The Power Of Using Video In Your Real Estate Business

There is no question regarding the power of using video to not only promote your product but also yourself in the Real Estate market. As attention spans get shorter and shorter online - you need to be as compelling as possible via the most entertaining medium. There is a reason people would rather watch the movie that read the book.

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Morgan Brown a Marketing Director with Turnhere.

“How can real estate professionals use video in their marketing?

With such a large percentage of home owners starting their search for property online, using video in online listings is the first thing that comes to mind. Pictures are nice and descriptions are helpful, but there is no substitute to video for giving a user a firsthand experience of the property with a well-done video home tour. In addition to using video to highlight listings it can also be used to showcase neighborhood attributes and provide a profile of your business and team.

For example if you are a Realtor in the East Bay of California you can use video to highlight the quaint neighborhood of Rockridge and its beloved walking streets lined with local restaurants and shops. This content is ‘evergreen’ and helps people evaluating your listings get a true sense of the surrounding area.

Is appropriate for every listing?

I can’t think of a listing where it isn’t appropriate. Even properties that don’t have the most curb appeal can benefit from a video by capturing the attention of just the right buyer. Listings that are moving fast already and perhaps properties that rely less on online research for sales are exceptions to that statement.

Videos too expensive for most Realtors, right?

Professional video production is totally affordable for nearly all marketing budgets. Compared to traditional marketing channels it’s a bargain. It’s much cheaper than print materials, flyers, radio, TV, outdoor (bench and billboard) and other marketing vehicles.

What makes a good web video?

I think there is a big misconception out there that it is easy to make a good video. The fact is making good video that is compelling, authentic and relevant to the viewer is difficult. To wit, of the millions of videos watched on YouTube each day the average view time is less than 10 seconds. This is a direct result of most video not meeting the needs of the viewer.

When the viewer gives you permission to talk to them by clicking play you have to deliver, and deliver right away. To make good video for the Web (which is much different than traditional broadcast video advertising i.e. a :30 second TV spot) it needs to focus on three key things: authenticity, delivering a compelling message, production quality which makes it enjoyable to watch and drives action.

Bottom line is that web viewers have near-infinite choice for their attention and are typically skeptical. This means that your message has to be compelling, relevant and real. Over-produced sales pitches or videos that don’t meet the viewer needs are big turn-offs online.

What are some ways you can leverage the video content you create?

The nice part about video is that it’s a highly portable piece of content so you should look to get it out on the Web to get as many eyeballs to it as possible. Using a smart distribution strategy can put you in front of the right people at the right time. Whether it’s putting your video up on YouTube, Facebook, Active Rain or making it shareable via email and embeddable in a widget the idea is to get your video out there to where the viewers are.

Can you give us some examples of some of your favorite videos on the web? (Not those kind of videos…)

My favorite videos are ones that are compelling and interesting. They take a piece of everyday life and show it to you in a different way. I love to see the stuff that you don’t get every day in mainstream media. Show me the true character of a city by doing a tour of all the BBQ joints in town or show me the kitchen of the hotel that cranks out 1,000 four-star meals a day. Give me a clip of the author talking about why they wrote their new book. One of my favorite videos is the author David McCollough talking about how Washington escaped from the Red Coats at the site of the Brooklyn bridge - amazing insight that I would never get. I also love the videos of Mentos and Diet Coke so it goes both ways. Videos that give me a unique, authentic perspective on life are the ones that I love.”

9 Keys to Using Online Video to Increase Your Nonprofit Marketing Impact

Online video is big and getting bigger. So much so that it's rapidly changing the communications landscape. And we have some great models to work from.

Online Video is Getting Bigger – Fast

Here's the proof, drawn from a recent ComScore study:

• Over 133 million Americans watched online video in July 2007 – or 74% of US internet users.


• They watched more than 9 billion videos, 27% of them on Google sites including YouTube.

There's so much nonprofit video out there on YouTube, DoGooderTV and organizational Web sites. Here's how distribution breaks out:

• YouTube captures 40% of the current market – This most popular video hosting site receives 50,000 video uploads and streams some 50 million videos to about 6 million viewers daily.


