So what if we have 1,000 new followers? They say. How do we know these fans are qualified? What if they never even buy from us? So what?

Touché, client. That’s a very valid point.

Working at a PR agency where many of our clients utilize social media, my colleagues and I have often had the discussion about quality vs. quantity when it comes to social media followers. Everyone wants to have a large following, yet everyone is quick to criticize the quality of that large following.

The inbound marketing and social media experts over at Hubspot believe that bigger is better when it comes to your social media following, and just because a fan may never buy from you doesn’t mean that they’re not valuable.

Here’s why:

• More followers mean access to more followers’ followers: This is the basis principle behind the importance of reach in social media. Each follower has a follower and when they like or share your content, their follower’s see it and so on and so on.
• Influencers have, well, influence: If you have a large social media following, chances are there will be one or two influencers in the group. If you can get them to share or comment on your content you’ve just earned major social media cred.
• Followers who won’t ever buy can still refer your business: So maybe Frank the Facebook fan will never buy your widget, but maybe his friend is looking for exactly what your company has to offer. Maybe Frank’s friend isn’t on Facebook (we doubt it, but just hypothetically speaking), but Frank is and he can refer his friend to your website.
• Social shares impact SEO: Search engines take social cues, such as social media shares, into account when ranking your content. The more shares, the better your content ranks in search.
• Your followers might surprise you: You may have your buyer personas pretty nailed down, but if you have a very narrow-focus, you might actually be missing out on other sets of people who may buy from you. Remember the classic baking soda example – baking soda was just for baking until it was also for cleaning, personal hygiene, science experiments, etc…

Excerpts from Why You Need Social Media Followers Who Won’t Ever Buy

So go ahead, rock those social media campaigns and gain thousands upon thousands of followers. Keep in mind that just because followers don’t turn directly into customers doesn’t mean that they’re not valuable.

Social media reach can be a powerful thing for any business, and the ones who understand this know that continuing to build reach is a smart social media tactic.
- Pamela Vaughan, Hubspot

The story is very interesting (video after the jump), but easily the coolest part of the whole thing is all of the fantastic video, especially the stuff from the air. Photographer Brian Ray from the Cedar Rapids Gazette and Matt Nelson from KCRG attached seven different cameras to the interior and exterior of the planes to get phenomenal video. They used the GoPro HD camera, which is only about the size of a garage door opener, and can fit into a wide assortment of mounts, so it can be placed virtually anywhere. Including the wing of a fighter jet, which is how they captured that great wide angle shot you see below.

courtesy KCRG.com

The story is very interesting, but easily the coolest part of the whole thing is all of the fantastic video, especially the stuff from the air. Photographer Brian Ray from the Cedar Rapids Gazette and Matt Nelson from KCRG attached seven different cameras to the interior and exterior of the planes to get phenomenal video. They used the GoPro HD camera, which is only about the size of a garage door opener, and can fit into a wide assortment of mounts, so it can be placed virtually anywhere. Including the wing of a fighter jet, which is how they captured that great wide angle shot you see above.

The GoPro captures high quality, full HD video, and provides you the opportunity to get a different perspective to the story. The GoPro YouTube channel has a multitude of videos that show off the camera’s versatility – attach it to the helmet of a skier or snowboarder, the front of a surfboard, the handlebars of a BMX bike, or even a dog’s collar. If you can think it up, you can probably attach a camera to it. I attached one to the hood of a car, and drove around Minneapolis to get a driver’s eye view of downtown.

I also used a GoPro camera for a shoot we had last spring. We needed to make a video involving a flashmob at the St. Paul Farmer’s Market. Since you only get one shot at something like that (they only dance once, and then they’re done. There’s no re-takes!), I wanted to make sure I used as many cameras as possible, to capture the entire event. Most importantly, I wanted to have a wide shot from the front, from an elevated perspective, to really show all of the dancers and their coordinated steps. However, space was very tight, and limited. There was no way to get up on a ladder, or shoot from a window. There was a roof, but it was very slanted, and not level enough to place a tripod on, or to stand on. Instead, I used a clamp to attach to the edge of the roof, and mounted a GoPro onto the clamp. It worked perfectly, providing the wide overhead shot I was looking for.  Click here to view the embedded video.

GoPro has made a camera that gives everyone the opportunity to add that extra flair to their videos. It is easy to use, produces great quality, and is very versatile. The only limit is the photographer’s imagination. I can’t wait to see where someone puts one next.

According to a recent report from Shareaholic, Pinterest is driving more traffic to company websites and blogs than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined. And if women are your business’s target consumer, well then you’ve hit the jackpot, as 70% of Pinterest users are women.

So how does your brand make a presence on Pinterest? The approach is slightly different than business accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Pinterest is not a broadcast mechanism; it’s more about promoting a lifestyle or the idea behind your brand.

