Video Press Release on Social Video Marketing

Recently Skillman Video Group developed an exciting new service, Social Video Marketing, which SVG applied to their own website with much success. Skillman Video Group released a case study explaining and analyzing Social Video Marketing. This case study is available on SVG’s website by clicking HERE!

To properly announce their innovative service, Skillman Video Group produced a video press release showcasing SVM. This video press release is in itself social video marketing. A video press release is searchable through SEO and can be used on social media or business websites. Most importantly, it transforms a basic press release into exciting content that engages the viewer. A video press release takes full advantage of the power of media.

Skillman Video Group’s own video press release is currently also viewable on SVG’s homepage, YouTube channel and Facebook page For more information about SVM, please view the video press release, read the case study or contact Skillman Video group.

Skillman Video Group’s Video of the Week

Welcome to Skillman Video Group’s Video of the Week, which has returned after a short hiatus. The purpose of the series is to examine what helps to make a successful marketing campaign. This week’s video is a commercial from Apple showcasing their recently launched iPad. For those who are unfamiliar with the product, the iPad is a large touch screen that allows users to surf the Internet, read books and listen to music.

Apple is known for having simple advertisements and this trend continues with their iPad commercial. The 30-second ad is a montage of various people using the iPad. Except for perhaps two seconds, the product is the focal point of the screen. The purpose of the advertisement is for viewers to see this new product, so Apple wastes little time on other visuals. The short and repeated use of the phrase “the iPad is…”  ingrains the idea that the iPad is indeed a lot of spectacular things—take your pick, one is bound to suit you. The repetitive phrase is an age-old practice and is still used for a reason—it drives the message into the viewer’s head. Fortunately for you, this technique can be used in almost any marketing video.

This commercial really works though because it shows the product in use. We can visualize what it would be like to own the product for a short period of time. The face of a user is never revealed. Doing so forces our attention to the product, which is central to this video and should be done in others by keeping the product the focus of the frame. Throughout the clip we see flashes of what the iPad has to offer: users reading The New York Times, playing games, watching a movie. This is a wonderful technique that could be applied to other product videos: show don’t tell. Take advantage of powerful medium that is video and bring your viewer into the world of your product.

Interested in developing a video to market your company? Contact Skillman Video Group to get started.

The Uses of Live Event Videography

At Skillman Video Group, live event videography has advanced to a whole new level. We have professionally filmed a number of events for a wide range of clients, from Boston University School of Law to Springboard Enterprises. These various institutions and companies have used our live event videography services for a bevy of reasons, some of which may aid you when considering why live event video could benefit your company.

In the past, Boston University School of Law has hired Skillman Video Group to film a lecture series. The video was posted on their website. The school desired such a video so that those who were unable to attend could later view the lecture or for those who wished to re-visit a one-time event.

Springboard Enterprises used Skillman Video Group videography for similar reasons. Earlier this month the organization hosted a dinner and a discussion panel the following day. At the dinner, Besty Myers, former COO of President Obama’s 2008 Presidential Campaign, and others spoke. The discussion panel brought together members of the organization as they talked about their past, present and future. Not all invited guests could attend; a live event video ensured that all members could remain involved and be kept up to date. Furthermore, Springboard wished to capture these events partially for marketing purposes. In the future, the organization can use these videos to market events or the organization itself.

Later this week, Skillman Video Group will once again be working with the Yamaha School of Boston to produce a video of their year-end concert. In the past, this live event video has been edited by Skillman Video Group then used by Yamaha to market the school, in addition to being distributed to parents.

Live event videography helps serve many needs. Whether you wish to use an event for marketing, flaunt a prominent speaker, keep employees and members informed or more, live event videography can be the right business decision for your company or organization. Contact Skillman Video Group for more information.

Basic Types of Marketing Videos

Skillman Video Group is able to produce a wide variety of marketing videos to be used for your business website. Determining which video is right for you comes back to knowing your audience and understanding why one type would better market your business over another.

• A recent trend in video marketing that has been previously discussed on this blog is a viral video. Viral videos are defined as videos that gain seemingly instant and ubiquitous popularity due to unusual, funny or catchy material. Due to the fact that viral videos really began as home made clips posted on YouTube, these videos are now often produced to have the same low quality visuals. This style of video is more commonly used to market to a younger audience because the video typically promotes a less serious front.
• A more basic trend is using a promotional video, one that just simply showcases
  

  Crew starts shooting at the KCCNE Showroom in downtown Providence RI

  your product or services. These videos are more direct and more likely to target an older audience versus viral video marketing.

  Another trend is instructional or “how to” videos. The name really says it all—a video which works to instruct the viewer on how to use a product or how to perform a certain task. This type of video works very well not only as a nice service for new or existing clients (who may come to your site looking for simple answers to theur questions), but again helps demonstrate your credibility as an expert in your field.

