Algonquin College Student Video Challenge
We had students come in this week from Algonquin College to take a tour of the Media Mall space. They had a chance to meet some of the Member companies and learn a little bit more about entering the work force.
They were also presented with a challenge of creating a short video with footage that they were able to take. Below are the two submissions that we received.
Why Events Need to be Part of Your Marketing Strategy
Your company can benefit greatly from participating in and holding events. I’m just going to jump start with a couple statistics to backup this idea.
Your company can increase awareness and even become a leader in your industry by holding and participating in local or professional events. As humans, we are social creatures that develop the strongest bonds in person. Although the Internet gives us an incredible ability to connect with each other just about anywhere, it is still just a substitute. In person events give you the opportunity to get insights from your audience and make those personal connections with people that help drive your business.
Do your research
Before you attend, sponsor or host your event, first you should do a little research. Start by asking a few questions.
- What events has your company attended in the past?
- What kind of events are held in your industry?
- Do you have a budget and an audience to hold your own event?
I remember an afternoon several years ago at a small show where I expected to be speaking with people about the importance of user experience in web design. After an hour, I learned that the event attracted job seekers. The afternoon was spent explaining what the company did and taking resumes of people who weren’t qualified – what a bust. You can avoid getting trapped at an event like this by doing your research beforehand. If you can take the time it takes you to drink a cup of coffee and go through a couple potential events, you will be well on your way. If you know someone who has attended a specific event, ask them how they liked it and why.
Attend events and get inspired
At the very least, you should be attending events, connecting with people, strengthening relationships and starting new ones. Natalie Tarini from the Canadian Wood Council spoke with me about the series of events they have been holding for nearly three decades which now span across Canada. The events include keynote speakers, workshops, companies showcasing products, and resources for architects, engineers and students. All of this revolves around how wood can be used in construction, and the events continue to grow. This year, the Wood Solutions fair in BC has been expanded to two days because of the demand.
“Some people say that we’re just preaching to the converted, but the converted still need to be inspired”
Natalie Tarini – National Communications Coordinator at the Canadian Wood Council
Inspiration is a key point because it’s what can make someone excited about what they do, or spark passion in someone new. As the Canadian Wood Council’s goal is to increase awareness of wood as a strong and dependable building material, they gauge the success of their events through an exit survey. This gives them invaluable insight into what stands out at each event and what people want more of.
- Let yourself be inspired by the people and ideas at events.
- Connect with people in and outside of your industry.
- Learn what makes the event great and why people attend.
Get involved and be a sponsor
At a well organised event, you will receive some prominent exposure and demonstrate community involvement and social consciousness. This will get you in front of people who may never think of you otherwise. The added bonus is that you will usually receive tickets to the event which let you engage with other attendees.
- Align your organization with a community or social cause.
- Increase awareness through the exposure before, during and after the event.
- Connect with new audiences.
Hold your own event and make sure it stands out (in a good way)
I have never been enthusiastic about going to events, but an event that shows it will teach me something in a new and exciting way gets my attention every time. Would you go out after a long workday because a new business is opening? Probably not. What if there was an axe throwing competition at the opening? That’s what Bad Axe Throwing did when opening up their location in Ottawa. They didn’t just invite people in and talk about themselves, instead they put an axe in your hand, taught you how to throw it and then had all the attendees compete. That was an event that was fun and worth talking about.
“We take pride in the relationships we build with our clients, our ability to listen and interpret our clients event vision and exceed their expectations. We have a combined 30+ years in the event industry, our expertise in logistics, maximizing a budget, sponsorship, food and beverage, travel, policy and procedure is really what makes us stand out and deliver for our clients.”
ITM Events
Speaking with Julia O’Grady from ITM Events, I learned more about all of the tiny, yet incredibly important pieces that need careful consideration to make an event great. It can sometimes be more than just what happens at the event, but what doesn’t happen. Everything from the food, the registration process, and how people flow through the space. This is an extremely detail oriented responsibility and usually comes with unexpected surprises, which is what makes the talents of a event planning company even more important to a smooth and memorable event. I saw how passionate Julia is about creating events that are remarkable and have people coming back for more.
