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.

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!

Corporate Viral Video of the Week: Awareness Test

Welcome back to Skillman Video Group’s Corporate Viral Video of the Week. This week’s viral video is the London government’s Awareness Test video. This video was first released two years ago, however, it has maintained a steady hit rate since it’s debut and has over eight million hits on YouTube. This video does a lot of great things. One of the most important aspects of this video is that it’s interactive. By asking you to count the passes, it ensures undivided attention from its audience. Visually, it is a very interesting video. The constant movement and weaving of the players catches the eye. The white shirts and arching passes keeps you focused on the action of the players. The production work is very simple. The whole video is only one shot. As we’ve mentioned before, the at home, hand held camera look is very effective in viral videos. This is because it’s reminiscent of a sense of accessibility that’s associated with distributing content over the internet. The “re-wind” feature adds to that at home, viral feel.

Another great attribute is the “ Aha!” moment. Without slowing the video down or changing it in anyway, the viewer sees something they completely missed the first time (I know I did). This is the kind of mind trick video that people love to forward to their friends. In this case, the “Aha!” moment has the added bonus of being hilarious. They were not afraid to be silly and it paid off. Check back in for next week’s Corporate Viral Video of the week or contact Skillman Video Group today to see how your company could use a viral video!

Video Press Releases

Skillman Video Group is now offering a Video Press Release service! Video press releases (VPRs) are essentially an a video version of a traditional press release.   They are a fun, easy, visually stimulating and high-tech way of keeping either previous, potential or existing clients updated on your activities. VPRs can be used by businesses to inform,  shape public opinion, or to promote and publicize individuals, commercial products and services, or other interests.  In a few short minutes, you can provide your clients with a first hand look of  any new events, products or services that your company is offering. You can send these press releases out in emails, put them on your website, or post them on your social media profiles. Video press releases are also a great way to keep your blog or website fresh and interesting with new content on a regular basis which is important for SEO.  As a basic example of a video press release, check out the video from our recent shoot for Kitchen and Countertop Center of New England in Providence, RI shoot (below).   The idea is to keep the VPR simple and easy!  What is your company doing that is newsworthy or relevant to your clients?  Call us today to do your own video press release!

Corporate Viral Video Of The Week: Pedigree Dogs

Welcome to week two of Skillman Video Group’s “Corporate Viral Video Of The Week” series.  Let’s review some of the characteristics of a successful corporate viral video outlined in last week’s blog. The most important rule is of course to keep it simple. Too many characters and too much back and fourth dialog is too much work. The average, cubicle bound, corporate viral video viewer does not have the time to get caught up in an elaborate story.  This week’s video is from Pedigree Dog Food and it exemplifies many of the traits that make viral videos successful. This video was added last week and it already has over 700,000 hits. They opted to go as far no dialog at all. Instead, they focus on the physical feats of the dogs. The video is fun and lighthearted without trying too hard. The video also has a cool bit of production work. By showing the dogs slow motion while using a camera with a high frame per second rate, the viewer is able to see every minute movement of the dogs. The slow motion technique is very effective in this video. It adds a clearer view and a heightened anticipation to the dogs’ tricks.

Naturally, the videos that go viral are the videos with the most mass appeal. Companies are constantly trying to make videos that are funny but also work for a broad audience. This video exemplifies one of the sure fire rules to achieve that mass appeal: Put a dog in your video. If the words “dog”, “kitten”, or “puppy” are in the title of your video you’re almost guaranteed a million hits. Everyone loves to see dogs perform zany antics; you can’t help but smile.  The video with the most mass appeal is the most successful viral video. Check back in for next week’s Corporate Viral Video Of The Week.  Or call Skillman Video Group to see what kind of viral video we can do for you!

Marketing Video Shoot at Kitchen Countertop Center of New England

Last week, the Skillman Video Group production team spent a day in Providence, Rhode Island filming a marketing video for Kitchen Countertop Center of New England.

It was a fun and productive day of shooting with three separate shoot locations that kept us busy! Skillman Video Group was hired to create a marketing video that could be used at home shows, in their show room and be embedded on their company’s web site.  Our goal was to market and demonstrate to potential clients the uniqueness of their design and installation process .  The video was shot entirely in HD.  We started the day by meeting with the guys of KCCNE at their showroom in downtown Providence. We shot footage of co-owner, Eddie Keegan, taking customers through each step of the remodeling process.

This  included everything from the first meeting with the kitchen and bath designer over KCCNE’s computer generated model of the finished kitchen, to trips to the tile store and the granite warehouse.  We were able to capture Eddie working one on one with his customers and clearly communicate what sets KCCNE apart from its competitors. Our video will allow potential KCCNE’s customers to gain insight and understanding into KCCNE’s unique process in a way that other mediums would not allow. It was a light hearted and fun shoot -  and lucky for us Eddie was a natural in front of the camera!  Please contact Skillman Video Group today to see how we can market your business through the use of the video medium!

Remember the holidays with a professional live event video!

