When it comes to your business – hire a professional

In 1985, a year after the Apple Macintosh computer was launched, the first desktop publishing program, Pagemaker, was released for the Mac. It launched a world of professional page layouts and home-made garage sale flyers, all on a home computer.

Suddenly everyone was a graphic designer! The number of brochures being produced soared, but the number of bad brochures soared as well.

Today we see the same phenomenon in the world of video. Small, HD video cameras and inexpensive desktop video editing software have legions of people producing and editing videos.

It’s certainly suitable for hobbyists to edit short videos and post them on YouTube for fun, but in the business world that can lead to disaster. A poor quality video can lead to an unsatisfactory impression of your company and brand. You can’t go back and make a new first impression.

With video becoming an increasingly vital component of  commercial websites, your business requires the production values that a video professional brings to the job.

VR & 360 Video (Part One)

All it took was one epic James Cameron movie to cause a huge hype for 3D video viewing in Oakville. More than 15 years in the making, delayed in part by the need to develop the needed technology to make the film, Avatar was a visual masterpiece, and fundamentally changed expectations of the viewing experience in theatres throughout Oakville and the world.

It was also the first film to gross more than $2 billion, making it clear that 3D films were financially compelling as well. With its tremendous success, Avatar helped ignite public interest in 3D film and video production in Oakville. Consumer technology struggled to keep pace with early 3D TVs costing a fortune for home theatre enthusiasts. Yet 3D TV just never took off in Oakville for household viewing, and for good reason. First, you’d have to spend a lot extra on a TV that supported the technology, then you’d have to invest in enough glasses for everyone present to wear, and finally, you’d have to find content worth watching in 3D – all of which combined to be too big of a hurdle for most Oakville consumers. Recently, Samsung, the biggest TV manufacturer in the world, stopped producing 3D TVs. Other manufacturers have severely limited the number of models that will support 3D technology. The handful of TVs that do are really expensive, making it impossible for the average consumer to purchase a 3D TV, and leading many analysts to announce that 3D TV is either dying, or is already dead.

The new growing trends in Oakville in terms of video production are VR (virtual Reality) and 360 Video. Although these two new mediums seem to be a newer version of the old 3D format, there are many important differences between virtual reality video production, 360 video production, and 3D video production:

Virtual reality video production, when done correctly, is truly immersive and allows for rich interactivity within the video, plunging you into the midst of the action as a self-directed participant.

360 video is only interactive in the sense that you can change your viewpoint, and is not as high tech or as immersive as virtual reality.

3D video is not interactive, and isn’t dramatically different from regular video for viewers other than that it appears to be 3D instead of 2D.

Those important distinctions have significant ramifications for how videos are produced and stories are told through these different mediums. Virtual reality is uniquely suited to video games where the viewer is not passive, but fully engaged and participating in the storyline. 360 video production is ideal for allowing someone to explore a space and uncover elements of the plot for themselves, without becoming a character in the story. 3D video is best for your classic Hollywood storytelling format, just with some extra bells and whistles.

Click here to read part 2 of this article where we’ll take a look at some of the similarities between VR, 360 Video, and 3D… and not all of these similarities are good for the growth of these mediums!

Online video is the business card of the 21st century

As Canadian businesses shift more of their attention online, it’s more important than ever to understand the key trends being seen across the internet.

10 Online Video Trends Every Marketer Needs to Know

1. According to ComScore, Canada continues to lead the world in online engagement,  with visitors spending an average 45 hours per month online, representing a fertile ground for digital marketers and advertisers.
2. 181 million US internet users watched nearly 40 billion online videos in January 2012
3. Smartphone penetration has reached 45% in Canada. Mobile content and online videos are finding new followers from the corporate world.According to Forbes Insights: “59% of executives prefer to watch video over reading text. Younger executives in particular appear more inclined not only to view video, but also to share it over the business-oriented “social” web. Their growing influence is likely to make business-related video even more prevalent in the coming years.”
4. Nearly 85% of the internet audience viewed online video.
5. 90% of shoppers find video useful when purchasing.
6. People who view an engaging online video are 64% more likely to buy or explore the brand.
7. Video traffic on mobile devices is now 50% of wireless network traffic.
8. People using mobile devices – such as iPhone, Android, Blackberry and iPad – view online videos two and a half times longer than desktop users.
9. In a keynote address at CES in January, YouTube’s VP of Global Content, Robert Kyncl, predicted that video would soon be 90% of internet traffic.
10. More videos are uploaded in 60 days than the three major US networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) produced in 60 years

If 90% of all internet traffic will be for video – will people really bother with a website without video? Companies that don’t embrace video are at risk of being left behind.