  Skillman Video Group also offers a similar style of video called product video. Unlike instructional videos, product videos do not show precisely how to use the product. Rather, product videos showcase the product and flaunt certain features.

  Often combined with any or all of the above marketing videos is the trusty testimonial video. This video style allows previous or current customers to reach out to new customers and ensure a belief in the quality of your business. Testimonial videos are a clear example of the usage of a technique that is necessary in most marketing videos: establishing credibility. They do so by showing previous success with the business. That is why this video can work for really most product or service because the main goal of a testimonial video is to achieve what every customers looks for: proof that the business is credible and of high quality.

Every marketing video, not just testimonials, that Skillman Video Group creates works to show the credibility of your business. The real aim of doing so is to create trust in the viewer and therefore turn them from potential customers to viable prospects.  Another technique Skillman Video Group embeds in their videos is relationship building. This is done through relating with your audience. And once again it is really about establishing trust through video marketing to turn viewers into customers.

Contact Skillman Video Group to learn about how one of these types of video can best help target your market.

Live Event Videography for Springboard Enterprises

Yesterday Skillman Video Group completed a two-day live event videography job for Springboard Enterprises at Babson College. This particular organization focuses on creating an entrepreneurial network that aids women in creating successful businesses. On the first day of videography, Skillman Video Group filmed a dinner celebration in honor of the tenth anniversary of both Springboard Enterprises and Babson’s Center for Women’s Leadership. One of their many speakers included Besty Myers, former COO of President Obama’s 2008 Campaign. The next day, Skillman Video Group filmed Springboard’s energetic and interactive Alumnae Caucus. Springboard Enterprises desired videography so as to be able to show this extensive event on their website for marketing reasons and absent members. Springboard wanted a well-produced, professional video of their live event. As a result, they chose Skillman Video group as their professional videographer.

Online Marketing Videos

At Skillman Video Group we believe, when used correctly, online marketing videos are of the most successful and cost effective way to market your company on-line. We will soon be releasing a case study on our new service, Social Video Marketing. Social Video Marketing combines the use of high quality video marketing with Internet marketing technology to convert web visitors into new leads.  As we have mentioned before, Internet Marketing works in two ways.  1) getting people to first come to your site through SEO and social media and then 2) once on your site, the content must be engaging enough to compel the casual visitors into a valuable lead.  This is what we call at Skillman Video Group the “video conversion point” .  Combining the power of the video medium with the power of the Internet gets our clients the best return on investment possible!   We focus not just on producing the highest quality video, but also  on the importance of routing as many viewers as possible to that video thereby expanding your presence in the marketplace. By using the right keywords and tags, we make sure your videos can be found on the web. Also, by incorporating a  blog posts and web announcements on your site, you can keep your content fresh and Google relevant.

We started implementing these techniques ourselves in October 2009. Google ranks website traffic and searches on a scale of zero to ten, with nines and tens being the Facebooks of the world. When our new site launched in October 2009, our website was ranked a zero by Google. Our old html site was static and we weren’t generating leads from the web. In October 2009 we started an agressive Internet marketing plan using the services outlined in our soon to be published Case Study.  By the time our case study had concluded, we were coming up as #1 in 9 targeted key words.  Within 6 months of us launching our new program, our paged jumped to a number four ranking on Google, a very impressive feat for a company of our size. The results of this online marketing effort is that our traffic is up, our content is fresh, and it’s helping our business grow. For example, our recent blog post on Video Legal Depositions was the direct source for Duane Morris LLP locating our services (please read about that job below) though a Google search and booking us just a day later. Our Social Video Marketing program is the most efficient way to market on the web. Our online efficiency techniques direct maximum traffic to your site, and our quality videos tell your story in the most effective and dynamic way possible. Call us today about your Online Marketing Video!

Social Video Marketing and Sales Force Automation

Last week, Boston video producer and Principal of Skillman Video Group, Christina Skillman, along with our technology Partner Neil Saviano of CRM Boston, met with the management team of Capital Services and Supplies Inc (CSS) in Washington DC. Over the two-day meeting we discussed their current marketing and sales strategies along with new technologies available for increasing sales through Video, SEO and Internet Marketing.

For any marketing program, it is essential to have a consistent message. Deciding on what this central message should be will not only help in the production of a marketing video, but in every aspect of a marketing program from the outside sales staff to print ads, catalogues, and the web. It is what we call your “brand”.  We began our meeting at CSS by asking seemingly simple questions like “who are you?”, “what do you do”? and “what do you do that is different from your competitors?” Through this discovery process we can determine what their best strengths are and how to best use video and the Internet to market their services to potential customers.

We next discussed logistics for shooting the video (style, location, content etc). There are a lot of details that need to be taken into consideration when producing a professional marketing video, and we had to be sure every “t” was crossed and “i” dotted before we left! After we had a firm grasp on the marketing video, we next discussed the new marketing opportunities available to them through the Internet. Internet Marketing works in two ways. 1) Through SVG’s SEO services we can help bring people to your site and then 2) once they are on your site – how do we convert those visitors into viable leads? At SVG we call that the “video conversion point”. The content on your site HAS to be of sufficient quality to draw them in immediately and impel them to pick up the phone and call!