Ensure the event is aligned with your goals
The bottom line of hosting events may come down to the ROI, but there are different ways to measure your return. You may want to increase awareness of your product or you may want to show your support of the local community and garner good faith.
Raise awareness of your organisation
If you want to get people talking about your company or something new you offer, an event is an excellent way to generate interest. This goes far beyond your list of contacts and attendees. If you are marketing the event effectively, you can expect an improvement in your online presence as people search and learn about who you are, what you’re doing and why.
Support the local community
Your company is likely involved in the community at some level and an event is a good way to demonstrate that involvement further. Whether you support a charity organization of host a Christmas party that invites all the business on your street, people appreciate when you take an active interest in the local community.
Demonstrate leadership
Events such as WordCamp or the Marketing Evolution Summit attract a lot of attention because they educate and inspire. Engaging speakers with innovative ideas are what drives these events to be successful each year. If you’ve been in business for a few years, there is a good chance you know at least a few people whom you find inspiring and would be happy to take part in an event – assuming it’s something you can get people excited about.
Do something extraordinary that will make people excited to come to your event year after year.
Here are a few places to help you get started:
- Reach out to your network and see what events people are planning on attending and why.
- Take a look through some of the events taking place in your industry or region by going to canadaone.com/canadian_business_events/
References:
blog.eventfarm.com/blog/35-statistics-that-every-event-marketer-should-know
www.virgin.com/entrepreneur/infographic-the-importance-of-face-to-face-networking
business.time.com/2012/04/27/why-face-to-face-networking-trumps-social-networking
ivanmisner.com/onlinenetworkslag
CWC.ca
Do You Engage Your Audience With Online Video?
Last month I had a chance to sit down with Jesse Card who is the owner of House Edge Media, a video production studio here in Ottawa, and we had a great chat all about the implications of video and marketing for businesses both large and small. The general conclusion of the conversation: Video is extremely important and has already become much more of a requirement for businesses. Websites went from ‘nice to have’ in the mid 2000’s to ‘absolutely necessary’ by 2010, and now video has also become a ‘must have’ medium.
The popularity of video has been made easier by the fact that expensive high-end equipment is no longer a necessity. More than half of the population of Canada has a smartphone, allowing them to easily record and share videos. In 2015, 68% of Canadians owned a smartphone, up from 55% the year before. Many of us already do this – sharing videos on Facebook and Instagram of that concert we attended or our child climbing up in a doorway, and yet many businesses do not use video in their marketing at all. The most common reasons are money, time, and a lack of understanding of the impact that video has as part of their marketing strategy.
“Everyone has a pretty capable camera and you have to find a way to adapt. Certainly I see House Edge Media empowering and guiding people to do their own stuff but then also providing infrastructure and guidance that makes our services valuable.”
Jesse Card, House Edge Media
Creating video content for your company that is relevant and socially engaging may be easier than you think. Since you no longer need a bulky camera to take videos, your organization can encourage staff to record candid videos which can be shared with a production company to finesse into a marketing tool.
The Benefits of Video:
Let’s start with the implications of using Video as part of your marketing strategy. The benefits of video can be seen across the board in both B2B and B2C markets. Whether you are selling a product or a service, video content can have tremendous implications in generating interest, increasing lead generation, and pulling people in to learn more about your company.
There are many different ways an organization can share their videos online including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, and Snapchat. In addition there are ways to leverage video with ads across Google properties, using videos at events or shows and embedding them on your company website such as the homepage or landing page. There is no silver bullet, so what works for one company may not work as well for another, it all comes down to your audience and their media preferences. A single video can have several variations, each tailored to specific mediums to help entice engagement.
With Facebook’s big push into video, they have become a strong competitor in terms of video marketing budgets. Videos on Facebook tend to receive more views compared to YouTube, however viewers on YouTube are more likely to watch the whole video. So if you’re looking for exposure, Facebook is likely your best bet, but if you want to educate or inform, YouTube is the better option. This doesn’t even include Instagram or using these videos on your website to drive interest and leads. It comes down to the KPIs established for your company campaign.
