creating web videos – InovediaMarketing.com

Create the “Where the Hell Did You Get That Idea” Ad

It’s fairly common to see an ad that has absolutely nothing to do with the product it’s supposed to be selling. Often referred to as “concept creative” or “high concept advertising” ads of this nature can fail miserably in two ways: an ad leaves the wrong impression about the product (such as a silly ad for a serious product) or the product is lost in the creativity of the ad. So why am I about to suggest you try it? Because when done right the results can be amazing and the process is a blast!

Sound like it’s over your head? It’s not and you can apply this technique to video, print, radio, or whatever! Here are a couple of great examples from the Google Mobile Blog:

These videos aren’t just memorable and entertaining; they also showcase new and different ways of looking at these gadgets, which is exactly how Google wants you to associate their mobile efforts. You can find more Google videos like this here: http://www.youtube.com/user/MobileTrix

Here’s a memorable way we showcased the slogan, “Accurate, Balanced, To the Point,” for a holiday promo:

Ok, here are some tips just to get you started:

First narrow down what you are selling. Notice the Google videos focus just on phones in simple surroundings and the holiday promo focuses on just 3 words. The simpler you make it, the more memorable the ad will be and the more your product will stand out.
Start with a long list of common metaphors, comparisons and relationships that are easily relatable to your product, but preferably not in the literal sense. For example a fire truck is obviously related to hot sauce. Keep it simple, make sure it’s obvious.

Once you’ve gotten to this point, you just need to avoid a couple pitfalls:

Pick an overall theme that’s appropriate for your product or brand. In other words, don’t get goofy with a serious product or try to shock the audience when selling a conservative product.
Be aware of your target audience’s age and make sure you’re age appropriate.

Test your concept! The best way to find out if you’re idea is “on target” is by rounding up potential customers and asking them, not by asking your immediate family and friends. I also highly recommend posting your ideas as discussions in LinkedIN groups and asking for feedback from peers & marketers.

Want a non-video example? Here’s an entire website built using “being in the doghouse” to connect to potential customers. Women can put their guy “in the doghouse” and suggest gifts that will get them out of the doghouse. Check it out at: http://bewareofthedoghouse.com

Here’s one of my all time favorite ads:

In this clever ad, a fight breaks out between the bear and a guy over salmon… you may ask yourself what does that have to do with John West brand and the answer is “it’s so good you do anything to get it” – a good reinforcement of their message.

At the end of the day only one thing matters and it’s the answer to this question: Did the audience remember your product?

Good luck!

If you are interested in clever ads I highly recommend visiting NowThatsaCoolIdea blog where I ran across the Doghouse website.

-Richard (@richardbouchez)

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"New Marketing" tactics, Video & Multimedia, Your Website: Tips & Tricks

Cheap & Easy Web Video You Can Do Too!

Creating videos for your website does not have to be a big expensive production in order to make a big impact on your visitors. From “How to” to “Viral Videos” here are examples that can be created “on the cheap” with little gear, no professional help and still manage to effectively get the point across.

HOW TO (Demonstration):

This video is a great example of what to do and what not to do! While the quality of this video is underwhelming, to say the least, the content is solid. The big take away for you: make sure there’s enough light! Before you watch this, keep in mind that this video has been seen almost 400,000 times in about 2 years. That’s right, four hundred thousand times. Just imagine if you were a piano reseller or teacher and your name was prominent throughout!

Have you ever watched someone make a paper airplane? You don’t get much more basic than this! What’s great about this video is that you can clearly see everything that’s happening and, anyone who wanted to, could easily follow along using the pause/play buttons to create create their own paper airplane. Is there something you do that can be showcased like this? This video has been seen over 1.5 million times!

A Unique Glimpse at What You Do:

Here is a fun way you may be able to highlight services you provide on your website, it may take some minor editing but the results are well worth it!

THE PERSONAL APPROACH:

This video is from Girl Arsonist, an “independent novelist,” who is trying to connect with her fans, build her audience and sell some books.

VIRAL VIDEOS:

These are videos intended to create buzz and drive views to your site. They are often very subtle and sometimes don’t even mention the products / services / company that created them, which I generally do not recommend. Here is a viral video example I created, using basic editing software, as an Olympic tie-in.

This is pretty amazing and kind of mesmerizing.

The final video is an amazingly successful viral video project by Blendtec. It is clever, hugely popular and “on brand.” The Will it Blend video is obviously of high quality and production but could certainly be done “on the cheap.”

For an extensive list of sites where you can find many different examples I highly recommend visiting this very thorough post: 37 Essential Viral Video Tips, Posts and Sites

For tips and advice on purchasing & using consumer video equipment I highly recommend Scott Bourne’s http://www.ConsumerVideoTips.com. Scott provides straight forward advice on a wide range of products.

Good luck!

@richardbouchez

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How to, Uncategorized

Video Tips: “How to” and Demonstrational Videos

Whether you are going to pick up a camera yourself or put the camera in someone else’s hands, professional or amateur, here are some tips to help you keep your message front and center.

Narrow your focus. Don’t talk about all of your services in one video; create many videos that each demonstrates one service. More choices = more inviting.
Have a plan! Try your best to script and map out everything. To get a more natural performance in a longer video, I suggest using discussion points instead of cue cards that have the whole script written out word for word. Shorter projects should be memorized whenever possible because it’s both obvious and distracting when someone is reading directly off cue cards.
Schedule extra time! You’ll be surprised at how quickly time flies, if you have plenty you won’t have to worry about how many takes… it takes. You may even be able to accommodate new ideas that strike you in the moment. The less rushed, the more natural the performance and the more you have to repeat lines, the more comfortable they’ll be read.
Do a trial run! Television shows often shoot pilot episodes, you should too. This will reveal obstacles and give you a good idea of how much time and resources your project will actually take. You may find yourself scaling back or gearing up to ensure success!
Keep it simple! Keep the area that will be on camera clutter free, well lit and reasonably quiet if possible. Be sure that everything shown on camera actually needs to be there. Conditions will vary greatly from project to project but think about this… Lighting can take a project from good to great, clutter can kill your message and background sounds can be added later, where adding dialog later may be much more difficult.
Shoot tight. Make sure everything you’re showing and demonstrating is clearly visible. If you’re showing me how to roll sushi, tighten in on the working area… in this scenario, if your face is on camera the shot is probably too wide for me to really see the demonstration. Web videos are often small when viewed and because the quality is fairly low you need to make sure viewers can see what you’re showing.
Virtually every video camera has an input for headphones. Get an inexpensive pair of “over the ear” headphones. Make sure the videographer is wearing the headphones during the shoot. This is the best way to identify audio problems allowing you to reshoot if need be.
Keep segments short! Break up videos into multiple parts making sure individual segments can “stand alone” then also upload the entire video as a single clip (if possible), this will give the user the choice that works best for them. Clearly mark each video with details such as “Large file” or “Part 1, length 3 minutes” so viewers know exactly what to expect.
If there is editing involved, keep transitions and other effects to a minimum. A good transition is one you don’t notice.
If someone else shoots the video for you, professional or amateur, make sure you will receive all of the footage. Be sure to include this requirement in your upfront negotiations. There may come a time when you need that footage, you could be in a bind if videographer is unavailable.

Remember, video projects can be as complicated as you make them. If you focus on keeping your message clear and concise, you should have a winner every time. This is in no way meant to be a comprehensive list, just general tips on producing better “how to” videos for the web for folks who have little or no experience putting together projects like these. Please share this article by clicking the + button below my name.

-Richard