Join Mike Simmons, president of Varvid, as he shares the secrets to using video and social media to consistently attract new clients. Whether your a large or growing company, video testimonials a key tool to sharing your story with prospects and clients. Getting started is easier than you think. These slides capture Mike's top tips and additional resources to help you get started.
eFolder Webinar, The How-to of Video and Social Media, with Mike Simmons, Varvid
1. “How to Consistently
Attract New Clients with
Video Testimonials and
Social Media”
Mike Simmons
President, Varvid
mike@varvid.com
2. The train stops here…is the destination
worth the journey?
ARE YOU PROUD OF
YOUR WEBSITE?
A question before we dive in…
3. ① They are living documents. Dedicate time to
nurture them.
② Understand the goal of your website.
③ Create a simple Site-map. Needs to be intuitive!
④ Track your traffic’s journey on your site.
⑤ Rotate your content, particularly video.
WEBSITES
5 Rules for
4. WHAT’S THE PHILOSOPHY?
Modern Marketing In a Social Landscape
It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.
Making connections with people is not a short term endeavor.
It’s the building of foundations, strengthening your brand’s identity and
ensuring a foothold in your community.
5. SOCIAL MEDIA
5 Rules for
Strive for conversations, not
pitches.
Learn to communicate in the
social language it uses.
UNDERSTAND THE
LANDSCAPE
It takes a commitment to
nurture your “voice.”
Time is money.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS
NOT FREE
Visual content beats written copy
hands down!
In the same respect, cultural
content usually trumps
informational content.
LEVERAGING
CONTENT
Define some metrics and
start tracking your
progress
Make a commitment to
follow a pattern based on
these metrics
TRACK YOUR
SUCCESS
Stealing is ok…really!
However…
ALWAYS GIVE CREDIT
WHERE CREDIT IS DUE!
RE-PURPOSE
& RE-USE
7. MOBILE DEVICES
Paradigm Shifts
• Global mobile data traffic grew 70 percent in 2012
• Estimated to grow 26 times in the next 5 years
• Two thirds of all mobile traffic will be video by 2017
• Mobile devices geared towards video consumption:
faster connection speeds and more apps driving
video content (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Skype,
Facetime, FB, etc)
• Nearly every major video platform has evolved to
support HTML5 – makes it super easy to share video
anywhere on any device
Source: Cisco’s 2013 Visual Networking Index Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast
8. HOW DO I GET STARTED
WITH VIDEO?
Ok, I get it already, but…
• Decide who in your organization “owns this.”
• Get your gear together – chances are you already have everything
you need to get started.
• Test your process by experimenting on yourself – shoot a couple
videos of you or your staff. Keep the premise simple: “Why do you
like working for ABC Computers?”
• Once you get the process down, go capture some testimonials
from your clients.
9. WHO DO I NEED?
Build A Team
Unless you are flush with time, don’t try to do it all yourself! Assign roles to each team
member – keep them simple and keep the goals attainable in a typical work week.
1. Facilitator/interviewer – this is most likely your role. You manage and maintain the relationship with the
client. You ask the questions and “direct” the on-camera conversation. In short, it is your job is to get
them in front of a camera & keep them comfortable.
2. Production Tech – this person handles all the technical aspects of a shoot (operates the camera and
audio gear, lighting, etc). They also handle the editing process. *
3. Social Media Coordinator – once a video is edited it should get handed off to a social media coordinator
to make sure it gets uploaded to your blog, YouTube channel and social media sites. Leveraging your
content online is crucial!
*Interns: tap your local college for young, experience hungry talent to help get you started. Your job is to
facilitate the interview and relationship. Let the intern focus on production (shooting and editing).
10. CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
The easiest and most valueable video for a business is:
• Let your clients speak on your behalf
• Don’t script their answers. Have a conversation – keep it
natural and get them comfortable.
• Highlight their success and how you helped facilitate that
success
• Keep it short and concise – it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s
about the message, not the production.
• When possible, have them re-state your questions in their
answers. Edit out your questions during the editing process.
11. VIDEO THAT SUITS
BUSINESS/MARKETING NEEDS
What types of video should I shoot?
• Client Testimonials
• About Us Video
• Video Case Studies/White Paper
• Video Press Release
• Co-Branded Product/Service Videos provided by Vendors
• Event Coverage
• Video Tutorials & “How to” videos
• Live Webcasting, one to many
• Internal Communication (happy holidays, company update)
12. HOW TO BUDGET FOR HIGHER END
PROJECTS
Taking it to the next level…
MDF Funds – work with your vendors to create video case studies or industry
specific explanation videos
• Case Studies: Intel Hybrid Cloud – Intel funded a series of case study videos
highlighting a partner who used their Hybrid Cloud server to as a solution for a
number of clients. The video was shot at the MSP’s offices and featured interviews
with the MSP and their clients.
