Tag: Social Media

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Input Overload

John Lennon once voiced in a song “everybody’s talking and no one says a word”. That was 30 years ago – way before social media. Nowadays it seems like everyone is talking – everywhere – a constant electronic pipeline into our lives. But with all this talking I wonder sometimes if anybody is really being heard. And isn’t that the point – to be heard?

I admit I’m guilty of the same thing. The very fact that I write a blog adds to the cyber babble. To be honest I really do it for myself. It helps me focus my thoughts. Sometimes what I write is not meant for anyone other than myself or maybe a close friend. Other times, I put it out there when I feel I have something to share. And every once in a while I say something that resonates with someone “out there” and a connection is made. And that can be a powerful thing.

That’s the appeal of social media – to connect with others. A basic human need. Ironically sometimes we spend so much time in the cyber world “connecting” we become more insular in the process. And when we do spend face-to-face time with others – many of us are multitasking plugged into whatever portable devices we have at the time. In other words not totally “there”.

These days I try to manage the time I spend on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube and so on. It can be a real time suck if you’re not careful about managing your time. I go online with the social media sites 2 or 3 times a day and I give myself time limits when I do. It’s all about maintaining a balance.

Ultimately all this talking we do on social media platforms is not good or bad – it’s not that black and white. I’ve made some incredible connections through social media. I’ve also reconnected with people I’ve lost track of over the years. I’ve promoted my business utilizing social media and gotten work from people I wouldn’t have connected with otherwise. But I’ll always prefer a real connection with people – outside the cyber world. I think most people do – that’s just being human.

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A Time of Opportunity

You can look in the rear view mirror and lament the past or you can get excited about the future. With all the gloom and doom in the photography business in this poor economic climate, I remain optimistic and see it as a time of opportunity.  It’s tough to be an optimist in times like this but if you look back through history you’ll see that many businesses got their starts in bad economic times.

There’s nothing new about video but with increased bandwidth and the proliferation of mobile devices video is “hot” right now.  In some markets like the corporate and institutional sectors, I’m seeing more of a demand for video.  I’m hearing from traditional print graphic designers who are asking me if I shoot video because their clients are requesting it. Their clients want to add a video presence to their online communications that can be distributed internally and externally. And can also be spread virally through social media networking.

Editorial markets have expanded into video.  Just about every magazine has an online presence and nowadays it’s not just a regurgitation of their print edition but a lot more.  Take a look at NY Magazine or Zagats.com.

The travel market is ripe for video. When I’m researching a destination I like to get as much information as possible so if I can watch a 2 minute video – it usually hooks me further into that website to explore more and link to other sites where I can  facilitate my travel plans.  Many times videos made for online travel sites are repurposed and used at trade shows. Check out what Intercontinental offers as destination pieces about places where they have properties.

Of course there are hundreds of instructional videos and pod casts, and on the retail end there’s weddings and family biographies.

Even if you don’t shoot video or want to offer video to your clients, you may want to consider using it to promote your own business.  A short web video about your business or your creative approach with some behind the scenes footage of you working provides added insight and information to potential clients.

These are just some of the areas I see opportunities in.  I love to hear from other optimists where they think the opportunities are.

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Video and Social Media – A Great Partnership

Facebook hit one billion video views last month. There are four times as many video views as actual Facebook members. That’s astounding. It also speaks volumes about how much video has become a part of our lives. With Facebook, people are sending video messages to “friends” without sharing them globally on You Tube or other video host sites. http://tiny.cc/v3d8K. Social networkers can also embed their Facebook videos on other web sites or blogs.

But if you think one billion video views in a month’s time is amazing, then you’ll be stunned to hear that YouTube gets over one billion views in a day!

And let’s not forget the new iphoneG3 that is not only a display tool for video, but a tool that can create video content as well. And this is not one of the new hybrid still cameras that also shoots video files – it’s a phone!

