on their own, rather than get lost or bored while watching a long, in-depth video showcasing every detail of a company.

2. Make it engaging: It is important you find a way to keep viewers interested and leave them wanting to know more. For my video, I decided to capitalize on something very relevant and almost universally recognized; superheroes. The central character of my video will be “Skillman Video Girl” a crime fighter with the capacity to fix any business online marketing blunders.  Superhero movies have dominated movie theaters for the last decade or so, with reboots of Spiderman, X-Men, Batman, and a ton of others. By working with this pop culture phenomenon, viewers online will recognize the motifs and can automatically associate with the video.

Also, the piece doesn’t take itself too seriously, with a few tongue-in-cheek jokes aimed at the major themes present in these movies. By playing with comedy within the superhero genre, the video is engaging and entertaining, keeping viewers tuned in an interested in learning more about Skillman Video Group.

3. Focus on what you want to say: Since you only have a few minutes, you need to know exactly what elements of your company you want to focus on. SVG offers a variety of different video marketing ideas, from how-to-videos to videomercials, and each of these categories has its benefits. Pay close attention to what you want customers to come away with. Do you want them to have a better sense of what your company does? Or do you want to showcase your beautifully crafted products? Once you figured out what your focus is, SVG can help you choose what style of Social Video Marketing best supports your goals.

For my video, I wanted something that would draw prospective customers in, and give them the tools to learn more about the company. The video provides enough information for clients to understand what Skillman Video Group does and who would benefit from their services, along with highlighting the name of the company to increase customer retention.  Video is an entertaining form of information gathering, and so rather than bog down the video with a lot of detailed specifics of what the company does, I decided it would be better to emphasize the most important things, to peak interest and lead people to our website.

4. Have some fun!: Remember, this is your chance to engage with potential customers. So no matter what type of video you decide to make, keeping it light and fun will help you enjoy the process, and improve the final video.

Check in soon to see the final video, and to hear more about the production!

From the Red Carpet to your Computer Screen: How Hollywood is Going Viral

It’s the first month of 2012, which means that award season in Hollywood has begun. On January 15th, the 69^th annual Golden Globes kicked off  several months of red carpet events that will include the SAG awards and, of course, the Oscars. And even if “there’s no business like show business”,  Tinsel Town has followed suit and gone high tech for the upcoming award shows, utilizing  social media and online video.

The biggest of these upcoming award shows is the Oscars, which will be held on February 26th. For the second year in a row, the nominations for the prestigious awards were announced live via Youtube. This year, the use of mobile devices to watch the announcement was at it’s peak; the availability and popularity of smart phones allowed more people to follow the broadcast regardless of where they were located. As a result, the internet played a much larger role in the announcement than the televised event.  After the nominees were announced, people flocked to social media sites to share their predictions and expectations for the show. To add to the online social interaction element of the event,  Facebook and NYTimes.com are teaming up to create an interactive online ballot for the Academy Awards. The ballot will allow participants to select their choices for winners in the various categories, and the on the night of the big event, track how their votes stack up against friends and even celebrities. This is an exciting way for fans to participate in the big event, but the plans for next year are even more high tech. In fact,  the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has decided to move forward with a completely electronic voting system for the 2013 Academy Awards.

The Oscar’s aren’t the only way Youtube is getting involved with the film industry this year.  Starting February 2^nd, the video site is launching it’s largest film festival ever, called Your Film Festival. Anyone 18 years and older can submit a short film (no more than 15 minutes) to the social video site, and 50 semifinalists will be chosen by Scott Free Productions (Ridley and Tony Scott’s production company). Those 50 short films will be hosted on a youtube channel, where viewers will vote for their favorites. The 10 films with the highest amount of votes will be flown to the Venice Film Festival, where a winner will be chosen and awarded $500,000 to produce a movie with Scott Free Productions. This film festival is another example of how the internet can create a level playing field for businesses (or film makers) of all levels. Having worked for a film festival, I have some idea of how expensive the processing of a blu-ray or 35-mm film can be, even for a short. By allowing participants to post their work directly to the internet, allows small production companies to be considered for an award.

Even if your company doesn’t have a red carpet and golden statues, you can still take a page out of Hollywood’s book and improve your online business.

Facebook Gets Political: Social Media Marketing and the Race to the White House

Presidential elections and new media have always gone hand in hand in America. In 1948, the first radio debate was held in Oregon between Republican primary candidates, the first televised debate in 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon changed the face of politics (in fact it was Kennedy’s handsome, healthy face that led viewers of the program to feel he won the debate, while those that listened on the radio thought Nixon had the upper hand).

And of course, Al Gore invented the internet.

In the 2008 presidential election, the internet played a major role for voters seeking information and news about the candidates with an  11% jump in voter use of the internet from the campaign 4 years prior. And so, there was a push to capitalize on internet marketing, particularly social media and the “youth vote”, which candidates believed could be the turning point in the election. This focus on internet marketing was not in vain; over 22 million voters between the ages of 18-29 voted in 2008, the second largest youth turn out in American history.

With the Republican primaries starting and the election coming up in November, internet campaigning has never been more prominent. Social media in particular has taken the foreground in political presence on the web. Potential candidates have Twitter accounts, create premade Facebook profile pictures for their supporters, and advertise on  Youtube. Republicans even have a presence on tumblr, a social media site  Skillman Video Group discussed in blog post last week.

However, there has been a shift since the last presidential race in the demographics of users of social media sites. For example: the average age of a Facebook user rose from 33 in 2008 to 38 in 2010.  In 2008 sites like Facebook were still used primarily by teens and young adults for interacting with friends. Today there are companies, corporations and established entrepreneurs that use the site for networking and establishing new clients. As a result, using social media and using it effectively has never been more important for the candidates.

This trend in political campaigning and the effect it has on results is interesting to look at for your own online marketing strategies. Campaigning for president and marketing your company are similar; both aim to reach as many customers (or voters) as possible in the most effective way.  Presidential candidates spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on strategists, researchers, and political advisers to ensure they are marketing themselves well, and if they are focusing primarily on social media marketing, there is a good chance your company will benefit from these websites as well.  Another interesting point brought to light by this campaign is the shift in users of social media sites.  Four years ago, it didn’t make sense for every company to have a Facebook page; today it is an indispensable aspect of online marketing.

Democrat, Republican, or Independent, there’s one thing your business stand behind this election season; the importance of social media marketing.

This time it’s personal: Google changes its search results to reflect social media

Recently, the website Poynter posted an article about a new type of search that can be performed on Google. Search Plus Your World delivers specific, personalized search results based on what a user’s online community has posted, shared, or linked. This is different from the current search results on Google, which are based on SEO, or the frequency and use of keywords in a website or post. The search engine Bing already uses community activity from Facebook in it’s search results, and Google works primarily with Google+, but the search engine wants to incorporate both Facebook and Twitter into its personalized search results.

What does this mean for your business? As we’ve mentioned before, social media is important to any company’s online business. But now, how your company uses social media sites becomes crucial to the success of your appearance in search results. First, it is important that you develop a strong online network of clients, customers, and companies on social media sites; being connected will give you a chance to appear in their search results. Also, it is important to post frequent and engaging material on your website, such as blog posts or videos. By staying connected and engaging your audience, you can maximize the success of your social media sites and the prevalence of your company’s appearance in search results.

The new search form on Google does not eliminate the importance of SEO, but it does make social media more important than ever in online marketing.

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