Copyright 2017 by Taylor & Francis

MARKETING AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Introduction

Video has been an essential tool for corporate marketing from the start. From TV commercials to sales support clips, video helps to show products and demonstrate the importance of services. With the advent of streaming video and the explosion of social media, corporate video use has increased dramatically. A 2014 study from cloud provider-Brightcove found that 76% of consumers cite video as their preferred content source for consuming brand information. 44% said video is the most “appealing” form of media, with such terms as “engaging, sharing, authentic and shareable” listed as reasons for trusting video content versus other forms of brand communication.

Peruse the websites of major corporations, and you’ll probably find a video link either on the home page or at most a click or two away. General Electric has a 1:56-minute video on smart grid technology that includes customer testimonials from both consumers and industrial clients. German electronics giant Siemens has five videos that document new gas turbine technology that the company says provides higher efficiency for a greener future. Home Depot has a 22-second Quick Project Tips video on how to use a potato to remove a broken light bulb from a socket. Users may click to share this video via e-mail, instant messaging, Facebook, and Twitter—mediums of communication that didn’t even exist a few years ago.

A 2014 University of Massachusetts study measured the engagement of corporations with customers via social media. The study showed that 67% of corporations had YouTube accounts. Twitter accounts were held by 83% and Facebook got 80% of corporations using their accounts.

According to eMarketer senior analyst Jeffrey Grau, “Retailers are making the case that videos boost their sales conversion rate, a measure of the increase in the percentage of shoppers who make a purchase after viewing a product video. Retailers also claim videos reduce shopping cart abandonment rates and diminish product return rates.”

Some corporations utilize innovative engagement tools for their website videos such as user-clickable overlays that lead to shopping cart purchases. User-generated content (UGC) web-sites let enthusiastic buyers tout products’ benefits with their homemade video testimonials. And nearly every corporation that produces TV commercials uses YouTube to widen their distribution of them and encourage sharing among their followers.

YouTube for the Enterprise

Have you visited YouTube lately? It’s more than just human skateboards and iPhones in blenders. Corporations have embraced this home-brewed social network and are gaining customers without paying for airtime. Some use the platform to publicize their social responsibility programs. Go through the list of the largest worldwide corporations, and nearly every one uses YouTube to engage with the public.

AT&T shows their TV commercials, but they also post videos of their employment diversity programs. Wal-Mart also shows commercials, and they have clips about organic produce and wind harvesting. BP ran a series of videos explaining their progress in containing the Gulf oil spill. Many of these companies have links to their YouTube clips right from their home pages.

On the Ford Motor Company YouTube page, you can watch their commercials and some cute videos, such as the one comparing a Fiesta to a Lamborghini, and a silly series about a zombie. However, you can also see their own Scott Monty, who claims to be the “Head of Social Media” at Ford. He says on-camera, “The social media strategy at Ford is about humanizing the company by connecting our employees to our constituents and with each other when possible and providing value along the way.”

Ford’s Monty knows about YouTube’s captions tool because you have the option of turning on captions when you watch his video. YouTube employs voice recognition, technology from Google Voice, to create captions for the hearing impaired and to display text translations. As of this writing, the voice recognition display included some humorous inaccuracies, but their heart is in the right place. Captions are text that Google searches for when users enter keywords. Video producers can enter the script of the text as part of the metadata with a YouTube video, and potential customers who perform a keyword search could find the video.

According to YouTube, “YouTube overall, and even YouTube on mobile alone, reaches more 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the U.S.”  Major corporations that once relished the exposure that broadcast television brought them are now moving their sights to YouTube’s vast audience. YouTube and other social media sites facilitate “narrow-casting,” where companies can target specific markets. Users with particular interests gravitate to those YouTube’s categories that pique their curiosity.

Look at the growing number of do-it-yourselfers. Users log 35 million searches a month on YouTube just for “how-to” videos. Most companies can find some area of interest to the do-it-yourselfer, whether it is how to remove a broken light bulb or how to invest your money wisely. How-to videos are the content that consumers crave, and they are a portal to the enterprise website with new brands to promote, the locations of the nearest stores, or community programs the company has adopted.

Some companies develop a community of customers and supporters by asking visitors to subscribe to their YouTube channels. This offers even more exposure to the company’s brand because each of the subscribers gets e-mails every time you post a new video.

Read more at https://avconsultants.com/corporate-video-production-book-second-edition/

Zoom changed their interface because they love you!

When you start a Zoom meeting, the bottom of your screen will look different. The audio and video icons look a little different, but they function the same way. If you are the host, you have a host of host tools.

