Video is inarguably a valuable part of anyone’s digital strategy.  Ranging from a 6-second Vine uploaded from your iPhone, to a professionally produced piece that looks like a commercial or a mini-documentary, the options are vast.

Anyone who has created their own videos knows that while it’s not terribly difficult to do these days, skill and planning can go a long way; the more, the better in many cases

I recently had the pleasure of coordinating a medical video for an exhibit at the 2013 NCBC (National Consortium of Breast Centers).  Medical video specialist, Lange Productions, did the videography and editing.  They also scripted and provided the voiceover.  Working with these professionals, I picked up a few tips.

Experts speak volumes

A business talking about its own products or services can be informative. But hearing from an end-user and expert is way more compelling … and believable.  In the case of this video, medical practitioners at Boulder Community Hospital talked about the GIOTTO breast imaging technology from Fischer Medical.  You can hear the passion and enthusiasm in their voices.  They are obviously proficient in their field as evidenced by their demonstrations, performed smoothly and expertly.

Feigned expertise could compromise the credibility of the production, and therefore, of the business.  If your product or service is worth talking about, let an expert speak for you.

Conversation vs. script

Even if you have an expert to speak on behalf of your business, it’s tempting to provide a script to ensure that the key messages are adequately emphasized.  However, someone reading from a script sounds like someone reading from a script, and that can detract from the authenticity of your expert.

Rather, as part of the planning process, identify the key messages that you’d like to have in the video. Then, be prepared to prompt a conversation with questions that give your expert the opportunity to discuss the topics that are important to your message.

In the case of the Fischer GIOTTO video, we spent a few minutes putting our experts at ease with casual conversation.  Preparing the on-camera people, though, is only half of it.  Dr. Vladimir Lange, from behind the camera, relying on his medical background and full understanding of the topic, was able to ask open-ended and probing questions. Dr. Lange explained that his approach is to be genuinely interested in learning something from the medial professionals he’s interviewing.  Having medical experts on both sides of the conversation contributed to the overall quality of our video.

Lights, Camera, Action!

There can be a lot of moving parts when producing a video.  Having someone to handle the production qualities such as sound, lighting and camera angles is invaluable.  Nigel, of Lange Productions, scrutinized every aspect of our shoot.  He took care of details such as background noise from the A/C, shadows and reflections that might detract from a shot, and the inclusion of close-ups and movements that would later be placed during editing to reinforce particular messages.

During the shoot, I watched Nigel and Dr. Lange work together like a well-oiled machine. I often wondered about some of the seemingly minute details that they worked through.  Seeing the finished product, though, I can see that they had a plan in mind the whole time, and that they knew exactly what they were going after before they even started.

On your own

Granted, we can’t all afford to bring in the pros to shoot a video. But, these few tips can be helpful as you plan your next production.

One doesn’t tend to think of social media as being dangerous per se, but it doesn’t hurt to think in terms of safety anyway.  As Brian Olson points out in his blog post, Future Shock-Shock Absorbing, part of using social media means being prepared to “deal with unexpected situations.”

Here are seven tips for avoiding trouble, shared during a conversation about Legal & Copyright Considerations for Social Media Marketing, presented by Jim Thomas, and hosted by Social Marketing for Business:

1. Draw well-defined lines

There is some danger when a personal profile doesn’t accurately describe its owner. A good way to prevent it is to manage and maintain your own personal profiles.  Don’t forget to go back from time to time and read them, ensuring they haven’t become stagnant or outdated.

Alan Case, a member of the Social Marketing Group cited LinkedIn as a good example where it is imperative that your personal profile contain current, comprehensive and correct information.  Further, Alan suggested paying attention to the distinctions between your profiles on personal pages and on business pages.

2. Connect and combine your media

Don’t use your media in silos and risk isolating your engagement initiatives. Group member, Linda Mooney, responded to a Facebook friend’s invitation to sign up for her blog and receive an art print in exchange. Linda not only received a print, but she also received a collage made of other works by the same artist, as well as coupons.