• MySpace, a social networking site, accounts for another 25%.


• The remainder consists of major Internet players like Google, MSN, Yahoo and AOL, and niche venues like the nonprofit-focused DoGooderTV, each of which capture a fraction of the overall market. My guess is that audiences for these niche players will grow fast and furious.

So online video is big. But what's the best way to put online video to work to strengthen your nonprofit marketing?

Pros Share Online Video Guidelines for Nonprofit Marketers

Here are some critical guidelines for jumping into online video:

1. Online video is an expectation, not an option, for online audiences 25 and youngerHigher ed marketing guru Bob Johnson suggests that online video is an expectation for most 30-and-under nonprofit audiences (definitely for prospective college students).


2. Keep videos short and sweet – 30 seconds to two minutes max Video length is a classic case of less is more, advises Alia McKee of Sea Change Strategies Direct. Obviously, a good edit is crucial.
   
   She also recommends that online video should complement – not replace – other communications channels.


3. Know your audiencesThis is definitely one of the ten commandments of online video production. You craft your messages and graphics to your audiences. Don't forget to do the same with your video.
   
   The imagery, soundtrack and text you select must appeal to your target demographic. Video is more "in your face" than text or graphics so if you strike out, you strike out big.


4. Make sure your video is more than moving, talking delivery of traditional content. Bob Johnson warns against oh-so-deadly talking heads and other staged approaches. Use video to show, not to tell – that's the beauty of the medium.


5. Tap that funny boneMost online videos that succeed in high pass-along rates (and viral distribution is a key strategy to increase views), usually include some humor or satire, say the experts at Online Video Services.
   
   Remember how Hillary Clinton grabbed attention when she spoofed the widely-viewed "Sopranos" finale on to motivate participation in her campaign song contest. Not only was she covered everywyere, she was credited with a seldom-seen-before sense of humor.
   
   But be careful in being funny. Humor is delicate. and the right timing and broad appeal have to be spot on. Testing humor is a good idea; a bomb can be fatal.


6. Don't forget the call to actionIt's great to build awareness and support but you're stopping short if you don't include a clickable call to action at the close of your video. This Greenpeace video offers engaged viewers the opportunity to act with a simple click at the very moment they're processing this very powerful video. Grab 'em when they're hot.
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY7875_rv1s


7. Work it: Put your online video to work in multiple versions and venuesForget the stand-alone gala dinner video that never again sees the light of day. Your organization should milk your video productions for all they're worth.
   
   Your videos, in some form or another, can be projected in your org's waiting room, at a gala and during programs, as well as distributed online via video sites, your own site,and your blog and e-news. The possibilities are nearly endless, suggests See3's Michael Hoffman.


8. Budget $1,000 per minute of finished content for a professionally-shot and edited videoThe OVS experts feel strongly that quality counts, cautioning that you get what you pay for. OVS estimates the cost for a professional video shoot, including editing, at $1K for each minute of on-demand finished content. Live Webcasts are much more costly.
   
   Another firm – Charity Docs – produces online on-demand (e.g. not live) videos for a flat fee of $2,500.

© 2002-2008 Nancy E. Schwartz. All rights reserved.

Charlotte Video Update

We recently had the pleasure of meeting Joe Murtagh at a Visit Charlotte function. Joe has been connecting audiences to their dreams and helping them promote their businesses for over 35 years as a keynote speaker, author of 9 books and Business Journal columnist. The DreamSpeaker is an expert in these areas and has created a complete learning system on each topic. He has published over 200 columns on these subjects.

Fall Nail Driver Open Golf TournamentHome Builders Association

Episode XI Studios is sponsoring a hole at the Golf Tournament for the Home Builders Association on October 2nd. We are planning to take pictures of the golf teams as they pass through our area and distribute them after the event. The tournament typically brings in around 220 players and is being held at the Skybrook Golf Club in Huntersville, NC. If you are interested in getting more information, please call the HBA at 704-376-8524.