The Cost of Exposure
The cost of video production has gone down over the last 10 years but is has been replaced with marketing the video content itself. This is because you can no longer depend on people finding your videos online by chance. There is a great deal of video content being created and uploaded every day which means that effective targeting and marketing are required to get in front of your customers.
Your video needs to stand out so that people don’t simply skip over it and move on with their day. This is where understanding your audience coupled with a knowledgable of video production is crucial. There are always unique elements to the people that your company is trying to reach which needs to be addressed, but there are also many underlying visual and audio elements which an experienced professional will have insights into. These little elements can make or break your video. As an example, people are willing to tolerate a lower quality video (although that is changing) as long as the audio quality is good.
The Idea Vs Execution
Taking an idea from concept through to execution of the end product can be one of the most challenging elements and is the point where planning is crucial. Everyone has their opinions about what the video should look like, what it should include, and the tone it should take. Sometimes the final product can be very different from the initial idea, especially once the logistics of making that idea happen are laid out in front of you. Sometimes making that idea possible is what makes it too costly, however coupling your goals with audience research may provide an equal opportunity at lower cost to execute.
“I really feel that sometimes people come with ideas, and they’re great ideas, but I know that logistically they will not be successful with it – it’s just too big of an idea and it’s too hard to execute. The most value is the time you spend in talking with them and figure out what they are trying to accomplish. You have to reverse engineer it. I think most of the skill is in that part.”
Jesse Card, House Edge Media
This is where the value of a professional video provider really becomes apparent. I have created several simple 5 minute how-to videos for clients where I simply record my screen and voice. Even something as simple as short videos like that would take me over an hour to create, between planning out the important steps to cover, recording it, missing a step or tripping over my own tongue and subsequently needing to start all over again multiple times.
With so many tools and resources at our disposal, I’m looking forward to seeing how companies continue to innovate and take advantage of this powerful medium. Video is the strongest way of sharing your story.
References:
https://moz.com/blog/facebook-vs-youtube
http://catalyst.ca/2015-canadian-smartphone-market/
http://www.insivia.com/50-must-know-stats-about-video-marketing-2016/
The joys of taking on a new role
People and conversations, that’s the quick summary of what I’ve found to be the best part of building Media Mall for me. The ability to sit down and have a conversation that begins with discussing the weather and then transitions into the state of business practices and modern marketing is something that I love. On Friday of last week I had the opportunity to have two separate and very insightful conversations with people at the the office.
Nothing beats in-depth experience
I sat down with Jesse Card, who is the owner of House Edge Media and our video production member. I’ve known Jesse for a couple years now and with the first floor renovation complete, we’ve been able to discuss marketing a bit more, both for House Edge Media, and for Media Mall.
We talked about how video and digital storytelling have changed over the last 5 years. From podcasts and YouTube, to how marketing has adapted to better suit a generation that holds a supercomputer in their pocket. Speaking with Jesse underscored just how much there is to know about creating compelling video, and that’s still excluding the incredibly detail oriented tasks of planning, shooting, and editing.
Being the video guy, Jesse recorded our conversation along with a timelapse video of us chatting in his office. I’ll be posting the highlights of our conversation next week.
Engagement from all team members
I also had a meeting with our receptionist Renee, who’s really our front-desk-heroine, able to take on just about any challenge presented to her tadalafil canada. She is helping me organize our communication and marketing efforts, ensuring that tasks are completed, content is published, and that all of my typos and incomplete thoughts are dealt with.
As we talked, Renee pulled in her admin experience from companies that aid similar audiences and suggested an additional service that fits perfectly with Media Mall. By ‘suggested’ I mean she flipped open her book to a page filled with notes, references, and lots of colourful highlights. The idea she proposed was something we hadn’t yet considered so she wasn’t sure if it’s something that we would want to pursue therefore she came prepared with material to get things rolling. I am very excited about this idea, and we’re already working on making it happen.