So between the new tools that create video content, coupled with the new tools that allow us to share video content, video is becoming a new “norm” in how we communicate. And with these new tools it has become easier for the consumer to use video to communicate. Does that mean video professionals should feel threatened. Not at all. To me it means that because video is becoming the new “norm” there is more and more of a demand for it. And that means that for my clients who have only worked in print before, are now finding a need to deliver their message in video to consumers who have come to expect it. And that’s good for me and my business.

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Birthdays, Dreams and Optimism

It’s amazing how quickly priorities change. Today’s my birthday and I knew that I had a lot of deadline items I needed to get accomplished early in the day. I was cutting my work day short because I have tickets for a Jackson Browne open air concert this evening in Brooklyn.

I quickly checked my email and caught up on “social media” dialog and then at 7:50AM Eastern Daylight Time – my power went out. I knew I had a “window” of opportunity to get any computer priorities taken care of before my backup battery went out. Then I would need to come up with a plan B. I could still work on my laptop but my airport wasn’t on so I didn’t have an internet connection. I could last as long as the battery in my laptop held out. I could go down to the library – but their power was out too. I could use my blackberry for as long as that battery lasted. Then I actually could recharge both my blackberry and my laptop battery if I used the “universal power inverter” that plugs into the cigarette lighter in our car.

Or I could give into the forces of nature and take the day off from technology. I think I’ll do that. But I’ll use a bit of my battery and write this blog before I succumb to the “powers that be” and “make the best of it”. Who knows there could be a silver lining in all of this. All these metaphors started me thinking about other “mantras” that I’ve led my life by. Seems fitting on my birthday to take the time to reflect on these mantras and share them.

1. Always have a dream. Believe in it and believe in yourself in making it happen.
2. Keep your passions alive. For me, my strong interest in cultural stories will always keep me exploring. I need that and it gives my life perspective.
3. Set goals – even little goals are good and then reward yourself. They will all lead up to you making your dream come true.
4. Make decisions or they will be made for you.
5. Do the “right thing”. You will love yourself more if you do.

It’s still raining and the power is still out at 9:56AM on Tuesday, July 21, 2009. But I’m going with my plan b, taking the day off from technology and heading out to the open air Jackson Browne concert – rain and all. At least it’s his “acoustic” tour.

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Mobile Video Explosion

Apple’s new iPhone 3Gs has had a huge impact on YouTube since it’s debut this month. In fact video uploads are up 400% each day since the new iPhone came on the market. But aside from the impact of the iPhone, YouTube uploads have increased 1700% over the last six months.

Those statistics are not only phenomenal, but could be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to uploading and sharing videos. No doubt there will be a deluge of some really bad videos that will be bounced around.  But just think how this technology can effectively  convey your message or your company’s message – if presented in a creative, and strategic way. When a web video is done well – it can circle the globe exponentially and virally in a matter of hours. Never before has it been as easy to share video.

The downside of course to any new technology or gadgets is that people jump on the bandwagon without first defining what it is they want to do with it – and why. Just like with the rise in popularity of social media marketing, a business needs to determine how and when to embrace these new tools and do so in a way that’s consistent with their brand or message.

Some thoughts on how you can utilize web videos in your business:
1. How to’s or instructional videos
2. Behind the scenes showing how you or your staff work
3. Client testimonials
4. Relaying your company’s message

And remember just because every one is doing it – doesn’t mean it’s right for you. You need to answer that question for yourself.  But if you do embrace video in your marketing efforts – if done right, it can create awareness around the world and it’s never been easier.

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The Class of 2009

I have been a bit remiss in blogging this week due to the fact that I have been busy attending my daughter’s graduation from Northwestern University and the week long events and activities that coincided with this momentous occasion. I will take a moment to be a bragging mom.

My daughter Erin has always been a high achiever and on Friday, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northwestern University. Quite an achievement from such a prestigious, academically rigorous university. The event itself was memorable, due to a gutsy call to have it outside even though the weather forecast was ominous and there had been sudden downpours throughout the day. But Chicagoans are gutsy people and they made the call to have the event outdoors.

The ceremony was scheduled to run from 6PM to 8PM. It was abbreviated and condensed in the hopes of getting through everything before a pending storm that was headed our way. Wynton Marsalis was the keynote, who not only spoke but played his horn. What a passionate send off – better than any words could ever accomplish.