Online video is no longer “the future”. Online video is here and it’s the newly accepted norm.

Video to drive foot traffic to your trade show booth

So you’re thinking about marketing your products or services at a trade show, conference or expo. You’ve designed your booth, complete with company banners, flyers, brochures and hand outs.

But how will you drive traffic to your exhibit? Video is ideal for the trade show environment.

Image two adjacent booths: a video playing at the booth on the left, no video at the one on the right. Which direction will heads turn? Research shows that a booth with a video gets more attention.

• A video will increase the amount of time a potential client stays at your booth.
• A video can remove the discomfort of establishing eye contact and gives your audience a less intimidating environment for them to view your company’s products and services.
• A video helps to engage attendees who are passively walking past your booth by allowing you to gradually connect with them.
• A video is also an ideal way to illustrate “before and after” results.

Set your booth apart from your competition at your next trade show with a video! Enhance your brand. Promote product visibility. Generate excitement about your products/services.

In Short … Keep it Short!

One of the most frequently asked questions we get from our clients is: How long should my corporate video be?

There is no magic answer. Ten minutes in real life usually flashes by like a nano-second, but ten minutes on video can seem like an eternity, no matter the subject. In our experience a standard length for your average video production should be 2 to 3 minutes. That’s all. Better to have easily digested chunks of information stacked on a web page in multiple 1 to 2 minute video segments, than to have one 10-minute video that is not watched to the end. Few decision makers will have the time to watch an 8 to 10 minute video about your company.

Keys to a successful 3-minute corporate video:

1. You want your videos to be brief and to the point. Your target audience requires information. Quickly.
2. Keep your audience’s attention with a stylish, attractive video utilizing high-quality film-making skills. A successful video production does not need to be a big budget event. Music, great sound and lighting, crisp and clean images, fast-paced editing in a whiz-bang fashion that suits the image of your organization or business . . . these are the things that will help keep your viewers interested.
3. Stay relevant, with a clear message. Stay laser focused. Your video should point out how your products or services will solve their problems and satisfy their needs.

Bottom line: leave your audience wanting more.

Superbowl Commercial Fun Facts

So this is it, the start of the new year. The holidays are wrapped up for another year and we look ahead to our goals for 2017.

Signs of spring are still far off, but the countdown to Super Bowl VI begins and with audience numbers predicted to smash last year’s 115.5 million, we rounded up some facts about one of the most important aspects of the game: the ads.

In 1967, NBC charged $37,500 for a 30-second spot. This year the usual big brands; beer, cars, Coke/Pepsi, and of course the e-trade talking baby, will shell out a record $5 million for each 30-second spot.

Certainly a Super Bowl ad has it’s cachet value, but today’s advertisers are hoping that their commercial goes viral. Conversations, chatter and social sharing can turn an ad into an online phenomenon. Back when the legendary Apple “1984” spot launched  at the big game, ads ran once. Today, brands want their ads to live forever and  are looking online to connect with their audience. Thanks to the power of social video – online video content – their ads can stand the test of time.

Who can forget 2006’s catch-phrase-making Budweiser “Wassup” spot, or Doritos’ 2011 Pug Attack, and of course, the top shared Super Bowl ad of all time, Volkswagen’s “The Force”?

Why hire a Video Professional?

Though many of us are accustomed to the barrage of media, the impact of video can still be tremendous. We live in a multimedia world with  video finding its way into every walk of life. Video screens can be seen on buses, in lobbies and waiting rooms, in department and grocery stores, in restaurants, on our mobile phones and tablets and even while fueling up our car!