I have always been the type of person that believes everyone has something valuable to offer that is outside their ‘official’ job description. It’s what helps make Media Mall what it is. Part of having an awesome team is having everyone actively involved in making the workplace better for clients, members and staff alike. I’m fortunate in the fact that the people who make up our team are innovative, engaged, and excited to take on the challenge of creating Media Mall.
Nimble teams make things happen
Smaller teams tend to be more agile, and quick in their ability to adapt to new trends and ideas. This adaptive reaction allows us to swiftly find and fill marketing gaps that occur in just about every organization. The conversations I had with Jesse and Renee both illustrate this quick and innovative way of thinking and thus have given me some added items to accomplish on this week’s to-do list.
The audio and video Jesse captured from our impromptu meeting has given us both some good marketing materials across several platforms, providing insight into the others and our own businesses. Renee’s suggestion didn’t suffer from delays in approval, and after our meeting I spoke with my partner.Within the hour I gave her the go ahead to do some more research so we can implement the new service before the end of the month.
Already I am enjoying the comradery that working with a small team brings. The vast experience that members bring to Media Mall, the desire to add their own ideas and knowledge to the team, and the ability to absorb new trends and ideas quickly are what makes Media Mall such an interesting and dynamic place to find myself.
Taking On a New Role
People and conversations, that’s the quick summary of what I’ve found to be the best part of Media Mall for me. The ability to sit down and have a conversation that begins with discussing the weather and then transitions into the state of business practices and modern marketing is something that I love. On Friday of last week I had the opportunity to have two separate and very insightful conversations with people at the the office.
Nothing beats in-depth Experience
I sat down with Jesse Card, who is the owner of House Edge Media. I’ve known Jesse for a couple years now and with the first floor renovation complete, we’ve been able to discuss marketing a bit more, both for House Edge Media, and for Media Mall.
We talked about how video and digital storytelling have changed over the last 5 years. From podcasts and YouTube, to how marketing has adapted to better suite a generation that holds a supercomputer in their pocket. Speaking with Jesse underscored just how much there is to know about creating compelling video, and that’s still excluding the incredibly detail oriented tasks of planning, shooting, and editing.
Being the video guy, Jesse recorded our conversation along with a timelapse video of us chatting in his office. I’ll be posting the highlights of our conversation next week.
Engagement from all team members
I also had a meeting with our receptionist Renee, who’s really our front-desk-heroine, able to take on just about any challenge presented to her. She is helping me organize our communication and marketing efforts, ensuring that tasks are completed, content is published, and that all of my typoes and incomplete thoughts are dealt with.
As we talked, Renee pulled in her admin experience from companies that aid similar audiences and suggested an additional service that fits perfectly with Media Mall. By ‘suggested’ I mean she flipped open her book to a page filled with notes, references, and lots of colourful highlights. The idea she proposed was something we hadn’t yet considered so she wasn’t sure if it’s something that we would want to pursue therefore she came prepared with material to get things rolling. I am very excited about this idea, and we’re already working on making it happen.
I have always been the type of person that believes everyone has something valuable to offer that is outside their ‘official’ job description. It’s what helps make Media Mall what it is. Part of having an awesome team is having everyone actively involved in making the workplace better for clients, members, and staff alike. I’m fortunate in the fact that the people who make up our team are innovative, engaged, and excited to take on the challenge of creating Media Mall.
A Nimble Team
Smaller teams tend to be more agile, and quick in their ability to adapt to new trends and ideas. This adaptive reaction allows us to swiftly find and fill marketing gaps that occur in just about every organization. The conversations I had with Jesse and Renee both illustrate this quick and innovative way of thinking and thus have given me some added items to accomplish on this week’s to-do list.
The audio and video Jesse captured from our impromptu meeting has given us both some good marketing materials across several platforms, providing insight into the others and our own businesses. Renee’s suggestion didn’t suffer from delays in approval, and after our meeting I spoke with my partner.Within the hour I gave her the go ahead to do some more research so we can implement the new service before the end of the month.
Already I am enjoying the comradery that working with a small team brings. The vast experience that members bring to Media Mall, the desire to add their own ideas and knowledge to the team, and the ability to absorb new trends and ideas quickly are what makes Media Mall such an interesting and dynamic place to find myself.