Linda pointed out how this artist maximized her marketing by connecting her Facebook page to her blog and then combined her print advertising by mailing directly to her well-targeted market.

3. Provide value

Alyx Reese, who manages social media for Roof Brokers Inc., is working to grow their Twitter following.  While businesses often damage their reputation by using social media to self-promote, Alyx is attracting attention by adding value to her community. She searches for news items and advice that she knows her customers and potential customers will find useful.  Then, she’s “re-tweeting like crazy.”

Alyx is thrilled every time she receives notification of a new follower on Twitter. She says the real measure of success, though, is increased activity on the company’s Better Business Bureau listing and on their website.

4. Measure your success

One of our newer members, Phil Clemens, pointed out that Pinterest just launched a new analytics tool.   If you’re not tracking progress, you could spend a lot of time spinning your wheels. Measuring ROI in social media is challenging, so new tools like this are always welcome.

5. Emphasize your message

By bringing our attention to Pinterest Launches Free Analytics Tool, a meeting handout, Phil also demonstrated the importance of not letting your message get lost in the shuffle.  Adding emphasis can be done by directing attention and reiterating.

6. Share, don’t steal

Luke Holzmann, spokesperson for the YouTube tips group, warned against downloading from someone else’s channel and then uploading to your own. “This will get you into hot water,” he said. Instead, if you want to share someone’s video content, link to it (on YouTube, for example) or embed it in your blog post.  This ensures proper credit and attribution.

7. Attribution before assertion

Our group’s videographer, Brian Olson of Conversation Starters, stepped from behind the video camera to share this pearl of wisdom that is generally directed toward journalists, but can also apply to many social media users.  “Attribution before assertion” not only gives proper credit, but also helps the audience from being distracted or confused.

Photo by maxthedog67 on flickr

I’ve written before about the Social Marketing For Business Meetup I love so much. At every monthly meeting, attendees – usually around 65 to 100 people – break into “quick tip groups” to discuss and come up with one quick tip about a social media channel or technique.  Here’s a rundown of the tips that were shared at the February Meetup – a sampler of sorts.

YouTube

Presented by Forrest Bassett, the advice from this breakout discussion about putting video on YouTube is to “keep it short.” Viewers have a relatively short attention span – about 90 seconds according to this short (1:56) video explaining optimal video length.

In this video, Dan Safkow also suggests that you cover only one topic per video; and, he explains why.   A suggestion from the quick tip group is to break your videos into parts; e.g. Part I, Part II, etc. (more…)

Our social networks can grow quickly.  But a vast social network doesn’t necessarily mean a powerful social network.  My strategy is to pursue quality rather than quantity in my social networks.

I did a quick assessment and looked for patterns of valuable connections and rich conversations.  Based on the pattern I saw related to who I connected with, I recognized a pretty consistent pattern in how I became connected with these people.

Extending Existing Relationships

My real-life network seems to be at the core of my online social network.  When I meet people at business meetings or networking events, and discover that I have a reason to continue our conversation beyond our face-to-face encounter, I follow up with them on social platforms.

The printed information on a person’s business card usually leads me to where I can connect with them online; but not always. (Is your Twitter name on your business card?) This point leads me to the next feature of the pattern. (more…)

I find it very satisfying when someone in my social network “likes” one of my comments, or better yet, comments on a post. It’s a sign that I’ve achieved one of my goals for using social media; I’ve engaged a reader.

Anyone who is creating content for a social site is likely doing it to gain recognition in some form or fashion. Whether creating content on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, your blog, or any of the hundreds of other social channels, you’re probably striving to “engage” your audience. Easier said than done.

There are some basic rules of engagement for creating a strategy and building a robust and vibrant social network. The rules are purposely general and need to be customized by each content creator depending on their unique objectives for their social media strategy.

My own Social Media Action Plan for 2013 includes an objective of engaging. As I contemplate what that means exactly, I realize that “engaging my network” is the result I’m after, but it’s not a result I can expect without some effort. (more…)

I attend a monthly Meetup in Denver called Social Marketing for Business, and always come away with several blog-worthy learning points. (#smgdenver and @tipssocial on Twitter) This month the topic was listening, and I participated in the YouTube “quick tips” group for a short, fast-paced discussion about that particular social media channel.

