Education

How To Overcome Failures

“You know, you are only in control of yourself. So, if you allow yourself to be in your own personal flow...your own unique genius, then you’re impenetrable.” @YoshinoStudios.

In this short clip, Yoshino explains that everyone has to go through failure at some point in their lives and points out that we are all capable of breaking past it until we succeed. The full interview with him includes discussions about the importance of not allowing your ego to get in the way of your projects as an artist and why you need to know your intentions before pursuing a career in arts. The full episode is available under Creative Haven on iTunes here:How to Be a Pure Artist By Letting Go of Your Ego and Detaching from Capitalism.

Do you need to use video to train internal teams during the COVID-19 Lockdown?

Do you need to use video to train internal teams during the COVID-19 lockdown?

Since most businesses are requiring employees to work from home, internal teams and even IT departments have to become content producers to train and communicate with staff. If this is you, and you're confused about how to create videos while you're working from home, join my free webinar this Saturday, April 18 at 11 AM PST to learn how to create professional videos without having to invest in expensive equipment.

Sign up at videocontentschool.com and let me know if you have any questions.

Best Videos for a Business to Increase Sales, Traffic, and Leads

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If you want your business to grow and evolve, then it’s a very good idea to up your marketing game. Professional video content production might very well be what you need here. With the right video content company and high-quality videos, you will have no problem generating leads and sales very fast. It all comes down to having the best video content ideas and understanding what type of video caters to the needs of your customers. With that in mind, here are some things to take into consideration. 

Product videos

Creating a product video should be a part of every video content strategy. The reason for that is quite simple, you want content that showcases your products and services and informs your customer base. Product videos need to show how a product works, the benefits provided and so on. It’s also an excellent idea to use product update videos to show what new features and changes are brought via updates. You must take into account video length and the production costs here.

Explainer videos

As the name suggests, these videos are designed to educate people about solving a problem. Most explainer videos tend to be short, but you can also make them long depending on the topic. Ideally you want an explainer video that brings in value for years to come. These are videos you can create with animation, motion graphics, images, and live action footage – whatever is needed to get the message explained properly.

Onboarding videos

When you are hiring new people, it’s important to offer them a good insight into what your business can offer them. These videos can offer a bit of training, and you can let the employee know about his duties, benefits and other relevant information. You can focus less on quality and more on information since the public won’t see this, so don’t worry about spending a lot of money on production.  Just make sure the picture is clear, sound is audible, and the employee understands what you’re trying to say. But if you want to be a little extra, hire a video content maker that can capture everything professionally.

Internal training videos

Once an employee sees onboarding videos, he can go into the internal training videos. These are very in-depth videos focused on the idea of offering employees a way to know the company rules, mission, tools they can use, departments, and so on. You can split all the information into 10-minute videos so it isn’t too boring for employees. A full training session should have at least 10-20 videos, so it can take up to 3 hours to complete.

Testimonial videos

Let’s face it, people won’t buy from a company unless they know others were satisfied. That’s why testimonial videos are important, because they showcase your customers and their experience. If someone sees that others bought from you and they were happy, the chances of them coming to you and ordering something will be a lot higher. Testimonial videos are short, usually 5 minutes or less. And yes, they have to be genuine, not scripted.

Promotional video

The purpose of the video is to promote an event, a product launch, something new related to your business. Within the video you want to share an overview of what you are promoting, and you also need a call to action. This is one of the different types of video content you can create, and it’s important, especially if you launch a new service or bring in something new to the market.

Company culture videos

These are not very common, but nowadays more and more companies have started to use this kind of video. It helps humanize your business and show potential employees the current work environment. The idea here is that you want to be truthful and genuine.

Social videos

Social media video marketing is strong, and that’s because videos offer a great way to showcase your offer to customers. You want to use the right social media video marketing strategy and create content that your customers really want. Social videos can be informative, they can bring brand awareness, or they can just showcase the fun side of your business. Also, they can work for a variety of social sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and many others. The thing to note with social video marketing is that these videos need to be short. People rarely watch long videos on social media. That’s why these videos need to be less than 2 minutes, even less than a minute if possible.  And be platform specific, so study each social media network and see what’s popular and what formats are trending, therefore, you can create a plan on what type of videos to create.

