Red Fox Media - Video Production - Website Design - Birmingham, AL

Since we will soon be launching the new Red Fox Media brand, I updated our demo reel. This reel features our new logo, along with samples of our more recent work. The new Red Fox Media website should go live in a couple of weeks. It’s been a long transition and I’ll be glad when it’s all complete.

The number of companies using online video to enhance their brands is increasing everyday. Video is now a marketing necessity, but like any marketing tool, the decision to produce an online video series for your company requires strategy and planning. Online videos take on a variety of formats, genres, and visual styles. The decision to use one style over another will have a significant impact on the public’s perception of your business. So, where do you start?

1. Look for what you like. Spend time watching online videos to see what other people are doing. What formats do you like? What inspiration can you draw for your own business? Make some notes. Save the links.
2. Formulate a Goal. What’s the purpose of this series? Do you want to blast it on a number of different video hosting sites to create a viral sensation? Should it be more targeted? Should the series simply live on your own website, complimenting material already written? Your specific goal will help you narrow your focus and will aid in selecting a specific format.
3. Think Thematically. A video series needs to have consistency and continuity throughout all episodes. This will only serve to solidify your brand and your message. Take a look at what Shredded Wheat is doing with their “Progress is Overrated” campaign. The series has a simple concept, but it goes against the grain of what’s expected. And the message is presented with a strong sense of dry humor.

Like any other venture, producing successful online videos require research, planning, and execution. And when done right, those videos will create greater public awareness for your brand.

I was listening to an internet marketing podcast recently and the hosts of the show were discussing how E-Consultancy is using Twitter to join in on public conversations related to their company. Here’s a quick synopsis of E-Consultancy, as stated on their website:

Econsultancy is a community where the world’s digital marketing and ecommerce professionals meet to sharpen their strategy, source suppliers, get quick answers, compare notes, help each other out and discover how to do everything better online.

Founded in 1999, Econsultancy has grown to become the leading source of independent advice and insight on digital marketing and ecommerce.

Our reports, events, online resources and training programmes help our 80,000+ members make better decisions, build business cases, find the best suppliers, look smart in meetings and accelerate their careers.

E-Consultancy searched for what people were saying about them on Twitter and placed a live feed of those tweets right on their home page. And there’s no content filtering, so if there are people out there with negative feelings toward E-Consultancy, those thoughts will show up right on the home page.

Just a few years ago, this practice of exposing potential customers to potentially negative reviews would be a no-no. However, in today’s social media world, this transparency might be refreshing. It demonstrates to the public that this company listens to their customers and strives to be prompt in addressing all concerns. It shows that they are engaged and tuned in to conversations about their brand.

This doesn’t mean that you have to put a live Twitter feed on your home page, but it does illustrate the point that as business owners, we have a responsibility to the people we serve. You need to be engaged in what people are saying about your brand. Listen to them. Respond in a timely manner. And always look for ways to improve your brand.

What are your thoughts about E-Consultancy’s move? Good or bad?

The term “virus” or “viral” has such negative connotations, and usually, for the sake of your health, you want to stay away from any kind of virus. But in the world of online marketing, you want your brand and your campaign to be viral. You want people linking to your content, retweeting your thoughts, embedding your videos. Viral marketing is all about spreading your identity across the web, increasing your exposure to the world.

The premise sounds simple enough: create compelling content that people will be inclined to pass along to others. But devising that content in a blogosphere numbering in the millions is far more tricky. On his blog, Thomas Baekdal shares his “7 Tricks to Viral Web Marketing” and posts several examples of successful campaigns, including a short online film series from BMW, called “The Hire.”

Now, I realize that not all of you have the money to invest in a campaign of this magnitude. Most likely you will need to create a concept that can be repeated quickly with minimal cost. In a post on this blog a few years ago, we discussed the success of the “Will It Blend?” campaign, whose concept could be produced over and over again, with minimal cost.

Take a look at the videos on Baekdal’s site. Maybe that will jump start your creativity as you think of ways to best market your company and services. Feel free to look through our archives for other interesting articles on utilizing video to propel your marketing campaign. And be sure to comment on your favorite viral videos and why you think they’re successful.