how video producers can revolutionize business using ... · below is some useful information...

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Copyright © 2011 Online Marketing for Small Business 330 West 38th Street, Suite 1010 New York NY 646) 435-0119

How Video ProducersCan Revolutionize Business

Using Social Media

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In light of the current statistics it is hard to ignore Social Media Marketing.

Facebook currently lists 500 millionactive users, with 50% of those userslogging on every day.

YouTube enjoys 100 million views perday.

Over 4 million people on YouTube areauto-sharing to at least one other socialnetworking site.

There are over 250 million usersaccessing Facebook via mobile devices.Millions of YouTube users connect viathe network's subscription service to afriend, organization or company to keepup with their activities every day

At last count there were 200 million registered Twitter users, although the network is very tightlipped about how many of these are active. The company is making some major moves right now,to convert more first time users and to expand the functionality and the popularity of the site.

The statistics themselves can be overwhelming, and approaching a social media plan can bedaunting. But, now the cost of doing nothing is higher than the cost of trying something new.Traffic to web sites has dropped dramatically on sites that have not positioned themselves properlyonline. Social Media Marketing methods are far more cost effective than traditional methods andwill take a lot less time once a system is up and running.

Companies of all sizes are increasingly turning to Social Media Marketing to revitalize andrevolutionize their businesses. A recent report showed that 58% of companies that have used SocialMedia feel that it met their expectations. Of the 25% that said social media had fallen short of theirexpectations, over half stated the main reason their methods fell short was simply a lack of time.What that says is that Social Media works, as long as it is used efficiently.

Below is some useful information regarding Social Media Marketing, quick and easy methods forincorporating it and some very inspiring ideas outlining how some innovative video productionprofessionals are exploiting these tools to promote their work in new ways and discover newbusiness opportunities.

These great case studies relate directly to the use of Social Media to market film and video projectssuccessfully. Find out what the four basic points to consider when launching or tweaking a SocialMedia campaign and how to plan and build a campaign incrementally. By exploring some of therules below, video professionals can launch a Social Media campaign that virtually pays for itself asit grows and can be measured, something traditional marketing can't offer.

Create a strategy that is focused, integrated, realistic and sustainable and then--the only risk is in notimplementing it.

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IRON MAN 2: Who's The True Superhero?By all accounts, Iron Man 2 was a raging success. Kudos go out to Director Jon Favreau, who created aseamless story using all the tricks of great movie making. A lot of credit has to go to the brilliant use ofSocial Media Marketing.

Used to generate incredible buzz and a solid fan base before the film ever hit the screen, Favreau usedFacebook and Twitter to post daily pictures of the film during production. Facebook allowed "friends"of the film to get a sneak peak and a sense of being on the "inside." Twitter was used to build a sense ofanticipation about the film's release, via daily tweets about filming each day. Cross promotion usingSocial Media linked fans to other online promotions including an interactive Iron Man game, a fauxStark Enterprises website and an interactive trailer.

Sure, it was a mega hit and IronMan is about as awesome as a herogets.

But, we know who the realsuperheroes are.

You video production bad-asses thatface incredible odds every singleday, with no mechanical suits, nogadgets and no $100 million dollarbudgets. Facing tough, demandingclients who are always looking forthe next big hit, the WOW show orseries that will rock the world--onwhat seems like a shoestring.

And, you deliver. Iron Man stepdown.

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How Social Media Helped Sell New YorkLifestyle network HGTV has figured outwho their audience is, where they liveonline and how they like to interact.

A recent contest, "Live Like a New Yorker"was launched via their Facebook page topromote the series "Selling New York."

The weekly series follows a colorful groupof assertive, razor-sharp brokers from threeupscale boutique real estate firms—CORE,Gumley Haft Kleier and, new this season,Warburg Realty—as they offer viewers arare glimpse inside the high-powered worldof buying and selling luxury Manhattanproperties.

They solicited thousands of videos uploaded by fans, who were invited to show off their interior designsavvy and novice hosting skills, which is what HGTV viewers love to do.

"This is HGTV's most ambitious social media-based promotion to date because it invites anyone fromarmchair decorators, home stagers and design bloggers to showcase their individual design talents," saidAnnette Brun, vice president of consumer marketing, HGTV. "We encourage anyone with a passion fordesign—and a love of New York—to participate. The ultimate prize will be a trip of a lifetime for anyHGTV fan."

Winners of the all expenses paid trip to New York were decided using an online vote by the community.The result? "Selling New York" is now one of HGTV's most highly rated shows, with over 2 millionviewers per week. Producers recently began taping a Los Angeles version, which is what everyone hopesfor in this business--spin off potential.

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Cutting Edge and Cutting CornersAny project facing a tight budget can take advantage of theeconomies of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The success of"The Cove," a provocative documentary film that mixedundercover journalism and incredibly dramaticcinematography would not have been possible without a SocialMedia marketing effort.

The film was the brainchild of Ric O'Barry a long time dolphintrainer in the entertainment industry. O'Barry came to therealization that capturing and keeping dolphins in captivitywas a tragic mistake.

He spent years trying to get the message out and in particularto expose a horrible practice in Japan in which thousands ofsmall whales and dolphins are cruelly slaughtered every year.