Sales presentation

A sales presentation can be pre-recorded, and it can show customers the true value of your business. It can be educational, but it will also have a call to action to show customers that yes, the product/service you are promoting is bringing in a very good value. The sales presentation should be up to 3 minutes if possible, maybe even less. These are meant for small audiences, so you want them to be engaging, personal and powerful.  

Live Streams

Why do you need live streams? The reason is simple, live streaming content gives you amazing engagement rates. You can share big announcements, ask for feedback, conduct a seminar or host a webinar. There are lots of live stream content types that you can check out, and the experience will be an extraordinary one. Just make sure that your setup is professional and you are actually offering viewers high-quality content to enjoy. You can make the live stream 5 minutes long, or you can make it 5 hours long if you want. The idea is to figure out what works for you and just go from there.

One thing is sure, we recommend you to take your time and study these types of videos to see what works for you. It’s crucial to find the right video production agency and work closely with them to create amazing, appealing videos.  Explore locally, and if you’re in LA, find the best video production company in Los Angeles through online searches and asking other brands. The quality of your videos is just as important as your company’s message. You can’t bring in lots of customers if you don’t provide a great sales message or video. That’s why you need just about all kinds of video content like the ones presented above. Avoid rushing, and instead plan your videos to make a statement and a huge impact. You will be thrilled with the return on investment when that happens!

Modify Your Social Media Videos To Fit On All Platforms

Make platform specific videos, not just one video for all channels.

Have you ever seen a video online that’s been uploaded to all social media platforms, but is the same video across the board? It’s suddenly cut off at 1-minute on Instagram, it isn’t formatted correctly for vertical, or doesn’t have a proper endscreen on YouTube.

You should know how videos should be properly edited and uploaded for each platform to optimize your engagement and traffic. Know the aspect ratios, customize thumbnails, study optimal lengths, and read up on the best specifications for each platform.

And remember our CTA, that’s always important.

Finding Freedom In Constraint, Embracing Vulnerability, and Trusting Yourself To Create Innovative Artwork Through Ugly Paintings

Tune in to episode 18 of our podcast featuring Nancy Hillis! Not only is Nancy an abstract artist, but she’s a Stanford trained existential psychiatrist and the author of “The Artist Journey”. The Artist Journey is a program where she counsels artists using her psychotherapy to help them overcome mental blocks. 

Join Nancy as she discusses topics that include finding freedom in constraint and structure, embracing ugly paintings, significance of working consistently on your craft, creating a safe and vulnerable space for ideas to flow and more. The episode is available to listen on Creative Haven on iTunes here: Finding Freedom In Constraint, Embracing Vulnerability, and Trusting Yourself To Create Innovative Artwork Through Ugly Paintings

Check Out This Delta Airlines Commercial Alongside the BTS of How It Was Filmed

Check out this Delta Airlines commercial alongside the BTS of how it was filmed by Mustafa Erkatirci ⛳️

How To Recognize Your Purpose in Life

 Take a moment to view this clip from episode 6 of our podcast featuring J-Kay! Her goal of empowering women has led her to all over the country as a B-girl, dancer and instructor for many dance workshops. This clip includes the moment where J-Kay discusses her belief that everyone is gifted with a purpose in life. She realized her passion has always kept her afloat. Her desire to inspire other women in the dance industry has always kept her motivated even when she faced doubts throughout life.The full episode is available on iTunes under Creative Haven here:Empowering Women Through Dance and How To Make Dance Your Full-time Career

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What You Should Know About Video Marketing in 2020