“Pinterest calls for a more holistic approach to marketing, and it can be more effective and engaging than traditional advertising because the consumers can really see how your brand fits into their lives. For example, Bon Appetit can’t just pin pictures from the website or magazine, but it can pin images of cooking appliances, beautiful kitchen decor, cutlery, dinner parties and delicious creations or recipes – basically anything related to cooking and food.” – Mashable Business, “Pinterest for Brands: 5 Hot Tips“

Pinterest provides a much softer approach to selling. And even though Pinterest is driving tons of traffic to company website’s, I wouldn’t expect that to equate to lots of immediate sales. Most people go on Pinterest for inspiration, not necessarily to shop. But it still provides a great opportunity for your business to be seen by millions of potential new customers and stay top of mind.

So is Pinterest right for your business? According to the numbers, it seems like every business should be pinning! I would first start with visiting the Pin Etiquette page to help you align your marketing strategy with the Pinterest code of conduct. There are also some drawbacks to consider. For example, if your product or service isn’t particularly visual, you may find it difficult to tie your pins back to your brand. Also, Pinterest doesn’t offer business account or features to differentiate from personal accounts. Still, the best way to find out if Pinterest is right for your business is to set up an account and start pinning!

When I first started out in television, in 1997, people couldn’t believe how big the camera was. They were used to the little, handheld camcorders you could buy at Target or Best Buy. But, as I explained, to get high-quality video for television, you needed a bigger, better lens than that. Not to mention all of the processors and chips that make up the ‘guts’ of the camera.

Interestingly, in 2012, the curiosity and puzzled looks remain, but the reactions have come 180 degrees. “Is that it?” “Where’s the rest of the camera?” “Are you here to take pictures for the newspaper?” (Ok, I still get that one.) As chips and processors have gotten smaller, the size of the camera has been reduced as well. And the quality of the picture has gotten amazingly better, with the advent of HD.

The coolest of these developments, in my opinion, has been the blending of still photography and videography. Most DSLR cameras can now handle both still photos and video. They aren’t as small as the little compact cameras that most people use for their vacation pictures these days. But they are still quite lightweight, and very easy to handle. With a DSLR, you can get film quality, full HD video, from a camera that can be priced at less than $5000. It’s a drastic change from the $35,000 camera I used for television news. And the picture quality is phenomenal. Video from a DSLR has a soft, warm look to it, which can give your video a more personal, yet professional, feel. DSLR cameras also perform very well in lower light situations, so it’s not always necessary to bring in 10 different lights and a separate lighting crew for a shot (although that can still look pretty cool, if the project, and the budget, call for it!)

Canon 60D DSLR Camera

At StoryTeller, we have just started adding DSLR video to our projects, and I am very excited to get to use such a cool, cutting edge camera. My favorite so far has been the Canon 60D, both for ease of use and picture quality. And I love how easy it is to maneuver around during a shoot.

Of course, after my first camera, which weighed close to 17 pounds, anything would seem smaller. I guess size does matter after all.

Getting Placed in the Media

So you have some great news to share about your company – perhaps a new product or event – and you’re hoping to get on the news. Or maybe you’re an expert who can provide some perspective on a big story that’s breaking. But how can you get placed in the media? It’s all about how you pitch them.

Do a little digging

Finding out all you can about a reporter, editor or producer can be huge when it comes to pitching a story. Between their bios, LinkedIn profiles, Facebook and Twitter accounts, even a blog, you can get a pretty good idea these days about which kinds of stories a journalist covers and what he/she is passionate about.

Pitch the right person

It should go without saying that you shouldn’t send a business reporter a story about decorating or an entertainment reporter an idea about a new school lunch program. Pitching the right person goes back to doing your research. Understand roles in newsrooms as well. If you’re pitching a feature segment for television news – go after the producer. They’re likely the ones booking and setting up segments – especially for morning and weekend shows.

Read or watch what they’ve done

When sending your pitch, reference a recent (or even not-so-recent) story the journalist did – or maybe a link they shared on Facebook or Twitter. It shows you care about what they’re covering. It also helps you break through the incredible number of emails and news releases they see every day. It shows them that you likely have a story that’s right up their alley.

Be available

If the reporter or editor calls you back – that’s awesome! Make sure you respond as quickly as possible. Media work on very tight deadlines – often the same day. They typically won’t wait a few days for an interview or information. The first person to get back to a reporter will be the one featured in a story so don’t delay – and you may even end up their go-to person if there’s a follow-up.

A good PR and media relations team will stay on top of the news to make sure it doesn’t miss an opportunity for you to provide your perspective on a relevant story. We’ll also make sure that we’re pitching the right story to the right person at the right time.

StoryTeller is a PR agency with unrivaled media contacts. We recognize that we all have a story to tell. Every person and every business. What’s more, our team has news room media experience and contacts at the local and national level. When it comes to understanding your story and connecting you with reporters, editors and news makers in the Twin Cities and across America, let StoryTeller be your voice. Learn more about our media relations work here. You can also download our pricing guide here.