But aside from the ominous weather, what I will remember the most were the words of one speaker who noted that this was the most talented class based on scores and grants and awards in the university’s history. But he also noted that it was also the class with the least placements (jobs) since 1932.

I suppose that most would look at that as bad news. But I started thinking about that and how that entire generation has basically been brought up to think that “everyone is a winner”. A generation brought up in an era where everything was pretty easy and always rising – getting a job, getting a better job, real estate prices rising, the stock market going up etc. And all of a sudden – a reality check.

For most of us, graduating college in and of itself was a reality check – an introduction to the real world. But for these graduates – it’s a reality check on a grand scale. Maybe only 1 out of 5 have a job – if that. No doubt some will go to grad school and hope for better times. Some will go home and live with their parents. And some will be resourceful and tough it out finding some kind of employment until a “real” job comes along. They will be forced to “think outside the box”. They will need to try harder and be more proactive.

But on the other hand, this generation will be more resilient and become stronger. They won’t take things for granted. They’ll recognize opportunities and make the most of them.  They’ll network more and at a time when social media is making it more possible. They’ll create new opportunities because the old ones are gone. And in the process they’ll truly change the paradigm of how business is done. Almost like the generation that graduated in 1932 – during the Great Depression.  That generation turned out to be one of our greatest generations.

It will be quite interesting to see how a group of super achievers will not only mold their destiny but change all of ours in the process.

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Online or Web Video

Many of my clients who do business on the internet recognize the power of online video as a marketing tool. Online video can promote their brand by connecting with their customers. It also can give some insight into their company’s personality by providing extra information. And if done well, your online video will be shared virally on social media sites, potentially building a following.

I’ve done testimonial web videos for clients where their customers tell their story. I’ve been hired by publishers to shoot video interviews with authors to talk about themselves and their book – in a sense, like a video book jacket. I’ve shot “how to’s” for companies to show how to use their products. I’ve produced many web videos for the travel/resort markets which is the ultimate way to promote a destination because you can work in the sights and sounds of a place.

I have also created web videos for educational institutions to recruit students who respond much better to the internet than print brochures that are mailed. I’ve created videos for non profits to create awareness and aid in their fund raising . And I have produced and shot numerous online videos for editorial markets. Online video stories are becoming more and more popular with magazine publishers.

What’s most important in creating online videos is that they must be authenticate and entertaining. Those ingredients will not only attract  viewers but will cause a viewer to share the video and spread the word. Be sincere and be engaging. Keep them short. Make sure your video can be embedded and emailed so that it can be shared on different social media sites. Web videos can be inserted on websites, blogs, electronic newsletters and can be the most affordable and effective way of getting your message out. But remember – this is your brand so be consistent. Approach it with the same quality as you would in other promotions. Give it a personality without the hard sell.

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Passion and Hard Work

What is the secret to success? Look no further than the title of this blog – passion and hard work.

I guess I’m just lucky because I’ve always been passionate – sometimes overly so. I love to talk about my passions and I love to share my passions with others. For me I love story telling through images and video. I love travel and exploring other cultures. And I love to combine those passions in my craft.

In addition, I’ve never been afraid of hard work. I have always given my all – and then some. There has never been a correlation between how hard I work with how much I’m getting paid. I always give it my all. I take pride in my work. I strive to be the best I can be.

It’s funny because up until yesterday I had taken those two character traits for granted – is there any other way to live? Then I heard Gary Vaynerchuk @garyvee talk about his passions and how with a lot of hard work and honesty he grew his business through social media outlets. Ultimately social media outlets are the new day “word of mouth”. And word of mouth has always been the best way to build a business. But you must be transparent – you must be sincere.

So with all the talk of using twitter and facebook and linkedin etc. these days to grow your business – what’s most important are the basics – your fundamental beliefs – because ultimately they will shine through all the bull. You can’t fake passion – you just gotta love what you do. All of a sudden all those old fashioned character traits are back in style.