Are you implementing video content marketing into your business strategy? Are you aware of the benefits uploading videos can have on your target audience? Don’t get left out of the video content marketing loop! Know the trends and statistics that keep you informed to better reach your audience. This article goes through the benefits of video marketing as well as pulls multiple sources of research to show you how much of a positive impact video has on businesses. Over 80% of video marketers say that using videos has increased sales and has increased traffic and impressions to their site, so whether you’re creating a video to explain or review a product or service, creating an ad, promoting an interview, or uploading a live stream, presentation, or testimonial, these types of videos are a great addition to your website and social media to engage with your audience. Speaking of social media, this article suggests to keep your videos short and include captions. Consumers use video to help aide them in their shopping experience, and most consumers prefer to watch videos and ads that are in an informal tone. If you are posting your videos on social media, make sure you’re aware of the different devices and social media platforms your consumers are watching your video from as 90% of consumers watch videos from their mobile devices, according to Wyzowl, and most videos will be retweeted onto different platforms and pages. For more eye-opening statistics and trends, the article has more information regarding this topic.

Credit by: Jacinda Santora Video Marketing Statistics: What You Must Know for 2020

How To Create Videos At Home During COVID-19

Do you need to create video content but can't hire a video crew because of COVID-19 and Shelter In Place?  

Some businesses had a robust video content marketing plan for the Spring but had to put everything on hold due to the virus.  Video creators such as myself could no longer shoot these videos, let alone interact with our clients in person.  How do we build the momentum back up for video content marketing when you can't hire a professional team to create the content?

Through ingenuity and adaptability, I've been able to advise, consult, and coach clients remotely to create video content which I would then edit along with other assets such as stock footage to create video content for marketing.  Thank God for technology.

I'm hosting a Free Live Webinar on April 18 at 11AM PST to teach this process to business owners, entrepreneurs, and marketers so you can learn video production fundamentals that translate to your phone or an inexpensive camera setup.  I'll go through video content marketing methods (I was just certified for Google's Fundamentals of Digital Marketing) with filmmaking techniques so you can create engaging videos at home that are aligned with your business goals.

Sign up at VideoContentSchool.com and feel free to ask me any questions along the way!  I feel that we're all going to be stuck indoors for an indefinite time so learning how to create professional video content for marketing at home without a video team is crucial.

"You Can Change the World Through Just Being Inspired"- Woody's Produce Podcast Clip

This podcast clip will encourage you to be inspired to create from seeking sources of inspiration. Woody’s Produce talks about how not to be intimidated when improving an already existing product because you can put your spin on it. He further goes on to recount how certain products evolved into new and improved designs that later became different than the original. More from episode 13 on Creative Haven on iTunes here: Being Your True Self To Stand Out From The Crowd While Consistently Learning & Practicing To Find Flow State

Increase Your Engagement on Video Content Marketing with These 14 Reasons

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You may see advertisements and commercials while browsing through social media or when catching up on your favorite show. Wondering how you can reach your audience through multiple social media platforms and increase your brand equity? Skeptical about video marketing and don’t understand how it can be beneficial to you and your business? This article explains all about that! In addition to sharing important statistics and insights surrounding video marketing, the article also shares 14 reasons in the form of infographics that help you understand why this marketing tool is important. These infographics explain the multiple ways videos can be used for your business, the benefits of using video marketing, and the increase in sales, leads, and organic traffic that can result from implementing videos onto your website pages, blogs, and social media pages. The article also shares three closing tips to keep in mind when creating videos such as your audience’s engagement and how they are viewing your content. These visuals help you see why you need to implement video marketing in your business!*

Credit: Ramona Sukhraj 14 Reasons Why You Need to Use Video Content Marketing [2019 Infographic]

Create Videos Without Needing Film School

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You don’t need film school to be great at video content.

Have you ever stopped yourself from making videos because you thought you weren’t educated enough to create something people would watch? As a film graduate and Youtuber, I’ve found that film school isn’t necessary to create amazing video content. I’ve found that you can become an outstanding video creator if you watch classic and current films and TV shows, study trends online, find a mentor or experienced crew to teach you, and learn by practicing consistently. 

