"Do I need social media?"
Refuse Ordinary, founded by my coaching friends
“Do I need social media?” is one of the first questions I hear from many friends and prospective clients.
Video 101: How to read a script
Teleprompter screen circa 1975-1980
Teleprompter
When you ask for script samples from prospective writers, they will submit scripts to you presented in television format or in a screenplay format. As their names suggest, one has become traditional to television (and video) and the other to dramatic presentations. (more…)
Video 101: Hire your scriptwriter first
Two-column video script
Typically, when an organization like yours looks for a video, it searches for “video production companies.” (more…)
Video 101: Offline and online editing
Video Wisconsin’s online editing studio circa 2007
If anyone is still trying to sell you offline and online editing prices for video editing, please sell THEM a bottle of snake oil.
What I’m telling you is really old news … I hope no one has been selling either of these since 2004 or so. HOWEVER, the reason why I’m writing this is that I just ran into two fairly recent (Bright Hub and Creative Cow) mentions of offline and online editing and want to make sure we quash any stragglers. (more…)
Media 101: Objectives? Goals? Boring?
Goal Setting (Photo credit: angietorres)
If you’re making a video, a web site, or any other kind of marketing campaign, you need a way to determine, at the end of the day, whether or not your marketing efforts (and the money you’ve put into them) have done what you wanted.
I’d say most small businesses don’t know how to do that, nor do they know how to set an objective.
As I’ve mentioned in earlier blogs, goals and objectives are different beings. Goals comprise a single overarching purpose: to inform, persuade, train, or entertain. Period. (more…)
"I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."
English: Scan of the cover of a Tijuana bible featuring Wimpy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Popeye and J. Wellington Wimpy in E. C. Segar’s Thimble Theatre (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.”
These words by J. Wellington Wimpy (a la Popeye cartoons) epitomize the worst of con artists and those looking to make an easy buck (or burger). I’m pretty sure Wimpy never paid anyone back for those burgers.
But suppose Wimpy had paid his investors back … Then, Wimpy’s words have significance to the honest and hardworking.
I was in a meeting the other day with a nonprofit organization that does good. They help people with serious emotional and physical issues lead more normal lives — get exercise, spend time around others who share their issues, and attend arts and other events. This organization brings in some money each year for operating expenses, yet fundraising is a constant struggle. I’m sure even buying office coffee is an issue at times. (more…)