But let’s back up for a second, if you’re not familiar with Pinterest, here is a brief explanation of how it works. Pinterest is a “visual social discovery network.” You create online pinboards (think of a bulletin board) for various categories (“dream home” or “fashion” or “recipes” or “workouts”) and then you “pin” items to it by uploading images, using the Pinit Bookmarklet or repining other people’s pins.

Mason Jar Lamp

Just think of all those times you were out cruising the internet and saw a recipe you really wanted to try or a great instructional blog post on how to turn a mason jar into a lamp. You thought to yourself, “Oh, well now that’s pretty cool.” But you never printed the recipe or emailed yourself the link to the mason jar lamp. And when you go back later to try to find it you discover that the links have been lost in the black hole of internet search.

This is where Pinterest comes in. Now you can quickly and easily store all those recipes and craft ideas to your organized boards. Just pin the image of the recipe, craft, etc… and that image will remained linked to the original website. So you can just log on to Pinterest, click on your recipe board, find the picture for Krispy Kreme Cupcakes, click on it and you’re instantly taken to the recipe where it was originally posted. Plus, you can follow your friends on Pinterest and see what awesome things they’re finding around the web.

Krispy Kreme Cupcake

So like I was saying, I find Pinterest to be a nice departure from other social media sites. With so many other networks it can sometimes feel like you’re being shouted at with the constant updates and information from friends, acquaintances and businesses. With Pinterest, all you see are beautiful images of food, travel destinations, interior design, fashion, etc… And if a picture catches your eye, then you can decide to click through to the website for more information. It’s really more about the things that are being pinned than the people who are doing the pinning. A novel concept in today’s social space where over-sharing of personal information seems to be the norm.

Plus, like I said, the pictures are pretty.

Even though Pinterest is still an invite-only community, businesses have already started to wiggle their way in. Brands like Chobani, Whole Foods and the Travel Channel have already started leveraging the power of Pinterest. But that’s a blog for another day…. Stay tuned!

]]> http://storytellermn.com/2012/02/new-social-media-tool-are-you-on-pinterest/feed/ 0 http://storytellermn.com/2012/02/video-production-so-good-youll-cry/ http://storytellermn.com/2012/02/video-production-so-good-youll-cry/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:54:41 +0000 Ed Heil http://storytellermn.com/?p=3573 When you’re in the video production business the challenge is keeping each video as fresh as the one before and making sure that you’re always pushing yourself as a producer to create remarkable content. I’ve always believed that any video should make you feel something. Make me happy, sad, inspired, ticked off, whatever it is – move me! Just don’t leave me feeling empty, staring at my watch wondering when the misery will end.

Fortunately, we haven’t had any clients begging us to “stop tape” especially when it comes to our work with non-profit organizations. One extremely informal way we measure the success of a piece is what I call the “cry test.” Pure and simple – did you or did you not cry after or while watching that piece? You won’t find this evaluation criteria in any video production classes or manuals. Most people who produce video for a living have similar ways to measure the success of a piece.

As a producer, when a video story moves your audience to tears, you know you’ve done something right. You’ll receive an incredible amount of satisfaction watching someone cry and then hear them say three magic words, “I love it.”

Ed Heil is the owner and president of StoryTeller Media & Communications an inbound marketing and public relations agency and video production company based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ed blogs on topics related to inbound marketing, social media, media relations, news media, video production and crisis communications.

If you’re considering the use of video as an online marketing tool, there are a few things you want to keep in mind when communicating with your vendor. You see, whether you’re talking to a Minneapolis video production house or a video production company in Denver or Tucson, we all tend to want to do the same thing – produce a great video that really shines for our client. One thing that not all vendors will do, though, is stay true to their commitment as storytellers. Here’s what I mean: often, the client has a lot of “requirements” for their video – these are things that they feel MUST be in the piece in order for it to gain mass approval. Often the excess items that are included are exactly that – excess. The trouble is, many vendors wanting to please their client, acquiesce and produce based on the client’s “must haves” and sacrifice the integrity and quality of the work.

So, what can you, the client do and what can you, the vendor do? Here are five tips for you both to consider as you’re planning your project:

Share Vision

So often, the client has a vision of what the piece “should” look like. Often times it’s difficult to articulate, especially to a video producer, because the client feels inadequate or that their ideas don’t count. After all, “they’re not the producers!” Instead, they keep to themselves and empower their vendor which sounds like a great idea, but it can also lead to conflict. If you, the client, have seen something that you like or have a specific video in mind that you can share with your vendor, do it! Let them see what you’re seeing in your mind. You’ll find out if the project is realistic and you’ll set the proper expectations for your vendor. As a vendor, find samples of work – whether it’s yours or someone else’s – that you can show to your client that illustrates what you have in mind. Share the vision, that way the odds of your success down the road are much higher.