"The Cove," produced on a small budget, looked to socialnetworking sites to grow their audience exponentially. Asfriends shared reviews, links and clips of the movie withfriends, it was brought to an ever larger audience.

The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary filmin 2009. Did social media efforts contribute to the win? Hardto say. What can be said with certainty, is that the film's smallbudget wouldn't have gone very far using traditional forms ofmarketing.

There's an even bigger advantage, here. Social networkingsites have allowed the message of "The Cove" to remain aliveand well long term as it continues to find new audiences andan ever growing list of supporters.

Even a film with deep pockets would find it impossible to keepup that kind of "full court press" marketing for such a longtime using traditional methods.

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Acting Out On Social MediaSocial Media networks are fantastic outlets for projects that are the product of a genuine interest orpassion. Using a Facebook page to include a wide scope of content can help plant and organicallygrow an interested community, whether it's a documentary or entertainment.

The documentary film, "Act Out Against the SAT" also chose social media as the primary way toget its message out. Beyond budget, which was super tight, there are other reasons to maximizeYouTube and Facebook as marketing tools. Filmmaker Sam Kauffman's previous film "Massacreand Murambi" aired on PBS and was shown at 30 festivals worldwide. Despite such broaddistribution, to date the most views of the film have been on YouTube--870,000 in fact.

His latest project, "Act Out Against SAT," sees Kauffman teaming with daughter Allie to protestthe use of standardized tests for scholarship decisions and college admissions. The SAT's arethought by many to be coachable tests which inherently favor those that can pay big bucks fortutors.

In an effort to be web friendly, the film is much shorter than the average documentary. Details notincluded in the final cut are available online using an information intensive web site. The Facebookpage leads users who agree with the film's message to sign a petition which calls for the end of the

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practice of using the current SAT tests to make college admissions decisions.

On Facebook users contribute stories and voice very strong opinions, which elicits healthycontroversy and draws attention to the cause. The more users participate, of course, the more theaudience will grow. As of this writing, the film is four months new with a mere 242 Facebook"likes" and 1,500 views on YouTube. It will be fascinating to see how this "little" film taking on aBIG subject will do.

Thinking Beyond the WebsiteThere are plenty of savvy film and video production professionals already using Social Media topromote their work and reach out to new clients.

These companies realize that out of the combined 750 million users logging on to sites like Twitter,Facebook and Linkedin several times a day-every day-there are new clients looking for what theydo. They know that of the 300 million people visiting YouTube each month there are potential newclients and audiences looking for what they do. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, doing dailysearches for film and video production and post production services on these outlets, every day.There are network executives trolling for the next big idea. These users know they can find radicalideas, great information and something new to watch, Share, Like and pass on. What they can't do,is find someone or something that isn't there.

Social networking sites are a brilliant way to drive traffic to a site, gain new audiences and connectwith new clients. The real secret is to establish a systemized method of reaching out to thesepotential business prospects where they spend time online. Through the use of highly creative,friendly engaging posts companies can broadcast their best work, their value as an idea factory,their skills at managing a budget. These conversations will lead to a sense of trust and eventually aworking business relationship.

Smart businesses begin by establishing a system that gets new prospects to follow, friend andsubscribe to their output on the outlets where they know potential clients are spending time. Thenthey offer professional perspectives on new hot topics in the industry, useful links,recommendations, valuable news, highly entertaining clips. Eventually, new subscribers give thempermission to follow up, via email, mobile text messaging, mail—whichever methods they prefer.Finally, they carry on a dialogue with frequent posts of more of the same useful, entertaining.thoughtful posts and offers. They quickly build relationships with new prospects, earn their trustand ultimately their business.

Establishing an Online Marketing ProgramMost business owners find it difficult to allocate the time needed to develop an online marketingprogram. Currently, only (26%) of small to medium size businesses have found the time to invest inSocial Media marketing. Imagine the amount of traffic those wise few are getting.

From building increased awareness of your video production capabilities and experience, to sharingcreative insights, if done well, social media can do it all. This is by far the most cost effective wayto promote the work that you do, find bigger audiences for the projects you produce and discovernew business opportunities.

A social media marketing consultant can develop an online marketing plan and organize theresources to execute it so it generates results cost effectively without impacting the business

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owner’s primary focus, which is managing their business.

Four Keys to Social Media Success1.The earlier you get your production established online the better. It takes time to build theawareness and exposure that you will need. 2. Build the structure for your campaign incrementally. This helps control costs and allows you tomeasure results every step of the way.

3. Integrate all the online elements. Combining efforts on all fronts-search engines, video, socialmedia, mobile marketing, etc. is extremely powerful and it generates real results.

4. Do it in such a way that you have a big impact with the smallest amount of effort. After all,someone needs to continue working on your productions.

Laser Target your EffortsCreating and finding a path online for promoting your production online can be confusing. There are so many channels, networks and options that it can be hard to create a plan that isfocused, realistic and sustainable.

You can laser target your efforts with these simple steps:

1. Get online so your production can be found.

2. Connect with new followers and start conversations with them in the way that they like tocommunicate.

3. One you connect with them, stay in touch and keep talking.

Contact:

Tim McGarveyTMBA, Inc330 West 38th Street, Suite 1010New York, NY 10018

(212) 789-9077

[email protected]://www.TMBA.tv/

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how video producers can revolutionize business using ... · below is some useful information...

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