Online Video Production

This has very little, if anything, to do with online video production or software that helps you distribute your video content online. It was, however, sparked by what I've seen around the Cantaloupe office and in the offices of our clients.*

I'm curious - what inspires and motivates you to do what you do everyday? What makes your role (in the workplace or another aspect of your life) special or your job rewarding (beyond the paycheck, or perhaps simply because of what it enables you to do)? Where do you get the energy to do all that you do?

* On a daily basis, I watch my co-workers get excited about the stories they are able to help our clients tell. I watch them go above and beyond to make sure all aspects of the video will wow their clients. I watch as our clients talk about what they are doing and how their companies make a difference. It's amazing to watch what gets people out of bed each morning and I invite you to share your passion and excitement with us in the comments below. 

Cantaloupe is expanding!  You may know us best as an Indianapolis Video Production company, but we have been doing work for our clients all over the country & even outside of the country for the past 5 years.  Now we are focusing on the Windy City!  We have been creating online video for many clients in Chicago over the past year... and now we are making it more permanent - we have found a resource to represent Cantaloupe in the Chicago market! 

It wasn't an easy position to fill - we needed a great personality, with experience in the Chicago Marketing community, that had a solid understanding of the needs of online marketers.  Someone with talent and experience to build relationships with clients and enthusiastically promote our video marketing solution. 

We finally found her!  We'd like you to meet Abigail Salch.  We like to call her "Chicago Abbey"

She's a Chicago native that has been working in the marketing industry for - well, we don't want to show her age.. lets just say 10+ years.  In addition to being a marketing whiz she is an avid biker.  She recently did some crazy week long bike ride across Iowa!  ragbrai.com/

Welcome Abbey, we look forward to seeing more of you.. give her a shout if you are in Chicago, she'll be a great resource to help you with your online video marketing needs!

Over the past five years, Cantaloupe has worked with hundreds of client on thousands of online video stories. Some have been brief projects to meet specific needs, while others have been ongoing engagements. 

I received an email the other day that - to paraphrase - said: Do you still shoot and produce videos? Why, yes. Yes we do. But that's not all we do. 

Cantaloupe has evolved ('ripened' as founder Jon DiGregory would say) from our early days of shooting video for the web. We still tell compelling stories for our business and non-profit clients, but that's only one slice of what we do.

Cantaloupe has been peeling back the rhine of what makes for well produced, delivered and measurable online marketing video campaign. We've broken it down into bite sized chunks that provide an organic recipe for success.

Take a look at our 5-ingredient process that begins with strategy, moves on to production, publishing, distribution, measurement and back into strategy. Yes, Cantaloupe continues to help our clients tell compelling, authentic stories online and off, now ensuring that it closely aligns with your business goals and unique flavor.

Online video marketing is fun and exciting, for sure. It's also important to ask if your video is working for you as best it can. To assess the impact of incorporating your video stories and content into your social media marketing strategy, here are five metrics to keep an eye on:

1. People. Think quality over quantity. Are people viewing your videos? Are the right people in the right places viewing your videos? Are they sharing your video stories and helping you extend your reach?
2. Stories. Have you told a variety of stories that paints a well-rounded picture of who you are and what you do? Are they tied to goals that are, in turn, measurable? Are your stories being talked about by clients, prospects and viewers you didn't even know were listening?
3. Perception. How has the sentiment toward your brand changed since using your video stories? Have your videos helped to handle objections normally encountered during the sales process or at other points in your relationship.
4. Actions. Have your viewers responded to your on-screen and in-video calls to action? Are these stories aiding their buying decisions?
5. Profitability. What product sales can be traced to your product stories? What are the costs related to the production of your video stories compared to the benefits you have experienced?

Your stories provide the basis for brand affiliation and make people want to use and interact with your product or service. Getting your video with the right message in front of the right people in the right places will help you to meet your marketing and overall business goals. 

To see how Cantaloupe's Backlight provides you with insights into the metrics of your online video, request a demo here.  

We've talked about how to make your online marketing videos talk-worthy or prepare them to go viral (on a moderate scale). It's important to integrate stories into all of your content marketing - on your site and across social media channels where dialogue, interaction and sharing occur.

