The commercial can be used for televsion and/or posted on the winning businesses website and social accounts, as well as sent via email to perspective customers.

Last year Video Innovations launched the Wyoming Valley Business Channel on YouTube. Videos on the channel range from all of the television spots the company does for its clients to mini documentaries on events in the area including the Pittston Tomato and Plymouth Kielbasa Festivals. It is an inexpensive way for businesses to have a professional video made, and then posted on the internet.

Video Innovations is giving away the $1,200.00 package on Monday March 8th, with the deadline for entries on Friday, March 5th, 2010. Details and contest rules can be found at videoinnovations.com.

Scott Cannon, the owner of Video Innovations, is located in Plymouth, Pennsylvania. He has been in business for 20 years and formerly worked as a video producer at WBRE and WVIA.

Some of the reasons video is an excellent resource to enhance your Web site include:

1. Modern technology has created a demand for new ways to promote materials and services. Now potential clients are skimming the Web and popular sites like YouTube at the office, in restaurants, on the bus and anywhere else they might be, while using handheld computers, smart phones and other devices. Having quality video on your site allows potential clients to view your business, product or services quickly and easily. Plus, video helps to boost your Web site in the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) rankings.

2. Videos can educate and create awareness in just two to three minutes, allowing you to tell about your product or service without wasting a lot of Web space or boring your viewers with a large block of text. A picture is worth 1,000 words, so just imagine how valuable a moving and audible picture can be.

3. Studies are finding that Web sites containing videos have better-educated shoppers making purchases and keeping those purchases without many returns. That means a better bottom line for your business.

4. It’s not just the teenagers and 20-somethings viewing marketing videos. These interactive programs allow you to connect with customers of all ages on a more personal basis, which makes your customers feel the content on your site is more accessible. Plus, a video can be used just like a paid salesperson – without the employee expenses.

If you’re ready to bump your Web site up to a new level with video marketing, companies like Fathom SEO can work with you to develop the perfect video to promote your products or services. Fathom SEO’s Internet video production and marketing team uses SEO principles and trenchant keywords for audio search indexing to market and increase your video’s popularity, and they also convert actual Web site pages into videos for easy viewing on-site. These video pages are then distributed through video portals.

Take a look at your Web site. Is it in need of conversation, better explanation of your product or services or stronger SEO rankings? Consider adding an Internet marketing video to make your Web site work smarter for your company.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Television Advertising Costs – A Primer

How much does a TV advertising campaign cost? Many entrepreneurs assume television is incredibly expensive and don’t even consider it. The reality is that it’s worth learning more about television advertising costs. Advertising on television may be more economical than you might think.

 Sooner or later, every entrepreneur is tempted by the allure of television advertising. Yet most will never seriously explore the possibility of promoting their product in a TV commercial because they assume it is cost-prohibitive. But is that really true? Is television advertising cost-prohibitive for small- to medium-sized business owners? The answer is, well, complicated.

When pricing a television commercial, you need to weigh the costs of two separate things: (1) the cost of producing the commercial, and (2) the cost of airing it.

 It has been estimated that the average cost of producing a 30-second national TV commercial is nearly $350,000. But before you panic, understand that like any other form of advertising, a television commercial can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. Not surprisingly, the cost to produce the commercial goes up as the quality and complexity of the commercial increases.

 Small- to medium-sized businesses cannot afford to invest $350,000 in a single commercial. But, decent quality TV commercials can be produced for as little as $1,000 if you know where to look. The best place to start is with freelancers or small production agencies.

 A word to the wise: Some local television stations may offer to produce a commercial for you at a highly discounted (or even free) rate if you agree to advertise on their station. Don’t do it! The quality of these commercials is usually very poor compared to those that are professionally produced. A poorly produced commercial can have a highly detrimental effect on your television advertising campaign’s effectiveness and may leave viewers with the idea that your company is cheap, cheesy, and out of touch.

 The second cost involved in television advertising is the price you will pay to run your commercial. Commercial time is sold in 30-second spot blocks. The cost of a 30-second spot varies according to the number of viewers expected to be watching it.

 The standard half-hour of television contains 22 minutes of program and 8 minutes of commercials – 6 minutes for national advertising and 2 minutes for local. National advertising is obviously your most expensive option, but even then the rates vary by Nielsen-rated viewership. Highly-watched programs can command rates in the millions of dollars. For example, a 30-second spot during the 2005 Superbowl sold for $2.4 million. Commercials during less-watched programs are more affordable, but the cost of those commercials may still run in excess of $100,000 per 30-seconds.

