Hi, I'm Antonio Barimen, aka skribe Forti. My background is in the film and television industry but about 15 years ago I began building both virtual and online communities. Now I use that experience to provide professional consultation to business, from SMEs right up to Fortune 500 companies.
My philosophy is simple: improve the lines of communication by establishing strong, engaging communities. And then build from there. It works for both B2C and B2B
Social Media still has a dubious reputation in parts of the business world. Many people believe that its claims are bogus and that its evangelists, people like me, are charlatans. They essentially believe that the whole thing is a scam. Especially those that advocate the use of social media for marketing.
Well, let me tell you not only is social media marketing a scam the very best social media marketing incorporates all the elements of SCAM. To do otherwise is just being unnecessarily risky with your money: Read More
The traditional view of how to advertise on television (and subsequently through online video ) is the mini-story. Usually these are short pieces dealing with one subject in a superficial but psychologically attractive way. Sure, the story may have a dominating, but catchy, jingle and the narrative may be non-existent – but essentially that is what a commercial is to most people. However, online video offers some interesting alternatives that not only move away from this traditional mini-story concept but also allow you to build a dynamic and engaging community.
Since the open beta period for Blue Mars began I’ve noticed that some Second Life content creators have been dismissing it out-of-hand. Mostly they claimed that the tools for creating content in Blue Mars were too hard to learn. Many also said that they were not interested in providing content for Blue Mars, and some even inferred that without them to provide the content Blue Mars would wither and die. As I stated in my earlier article, Blue Mars – Being Different, Blue Mars will ultimately be able to draw on a wealth of content, possibly more than Second Life currently does. So if I were generating real world income by providing content in Second Life I would seriously consider taking the time to evaluate Blue Mars as a prospective new market. It makes good business sense, and I can tell you that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands out there, who are eagerly waiting for you to let this opportunity pass you by.
As some of you may know I’ve been spending a great deal of time in Blue Mars. I’ve been mainly providing video tutorials but I’ve also been keeping a close eye on forums and blogs that reference the new virtual world by Avatar Reality. One thing that keeps cropping up is the idea that Blue Mars will fail – or at least struggle – because it doesn’t cater to the Second Life demographic. This is a short-sighted view and fails to take into consideration what attracts people to virtual worlds. In fact, the way in which Blue Mars differentiates itself from Second Life may have a greater bearing on its success than any similarities.
There’s been a recent influx of new people using Twitter especially from the marketing sector. That’s great! It’s a wonderful social media tool and has many advantages that can be exploited for marketing. Unfortunately using it as a pure broadcasting medium isn’t one of them.
The hype surrounding the use of social media for marketing has brought about a swathe of vlogs on Youtube and the webspace in general. It’s cheap and it’s relatively easy as marketing tools go, but there are one or two things any CEO needs to be aware of.
Learn to lie to the camera. You may be the best live presenter in the world but unless you can look down the barrel of the camera and say what you need to say – faultlessly – you’re toast. The film director George Stevens once said, Talk softly and think loud. He was talking about acting in films but the same could be applied to video presentations as well. The camera picks up every nuance and even a quick glance away can betray doubt, fear or untruths. Umms, ahhs and errs are right out. The easiest way to avoid them is by writing and memorising a script. Practise in the mirror until you’re word perfect. Then film it and watch how many times your eyes flick away as you try to remember. Watch how the pros do it, how they cover up the ‘thinking time’ and emulate them.
Sounding Great. While it would be awesome if every CEO vlogger knew the basics about video (had an idea of composition, the rule of thirds, editing etc) probably the best thing you can do is make sure you have the best sound you can. Radio microphones are relatively cheap or even a carefully hidden cable mic can be used. Basically you want to get rid of that hollow echo you get when you use the on-camera mic. Remember even if you want to appear relaxed and comfortable you want to sound professional.
Don’t make me squint. If your vlog involves some sort of visual presentation then make sure the audience can see what you’re talking about. Don’t do something like drawing on a white board as you make your speech points. Your content may be fantastic but if I can’t see it you’re wasting your time.
At the very least mock up your presentation in Powerpoint or something similar and export it as a video and drop that into your vlog. If you want to get fancy, you can time it out and edit the videos so you can cut between the vlog and the presentation as you make each point.
Looking professional in a vlog isn’t hard. As with any pursuit, once you’ve taken the time to learn the basics, and hone your skills vlogging can be a powerful social media marketing tool.
Fourteen years ago The Australian Banana Growers introduced a commercial that captured the essence of what it meant to be a happy and healthy child in Australia. It featured children running, playing, swimming intercut with various shots of bananas. The message: Bananas are good for your children so feed them lots.
Telstra have hit upon a brilliant marketing strategy for expanding upon their current Bigpond ‘Rabbit’ campaign. You know the one, where the kid asks about the Great Wall of China and his dad tells him that it’s to keep the rabbits out. Well, word has leaked that Telstra are considering making a film featuring those characters. The basic plot is that the kid searches the Internet – Bigpond, no doubt – for a wife for his dad. It’s corny. It’s cliched. It may just work. And even if it doesn’t then Telstra may not be too much out of pocket if they get the Australian federal and state government film funding bodies to pay for it. Read More