The host tools enable you to allow participants to share their screen, chat, start their video camera and use other tools.

The AI Companion answers questions, clarifies terms, explains concepts and creates meeting summaries. It facilitates brainstorming sessions with “sticky notes,” generates content for discussions, generates content for events and more.

But wait–there’s more! You can livestream to a YouTube or Facebook group from here, add captions, open breakout rooms, set up polls or quizzes and even more.

There is so much more at the AVConsultants.com website. We have been helping organizations and individuals use Zoom, since before the pandemic! Here are a few of the previous blogs to read, and feel free to call or email to arrange a consultation.

https://avconsultants.com/zoom-tips-for-organizations/

https://avconsultants.com/zoom-video-enhancements/

https://avconsultants.com/zoom-audio-boost/

https://avconsultants.com/how-to-host-a-zoom-funeral-or-memorial/

https://avconsultants.com/zoom-conference-setup/

Zoom is free for meetings of 40 minutes. Want to call Zoom? Plan on paying for one of their top tier rates? Want to call AV Consultants? We answer the phone, and we are happy to help explain how to use Zoom for your organization or yourself. Call 510-839-2020 and ask for Stu, or email us at info@avconsultants.com

Elevating Your Computer

If you are using a laptop, please elevate it on books or something, so the camera is close to eye level. Here is a link to a laptop stand.

Video Settings

You can find virtual backgrounds at the bottom left of the screen next to “start video.”  Click on the caret (^). Select “video settings” where you may “adjust for low light.” Try the “touch up my appearance” selection; it reduces contrast a little. Here is a link to Zoom Video Settings.

Audio Settings

At the bottom left, next to “mute” click the caret and you may increase the volume of your microphone.

Here is a link to Zoom Audio Settings which has other zoom tips as well.

Consider getting an external microphone or using earbuds that have a built-in microphone. If you use an external microphone, within settings select the microphone you are using. Within audio settings, you may also need to select the speaker. Here a link for a highly-reviewed microphone that plugs into a computer.

Using a Smartphone as an External Camera

Laptop cameras have some limitations, but smartphone cameras have advanced to give nearly professional-quality pictures. You can mount your smartphone on books and aim it at yourself, or purchase a tabletop tripod. You place it behind your computer and attach your phone to the mount that comes with it. You will need software to enable the camera to work with your laptop. Camo Studio has a free version that works with iPhones and Android. You will need to get their app for your phone and download their software for your computer. It works with Macs or PCs. At the bottom right of the Zoom screen you can select the external camera, and an external microphone if you choose to use one. Be sure to select “do not disturb” on your phone so you won’t get calls or notifications in the middle of your Zoom call.

Lighting for Zoom

A table lamp behind your computer can work just fine. Or position your computer so you are facing a window when you are zooming during the day. If you want to purchase a light, ring lights are inexpensive or look into the Logitech Litra Glow light. It mounts on the top of a computer screen and is said to provide a soft, rather than harsh, illumination. If you wear glasses, you may need to mount a light above and to the side, to avoid reflections.

Speaking of Eyeglasses

If you wear glasses, consider dimming your computer display. Otherwise, if the display may reflect a blue glow in your glasses. If you use external lighting or have a bright room, this may not be a problem, but if the room is not bright, the computer screen might reflect in your glasses.

Composing and Posing

Composition includes you together with your background. Viewers expect TV studio quality. A cluttered background may be eliminated with a virtual background, or with a blurred background. (More on this later) However, your audience may prefer a background with specific book titles neatly arranged with art pieces and flowers.

Another of our favorite Zoom tips: make sure the camera is looking straight on. Too low, and we see your nostrils. Too high, and you have to be looking up. “Headroom” is the amount of blank space above your head in the frame. If you pay attention, you’ll know when there is too much or too little.

Clothing styles will match your message and your audience. Unless your message is to emphasize a wild outfit, minimize patterns and try for solid fabrics. Limit makeup, especially excess blush and mascara. Video cameras are high-contrast devices; they can make dark areas look too dark and light areas bleached out.

Virtual backgrounds

Zoom has a collection of virtual backgrounds like the Golden Gate Bridge and leaves, and there are options to blur your background, so you pop out. However, some computers do not support zoom virtual backgrounds.  If you plan to use a background, perform a trial run so you can see how they work.

Sometimes when you move, the virtual background can add a black extension to your head. In cases where you move your hands or try to show something to the camera, the virtual background may cause part of it to disappear.

Pre-Recording Your Upcoming Zoom Presentations

Zoom lets you record onto your computer, even with the free version, or on the cloud with a paid version. If you have a presentation coming up, consider recording it in advance and playing it, as a screen share, during the live presentation. That way, you can make changes and re-record it until you are satisfied. You can even include your slides and PowerPoint presentation in the recording.