YouTube for customer service

Demonstrating how YouTube is a great source for listening to what people might be saying about our organizations, Peter Hodges, Director of Strategic Marketing at Webolutions,  cited some infamous cases.  My favorite one is United Breaks Guitars.  This video was created by an unhappy United Airlines passenger who couldn’t get satisfactory customer service when he filed a complaint about the condition of his guitar after it went through baggage handling.  The video not only got the attention of the airline, it got the attention of millions of YouTube “listeners” (as of this writing, more than 12 million). The creator of the video, David Caroll, has seen his career take off (no pun intended) since posting this complaint.  Type “United Breaks Guitars” in the YouTube search field to see what kind of success he has met.

Another example of a dissatisfied customer’s use of YouTube to make his point can be seen in this 1-800-Flowers video. (more…)

Social Marketing for Business, a Denver monthly Meetup, recently hosted a conversation about “Creating a Social Media Marketing Action Plan.”  Our moderator, Mike Hanbery, started us off by asking who among the 60 or so businesses represented at this Meetup had a written social media plan.  Less than 10% raised their hands.

The ensuing conversation prompted our thinking and revealed some great ideas about how to approach the task of creating a written social media plan.  Highlights can be viewed in this video.  Some of the ideas that made it into my own notes include:

Use the right tools

You can’t know which of the social media tools to use if you don’t know what each of the tools is used for.  Luke Holzmann says that figuring this out is a great starting point for creating a social media plan.  As the conversation continues, though, we find that choosing and using the right tool can be done differently by different people. (more…)

As a social media manager, I’m constantly trying to help people efficiently work with the various social media and networking tools. But keeping up with the changes on Facebook has become a full-time job.

I should love Facebook for this I suppose, because it puts my services in high demand. It’s my job to know what the changes are and how to work with them. I should not only be able to demonstrate the new features, but also help people make adjustments in their processes when features they’re used to using have disappeared (see examples, below).

I hate Facebook for this too, though, because I like to demonstrate how to use social media tools on video.  But with the pace of change on Facebook, the videos become obsolete almost before I finish recording them. I now post a disclaimer in the video descriptions reminding people that Facebook is constantly undergoing changes. (You can leave requests for current, customized video demos on the 3D Communications Facebook Page.)

I’m not criticizing. After all, we’re all still figuring out the best ways to use social media tools, and Facebook has every right to make changes in their quest for perfection. Facebook isn’t the only popular social networking platform that makes changes. Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube have all rolled out their share of changes. After a bit of time, I adjust to the changes and even truly appreciate most of them. Today, though, I’m just venting my frustration with Facebook.

Stuff that has disappeared from Facebook

1. The “Link” link on the status update on the personal Facebook profile is gone (still available on business Facebook Pages, though). I noticed this when someone asked me how to choose the thumbnail that appears when you post a link on your status update. Here’s a graphic of what I discovered.
2. I used to be able to work on my business Facebook page and choose “Use Facebook as Debi” and then post a comment as me rather than as my business. However, today I discovered that I can no longer do that. I can still click “Use Facebook as Debi,” but when I click in the comment box, my business logo shows up. Maybe it’s a glitch; maybe not. Who knows? Further, I can’t post a personal comment on any of the pages on which I’ve been assigned as an administrator. I don’t “like!”
3. I used to be able to post a status update from my personal Facebook and tag a business page (i.e., use the @ symbol in front of the Page name causing it to become a hyperlink to that Page). The update would then appear on that Page’s Wall and/or Newsfeed. But, that doesn’t seem to be happening anymore. So much for letting a Page you want to support know you’re sending them a little social love!

I will do my best to help people deal with the changes. Can you help me with any of the three things that are challenging me today?

Photo credit: Ben Heine

The first steps for creating a social media process for your business include:

1.  Establishing your objective for using social media,
2.  Identifying the online communities you’d like to join, and
3.  Choosing the tools you’ll use to reach them.