Bed & Bike Inn-Just Relax

Episode XI Studios recently completed a video project for the Bed & Bike Inn in Gold Hill, North Carolina. We learned that there was yet another place in North Carolina that we had overlooked, and it is now our mission to educate Charlotteans about what is right here in our own backyards. If you have been looking for a weekend getaway that's not really far away, this is a perfect spot.

The Inn has accommodations to suit every taste, from those who want to enjoy the rustic atmosphere of the log house, to the more modern and updated Grove House, or rough it in the cabin.

Only an hour from Charlotte, the Bed & Bike Inn is close to more entertainment options than we ever knew about. We highly recommend visiting Historic Gold Hill and enjoying a meal at Miss Ruby's Restaurant (yummm).

Uwharrie Tours, owned and operated by the Inn's owners, offers winery tours, moonlight kayaking, antique shopping tours, pottery tours, and much more.

We thought that the best part of the Inn was the quiet surroundings and the opportunity to just relax on the hammock and take a nap (when we weren't shooting the video, of course). Speaking of the video... click here if you're interested in seeing the finished product.

Video

Why Video is the Right Choice for your website, your lobby, your tradeshow booth, etc.

Television (TV) has taught us one thing-people would rather watch than read. Studies show that people retain:

10% of what they read

20% of what they hear

50% of what they see and hear

A video on your website, in your lobby, or in a satellite office is better than a television commercial, because it is delivered at precisely the right moment when you have your viewers attention. Video emotionally engages your viewer in a power way. It creates a lasting impression, long after the credits roll.

A recent study compiled by Dynamic Logic in 2004 showed that a single exposure to an online video increased Brand Awareness by 10 percentage points, while 10 exposures to an ad banner only raised awareness by 6%.

Just 10 years ago, it would have cost a small fortune to have a custom video production of your product or service-but not anymore. As you know, electronics are becoming more affordable, and that is good news for you. Episode XI Studios is committed to bringing a cinema-style video approach to your product/service that will allow you to compete with companies much larger. You wont believe how affordable it is for:

Scriptwriting

3-D Storyboarding

Videographer

Sound Engineer

10 hours of filming using

Camera crane (for smooth vertical shots)

Dolly (for smooth horizontal shots)

Intros and Titles

Professional voiceover talent

Custom Motion Graphics

Edited into Hollywood quality production

Formatted for: Web, DVD, Tradeshow viewing

Prices start at $2,500 and payments plans are available.

One last thought: www.mbreleases.wordpress.com reports in its Online Video Advertising Effectiveness Study: of the 80% of viewers that have watched a video ad online, 52% have taken some sort of action. The report also stated: of consumers who made a purchase in the last month, 48% said the Internet drove initial awareness, 57% said they learned more using the Internet, 55% used the Internet to decide where to buy, and 56% made the final purchase decision using the Internet.

Networking Tips for 2008

It amazes me how little we (business owners) know about effective and efficient networking. I would like to offer my opinion on the subject and invite your feedback. I consider myself fairly well connected, with affiliations in numerous chambers, Masonic organizations, and The Good Fellows Club. I believe that networking is one of the very best ways of building relationships. Did you hear what I said? I said building relationships, not building business. If you go into networking thinking that you are building your business through those actions, you're wrong.

Ask anyone who has been in a successful business for many years, and most will agree that relationships are what build empires. Chances are that the person whom you met at last night's function will probably not do business with you; but if you take the time to get to know that person, do your best to help them with their needs, it will come back to you exponentially.

The old saying is do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I have a better solution and it says: do unto others as they would have you do unto them. The manner in which you like to be talked to, dealt with, and behaved toward is probably very different than those that you may be working with. Get to know each person in your network and genuinely build that relationship.

Five tips that I have learned:

1) Try very hard to remember those in your network. If someone introduces himself or herself to me more than twice, I take them out of my database, and because I do not exist to them, they don't exist to me!