 Most small- to medium-sized business owners find that local advertising fits better with their budgets and marketing goals. A 30-second time slot in a medium-sized market can be purchased for as little as $5 per 1,000 viewers, meaning that you could easily expect to pay less than $100 per commercial slot. Even cheaper rates may be available for off-hour programming.

 The best advice is to avoid surprises by checking out how much it will cost to air your commercial locally before you shell out the money to have it produced.

Of the top 3 vote getters in the Primary Race for Luzerne County Judge, all used
A. TV commercials
B. Websites with videos on them
C. Social media.

Television, first and foremost, shows people what the candidate looks like, how they speak, and act. No other form of media can tell you more about a person in 30 seconds. Most candidates air their commercials on local newscasts because that is what most voters watch. Spots on WNEP and WBRE run about $1000 a pop. I’m surprised that no candidates ran their ads on lower cost cable outlets like CNN, MSNBC, or other cable news shows. Spots run only $5 to $15. Granted, the audience is a lot smaller, but if you only have $1000 to spend, it can be aired a lot on cable. Television is essential with this many candidates in a single race.

Websites are essential. They are available for people to get information about the candidate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or for those of you with A.D.D., 24/7. Add the fact that you can now ad video or a link to video, and you have a potent marketing tool. If you have video and don’t put it on your site, shame on you! I told one of the prothonotary candidates that if one of them put a video up on YouTube that explained what a prothonotary did, they would win. Well no one did, and I still don’t know what a prothonotary is. Is it a courthouse pharmacist or something?

Social Media is here to stay. Because Tina Polachek Gartley spent the least out of the three top candidates, it gives me an indication of just how important new technology and the young people using that technology is to the election process. Social Media (FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter) is a cheap form of communication that can bring people together almost instantly.

The most alarming thing I came away with from studying this election is this – The Quality of the Commercial Doesn’t Matter! Yes folks, good production values, finely crafted lighting, modern editing techniques, all the things I’ve been striving to excel at as a video producer don’t mean Jack Squat! If you look at the top two vote getters commercials, you’ll find examples of bad composition, poorly designed uneven graphics, and unflattering lighting. Maybe it’s the message and how the candidates deliver it that is the most important part of video, though it breaks my heart!

Here is a rundown on how I thought the candidates and their teams performed using video and internet marketing. …and remember, hind sight is 20/20.

Bill Amesbury
TV Commercials: 3 commercials. Poor, unflattering lighting on 2 of them. The spots ran early and often.
YouTube: None
Social Media: Good use of FaceBook account
Website: Nice website with videos
Overview: Despite his commercials looking like they were filmed in an Al Qaeda cave, they were effective because there was a variety of them, and he addressed the camera directly, engaging the audience.

Tina Polachek Gartley
TV Commercials: 1 commercial. Lighting was unflattering and the graphics and editing were choppy.
YouTube: 2 Videos, one homemade and one from the Times Leader
Social Media: The most use of Facebook in all the campaigns. Almost too much, I wanted to turn my spam filter on. Tina even Twittered!
Website: Nice Website with videos
Overview: I think the FaceBook activity really elevated this campaign. It got the volunteers organized cheaply and effectively.

Richard Hughes
TV Commercials: 2 spots, decent quality (I didn’t make them) They ran a little late in the campaign.
YouTube: I set up his YouTube Channel. I had all his commercials, the Sam LeSante Show appearance, and an announcement and interview video..
Social Media: Good active use of FaceBook account.
Website: Nice website with video.
Overview: A well rounded campaign. I think Richard should have spent more on TV ads, and a lot earlier that the last week of the election.

Joe Musto
TV Commercials: 2 or 3 spots. Good production.
YouTube: 2 commercials and announcement video
Social Media: Had Facebook account, but didn’t do anything with it. I requested Joe as a friend. He dissed me, and since he had no friends, I’m guessing the powers that be didn’t think the Facebook was important to maintain.
Website: Nice site with video
Overview: A nice well rounded campaign

Joe Sklarosky
TV Commercials: 1 TV Spot. Nice production, but everyone looked stiff.
YouTube: None
Social Media: He had a FaceBook account, but didn’t do anything with it. I requested Joe as a friend. He dissed my request.
Website: Nice website with video
Overview: His TV spot needed to be warmer and friendlier, and Joe needed to talk to the camera instead of the 4 second side angle shot of him with his family. Plus, he needed more Facebook activity.

Mike Blazick
TV Commercials: None
YouTube: None
Social Media: None
Website: Nice site, but the video of Mike on his site sputtered, making it difficult to watch. I even emailed his campaign to let them know and the problem was never fixed.
Overview: Signs and billboards are not enough to win a campaign.

