Video Storytelling: Show, Don't Tell

End caps in supermarkets display products to entice shoppers to buy;  while consumers seek out expertise and special pricing from service-based businesses featuring professionally-trained manpower.  But what about organizations that market opportunities to to lead; experiences to inspire; and friendships to treasure?  How can you  position that product? Girl Scouting is the largest national organization of young women in the United States.  This leadership development not-for-profit offers program, encouragement, and empowerment building girls' courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place -- and this organization has been doing this work for over 100 years.

Who better to tell the story but the girl member herself?  What better way to inspire and spread the news but through photos, videos , testimonials and interviews.  Over the last few years, on-line video has proven to be the most engaging and compelling form of content for social medial users.  Video communicates, informs, and educates by engaging both the viewers and the participants.

Every brand has a story to tell.  Video offers a platform of authenticity, honesty, and transparency that appeals emotionally and increases viewer engagement.  A strong marketing campaign integrates video into the mix. Videos can be from live events, a how-to-video, customer testimonials, training videos, viral entertainment videos,  explainer videos - the list goes on.

2015 will be the year that video becomes an integrated part of email marketing, content marketing social media, and SEO, helping marketers improve their day-to-day results while acquiring brand affinity and enhancing customer relationships.  So remember "Show, don't tell".  That is the simplest yet most powerful lesson a storyteller can learn as marketers put more emphasis on content that tells a story!

History Repeats Itself...

Back in May 1983, fresh out of college armed with a BS Degree in Mass Communication and a double minor in PR and Theatre, I was ready to get a job and start my life!  In October, I was thrilled to land an entry-level advertising assistant job for a large utility and within one year started the company's audio-visual services as a department of ONE – I was producer, writer, videographer, sound assistant, lighting grip, editor, voice-over talent, reporter, and the account manager responsible for  creating a 15-minute, video news program distributed bi-weekly on tape cassettes to over 100 generating stations, operating centers, corporate offices, and regional bill payment offices throughout the upper fifth of Northern Illinois.  The program was comprised of three to four different, on-location video segments highlighting our people, our customers, controversial news coverage, new products and more!

Twenty years later, the communication theories I learned in college still have value; those "typewriter-timed" journalism writing tests reinforced the need for succinct, clear and targeted messaging; and creativity continues to capture and maintain your audience’s attention.  And now, here I am creating a "video messaging" product for The Price Group  - still building stories using traditional solid communication principles, enhanced by integrating today's social media and internet marketing strategies.

For our Fox Valley SCORE client, the local chapter of a national non-profit organization, I was, again, a department of ONE:  the event planner; the press release writer; the blogger posting on Facebook and tweeting interesting anecdotes; and the video producer, director, reporter, writer, videographer, editor, etc.  Yes, it is true, history does repeat itself!

“It’s just like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get!”

Although there may be some wisdom to Forrest Gump’s observation comparing life’s unpredictable nature to a box of chocolates, would it be wise to treat your online marketing strategy like this? This is often what happens when potential customers land on a website and launch their online video – they never really know what to expect!  To eliminate uncertainty, produce video content posted on your website or linked from your social media posting that is relevant and valued by your customers.

Marketing studies indicate website videos increase SEO by 50%.  But did you know that you could actually jeopardize your credibility if the content and the quality of the video messaging is poorly written and produced?  Even if your online video appears slick with all of the “bells and whistles” of an “over-the-top” music video, if the content is not relevant to your viewer, you will actually lose customer engagement.

The following facts about online video messaging are no secret:

- 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visuals;

- Visuals process 60K times faster in the brain than text;

- Viewers stay on a page with video content 6 times longer; and

- Featuring video on your website makes it 53 times more likely to get a front page Google ranking.

Based upon these compelling statistics, many small business owners immediately say, “I need a video to increase traffic to my website!”  However, to avoid creating a video that could turn out to be one of those “not-so-good chocolate covered jelly candies”, here are five guidelines to consider when producing video messaging:

1) Go beyond “selling” your product, but create content related to your business of which potential customers would have general interest or gain value;

2) Build trust and credibility by utilizing the power of video to demonstrate the effectiveness of your businesses’ product or service because “seeing is believing”; 

3) Produce a message that is compelling and entertaining, prompting viewers to share it and “spread the word” attracting buyers and generating leads; 

4) Employ “storytelling” techniques to emotionally connect with customers who can empathize and identify with the story or the storyteller; and

5) Introduce genuine or clever  “humor” to humanize the message and capture the viewers’ curiosity.

Everyday, more and more viewers “Google” and “click” to view video content on a website, not really knowing what they are going to get. Therefore, it is increasingly important to consistently create relevant content valuable to your viewer, using high-quality production values.   Once your viewer is engaged by your well-produced video message, this customer will know what he’s going to get and be willing to get it from you! 

Just for the "fun" of it!

In the not-for-profit world, when a group approaches you and offers to run an event and give your 501(c)(3) organization any proceeds, what would you say?  I think that is a rhetorical question - of course "YES"!

Such is the case for a non-profit theatre, Steel Beam Theatre, where I volunteer some of my time.  The Adventure Bureau is a group of young guys that have started a small business -  planning and managing events to create excitement and providing any profit from the event to a not-for-profit group like Steel Beam.  Steel Beam was their inaugural "adventure" and we were pleased to participate in helping promote their 5K "Ghosts vs. Ghouls 5K Faceoff" in October 2014.