Computers, USB-C and Hubs

If you are planning an event with your computer or someone else’s, it is a good idea to get an adapter so that a newer computer with USB-C connectors will work with an older computer with the standard USB connector. In addition, get a hub where you can plug in more than one device. Some computers have only a single USB-C connection, and you may have an external camera and an external microphone and a hard drive, and a flash drive—you get the picture.

I hope these Zoom tips help to elevate your online video presence. If you need more help with video production or editing, please reach out to your friendly Oakland video production team. We are here to make you look great!

 ©2020 Stuart Sweetow

Camera Positioning

• If you don’t have a tripod, position the camera-phone on books so it is eye-level. Use the top book to lean the phone on (see photo below). Look at the lens as much as possible.
• Record with the phone horizontal and with the record button to your right.
• You can place the script above or below the camera.
• Try to face a window or use soft lights for good, even lighting.
• Use earbuds or microphone if possible. Otherwise, position yourself close enough to your phone so audio is optimal.

Video Files

• Clear some files on your phone for the video recording. Your phone may have cloud storage for that.
• Make sure you are recording in video rather than taking a still photo. The recordings should be MOV or MP4 files–not JPG files. Play back the scenes to confirm they are good.

Plan for Video Editing

• If you make a mistake, please go back one or two sentences. Don’t repeat only a part of a sentence.
• Leave “handles” which means to record a second or two at the beginning and end of each scene and continue to look at the lens.
• To send the recordings, email may not accommodate video file sizes. Use a free file sharing program like Dropbox, Google Drive or WeTransfer.com, which is our favorite.
• It is good practice to save video recordings to your computer and then upload from the computer.

Working with a Script

• The script should have a way to delineate which is audio and which is video. Use two columns or indent the audio sections.
• Give numbers to the scenes. As you near the end of a page, avoid scenes getting divided and continuing onto the following pages; it causes the reader to make noise flipping pages.
• Slate each scene and take. For example, say “scene 3 take 2.”
• Note which are the good takes, and send the editor a list of scene numbers with the good takes indicated.

For more information visit these website links:

Stu’s Tips for Zoom Video Calling

A Good Script = A Great Video

Top Ten Camcorder Tips

AVC provided consultation and video editing for the League of Women Voters. Volunteers used their smart phones to record short videos to explain the local ballot measures. Jignasha, shown above, used a Google Pixel 2XL with afternoon lighting from her windows. She positioned herself to block light from the window behind her.

Katie used an iPhone 6s and positioned herself in front of a window during the day. All the volunteers sat close enough to their phones that they didn’t need to use an external microphone. They managed to use either window light or lighting from what they had in their homes.

AVC suggested that the presenters prop their phones on books so they are eye level.  They turned their phones to “do not disturb” and made sure their phones were well charged. In some cases they needed to clear some space to accommodate video file sizes.

With Covid, we could not film the volunteers in the studio, so we agreed that they would use their phone cameras at home. The League of Women Voters of Oakland chose AVC Video for each election since 2016 to make short videos on local ballot measures. The League remains neutral, and the videos show the pros and cons of each proposition.

Here are the 2020 videos

Watch videos from the 2018 election and the 2016 election.

Read below to see the smartphone instructions we sent to the on-camera volunteers:

Here is the blog for looking your best on camera. The main concern is avoid wearing a top with fine stripes or fine patterns.

RECORDING VIDEOS WITH YOUR SMART PHONES: A guide for volunteers of the League of Women Voters

• Volunteers may email me their recordings. If the file is too large for email, use Google Drive or WeTransfer.com, which is a free file sharing program.
• Use earbuds or microphone if possible. Otherwise, position yourself close enough to your phone so audio is optimal.
• Position the camera-phone on books so it is eye-level. Use the top book to lean the phone on (see photo below). Look at the lens as much as possible.
• Record with the phone horizontal and with the record button to your right.
• You can place the script above or below the camera.
• Try to face a window or soft lights for good, even lighting.
• If you make a mistake, please go back one or two sentences. Don’t repeat only a part of a sentence.
• Leave “handles” which means to record a second or two at the beginning and end of each scene and continue to look at the lens.

WHAT WE LEARNED

• The client wrote the script; it had columns and scene separations. I should have numbered the scenes and started another scene on the next page. Some scenes continued onto the following pages; it causes the reader to make noise flipping pages.
• Clear some files on their phones for the video recording. One person ran out of space.
• Make sure you are recording in video, and play back the scenes to confirm they are good. One person sent some jpgs instead of MOV or MP4 files.
• Slate each scene and take by stating, for example, “Scene 3 take 2.”
• Note which are good takes, and send the editor a list of scene numbers with the good take numbers.
• It is good practice to save video recordings to your computer and then upload from it.