The two day meeting was concluded by Neil Saviano giving a presentation about their integrated call center and the ability to integrate video within their current sales processes and CRM software. By the end of the process Capital Services and Supplies Inc should have a complete and total integrated marketing solution that includes sales force automation, video and Internet Marketing. By utilizing all the technology that is available to them, Capital Services and Supplies will be differentiating themselves from their competitors and thus increasing their visibility in the marketplace. Call today to see what Skillman Video Group and our technology partners can do for you!

Legal Marketing Video Shoot at Duane Morris

Skillman Video Group recently went on a video shoot at the national law firm, Duane Morris LLP. Duane Morris hired SVG to shoot a Legal Marketing Video of their Boston office for their web site. SVG shot a series of interviews with the firm’s partners discussing their practice areas and experience for both internal….and external marketing purposes. Duane Morris will be using the videos to market their attorneys to potential clients, as well as to use for recruitment of new hires.     The partners discussed both personal and professional topics and we concentrated on their areas of expertise, their goals for the firm, and even personal interests and hobbies.

Marketing for any law firm begins and ends with their attorneys.  If your lawyers are essentially your product, then video allows a law firm  to showcase those lawyers in a personal, intimate way.  By allowing potential clients to see and hear your attorneys speak about their experience and goals  – you are allowing them to build trust and repore with a client before they pick up a phone to call!  In the legal field, where personal relationships are crucial, video marketing is the only medium that can clearly and accurately represent your services.

It is also important that your legal marketing videos look and sound professional.  Lighting and audio are key components to any video shoot.  If your attorneys look or sound unprofessional, it will do a poor job marketing their skills and abilities to the public!  Producers at Skillman Video Group are adept and not just lighting and audio, but also directing the on-screen talent.  Speaking on camera is sometimes very difficult for those who are not used to doing so in their every-day job.  Our producers will work with the on-screen talent to make them feel comfortable and help them look and feel their best.  Call today to learn more our Legal Marketing Videography and Video Production services!

Corporate Viral Video Of The Week: SVG’s Gerry’s Waterbed Emporium

Welcome to Skillman Video Group’s Corporate Viral Video of the Week. This week’s video is…. us. Skillman Video Group recently produced it’s own viral style video, “Gerry’s Waterbed Emporium”. When producing this video we focused on two key attributes, i.e. relevance and mass appeal.  As a corporate video production company, it is important for us to set a standard for clean, professional video that can be taken seriously. Everyday, we see other video that does not meet our standards. If you own a television, chances are you’ve seen hundreds of cheap local furniture ads that are poorly produced and awkwardly scripted. It is something that everyone knows and universally mocks. Our video provides a familiar setting that has mass appeal, while clearly juxtaposing our services to the other guys. These are two of the most important tasks when making a viral video. You need to find a subject that is recognizable to a large number of people; if its not pertinent to them, they won’t watch it. It is also necessary for the video to relate back to you and your services. A video can be very funny, but if it’s not clear that you made it and why, you won’t see any of the benefits.

We had a lot of fun making the video. We shot in front of a green screen and super imposed the ridiculous backgrounds to give it that extra “cheesy” feel. We used goofy neon graphics to really sell the tacky style and even took a cheap shot at Ralph Macchio, but I think that’s fair game at this point.  We wrote the original script and found a devilishly handsome young actor to capture to true essence of Gerry (hey if you write the blog post – you get to toot your own horn!). Pass the video on to your friends to help us reach viral status! “Do you want a wicked awesome viral video for your company? Then come on down to Skillman Video Group today!!”

Video Depositions

We’d like to highlight a new service at Skillman Video Group, Video Depositions!  A “deposition” is defined as “The sworn testimony of a witness taken before trial held out of court with no judge present. The witness is placed under oath to tell the truth and lawyers for each party may ask questions. The questions and answers are recorded. When a person is unavailable to testify at trial, the deposition of that person may be used. This can also be part of the pre-trial discovery (fact-finding) process.”

Legal depositions are yet another area exponentially improved by the medium of video. Video provides the judge, insurance adjuster or jury, the ability to both see and hear your claimant tell their story in a controlled yet powerful format.   This can especially be relevant in personal injury cases.  For example, we recently completed a Video Deposition for the personal injury law firm of Parker Scheer LLP.  Our camera crew spent a half day with a team of lawyers from the firm, interviewing the claimant about the accident and its immediate and long term impact.   The video was later edited down to the most essential and meaningful facts of the case.  What are the important facts of the case?  How has his life changed since the accident?  Thanks in large part to the power of the claimant’s story, as told through the video legal deposition, the case was settled out of court just a week later.  Call us today about our Video Deposition Service and see how it can help your upcoming case!

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