‘Tis the season to be jolly!… and to give gifts, throw cocktail parties, and ring in the new year!  Being able to look back at those special moments with a professionally created video is invaluable.  Relax with your co-workers, friends, and family while the professional videographers at Skillman Video Group come and capture those moments of joy, laughter, and friendship for all time.  Whether it’s 15, 50, or 150 people, a business cocktail party, a family gathering, or full-out New Year’s fiesta, a professional video from Skillman Video Group can make those holiday moments really shine and be remembered for years to come!

Skillman Video Group is fully equipped for any live event (for the holidays, or for the other 11 months of the year!).  The producers have both professional quality Standard Definition cameras and state-of-the-art HD cameras to fully capture the brilliant and festive atmosphere of your holiday party.  We have lighting equipment that attaches to the cameras capable of lighting up any environment, and portable enough to get right in the middle of the action without disturbing the socializing!  Our audio equipment will capture full-quality sound from the laughter to the speeches to the dancing or the  “remember when”s…. and everything in between.  And when it’s all over, Skillman Video Group will cut  the raw footage together in editing – adding graphics, music, photos, transitions – into a powerful, moving, engaging documentary of the event.

No matter what event you’re hosting, holiday or everyday, you want the memories from that night to be captured professionally by people who know their craft.  All around, video done by professionals will look and sound better than if it is done by a novice using consumer equipment.  Skillman Video Group has a history of creating quality videos that our clients rave about !  Relax, join the party, and start 2010 by remembering 2009 in a special way: a professional holiday party video from Skillman Video Group.  Contact us today!

What’s SD vs HDV vs HD? Some techno geek advice.

When meeting with potential or new clients a lot of them have questions regarding the myriad of video formats available.  So I thought I’d offer some friendly “techno geek” advice on deciding which video format is best for your project.  SDTV (or SD for short) and high definition television (HDTV) are the two categories of display formats for digital television or web video formats.  SD stands for “Standard Definition”.  Standard definition television (SDTV) is a digital television format that provides a picture quality similar to DVD.   While not as high-quality as HDTV, SDTV signals display clear pictures and sound without noise, ghosts, or interference.  Skillman Video Group shoots on high quality SD formats that delivers a clear picture and audio and is great for most web video productions or “talking head” video.  Here is an example of a “talking head” video shot using a professional SD camera.

High definition television (HDTV) is the highest form of digital television and has a couple of advantages over the old analog TV format  (or standard definition)  -  it’s wide screen and the resolution.   It has a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is similar in appearance to a movie theater screen.  The wide screen is good on our eyes — we see the rectangular wide screen images better than the old square format. Basically, our eyes see better from left/right compared to up/down.  Pretty cool right?  The wide screen will also let us see more of the on-screen scene, which is great for sports, movies, or for shooting outdoor scenery (panaramic views etc).

Resolution is undoubtedly HDTVs biggest selling point. HDTV’s resolutions are 720p, 1080i and 1080p — the number stands for the number of lines that create the image and the letter describes the type of scan used by the TV to display the picture.  Resolution matters because the more lines means a better picture. This is a similar concept to digital photos and how dpi determines print quality.  In comparison standard definition has a aspect ratio of only 4:3, and resolution of 480i.  That’s a big difference in picture quality!

Recently a 3rd video format has entered the video production arena, called  “HDV”.  HDV is a recording format that allows for HighDefinition (HD) footage to be recorded onto standard (SD) MiniDV cassettes. Instead of using DV compression, it uses “Long GOP MPEG2” which allows for the higher data compression that is needed to fit HDTV footage onto the same tape at the same data rates. There are currently two versions of HDV, 720P/30 (720 lines, 30 frames per second) and 1080i/60 (1080 lines/60fields per second). It also uses the same aspect ratio of 16:9 (widescreen) of Broadcast HDTV.  Skillman Video Group has the ability to shoot in either version of HDV (both in 16:9) for a superior picture quality over SD. Below is a sample video from our “Walden Pond” shoot for LiteraryTraveler.tv that was shot in HDV (still in production).  You can see the superior picture quality and difference in aspect ratio with this clip.  PLEASE NOTE that YouTube has a very poor flash codec so the video is not as crsip and clear as in its native state.

So what does all this mean  for you as a client?  Here is the bottom line: shooting in Broadcast HD is terrific for any broadcast TV shows, TV commercials or even DVD distribution.  Showing the video on a HD flatscreen TV at a tradeshow?  Then HD is probably the best format for you to use.  For those looking for simple “talking head” video for your web site, I think professional produced  SD video is the best deal on the market.   For those looking for product, training, marketing/promotional videos or for any outdoor shoot or  live event video that requires 16:9 (widescreen) aspect ratio with higher resolution (picture quality) I think HDV is a good alternative to HD – and it is far less expensive (which is a major pluss for our corpoarte clients).  The Producers and Photographers at Skillman Video Group are well versed in all available video formats and would be happy to discuss which product would best suite your needs.  Call today to learn more!