Here are five ways to create and use video stories online:

1. Determine trending topics. Relevancy is key. Leverage interest around hot topics with new, creative insights. Remember that your story has to be consistent with your brand and messages and allow this to enhance your other online and offline efforts.
2. Source stories from customers. Let others tell stories related to your product and brand. Create brand advocates and highlight the real-world impact of your product or service.
3. Incorporate a human-interest element into your videos. People are attracted to people like themselves. Be authentic and help your audience put themselves into the shoes of your customers.
4. Allow for interactions and additions. Using social media outlets as distribution channels allows your audience to interact with you and your brand. It provides the opportunity to post comments, share with friends and become personally invested. 
5. Enable easy sharing quickly and broadly. One of the major attractions of social media and online video marketing is the ability for users to share your content when and how they desire. Using a video player, such as the one included in the Backlight video management platform, that includes share features encourages and assists with the sharing of videos.

Want more tips on making video content compelling?  Contact me and we can discuss the process we use for developing a video strategy for clients, and how we do our story development process to ensure we produce engaging, compelling videos.

I just read a paper from Omniture talking about Steven Slater, the flight attendant who stormed off the JetBlue flight in dramatic fashion recently. In the post, it was noted that he has amassed 200,000 Facebook fans since the tantrum incident (more than many corporations can boast). Really? Why?

Simple. We find Steven's story fascinating. It's being described as "urban myth quality". His story is one we can relate to. It's compelling content. It has all of the attributes of good content marketing. 

To make your content talk-worthy on social media platforms, develop strong stories that are in line with your brand, including its voice, language and visuals. When you create your online marketing videos, make sure you incorporate these elements to create powerful stories that your audience wants to hear, engage with and share. 

1. Add emotion. Just telling your audience the facts about your product or service won't get them to care. Find the connection and make your product or company's story resonate with your audience.
2. Identify with the protagonist. Stories must motivate your target to connect with the man character in some way, perhaps by stepping into his shoes.
3. Memorable. Stories have a beginning, middle and end, making it easier for viewers to remember your video's message. Familiarity increases memorability, add your own twist.
4. Easily adapted. Stories can be changed and embellished by the teller to suit his or her purpose. This makes stories more dramatic and increases the audience's ability to empathize, personalize and share your message online and off.
5. Sharable. This can occur in the old fashion way where one person tells another or it can happen through social media and electronic channels. Using the proper video player to support your message will aid your video in going viral.

Want more tips on making video content compelling?  Contact me and we can discuss the process we use for developing a video strategy for clients, and how we do our story development process to ensure we produce engaging, compelling videos.

 The once bold dividing line between television and web content is rapidly becoming blurred.

More and more people are replacing there television watching habits with the convenience of online options.

A large number of companies have new offerings of hardware gadgets that enable you to watch online video on your television.

Sezmi, Boxee, Roku, and Kylo are all companies introducing innovative products that enable users to take advantage of the convenience and affordability of web video, right on their flat screen.

For those interested in reaching a broad audience, video marketing on the internet seems to be a bright-future option.

To learn about the five hurdles of online video and how Cantaloupe.tv can help, click here to register for our webinar.

We all did this exercise as children. We ask a question of an adult and get an answer. We then follow it up with "why?". Another answer from the ever-patient adult. "But why", we ask.

When did we stop trying to dig a little deeper and begin taking things at face value? I've watched clients' faces when I've put on my kid hat (not my kid voice - let's not get those confused) and asked, "but why" in a meeting.

Yes, you want to do a video about X, but why? What's the story? What's the business goal it serves? What's the objective this video or the larger online marketing campaign? Why now? What is the larger plan that this marketing video fits into? Why this particular audience (you do know who your audience is, right?)?

Answering the 'why' questions will help reveal the deeper objectives of the video and will help us craft the most effective online video for you. Ask yourself "why" when you are making decisions about your authentic video stories. Ask "why" of your coworkers when they pitch the next great story idea. And don't be afraid to ask your Cantaloupe video production team "why" when we recommend your next video strategy and series to you.

 

The Cantaloupe folks are a unique variety. They challenge one another and keep raising the bar. They do this with their work, on the parking lot basketball court and now on they have decided pushups is the next mountain to scale. This has spread from our production team down the hall to our founder's office and around the corner to our fearless leader, Stacy*. 

Someone found an iPhone app that promises to help you do 100 pushups in a sitting within 6 weeks (the disclaimer graciously reminds users that it might take a few 6-week training cycles for some of us). Day 1: you do as many pushups as you can and enter it in the app.From there it guides you through a steady pushup regimen that moves you closer to the app's target of 100 pushups.

Anyway, as I was laying on the floor after a measly 16 pushups, I mentioned needing to blog today. Stacy's response: "pushups!" Pushups on a web video blog? Makes perfect sense to me. Let's see what we can do with this.

