Introducing Part Two in our four part series with Andrew Cross of Walker Sand Communications. In this session Andrew discusses his career path and what he has learned during his years working in public relations.

Lightswitch works with businesses small and large throughout the U.S. to help them bring video production to their customers. We're lucky to be able to rely on our partners' expertise ranging from marketing, to public relations, to online media to publishing. We cannot be experts on everything so we deeply appreciate our partners' willingness to share their expertise with us.

Because we are so lucky, we want to share that expertise with our customers, partners and readers.

That is why we sat down with Andrew Cross, VP of Public Relations at Walker Sands Communications, here in Chicago, to talk about the current state of video in the communicatons industry. Please enjoy part one of our four part series  "Lightswitch Innovators." In part one Andrew discusses how Walkers Sands approaches the current digital ecosystem and video within that ecosystem.

Enjoy.

LIghtswitch wants to extend a very special thank you to Andrew Cross and everyone at Walkers Sands for taking the time to sit down for this series, and for being an excellent partner over the years.

Part 2 will be released next week.

Tradeshows are a classic marketing tool. After all, coming together and networking with professionals in your field is an important part of growing your company. In a 2015 report, B2B Content Marketing cites in-person events as the most effective B2B marketing tactic. Considering 52% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI, it only makes sense to combine the two to maximize the potential of your next trade show event.

Vision is the most sophisticated of the senses; 65% of the population are visual learners. This makes video a compelling tool at a trade show for grabbing the attention of potential buyers, business partners, and leads.

The trade show video should be a bit different. The trade show video is developed to stand out amongst the other participants and draw your prospects to your booth. It delivers a concise message that is quickly delivered while capturing the crowd’s curiosity.

A video at your booth could be a major draw. Whether it be a brief overview of your company and its services or a demonstration of your product, a visual aid can only help and strengthen the presentation of your booth amongst the competition. Packaging and handing out the video in a USB stick or SD card along with your white paper or other original content also works. Basically, you are using the video as a “reward.” This video and others similar to it can and should be used in your initial email invitations, post-event emails, and future nurture emails. Hosting the video on Wistia will help with lead generation, considering Wistia has built-in lead generation plug-ins on their video player.

Aside from the more informative videos that you can display, trade shows are fantastic opportunities to stage and film interviews and testimonials. Whether you are a bigger company and your top executives will be present or you are a start-up and your entire team will be there, it is always great for your visual content to include members of your team for more personalization.

Viewers will be left with an impression of what company you are and what they can expect if they decide to do business with you or use your products. A high quality, creative video will do wonders to your brand’s image. Trade shows are about passing information about your company to spread awareness of your brand. Video delivers that information in a fascinating, eye-catching, and concise medium. At a trade show a prominent video presence with a quick message can both intrigue and prime your target audience to discover more about your business. But like all great marketing tools, the effectiveness of video is determined by who is designing and using it.

This is where it comes handy to have a trusted video production partner to have handy so that you do not have to go around hiring and managing freelance videographers. Lightswitch has done video work for trade shows in the past and is more than happy to work with you to fulfil any video needs you may need for that upcoming networking event.

by Joe Valdez

Dynamic video content helps you expand your reach for product launches, grand openings, and major company news. The most successful video projects have a few things in common; professional production, compelling visuals, and effective messaging. Leveraging our video network guarantees the best quality for your major announcement video.

On average, sites that leverage video keep visitors engaged for an extra two minutes. When your business has a major announcement its critical to capture as much audience attention as possible. Developing a professional video for a major product launch, grand opening, or news story will not only help you get your message out to the masses, but it will help you engage them in a more meaningful way as well. It’s no surprise then that video projects for product launches are more popular than ever before, but before you rush into a project take some time to learn about the three elements that make a successful announcement video.

PRODUCTION QUALITY

Professional audio equipment is essential, and for a good reason. Video production teams know that proper audio is critical to a successful project and can make or break the message. Keep audio requirements in mind when you plan your next announcement project and consider the cost and benefits of outsourcing delicate recording to professional production crews

Obviously visual integrity is a major part of any video project, but how do you ensure that your announcement project looks the best it can? Equipment is only half the battle and the most successful projects are managed by dedicated teams of video professionals who can shape a scene to capture the optimal message.