2) Never look beyond the person that you are speaking with to greet someone else. You may as well have told that person that they weren't as important to you as the person behind them.

3) Never interrupt a conversation that someone is having. Remain just outside the circle and wait for an invitation.

4) Never, never, never give your business card to anyone that doesn't ask for it. Nobody cares about you, your product, or service until they ask.

5) Networking is the purpose of getting to know someone that you don't already know. If you know the person next to you fairly well, move on to someone you don't. If you stay in your click you aren't helping yourself or anyone else.

6) Offer to be the expert networker. If someone new comes to the group and you know someone else who may be a good contact for them, make the introduction.

Whatever your spiritual or religious preference, they all say the same thing-Help your fellow man/women. There is a reason that we should help each other, and helping each other is part of our purpose. The more you help other people get what they want, the more people will help you get what you want. It is one of the Universal truths. On the other hand, by believing in, and only working for the Me syndrome, your network will quickly see through your facade and within four years, you will be out of business and looking to that same network to help, but no help will be there.

In closing, build your network with the understanding that you are making life-long connections. Understand the need to keep in touch with those in your network and offer your help when needed. Be grateful that you are helping someone else obtain their goals, and they in turn will be grateful to help you obtain yours.

2008 Olympic Games

As time approaches the beginning of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, media reports quickly escalate, boasting of China’s preparation. How true are those reports?

During my 32 trips to China over the last several years, I have firsthand knowledge of just what the Chinese government Olympic preparation actually involves. In Beijing’s historic Qianmen, where Olympic marathon runners will pass, stand old grey-brick storefronts, however Olympic participants will not see the current Qianmen district, but a modern updated one. The old storefronts are being replaced by two and three-story commercial buildings,housing brands such as Prada, Rolex, and Starbucks. The surrounding property is prepared to build pricier residences, hotels, and high-end restaurants.The problem is, before now the property was home to 10,000 Chinese families.The government is now in the process of moving those families to make wayfor this highly visible Olympic background.

Sun Yunyu, 55 told reporters that she was forced out of her home and watched as police and security officials took furniture. Her home now stands half demolished, and her stone decorated door destroyed (Decorating in stone, theChinese people display the year in which they acquired their home).Receiving $100 per square foot for their homes, Sun and most of the othershave moved to cheaper properties.

Another method that the Chinese government uses to beautify the Olympic background is building “privacy” walls along some of the highways, blockingmost of the view to nearby neighborhoods. I say most because visible justover the wall are perfectly constructed and maintained rooftops. One mightsay that, based on this view, the Chinese people live in very comfortablemodern homes. However, the rooftops are only a façade. A look over the wallshows that the rooftops are just that-rooftops. Built on a wooden structure,the rooftops are meant to hide how the Chinese people really live.

Now, don’t misunderstand me, some of the Chinese people do live in nicehomes, apartments, and bungalows. Factually, some of the wealthiest peoplein the world live in Hong Kong, now Chinese owned. Most, however, livewithin four concrete walls, without air-conditioning or heat.

Video Has Taken Over The Web

Ad-serving technologies are more sophisticated, while broadband penetration is at a near-saturation level. Over 25 percent of consumers said they regularly watch video online, and the top video aggregators disseminate millions of streams every day.

No wonder over a quarter of advertisers and marketers already use online video to market their products and services.

Would you be interested in learning how Episode XI Studios can help you? Would you, along with others, like to come to a question and answer session and discuss increased revenue through the use of video? Call today!

What Do Marketing Customers Want

My job as a video marketing company is to find an organization where image is important, and showcase products and services through video, so that revenue has a better chance of increasing.

Cinematography styles are as varied as clothing styles, and results from video production companies are just as varied. What do marketing customers want from a video production/marketing company? I am never happier than when behind a camera shooting, but sometimes I can get caught up in production and forget the end result.

What style is most requested?

What is the ideal length?

How important is High Definition (HD)?

Is on-screen talent the preferred, or would companies rather use employees?

Randy Davis

http://www.episodexistudios.com