Each Cantalouper is starting at a different place on the road to the same goal - 100 pushups. Your prospects are starting at different points of awareness about you, but are also moving toward a single goal - signing a contract or buying your product. 

There are those who are in pretty good shape. They know all the great things you can do for them and are nearly ready to knock out all 100 pushups (make the purchase). There are others who know of you - they can do some pushups - but need more work (attention, conversations, information) before they're able to hit your goal for them.

Then there are those who (like me) can just do a few. These are the prospects that are unaware of you or underaware of what you can really do for them. They need lots of work - perhaps a couple 6-week training cycles - in order to get where you want them to be.

Where does video come into play, you ask? Video is their training tool. It keeps them engaged with the program and keeps them progressing toward your goal, toward the purchase or contract, toward the day when they can do 100 pushups without collapsing on the office floor.

What type of training regimen (message or video story) does the individual need? That depends on how "in shape" they are when you engage with them.  Make your online video conversation personal to who you're talking with and where they are. Move them along at a steady pace so they don't pull a muscle, get overwhelmed and take a seat on the sidelines.

*Jon was a little slow with the camera phone, so there's no evidence of us on the carpet, but I will tell ya, Stacy has some guns on her!

Have a challenge you'd like to see the Cantaloupe team take on? Post in the comments. We'll grab a camera and post it on the blog for all to see.

Kevin and JD traveled to Florida with with three camera packs.  They were given full access to the campus to make sure that any angle they wanted to shoot was shot.  This is a great example of using an interesting story to promote a product.

I came across the following blog post on The Ike. Cantaloupe has hung it's hat on disposable, timely and relevant content. We've preached the importance of this approach as part of a successful online video campaign - something Ike has come to see the real value in. Enjoy...

Years ago I would have cringed at the thought of spending, time, and money on any communications tool, tactic, or strategy that would literally be old news within a day.

But here I sit, engaged, enlightened, and excited about the development and acceptance of disposable content, specifically video. Right now video has gone from high production, high dollars to hi res, low budget and yet more impact. Video has simply become more accessible.

 We produce lots of web videos, and we are very proud of them.  Each week we will showcase one.  Sometimes they will be funny, feature compelling characters, showcase best practices for online video marketing, and hopefully even be entertaining.

We want to share this story because it exudes the raw power of authentic storytelling. There is not one frame of video that is not authentic (even the dramatic head turn!)

 By focusing on story and not the product, IMMI has allowed the viewers to share this powerful story with all their friends without feeling guilty about spamming their friends with a marketing video. That means the "sharability" factor increases and is more likely to hit a wider audience. From that audience, people that choose to learn more about RollTek can watch a more straightforward "About Rolltek" video.

Another fun fact about this web video: It was my first complete video using HDSLR's. The whole thing was shot by a two man team, in 2 locations, in about a 5 hour window with a Canon 7D, Canon T2i and Zoom H4N Recorder.

ReelSEO, a leading blog in all things online video, did a post recently on the pros and cons of self-producing your online marketing videos vs. hiring a professional firm. If you're thinking - like many of your peers - "I'll do it myself (or have the intern do it). How hard can it be?", take a gander at the balanced argument they offer.

They post comes down on the side of hiring a professional and includes the following benefits:
1. Added value & services from a partner who can bring knowledge and best practices to the table
2. Creative collaboration
3. Minimal wasted time & energy
4. Quality in line with your brand and image

They go on to conclude:
"There are really only three instances when choosing to self-produce is the best choice:
Remember: video production is only one of the hurdles to take into consideration. Learn about the five hurdles of online video during our weekly webinar.

We talk a lot about how telling a good, compelling, engaging story is the essence of online video success. To tell a good story, you need the 5 W's and an H - who, what, when, where, why and how. Skip one of those and... well... your story falls flat, right?

The same applies for your online video marketing strategy. When planning your project, make sure you satisfy all of these as well.

Who: In your overall strategy, think of who you are talking with. On the story level, think of who your characters are that will build credibility and authority with that audience.
What: What is your goal for the series? For the individual video? What are you trying to educate the audience about? What action would you like them to take? What will you measure success by?
When: When will you use these videos to impact your audience? When is this content relevant to the target audience?  Perhaps this is date-specific, perhaps tied to milestones in the sales cycle. Use this information to determine your distribution schedule.
Where: Where will you distribute your videos? YouTube, LinkedIn, your blog, your partners' blogs, through direct email campaigns? Where does your target audience "hang out"?
Why: Why does your product/service/message/call-to-action matter to this particular audience? Why video over another medium or in conjunction with your other online/offline efforts?
How: How will you get your video onto the web and into your emails? How will you get in front of the people who need to see your video and hear your message? How will you ensure they hear you over all the noise out there?

