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!
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!
How can a testimonial video help you?
As we stated in earlier posts testimonial videos are a great way to market your products, services or live event to potential customers. Video is simple, powerful tool to build trust and rapport with viewers before they pick up the phone to call! What a better way to communicate how good you are then to have your audience see AND hear why you are so good from your previous (happy) clients.
Networked Events recently used Skillman Video Group to produce a series of testimonial videos for their web page and e-mail marketing campaign. The videos were both posted to their web site as well as incorporated in their monthly e-newsletters. The participants were all asked the same three questions and there answers were later edited and compressed for the web. Simple “talking head” or interview style videos are extremely cost effective yet powerful in their delivery. Here is an example of a testimonial video we produced for Networked Events in November 2009. It was shot at the Liberty Hotel (in Alibi) in downtown Boston.
A simple “hot shoe” light was mounted to the top of the camera (similar to what you might see used by a news crew) and attached to a battery pack to help boost the image . “Hot shoe” lights are are fantastic for live events because they are extremely portable and don’t need to be attached to a electrical outlet (which frees the camera person to roam around if needed). Incorporating light is very important in professional video production because it allows the camera to record a high quality image….even in dark settings (such as a restaurant or bar). Another important component to professional video production (of all kinds) is the audio. What good is a testimonial video if the audio is muffled, garbled or too low to be useful? By attaching a professional wireless microphone to the speaker, we were able to record high quality audio despite the fact that we were in a crowded, noisy room.
Utilizing such professional production equipment is what allows Skillman Video Group to produce high quality videos regardless of the environment we find ourselves in while shooting. As we have stated many times it is very important to look and sound your best in any marketing endeavor your pursue and customer testimonials are no exception. Contact us today to see how we can produce professional testimonial videos for your web site
The Importance of Closed Captioning in Professional Video Production
Skillman Video Group offers closed captioning services for both DVD and web based video formats. Closed Captioning is a term describing several systems developed to display text on a television or computer/video screen to provide interpretive information to viewers who wish to access it. Closed captions typically display a transcription of the audio portion of a program or video as it occurs, and can include non-speech elements such as music or background noise.
A lot of times we get asked what the difference is between “closed captioning” and “subtitles”. The term “closed” in closed captioning indicates that not all viewers see the captions—only those who choose to decode or activate them (usually through your TV). “Subtitles” assume the viewer can hear but cannot understand the language, accent, or that the speech is not entirely clear, so they only transcribe dialogue and some on-screen text. “Captions” aim to describe to the hearing-impaired all significant audio content—spoken dialogue and non-speech information such as the identity of speakers and, occasionally, their manner of speaking—often along with music or sound effects.
However, the benefits of closed captioning extend far beyond the deaf or hard of hearing community. As time goes by, the general population is beginning to recognize its other useful applications. For example, it is not uncommon to see closed captioned programming in noisy public environments such as airports, public lobbies, and sports bars. It has also been said that Closed Captioning can aid those who are trying to learn English as their second language.
Closed Captioning is a great and very affordable “add on” for many of your live event, marketing or corporate video productions. The power of video is that you audience can see AND hear what is being spoken. For what equals out to be just a few dollars per minute, you would be widening the audience for your marketing, training, testimonial or social media video to include those who are hearing impaired. Captioning is a service that betters our community and enhances the teaching power of media. Contact Skillman Video Group today to see what we can do for your video production with our transcription, closed captioning and subtitling services today!
Capturing Clean Audio in a Professional Video
Ok so we here at Skillman Video Group are always preaching that in any corporate marketing or promotional video should always look and sound good. No matter what platform you chose to embed your videos on, such as your web site, or on Social Media sites like YouTube.com or Facebook.com – your viewers will appreciate quality!
SVG camera crew testing auio levels at a recent shoot
We’ve talked a lot about how video should look good (see previous posts!), but a very important component of professional video production is the audio. The best lit video in the world is useless if the audio comes out fuzzy, muffled, too “hot” or otherwise inconsistent. Audio in professional corporate video production needs to be clean, crisp, and clear so your audience is never distracted from your message.
What’s the difference between “professional” vs “amateur” audio you ask? First, it’s the equipment. Skillman Video Group uses only top-of-the-line audio equipment which insures the best sound recording at any shoot. We only use industry-standard professional XLR cables and microphones. We may utilize three different types of microphones depending on the type of shoot. Each has its own unique use and function and the audio specialists at Skillman Video Group know what equipment to use in any given situation to capture clean, clear audio.
- Shotgun Mic: A “shotgun mic” is a highly directional microphone that may be hand-held or mounted on a boom. It is best suited for capturing “natural” or “environmental” sounds like at a party, the sounds in nature (bird chirping etc), or the excited chattering of a group of children – and these are just a few examples. It picks up the nuances of the shoot’s environment and gives a realistic feel for how the voices and sounds naturally echo. Marketing videos looking to showcase the environment of a working location is an example where a shotgun mic would be used.
- Wireless Lavaliere Mic: A “lav” mic is a portable microphone that hooks around neck or is clipped to clothing. Also known as a necklace, lapel, or pendant microphone. It has a wireless transmitter that is placed either on a belt or in a pocket of the speaker, and is transmitted to a receiver connected to the camera. These are most popular in television and video production when it is important to get clean and crisp audio from the person or persons speaking on camera. It is best suited when the focus is on the speaker and not on surrounding sounds. A “talking head” video is an example where a lav mic is best suited.
- Wireless Handheld Mic Similar to the wireless lavaliere, the wireless handheld is perfect for the “Man on the street” type of interviews commonly used on the news broadcasts. While the audio will sound the same as a wireless lavaliere (when held towards the mouth), it is an entirely different visual.
The 2nd component of capturing great audio is the actual shoot location. The location of the shoot is just as important as the type of microphone being used. If capturing clean audio is the top priority (and remember every video is different), then the location of the shoot must be relatively sound-proof and distraction free. Doors opening and closing in the background and/or phones ringing will all be distractions from the speaker’s words and can potentially ruin the “take” (which trust us when we say if it is going to happen, it will be right in the middle of your best take and we will have to start over). The video producers and audio technicians at Skillman Video Group are all highly skilled in minimizing and removing such distraction from even the busiest office space. We’ve seen (or shall we say heard) it all!
The third component of capturing great audio is the actual content (or words being spoken). It is important to practice beforehand what you are going to say in order to speak fluently and clearly without the regular “ums” and “ahs”. It is NOT as easy as it looks! The producers at Skillman Video Group will offer coaching during the shoot but practicing before will help the shoot to go more smoothly – which ultimately will save you time and money in the long run.
What separates video from other mediums out there is that your audience will be able to see AND hear you. While the nature of video is what makes it the most effective format for building trust and rapore with potential customers, it can be disastrous to your brand and message if not handled correctly. All these various options also highlights the point that pre-production planning is very important to the success at any shoot. The video producers at Skillman Video Group work with our clients to discuss shoot locations, lighting AND audio options all before the camera crews arrive. Call today to find out how Skillman Video Group can help your business!