Although I enjoy "slowly jogging" in organized runs, I am no "runner".  But, I "ran" (and I use that term loosely) the CARA-timed course as well as offered, on behalf of Steel Beam, costumes and makeup at the event to add to the "Halloween-themed" morning.  Meanwhile, Steel Beam Theatre's 4th annual 3D Haunted House,  KC Scaregrounds, was in full-swing.  We utilized this generous Adventure Bureau opportunity to promote the haunted house, located just minutes away at the Kane County Fairgrounds. As a matter of fact, each of the 60+ runners received free admission to the Scaregrounds later that evening!

Of course, while I was at Mount St. Mary's Park in St. Charles for the 5K, I randomly shot some video, photos and interviews of some participants.  Then, just for fun, quickly created and posted to the KC Scaregrounds Facebook page to thank our friends at The Adventure Bureau and wish them success in their future endeavors.  It looks like this "fun" partnership will see a second annual 5K Faceoff next year!

"Old News" is "No News"

As a journalist trained in broadcast media, I have always had an issue with calling a news release a "press" release.  Although there is no harm in giving credit to the "printing press" for being one method of distributing information, in today's digital world, the term "press" has an "old school" ring to it.  So, I prefer referring to these kinds of communications to the media as news releases.  

It is no coincidence that the word "new" is in "news"!  A story can be "news" as long as the writer leads with a current finding, information or fact.  For example, I write a weekly news release for a nonprofit theatre.  Each news release focuses on the most current "happening" and is quickly drafted, reviewed and then distributed. Long involved approval processes make "new news" old!  Accuracy, however, must remain the top priority.  News releases should be brief, focused, simple and timely.  Avoid complicated terms and complex layers of data and information.  The more current the event, the more interesting, engaging and relevant for the reader.

Here is an event I attended today!  By this time tomorrow, this news release should be reviewed, approved, distributed  and no longer a "draft".  The bottom line is, it really doesn't matter what you call it, it is what you do with it! http://bit.ly/ZClDd9

Are White Papers Always White?

When you meet a person who wrote a "White Paper",  you probably picture an Einstein look-a-like in a white lab coat, with white hair holding a mechanical pencil atop a two-foot stack of white paper. If this were true, would you read it?   Probably not!

It is true - technical writing is not for the verbose, who flaunt colorful language and prose filled with adjectives and description.  Less is more - and writing less is more challenging.  I believe it was Mark Twain who once said, "Give me short notice to write a long story; but give me endless time to craft a well-thought answer."

Technical writing can be a "white paper", an article addressing a specific issue (usually technical in nature) or even a sales sheet, a MSDS (material safety data sheet) or instructions could fall into the "technical writing" category. Today, "white papers have become popular marketing tools for corporations especially on the Internet since many potential customers search for information on the Web.  Corporations use white papers to sell information or new products as solutions that would service their customers needs." For more detail on "white papers" and technical writing check out this resource.  https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/546/01/  .

I, myself, have samples of "technical" writing,  always keeping in mind the audience.  Just because you may be communicating complex topics, doesn't mean your "technical piece" needs to be on white paper filled with multi-syllable words.  The most important element is that you state facts simply and present the information your audience can (and wants to) learn about.

 

Technical writing can educate customers AND employees.  Here are some examples of technical sales sheets to train ComEd Sales and RR Donnelley Marketers on various products and services.

So technical writing audiences don't always wear WHITE lab coats!

BEING "SOCIAL"

As you read this post, 

feel free to exercise the links for samples 

to some of my work for Steel Beam Theatre on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.  

Effective Marketing is being able to reach the right people, at the right time, with the right message.  Social Media is a very important channel in an effective integrated Marketing campaign.  I recently have had the pleasure to volunteer my time and expertise and put my recent DePaul Social Media and Internet Marketing training to work.

As a Mass Communication major (journalism/radio/television production) with a double minor in PR and Theatre, I was thrilled to offer my services to a non-profit, semi-professional organization, Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles, for the third year of its annual fundraiser, a 3D Haunted House at the Kane County Fairgrounds.

My involvement ranged from developing an overall project budget, timeline and work plan as well as creating a comprehensive marketing strategy.  The client wanted to target a teen or younger audience for this event.  Although using social media would immediately come to mind, social media depends on a well-defined mission and a well-planned strategy and needs to compliment existing marketing promotions -- it cannot effectively exist on its own.

With a budget of $0, my role encompassed all advertisement and promotions:  from print campaigns (posters and flyers), writing and distributing frequent and compelling news releases, creating and promoting media events and providing "point of purchase" displays; to shooting and editing YouTube videos and creating/delivering content and monitoring all social media platforms.  For the theatre's annual fundraising event, I also created their Facebook and Twitter presence to target, promote and engage customers.  The bottom line, we needed to sell "tickets" for eight "performances" - and we did!

Using wristbands with coupon offerings (as opposed to tickets) was another new idea that I was able to bring to the table and execute. This process improvement proved to be an effective marketing tool as well provided valuable customer sales data. Enlisting partners within the community and contracting services with local businesses provided greater reach to existing and new customers for Steel Beam's special annual event.  Combining event planning and social media, I was able to successfully attract third-party endorsements and reviews.  These relationships will benefit Steel Beam in future years.  

What made this project so exciting and personally rewarding (other than being around some tremendously talented and good people) was the ability to integrate the promotion of this annual fundraiser with their year-round theatre business.  KC Scaregrounds brings awareness of this small non-profit business to so many new customers and enhances its relationships with its existing customer base, local businesses and community organizations. Through focusing on what you have to offer, to whom  and when - Steel Beam Theatre is on its way to meeting its fundraising goals!  


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