The biggest issue for on most announcement video projects is time. Tight production schedules, strapped budgets, and limited options for reshoots can completely derail any project. Make sure your announcement video is managed by a professional staff or risk running up a massive bill.

VISUAL SENSE

Part of a successful announcement video is making sure your story is told in the most effective way possible. What aspects do you want to highlight? Who is the target audience for this message and what is it they want to see? Proper direction can make a major difference in the final product and ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget.

Post production needs are often left off of the list when people begin planning an announcement video. Leveraging professional production experts will go a long way in guaranteeing the quality of your final product.

Finally, your video must appear professional and knowledgeable to build trust in the brand and to generate interest in your announcement.

MESSAGING EFFECTIVENESS

Keep it clear and straight to the point. Avoid lengthy introductions that don’t add to the message and distract the view from what they came there to see. Tease your viewers with what’s to come by hinting at the big reveal before moving on to the details.

Stick to the headlines. Your viewers are not interested in every tiny detail and it would be a major disservice to yourself to over explain your announcement. Show your excitement, but don’t overdo it. Professional direction will help a lot with teasing the most out of your project without putting the viewer to sleep.

For a video production company, we don't create enough video internally. That changes now! Today we premiere the very first in our ongoing series of videos guiding you through the production process and giving you tips on how to handle business at your company.

In our first video, our business owner, the proud owner of a cat skinning business, asks "How Long Should My Videos Be?"

There is of course more to the answer, but our general response is always, "as short as the video can be while still effectively conveying the message." We also recommend breaking your video up into more, shorter videos if possible. This is great for SEO, it keeps companies on your site longer and encourages them to consume more content. It's like bite size candies, we often end up eating more candy, just in smaller pieces.

According to research from Adobe, buyers who view video content are 1.81 times more likely to contact the seller. Visual assets have always been a major part of real estate marketing tactics, and as more and more buyers do preliminary research online, it has become increasingly important to engage your prospects earlier and with more meaningful content. The simplest way to capture shopper’s attention is to leverage video in your listings. But how do you begin to approach video in real estate listings, and what should you focus on? Here are three tips to help you along the way.

Sell the details

Create engaging content that promotes the neighborhood. Video projects allow you to connect potential buyers to the neighborhood in a meaningful way. People are more likely to remember video content and more likely to walk away with a positive initial impression of the surrounding neighborhood.

Highlight the visual advantages. The most appealing aspects of your listing should be placed front and center. Your project should highlight the unique selling points of a listing and do so from more than one angle to really give the correct feel.

Get personal with interviews. Testimonials from real tenants are always going to be more convincing than your sales pitch. Let current tenants and past customers do the selling for you. Connecting with buyers early on will help them feel comfortable with you and increase the likelihood of repeat business.

Improve your brand

Boost search ranking with dynamic and relevant content. Good video projects last forever. An investment in video today will help drive awareness down the road as more and more people see your old listings.

Leverage multiple outlets to gain the most exposure. YouTube is now the second largest search engine in the world next to google. Ignoring that exposure in an industry where visual promotions are so important is crazy! Putting together a library of listings is a simple way to improve your brand recognition. Not only that, but sites like Vimeo, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook all allow you to share video content.

Finally, appearing professional and approachable are perhaps the greatest keys to success. Your brand will be helped tremendously by a professional and dynamic video project. Real estate video projects are an opportunity to do more then promote a listing, they are a way to drive future business.

Focus on quality

Partnering with a production company has become affordable, reliable, and effective. The internet has opened up a world of opportunity for video marketing, and consumers have more choice than ever before.

National video reseller networks provide large scale coverage and professional quality. Make sure to leverage a professional video reseller networks to ensure quality that will last. With our video production network’s help, real estate walk through tours can help expand your reach while maintaining consistency and low cost.