#BetterCallPaul September 2016 in Review
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The Mystery of the Viral Video
Every video producer within the last five years has heard the phrase, “ I need you to make me a viral video!”
Every video producer also knows that that’s when you have to sit the client down for an educational moment. Videos due go viral, but it’s either by pure chance or by having a huge strategy behind it. If you don’t plan for it, or have a kid, cat or dog do something spontaneously, the chances of your video going viral is zero. And like the say in showbiz, don’t ever work with kids or animals. Now you see the irony in this? However, with that being said, I also think the viral aspect of a video is also very relative. What do I mean by that? You have to look at the market you are serving. If your audience is a subscriber base of 8,000 and you get 2,500 views and over a hundred shares organically, I think you can claim that your video went viral. The same goes if you have only 2,000 subscribers and your video got 900 views and 15 shares. it was pretty darn successful!
What I am saying is you can’t compare your video success rate to what Coca Cola or even the Kardashians do. Not only do they have a large fan base, but they have a huge marketing machine behind them as well. They also have a strategy put in place as well so that there video views do hit the hundred of thousands of views and shares.
So, what do you have to do to make sure you get the best bang for your buck when it comes to video? 1. Have a strategy in place to use it effectively. 2. Upload it to more than one place 3. Embed it to your website 4. Make sure you add keywords 5. Tag the appropriate people/organizations involved with the video.
There’s many more, but essentially it comes down to knowing your audience and being able to tell the right story. Your video will go viral, but only if you have a plan and stick with it. Remember, just because a video of dogs without coordination got 1 million views doesn’t mean your video won’t be successful. It all boils down to the audience.
Here’s an example of one of our videos that went “viral” locally.
Guest Post: Charity Spotlight: Building Twentyon
Building Twentyone helps teenagers develop positive habits and values by giving them a safe, constructive place to drop in after school. They offer tutoring, a large space for safe party alternatives, workspaces for homework and projects, and the only indoor skate park within 75 miles of Lansing, Michigan.
In this charity spotlight I spoke with the Executive Director of Building Twentyone, Benjamin Schartow.
Origin Story
About five years ago, tragedy rocked the Holt community. A group of seniors from Holt High School, who had been partying at MSU, crashed into a tree. Three of the seniors lost their lives. The driver had been drinking.
Members of the community met to discuss what could be done to change teen perceptions. This is when Benjamin knew he had to help.
“Who is offering an alternative for these teenagers?” was the question Benjamin asked. When no one answered, he decided to take action. After talking with students, he began offering 5th Quarter parties after football games. These parties provided free pizza, a DJ, inflatables, giveaways, and a safe alternative to other house parties.
These 5th Quarter parties paved the way to Building Twentyone.
Today
Building Twentyone’s campus consists of two large buildings between Mason and Holt. Students can be bussed there after school. There are a number of workshops offered, such as photography, DJ, and improv. Building Twentyone also offers tutoring, games, and plenty of space for personal projects. There is also a lake out back where students can boat and fish.
And then there’s the skate park. Benjamin says it wasn’t part of his original vision for Building Twentyone, but a couple of volunteers put their hearts and backs into it and made it happen.
Empowering volunteers is something else Building Twentyone does well. Most of the staff are volunteers who don’t have leadership backgrounds. It’s not just teens who are looking for a purpose.
Big Wins
There have been some big moments for Building Twentyone this year. They have started holding assemblies at Holt Junior High with uplifting messages. The teen center has also been around long enough to see the long-term positive impact it has on teenagers. Working with a teen for a year or more and watching their life completely turn around is a very personal accomplishment for Benjamin.
Building Twentyone also recently celebrated its largest fundraiser. With utility bills exceeding $900 in the winter, those donations help a lot.
Advice For Donors
Benjamin revealed to me that Building Twentyone is primarily volunteer-operated. The larger expenses are rent and utilities. It’s very easy for those expenses to exceed 33% of their expenses.
When donors look at that percentage to gauge the quality of a charity, it’s also important that they look at the value being offered by that number. Facilities like Building Twentyone’s are invaluable to teens, and letting them explore technology, art, and other indoor activities year-round have a high energy cost.
Fortunately, Building Twentyone was recently awarded a grant that will reduce their utility bills by 70%.
Goals
In the near future, Benjamin would like to add digital media, speech writing, and public speaking workshops to their programming. He is also working with Mason schools to help influence more teens.
Looking farther ahead, Benjamin thinks it would be great to see an additional Building Twentyone location in the Lansing area.
Advice to Nonprofits
For anyone running a charity, Benjamin suggests planning fundraisers well in advance. Pick a date and work backward on your calendar to decide when you should start promoting it. If you start too late, there may not be enough time to spread the word and attract enough donors.
Benjamin also recommends looking for volunteers who are capable in areas where you are weak. Keep people doing what they love for as long as they love it. Touch the lives of your volunteers and they will become champions of your cause.