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Zoombombing can threaten the safety of your virtual meetings. Password-sharing can threaten your income. Hacking isn’t good for anybody.

We looked at some popular video calling platforms to evaluate their security protocols and payment portals.

Zoom

By far the most popular platform due to its ease of use and free option. Recently Zoom added encryption and password requirements. It is best not to publicize a Zoom meeting via social media or e-blasts. Send invitations to individual email addresses. Zoom has a waiting room to minimize password-sharing.

GoToWebinar

GoToWebinar’s platform has a registration protocol with an optional payment portal.  Prior to the event, GoToWebinar sends you the list of registrants and you approve them. If another person tries to use an attendee’s password, they are sent to registration and asked to pay. GoToWebinar starts at $99 per month for 250 attendees. The live-stream we produced at Impact Hub last year used their sister company GoToMeeting that has a less stringent registration protocol. https://www.gotomeeting.com/webinar

Skype

According to Skype, “All Skype-to-Skype voice, video, file transfers and instant messages are encrypted. This protects you from potential eavesdropping by malicious users. If you make a call from Skype to mobile and landline phones, the part of your call that takes place over the PSTN (the ordinary phone network) is not encrypted.”

Microsoft Teams

Multi-factor authentication requires users to provide additional forms of verification to prove their identity, helping protect their accounts from attacks that take advantage of weak or stolen passwords. Encryption is performed during transit as well as at rest at Microsoft data centers.

Google Meet

According to Google, “data is encrypted in transit by default between the client and Google for video meetings on a web browser, on the Android and iOS apps, and in meeting rooms with Google meeting room hardware.”

WebEx

According to Cisco’s Webex, they  “take proactive measures to provide the highest level of security, based on a secure by design product development methodology and use of various security frameworks. ” they say that they “provide multiple levels of security for tasks that range from scheduling meetings to authenticating participants to sharing documents.”

Cleeng

Cleeng is a service to sell your content, whether it is a live stream of a conference or downloads of videos.  “Pay per view” is one way to make sure your customers can securely participate, while eliminating the freeloaders. https://cleeng.com/live-streaming-ppv

Sport leagues, concert and conference organisers as well as other leading brands use Cleeng to sell their premium content, live streams and videos.

A good script=a great video

We recently shot and edited a short video for our business networking organization, Success Link BNI. Knigi Glee of Glee Growth Strategies wrote the script, and it included different techniques to maintain fewer interest with a run time of only one minute 15 seconds. The focus was on visual variety to keep the viewers interested.

https://gleegrowth.com/

Goal of the video The objective was clear: attract visitors who would be prospective members. Members refer one another to provide business services. BNI chapters depend on a having enough members in their group to provide access to prospective clients so we can grow our businesses.

#videoproduction #videomarketing #video #shortvideo

Audience for the video Knigi’s script focused on an understanding of the audience: business people who want to find new clients.

Video concepts  The video incorporated a documentary-style. The script included voice-over narration, customer testimonial, and shots of people benefiting from it enjoying their networking time. 

Here is the video https://lnkd.in/gh8gqEi

by Stu Sweetow

Prior planning prevents poor productions. Visualize in advance as far as possible, how the event will take place. Consider logistics such as loading equipment in and out, when the audience will arrive and how the presentations will be captured with camera and microphones.

Audio quality is frequently the most important element in a presentation. The facility may have their own microphones and amplifier system frequently connected to a soundboard. Your video producer should have the resources to connect to the output of the soundboard for clear audio. You don’t want to miss something important because of muffled sound. Your video crew will probably bring some back-up microphones, but unless there was a plan for these microphones to be amplified they would go only to the camera system.

Site survey/walk-through. At some point you will want to visit the venue to handle the myriad logistics. These include parking, security, lighting, room set-up and camera locations so that audience members’ heads are not in the way.

Cameras frequently need to be elevated on special risers. Most banquet rooms and hotels have risers that are a little shaky; when you are zoomed in, the image can be even more shaky. Ask your producer about providing stable risers designed for professional video cameras.

Connecting to the Internet. The two most common ways to connect to the Internet are with Wi-Fi and with an Ethernet cable. Wi-Fi can be susceptible to interference because it is wireless. A wired ethernet cable is usually the preferred way of handling live video streaming. Either way, make sure that the upload speed is at least 8 Mbps (megabits per second).  To be safe look for 50+ Mpbs. That’s upload speed, not download speed.