• Animations: Produce short animated videos explaining what you do in a simple,
easy to digest animated format (e.g. “What is an MSP?”).
13. WHAT GEAR DO I NEED?
The latest and the greatest?
• The basics: camera, tripod, microphone
• Don’t get caught up in excuses. The
best camera you have is the one you
have with you. iPhone, Android & other
smart phones shoot amazing video – get
comfortable with your device and start
shooting!
• When possible, use a tripod! It’s the
easiest way to move the needle with
your footage from amateur to
professional.
• Audio is king! Invest in a lavalier mic or
a handheld mic that plugs into your video
camera.
Oona - $30
(Phone Mount)
http://www.theoona.com/
RODE
SmartLav
$60
http://www.bhp
hotovideo.com/
bnh/controller/h
ome?O=&sku=
922914&is=RE
G&Q=&A=detail
s
Glyph - $30
(Phone Mount)
http://www.studioneat.
com/products/glif
Mini Tripod - $5-10
http://www.adorama.c
om/VVVT6.html?gclid
=CMulnu6w-
bgCFWXZQgodLB8A
XA
Tascam DR7
$105
http://compare.ebay.c
om/like/29093527984
6?var=lv<yp=AllFixed
PriceItemTypes&var=s
bar
14. SHOOTING VIDEO
5 simple rules for
1. Be aware of your surroundings – look for areas with lots of
natural light and little background noise.
2. Make sure your light source is behind the camera and facing
the subject – beware backlighting!
3. Frame your shot – two thirds rule
4. Clean up your “set”
5. Don’t zoom! Move closer to your subject. Your audio suffers
the farther away your camera mic is from your subject, so get
close people!
15. Wrap your videos with company branded bumpers and a call-to-action!
HOW TO EDIT YOUR VIDEOS
3 Step Recipe For Success
5-7 second intro 1-2 Minutes of
Content
Call To Action
u v w
16. ① In general, if it’s public facing then natively publish it everywhere
(YouTube, FB, other).
② Don’t be afraid to re-share video content. FB now limits your
reach.
③ The copy is as important (if not more important) than the video
itself!
④ Don’t get caught up trying to chase the viral video or create Lord
of the Rings.
⑤ Video is expendable. Audio is not!
LEVERAGING ONLINE VIDEO
5 Rules for
17. VIDEO HOSTING PLATFORMS
Where do I share my videos?
Many companies create video then stop at a critical point: Delivery.
Social Video PlatformsMajor Video Platforms
18. IT’S ALL ABOUT SEO
Dealing with the Kingpin
PROS: Amazing SEO benefits, enormous reach
CONS: branding, ads, public facing, mediocre analytics
BOTTOM LINE: YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine. Imagine not having a presence on Google – how would
that impact your business if you didn’t show up in any Google search results?
Create a channel – always post your videos on your YouTube channel and post links back to your
website. Be sure to includes Tags and Descriptions with every video.
19. VIDEO ANALYTICS
How Do I Measure My Success?
• A good video platform will
show you not just what
videos were watched, but
who watched them, how long
they viewed the video, where
they dropped off and which
parts they watched
repeatedly.
• Integrate video into your
constant contact or
mailchimp email campaigns
to reach a wide audience and
track their interaction with
your content.
20. Blogs Videos & Articles Tools & Gear
HubSpot:
http://blog.hubspot.com/
Video Industry News:
http://www.videoindustrynews.com/
Never Stop Marketing:
http://jer979.com/igniting-the-
revolution/
Client Testimonial sample
videos:
http://www.varvid.com/testimonials/
Gary Vaynerchuk – The Thank
You Economy Video*:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k
WN8WdKgerA
New trends in Social
Video: “Instagram vs. Vine”
http://www.reelseo.com/increase-
video-awareness-vine-instagram/
*PG – some mild language, but so worth watching!
RESOURCES
Don’t take my word for it!
How to use SmartLav mic
for iPhone/Android
http://www.americanmusical.com/Item
Files/Flash/RodeSmartLav_iOS_Micro
phone.html
Grade your website:
WooRank & Website Grader
21. Be sure to check us out at
varvid.com
facebook.com/varvid
PLAYBOOK
Thanks!
PLAYBOOK
Social Media
Post Frequency Goals Metrics
Blog 1/week Subscribers, comments, shares
Facebook 1/day Likes, Comments
Twitter 1/day Re-tweets, Followers, mentions
Google + 1/day Pluses, peeps in circle
LinkedIn 1/day Likes, Comments, Follows
YouTube 1/week Views, Subscribers
1. Follow/like 2 Company pages per week
2. Each Social Media platform has it’s own “language”
3. Scatter your message across all your platforms