Less is More

In virtually every situation, the client has certain elements of a story that must be included in a video. Often times, there are just a few essential items, but as opinions are collected from associates of the client, the list of “essential” items often grows. Remember, that more interviews or characters in a video often distills and confuses messaging – especially in a short video. Try sticking to a couple of characters that are able to tell multiple stories. This is especially true when producing videos for non-profit organizations. So often there are so many great stories, the tendency is to tell as many as possible, but ultimately, one terrific story is all you need.

Communicate

Don’t ever be afraid to say you don’t like something. It’s like the people that are served a meal other than the one they ordered, but they say, “oh, it’s okay, this is fine,” and then they proceed to grouse through the entire meal. If something isn’t right – and I’m talking to you, Mr. Client – speak up and let your voice be heard. You’re not going to hurt anyone’s feelings and if you do, tough. You’re paying the bill, you be sure to get what you want.

Approve Changes

As you go through script revisions or edit revisions be sure to sign off on all changes. Don’t assume the other side knows what you’re visualizing in your head. Keep in mind that editing video is a game a frames. In other words, one or two frames may not seem like much in the big picture, but those little frames can make subtle differences that affects the end product. So, be sure you see every revision before approving.

Let Your Video Producers Produce

On a cerebral level all clients understand this, but as the creative process begins quite often it’s difficult to let the producers produce. It begins with having confidence with your vendor, sharing vision and communicating along the way. Ultimately, it’s critical to remember that you trusted your vendor for a good reason and hopefully because they’re accomplished video storytellers. Always express your opinion, but trust the good judgement of your vendor. If you don’t have that trust, you may have selected the wrong company.

Ed Heil is the owner and president of StoryTeller Media & Communications an inbound marketing and public relations agency and video production company based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ed blogs on topics related to inbound marketing, social media, media relations, news media, video production and crisis communications.

“‘Public Relations Defined’ is an initiative to modernize the definition of public relations. Through an open and collaborative effort, PRSA and its industry partners are providing a platform for public relations, marketing and communications professionals to add their voice to a new definition of public relations.”

On one hand, I snicker at the idea that the advancements in communications and true relationships with the public in the last few years hasn’t garnered the attention of the PRSA until now. On the other hand, I salute them and say, “hey, big ships move slowly,” and as an organization as old as it is and with a member base as vast as it is, decisions like this must be thoughtful and deliberate, so hats off to moving forward.

From an organizational perspective, meaning the PRSA, I get it. From a member perspective, I find it totally preposterous that more public relations professionals haven’t forced this issue sooner. When did you first look at social media as a public relations tool? What was it for you that made you stop and say, “wait, now THAT is real public relations?” For me, I can tell you it was a few years ago after reading David Meerman Scott’s book, “The New Rules of PR and Marketing.” My associate, Amy Schneider echoes Meerman Scott in a recently posted blog called, “Redefining Public Relations,” in which she says essentially, the new PR professional has to adapt and become proficient in a number of areas to remain relevant. I completely agree.

About three years ago, as I looked around the Minneapolis PR scene, in fact, Minnesota PR as a whole, I realized that no one was buying into this notion that traditional forms of public relations and marketing was changing dramatically right before our eyes. In fact, one of the first blogs I wrote was based on a conversation I had with the owner of another agency in town who essentially dismissed the idea that social media was anything more than a passing trend. At the time, I thought her position was outrageous, today, I think it’s comical.

In many ways, public relations has never been easier to define than it is today through the use of social media. Businesses are developing relations with the public in ways they could never in the past. Ironically, marketers are claiming the territory, when in truth, much of online marketing is about building relationships with the public. To me, this is further illustration of the blurred lines between PR and marketing.

At long last, the definition of PR will change and receive the official blessing of the Public Relations Society of America. Hallelujah! It’s about time this move is being made. Now, let’s hope they come up with a definition that’s accurate and certainly one that can be edited in accordance with changes in society. Perhaps once the members of the PRSA come up with the new definition, its members should start to re-evaluate the necessity of the PRSA as an organization. Then again, maybe the fear of obsolescence has to do with why it took them so long to seek a new definition for public relations.

Ed Heil is the owner and president of StoryTeller Media & Communications an inbound marketing and public relations agency and video production company based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ed blogs on topics related to inbound marketing, social media, media relations, news media, video production and crisis communications.

It has to be said… 2011 has been an amazing year! We have had the pleasure of sharing so many of our client’s stories both through video and other avenues. So for our annual holiday video this year, instead of sharing stories of our own, we decided to share with you a taste of what we’ve been so fortunate to work on this past year. Happy Holidays from all of us here at StoryTeller Media & Communications.

Click here to view the embedded video.