Video audiences expect the live video to start immediately. Live presentations rarely start at the appointed time, but television broadcasts do. Your viewers may have that expectation. When planning a live streaming video, prior to the actual start of the presentations, plan on having music or just crowd sounds transmitted over the live video stream, rather than nothing. You don’t want your viewing audience to see a live camera aimed at the podium while the presenters are fumbling around with microphones and slides; that could be embarrassing. Or you could mention that a message could be displayed eg. Your Live Stream event will start shortly..stay tuned!

Better yet, create a pre-recorded video to be shown while waiting for the program to start. Or simply create slides that show sponsors’ logos can. Consider producing short commercials for sponsors and vendors. Not only will it fill the waiting time, it can pay for the live video production.

Multiple cameras are more like real television. Viewers expect visual variety and that makes it more likely that they stay for the duration of the program. One camera can be stationary in a wide-angle position. The second camera would get close-ups of the presenter. Add another camera if you have a panel discussion in order to capture interaction between panelists. A fourth camera could be used for audience members’ comments, and be sure to have handheld wireless microphones available so that you could also hear the audience comments. Make sure someone is available to pass mic around audience

Slides and video clips frequently are part of presentations. Your producer should have the right kind of equipment so that the presenters’ slides could be plugged into the live-streaming equipment. Avoid simply aiming a camera at a projection screen. If video clips are shown, they usually have audio. Your producer will need to have the right kinds of audio adapters to be able to hear audio as well as a video in your live stream.

Legal considerations. If you are recording or transmitting slides or videos, make sure that you have permission from the owner of those intellectual properties. It is a good idea to have releases signed, not only by the presenters, but by audience members if they are going to be filmed. This is not to be taken as legal information; contact your attorney to develop contracts and releases for you.

Promoting your live video. Facebook Live is one of today’s hottest marketing techniques. Check with the organization to see if they want the live video streamed over Facebook or other social media, or if they want to use one of their own webinar platforms such as Zoom, WebEx and GoToMeeting. Well in advance, the organization can send out notices and set up an event if they want viewers to have free access. Or they can arrange for passwords and fees to be paid to watch the live stream. San Francisco live video streaming and Bay Area live video streaming are popular on social media.

Bonus Tip

Archiving the Video. Many producers have the capability to produce high-quality recordings, and some may even be able to provide separate recordings from each camera, so you can perform post-production editing. Ask your producer about making a “Save the Date” video to promote next year’s event. It could include energetic audience comments recorded at the close of the event.

Bonus Tip (An even dozen now)

If your upload speed is marginal, consider turning off some bandwidth hogs during the meeting. These include asking people not to download or upload documents, avoiding Zoom and other internet video calls and maybe even turning off security cameras during the meeting.

Corporate Video Production

This is the slide show I gave at the Oakland Small Business Workshop on May 2, 2018. I hope this helps you create engaging videos. Feel free to contact me.

Stu Sweetow

Videos will not appear. Contact me if you want links to any of them. Do not share this slide show without my permission.

Marketing with Video PDF

Uploading to YouTube

1. Go to http://www.youtube.com and set up a new account, if you don’t already have one
2. Click the Upload button
3. Click the “Browse” button to browse for the video file you’d like to upload. YouTube accepts files up to 2 GB in size in the following formats: .AVI, .MOV, .WMV, and .MPG file formats.
4. As the video file is uploading, type in descriptive information for both yourself and for the individual video
5. Type in tags where indicated. Tags are keywords that help people find you via Google searches.
6. You can change these tags or description at any time or even remove the video by using the “edit” feature.

This page on YouTube’s site describes the process, and there is even a little instructional video on the page

http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=57924

You’ll need to agree to the terms and conditions. YouTube will remove any copyrighted videos or music unless you own the copyright.

Once the video is on YouTube’s site, you can find it on the My Videos page. Click on the video, and it should play. To the right of the window where it is playing you’ll see its website address link at “URL.” Cut and paste that link into your emails or into a Word file. You’ll want to include that link along with any descriptions when you send it or post it.

Below that is “Embed.” This is code that you can cut and paste into your website. Then the video will play from your website.

Send the link from either your website page or from the YouTube page to everyone you know. Start your own blog and post the link there. Ask your friends, colleagues and customers to put the link to your video in their blogs and their websites. Ask them to bookmark your website.

YouTube’s “Autoshare” function lets you automatically post the video to Facebook and Twitter. You can post your photo as well as a description of yourself or your business and your website on YouTube’s “Profile setup” page.