Photography by Ian Kast
Erik Gillespie is a software developer and semi-pro advocate of amazing things. He founded Giving Jar, a blog and upcoming donation platform for Lansing charities, and helps people learn how to create websites and other software at Lansing Code Lab. He’s kind of obsessed with board games, too.
#BetterCallPaul – ACTYI Bloopers
The Story of UnoDeuce
14 years ago something special happened. I created UnoDeuce Multimedia. It was a huge leap of faith for me as I really didn’t have entrepreneurial blood running through me. My grandmother ran a small brunch cafe, but that’s about it and she closed it up when I was about 5 or 6 years old. So, why did I decide to go out on my own? Why start a company? A few reasons actually.
First of all, the digital revolution was here. Cameras were coming down in price, editing systems were coming down in price, media, etc. There was starting to be this trend toward the one man bands, and it was time that I took my chance at this as well. Secondly, I built a pretty fair network before moving back to Michigan from Seattle. It was probably a tougher state to move on your own in, but I knew with my knowledge of the audience I was targeting, it would be a good fit. Thirdly, a video company, that a friend of mine worked out was selling off all of their equipment so I jumped at that opportunity to pick up a camera, tripod and microphones. Now was a good time to go on my own.
The creative side was easy, the business portion was the steepest learning curve. Even though I ran the day to day operations at my previous job in Seattle, I didn’t have to worry about a lot of the little things that I had to take of now. There was a lot of organizing and getting out there. It took awhile for me to really gain traction as I took some freelance jobs around the Detroit area covering high school sports that really helped me financially, but I feel I wasted a lot of chances to grow because I didn’t have time to do it all and I tried.
When I made the move to Lansing, MI, five years ago, it was my opportunity to start fresh as a business. I immersed myself in the business culture in this area, I no longer had those freelance gigs to take me away from the development of the business, so that would not be a distraction, and I grew up. I don’t look at the first 9 years of what I had established as a wash, it was just a learning experience. I wanted this business to be more of a business and so I attempted to create that atmosphere and be an employer as well as a creator and producer. We are now structured differently, marketing differently, talking about ourselves differently. We are a we, not just an I.
When I first started this business, I didn’t want it to be just an I. That’s why it’s always been a different name, not just myself. I didn’t know how to go about being that we at first, but I know now, and am looking forward to this expansion. So, never give up on your goals. Figure out where you want to be. You may not have the answers at first, but you will come to the right conclusions eventually. Make mistakes. Ask questions. You will never learn if you never get out of your box.
Running a business and a successful business is a marathon. Remember that. Keep your head up and your mind, heart and ears open. You never know where that may take you.
Guest Post: So You Have a Plan, Do You?
You’ve decided you’re going to launch a mini-campaign for a new service you’re offering. Congrats! The fact you’ve recognized you need to get the word out deserves kudos.
But wait! Do you have a plan for this launch? A marketing communications plan, I mean. You know, the document that outlines your ultimate goal(s), measurable objectives, strategies and implementation tactics? It’s also got target audiences, key messages and evaluation techniques? Yes? Awesome! No? Oh dear.
Construction site crane building a blue 3D text. Part of a series.
Don’t shoot from the hip. It doesn’t have to be a long, formal thesis on how to sell Happy Meals (remember to take out the fit-tracker watch incentive!). A plan illuminates the path to success. It should be revisited often to see if it needs adjusting. Throwing darts at the wall rarely leads to an organized effort or desired outcomes. What it usually does is lead to frustration and the question, “Why isn’t this working?”
So what are measurable objectives and strategies? How are they different from goals and tactics? How might I evaluate how it went? We PR folks call it the GOST formula:
- Goal: Think of this as the umbrella statement that sums up your desired outcome. “Successfully launch Fancy Fido Styling’s new deluxe pedicure service.” It’s broad and doesn’t get into the details of how you’re going to do it or who you’re targeting.
- Measurable Objective: Say what you’re going to accomplish, by how much, in what timeframe and among what audience. “Sell 25 deluxe pedicures in the first three months to existing customers.”
- Strategies: These are the categories of marketing communication tools you’re going to use to sell your service.
- Direct mail to existing customers
- Signage
- Tactics: Here’s where the rubber hits the road. Tactics are the things you need to do to enable your strategies, and ultimately get you to your measurable objectives and goal(s):
- Create direct mailer and mailing list
- Develop eye-catching signage for front windows and salon
- Evaluation: How do you know if it worked? What would you do differently next time? This all depends on your goal and your measurable objectives.
- Compare actual sales to measurable objective(s).
- Do a satisfaction survey with pedicure customers (since Fido can’t speak for him/herself!).
Taking time to put something together can really help you stay focused and sell those pedicures. Still not sure about all of this? Check with a communications professional for help. Most of us like pedicures too!