As with a good story, none of these can be left out of your strategy. Understanding the who, what, when, where, why and how of your efforts makes your plan of action easy to define and execute.

Ahhh... the perks of having a school teacher as a mom. (thanks, Mom!)

All companies, for-profit and not-for-profits alike, face a similar challenge - create awareness of a need and engage customers (donors and supporters, in the case of NFPs) as you move them through the sales cycle into a buying decision. The answer: tell a compelling story. 

Have you heard the Make-A-Wish Foundation's "Summer of 5,000 Wishes" campaign? Check out their website and see the kids' stories. If you feel so moved, sponsor part of a child's wish. At the very least, take away something for yourself and your business.

Notice that Make-A-Wish doesn't focus on what your donation is actually buying (plane tickets or a pirate play set), but tells the deeper, more engaging story.

They tell of Parker, a boy with a love of playing outdoors who happens to have a severe medical issue that limits him. They paint a picture about who Parker is and why this is an important purchase (donation) for you, the customer (donor), to make. 

You and your for-profit business are no different. Tell a compelling story to get your audience's attention and stick in their minds. Your story isn't always about your product. It's about the passion that brought your widget to market; It's about the people who construct it; and it's about the widget out in the wild - how it has made a difference to those who purchased before.

Now, if only Make-A-Wish had added online video to their profile pages... 

I stumbled across this link a couple weeks ago and was thrilled with the possibilities. What a great client USA Football could be for Cantaloupe TV. Whether they do stories on some of the $1 million+ awarded to youth/high school football programs or any of the work done with the NFL and the player's association, the possibilities are endless. 

This is an awesome move for the city of Indianapolis and I think this is a great organization that could really benefit from online video production. They have stories which aren't done justice when written in text. 

Now, I just have to help our sales guys make this happen! Hmmm.... 

This short series touches on tips for optimizing your online videos for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Some of these are second nature, but it's always worth the reminder.

Always Provide an HTML Link
Some video management platforms, including Cantaloupe's Backlight software, allow you to place calls to action within your online video as you wish. This is a great opportunity to drive your viewer to take a specific action, such as 'register for the webinar' or 'get more information on our new product enhancements'.

Using such features in the video management system also allows you to change your calls to action on the fly, rather than re-engaging with your editor.

By adding an HTML link behind these calls to action, you will drive more traffic to and within your site. This is especially important to do if you are distributing your videos outside of your website. Search engines view these inbound links as a popularity contest. The more (quality) inbound links you have to your site, the more popular and credible the search engines believe your site to be.

Plus, you want to make sure your viewers find their way to you, right?

Calm down. I know Cantaloupe has talked about a lot of exciting changes in our business and the world of online video marketing, but this post isn't about us. For now, Amazon hasn't ventured to the midwest in search of a great video strategy and production firm to bring into their brand. We'll let you know if and when they come knocking.

In the mean time, I wanted to share the first corporate acquisition announcement to get stuck in my head. Enjoy this video talking about Amazon's purchase of Woot! Kudos for getting this message out above all of the normal corporate chatter and headlines.

 Need further proof that authenticity is the way to go?  Well check this story out.

LOFT, a popular retailer, decided to leverage their Facebook page to promote a silk cargo pant.  So, they decided to do it the traditional way -- with a tall, blonde model; an attempt to blend traditional and social, interactive marketing.

What ensued was an excellent example of authenticity and an open brand.

"Fans" started commenting that the pants only looked good on the tall, slender model and would look terrible on average women.  So, the LOFT responded by taking pictures of their own employees wearing the pants, and posting them to their Facebook page.  Their "fans" were ecstatic, some purchased the pants for themselves, while others were further convinced they wouldn't look good in them.

Chalk this one up as a win for the LOFT.  Their open embracement of criticism and their candid, authentic response made their "fandom" a lot bigger and a whole lot stronger.






To learn how to merge authenticity with your video marketing campaign, email me at bevans@cantaloupe.tv.  Cantaloupe TV is more than a video production company; we are online video experts!

 We produce lots of web videos, and we are very proud of them.  Each week we will showcase one.  Sometimes they will be funny, feature compelling characters, showcase best practices for online video marketing, and hopefully even be entertaining.




What makes this web video interesting is the 'behind the scenes' look at firefighter gear. I personally had no idea any of this may be an issue until I went to shoot the video.  From an internet marketing standpoint, it does a great job of hiding the 'product demo' into a story about these firemen.