Video has become a respected and essential tool for marketing and promoting companies and products. So how do you keep your message from getting cast aside?

Craft a simple message and present it in an engaging, original and professional way.

This raises the bar for the demand for quality.

Taking a crash course in video technology and hoping for the  best is likely not the best idea. Although video recording and editing hardware and software are constantly developing and dropping in cost, a professionally produced video is invaluable.

Choosing the right production house can drastically increase the chances that your video project will be responsive, visually stunning, and pay for itself many times over. But finding the right video production company for your business can be challenging for a small business owner.

Here are three considerations when choosing a video production company.

1. The large companies with multiple studios and sound stages, editing suites and a sizable staff. These are the people Hollywood and television stations will call on when they are looking for a local production. A considerable price tag will accompany their overhead. Often they are unable to service smaller businesses because of the smaller budgets.
2. The next step is the smaller, full-time production companies. The core of their clientele is the small and medium businesses. They are compelled to keep the budgets as lean as possible while  delivering the best possible quality. These production companies may have a small, single studio and editing suite, and rent a sound stage and hire contract crews when the project calls for it. This translates into lower production costs for you.
3. This last category is the part-time videographer, with a camera and a computer. Their ability to understand corporate, commercial and broadcast needs are limited and could impact the quality of your production.

4 Reasons to have an Online Video Profile

No matter how much written content and photos you have on your website, they can’t convey as much about you and your services as a video profile.

Our Online Profile is a short 1- to 1.5-minute video featuring owners, staff and customers in a “real” documentary style format.

The Age of YouTube and Reality Television
While the idea of using video as a marketing tool is not new, in the age of YouTube and Reality Television most people are now accustomed to seeing ordinary people talk about themselves — sharing their knowledge and expertise, or creating their own ”reality TV” show. The benefit of these self-promotions is that potential customers get to hear from you — the business owner.

Doing Business with  People You Know
An Online Video Profile Video helps customers to feel like they know you, even before they’ve met you! If they like you on video, they’ll  probably like you in person. People prefer to do business with people they know, like and trust. Video can go a long way toward building those qualities into your relationship with virtual strangers.

Yellow Pages No More
Long gone are the days of the yellow pages. Your customers likely go straight to the Internet to find you and to learn more about you, all before calling you.

Be Yourself
Your online profile will help distinguish you from your competitors and build a local presence, just by being yourself. A promotional video is great for nearly any type of business owner; lawyers, accountants, web designers, physicians, realtors, dentists, mechanics, restaurant owners, contractors, just to name a few.

And keep in mind that maintaining the momentum with new, helpful videos will leave your target market wanting for more.

Top 5 Benefits of Online Video Marketing

Online marketing can play a crucial role in promoting your business. Video has become a very cost-effective form of communication allowing you to demonstrate your products and services in ways that photos and text simply cannot.

1 – Show and Tell
Statistics show that 65% of people learn visually, while 30% verbally. Most people will skim through written material on a website, looking for clues to make a fast decision. A video production will get your company message out there in the way that YOU want it to be seen, enhanced though the use of a web video. Your show and tell video will use images, music and voice over.

2 – Make your Website “Sticky”
Because of their increased level of interest, your visitors will spend more time on your site learning about your services and products. Your goal should be to keep prospective customers on your website for as long as possible, learning about your products and services.

3 – The Emotional Connection
Have you ever seen a celebrity, politician or local business person on TV and then seen them in person? Did you recognize them, maybe you just felt like you knew them? Well, that’s the power of video at work. Video helps customers to feel like they know you, even before they’ve met you. Share your passion and knowledge of your product in a way that establishes you as an expert.

4 – It’s Your Video – On Demand
A web video showcases your product and services to the world. Anyone interested can visit your website to view your video time and again – and of course, there’s viral reach; Share, Email, Link . . .

5 – A Thousand Words
They say a picture is worth a thousand words . . . video contains 30 pictures a second! That translates to 1,800 pictures a minute!

As communication technologies change, businesses need to adapt. Most people now have high-speed Internet and expect complete multimedia content. An out-of-date web site can immediately turn away potential clients. What better way to impress them than through a web video?