Cheers,
Piotr
Is adaptation a cornerstone in your business?
I’m working from a newly renovated Starbucks this morning and it’s a reminder of how important change is to the survival of any business. Continually improving the experiences customers have with you is part of what shows you care about them. Customers don’t always understand what they want until they see or experience it, so by anticipating those wants and applying improvements without being asked, you can really make your business stand out.
Learning from your customers
I’ve worked from this Starbucks many times over the past year. I find my brain regularly likes a change of environment; it’s why I don’t own a desktop anymore. As soon as I stepped into the newly renovated space I immediately recognized the adaption to customer needs. The cash was no longer near the entrance, which led to lineups that awkwardly took up the front doors, the new seating layout allowed for more people to sit comfortably, and the pickup counter was now near the lids, cream etc. There were now also children’s colouring books on the counter and flowers on the tables because this location gets a lot of mother’s stopping in due to it being very close to a large suburb.
The lines that no longer snake by the entryway will be especially noticeable during the cold months when people can quickly dart in without letting all that cold air in. Now located near the back, the cash lets people lead their kids to the washroom and quickly get in line after. This also doubles as energy savings for the store by having less heat loss during the long Canadian winters. I myself have felt the cold draft woft over my feet as the door is held open many times.
Optimizing the sales funnel
Starbucks, like most brick and mortar businesses, has a literal sales funnel at each location. By encouraging customers to walk all the way to the back lets the store show off more products from their fancy drink menu, snacks, mugs, etc. No longer hidden behind the curled lineup, you walk along the length of the store and see everything that’s available as you make your way to the counter. I’m sure this helps decrease the time people stand at the cash deciding what they want to order (I have been that person many a time); another point in the pleasant user experience category.
Encouraging more flow-through
Starbucks locations have become synonymous with a temporary work space for many people. They provide a solid wifi connection unlike the alternative coffee chain up here that offers a much slower connection for patrons. There have been lots of times when finding a seat can be difficult because there are so many people diligently working at their laptops Check Out Your URL. Sometimes people work there most of the day for the low price of a coffee, a fancy cup of coffee, but a coffee none the less.
No seating can be rather annoying when you just want to chat with a friend or sit down with your child for a quick break. Starbucks is helping to alleviate this issue by simply removing many of the available outlets. This way they can continue to serve people looking for a place to work, but the time is now limited to the charge on their device battery. There are a few coveted tables that have an available outlet for those quick enough.
So how is this relevant to your businesses?
The actions your organization takes should be a reflection of both the people that it serves combined with the company values and goals. How you communicate with clients and the interactions they have with your brand on and offline will define the future of your business.
For your business this may translate to optimizing the checkout process on your eCommerce site, improving the display of your products and services (both on and offline) or simply improving communication with existing clients by intuitively addressing questions before they come up.
Finding the systems that works best for you and your business is very important. It is equally as important that you continue to find the little changes that fine-tune these systems and even grow into whole new systems themselves.
We’ve Launched, so what’s next?
After over a year of planning and months of near sleepless nights, the Media Mall space in Ottawa opened its doors. The first floor of the building has been fully renovated and opened. This means that members have started to move into their new office spaces.
It’s amazing how much motivation an event deadlines provides. Just a month prior, the walls were still bare and there were no glass walls yet tadalafil 20mg price. We now have 7 offices furnished and ready, two boardrooms which are available to both members and for people to rent as needed, and the two kitchens and common areas are done. There’s been an extraordinary amount of work completed over the last 4 weeks.
The Ottawa Business Journal came out to the launch event and put together a nice article which you can read by clicking here. If you’re curious to see more, the best way is to come out and see the space for yourself. We’re at 2435 Holly Lane, Ottawa, Ontario K1V 7P2.
Next we are looking at filling up the last couple spaces on the first floor, at which point we will need to start on renovating the second floor. The video and photography studios are having the final touches applied, those will also be available for rent.
We’ll be posting here on a regular basis, but right now it’s time to get back to business as usual, which is going to be a lot more fun with everyone here now.