What if you just want to make videos for marketing your products?  Sometimes the most viral videos come from an iPhone - what matters is your message and if it resonates with your audience.  

Not to mention the breadth of online sources to learn from, you can become a powerful video creator without the film school debt. 

Achieve Results In Your Career Or Business By Making A Physical and Psychological Space For Creativity To Nurture Ideas Through Mindfulness

Check out our interview with Cameron Brown! Cameron is a musician, speaker, and executive coach who has spoken at events across four continents with some including a grand piano live performance, has music streamed to millions of people across 195 countries, and delivered the closing talk at Italy’s largest TEDx. In this episode, we talk about creating a space, physically and psychologically, to encourage creativity and use the ideas and thoughts that come from tapping into that vulnerable space as inspiration for your business or career. We also talk about using creativity and curiosity to become adaptable to change in business. To listen to episode 17, go to Creative Haven on iTunes here: Achieve Results In Your Career Or Business By Making A Physical and Psychological Space For Creativity To Nurture Ideas Through Mindfulness

How To Act on Your Creativity- Marcus Gray Podcast Clip

Hear more inspirational words from Marcus in episode 5 of our podcast! In this clip, he defines success by loving and working on your creative impulse, work, and vision. He believes that by working on your creative vision and work, you will allow yourself to examine your passion as well as yourself. For the full episode, go on iTunes under Creative Haven here: Hip Hop Culture As A Male Rite of Passage, Celebrating Parenthood In Hip Hop, and The Connection Between Creativity and Spirituality

Reasons You Need Video Marketing in Your Business

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Curious how you can drive engagement and increase brand awareness to your business? If you’re a business owner or creative and you haven’t implemented video marketing yet, then you’ll need to read this article! Video marketing is growing rapidly, and utilizing it for your business is necessary for 2020 as it gives consumers a story behind a product, brand, or event. This article lists out six reasons why video marketing is essential for your business and marketing strategy because not using video could make your business miss on securing connections and opportunities with consumers. The 6 reasons summarized are that people prefer to watch videos as it helps deliver your message, strengthens your brand identity, helps with your search engine optimization, and any metrics you’ve been working on like conversions or lead magnets. Your consumers will remember watching the videos you make and can share it on other social media platforms. The article lists a few statistics to further explain why video marketing is important. Two that stand out are that “72% of customers prefer to learn more about a product by watching a video.” and “81% of businesses are using video as a part of their online marketing strategy”. These statistics should give you motivation and ideas on what to create. The videos you create don’t have to look professional; instead, there are apps and tools to assist you in creating a simple good quality video. Reach your audience better through consistent videos that tell a story.

Credit: Ted Sellers Why is Video marketing so important in 2020

Which Cameras to Buy for Video Content

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Good videos don’t require expensive equipment.

Have you ever stressed about which camera to buy for video content?

Many people think that you need the newest brand name camera to get the best video quality.  Common knowledge amongst cinematographers and filmmakers is that the tech doesn’t always matter, and that you can make gold with high quality lenses, proper lighting, solid composition, and adhering to camera basics like shutter angle, aperture, ISO, and white balance.

Learn the fundamentals of filmmaking or hire someone who knows - you can make magic on a low budget. 

What camera do you use?  Type in the comments below and share this with one person you know that’s thinking about buying a camera.

Building Teams You Trust to Execute Big Creative Ideas While Working On Low-Budget Projects to Prepare for Million Dollar Commercials

Check out episode 16 of our podcast! Kelly Gunning is a production designer who has worked on national commercials for brands such as McDonald's, Toyota, and Amazon. In this episode, learn more about production design and how building and working on an effective team with members from different departments can help you gather inspiration from outside sources. He also mentions how working on low-budget projects can prepare you for the big-budget projects as you learn and grow in each project. Listen this episode here: Building Teams You Trust to Execute Big Creative Ideas While Working On Low-Budget Projects to Prepare for Million Dollar Commercials