The next step is to commit to a system for managing your time.

Start early

If you develop time management habits during this early stage, it’ll be easier to carry those habits into later stages – when you’re fully interacting and engaging through new media. If you don’t adopt time management practices early on, you’re likely to become discouraged and quit before you realize any benefit from social media at all.

Because your time will represent a major portion of your investment in social media, a time management system will help to determine the ROI of your social media.

Get organized

During the planning stage for your social media process, you’ll analyze elements of your business strategy to help answer questions related to your products, services and purpose. All of that information should be cataloged in a simple format that can be used later when you’re implementing your social media process. The system I use is an Excel spreadsheet that contains five pages:
Community – lists of people in your existing face-to-face networks, organizations you’d like to connect with, and people in your industry or field who already have a presence in the online social space.
Conversations – key messages and the resources you currently use to get those messages out. If you already have a website, many of your key messages will probably come from that. Some of your resources might include video that you’ve uploaded, or even brochures or flyers that you’ve had printed (and could convert to .pdf or html for distribution through your digital channels).
Keywords – Every business can be described by a distinct set of key words. They are used to describe the people who use your services and products. People find your website by typing keywords into search engines. List those and refer to them often. They will provide direction on countless levels as you develop your online presence.
Comparisons – People and entities that may not fit into your community, but who are using social media and digital communication in ways that might work well for your own business. It’s a place to come for inspiration and ideas.
Daily Checklist – Critical to managing your time. Before creating it, know how much time you can afford to spend each day or week maintaining and growing the social networks that will support your business. Here is an example of some of the tasks that might be included on this list. Start with just a few, and add more as you hone your skills and become more efficient using the tools.

Be patient

Transitioning to the use of social media for business purposes is not the slam-dunk that most of us were cajoled into thinking it was in the earlier days. It takes serious planning and effort. You’ll make mistakes and experience set-backs. Approaching social media systematically, with an organized plan, will give you a good foundation. Track what’s working and what’s not. Build on your plan as you make progress. Nurture it and let it be your guide to online success.

Photo by Juggling Frogs

The question about the ROI (return on investment) of Social Media comes up all the time; the answers are numerous, varied and often vague.  An approach discussed recently among my Social Marketing for Businesses MeetUp group suggested that before calculating the R (return), it makes good sense to analyze the I (investment).

Anyone with any experience using social media, knows that your investment is not hard dollars. In fact, many social media tools are virtually free.  Your investment, however,  is time; and your time is valuable.  Therefore, managing the time spent on social media is critical in the ROI equation.

Social Media in 20 Minutes a Day

Start out by committing to a set amount of time each day or week that you can realistically afford to spend on social media.  Then, create a checklist of the tasks you need to accomplish within that set amount of time.  Here is an example – Social Media in 20 Minutes a Day.  You might be willing to invest an hour a day in social media. Or, you might decide that all you can afford is 20 minutes a week.  A checklist like this can be customized depending on your situation and your expectations for social media.

The trick to making a checklist like this work is to exercise discipline.  It’s easy to get distracted and lured into an unintended direction. (We’ve all done it!)  To help you avoid this:

1. Keep a printed copy of your checklist on your desk, in clear sight.
2. Set the timer on your phone.
3. Commit to getting through the checklist before the timer goes off.
4. Reward yourself each time you successfully complete your list.

Social Media Doesn’t Have To Be All Work

Even if you’re using social media for business, it doesn’t have to be all work.  Make it fun by rewarding yourself for accomplishing your checklist within the allotted time.  You’ll be less likely to give in to distractions if you know you’ll be rewarded  later with 15 minutes to go check out your best friend’s photos on Facebook, or go back to the YouTube video one of your college friends sent you on Twitter.

Social media is a wonderful playground.  It is, after all, SOCIAL media. So, we should allow ourselves to socialize and share with our family and friends.

While you’re working, though, and trying to manage the ROI of social media for your business, stay focused on your business objectives . . . and keep an eye on the clock!

Photo by Anna Hendy