Gene Sperazza
TV Commercials: Nicely produced spot but didn’t show the candidates personality
YouTube: None
Social Media: Had a MySpace and FaceBook site but didn’t utilize use them
Website: Nice website with video. An earlier video on the website had him addressing the camera, but he looked stiff.
Overview: Gene spent the most money for the longest period of time. I would have liked to see him do a spot with his family. More attention should have been paid to FaceBook. Why have social media sites if you don’t use them. They’re important.

Daniel Zola
TV Commercials: Don’t know. I heard he bought time on Hazleton cable. I have not seen Daniel in any video form despite the fact he spent $66,000 on the campaign.
YouTube: None
Social Media: None
Website: Simple website, no video
Overview: I know Dan can fold his arms, because that is the only image I’ve seen of him throughout the entire campaign.

C.J. Bufalino
TV Commercials: 3 TV commercials, good production. They ran often.
YouTube: His ad agency had his commercial on YouTube, but not a specific “Bufalino” channel
Social Media: Little use of FaceBook account.
Website: Good website with videos
Overview: Good, well rounded campaign.

Molly Hanlon Mirabito
TV Commercials: None
YouTube: 3 homemade videos, poor quality
Social Media: None
Website: Low budget feel with homemade videos. She didn’t even have a professional photograph.
Overview: Low budget, low votes. Unfair, but that’s the way that it is.

Tom Marsilio
TV Commercials: Ran in Hazleton Only. Didn’t get to see them.
YouTube: None
Social Media: None
Website: Low budget feel, no video. At least post the commercials that only the Hazlton people saw.
Overview: Not enough effort as needed to win a campaign

Tony Lumbis
TV Commercials: One or two low budget chroma key spots.
YouTube: Yes, the two commercials
Social Media: Fair use of FaceBook
Website: Nice website with video. It was even available in Spanish!
Overview: Too little, too late. He did make sense in his TV spots.

Joe Terrana
TV Commercials: 3 spots. The best production value of all the candidates.
YouTube: Yes. All the commercials are there.
Social Media: None
Website: Nice Website with video
Overview: A nice well rounded campaign. The TV spots had some thought behind them. Should have done FaceBook.

Jennifer Rogers
TV Commercials: She made 2 decent TV spots but I didn’t see any airing, and I’ve looked.
YouTube: 2 videos, the above, aforementioned TV spots.
Social Media: Fair use of FaceBook
Website: Homemade looking site. I couldn’t get the videos to play
Overview: She has the warmest personality of any of the candidates, but without TV commercials airing, she didn’t use that to her advantage.

Thomas O’Connor
TV Commercials: 2 spots. Tom’s image didn’t come off as flattering as it could have been. He should wear his glasses in commercials.
YouTube: One Poor quality announcement video pittstonpolitics.com., not his own channel.
Social Media: Fair use of FaceBook.
Website: Nice website, but put up too late.

Steve Menn
TV Commercials: None
YouTube: None
Social Media: None
Website: None
Overview: One of two candidates to not have a professionally shot picture of himself/herself. That is at least the minimum requirement. Should have stayed home. My wife thought he was cute though, that’s gotta count for something!

Michael Pendolphi
TV Commercials: 1 or 2 low budget chromakey spots. The kind TV stations will give you free if you spend a certain amount on air time. It’s just like buying 4 new tires and getting a car free!
YouTube: None
Social Media: None
Website: None
Overview: Pretty much drove that car off the map. Seemed like a nice guy though.

by David Chandler http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com

Business experts agree: Facebook has enormous potential as a tool for business. But if there’s one thing that will harpoon your social marketing efforts, it’s being too “sales-ee” and too pushy in your communications.

In today’s free new business television show from the producers at yourBusinessCchannel, dozens of Facebook marketing experts provide their latest business advice and social marketing tips on finding the right balance when mixing your business and personal life online.

The key thing to remember, say these Facebook marketing experts, is that for the moment at least Facebook is about building and deepening person-to-person relationships, not selling. Nevertheless, it is possible to leverage great results for your business on Facebook.

So how do you manage to do both?

The first of the Facebook marketing tips on the show is simply to be yourself.

Whether you’re posting photos, commenting on someone else’s link, or publishing a note, if you speak like a normal person, then other normal people will be interested in what you are saying and will be more likely to contact you.

For more tips, click here to watch the video:

Business television, tips and expert advice powered by www.yourbusinesschannel.com

Another important point to remember, say the experts, is that using Facebook as part of your small business marketing strategy doesn’t preclude sharing a bit of personal information about your life. After all, your business is part of your life.

There comes a point, however, where you can share too much personal information. At the end of the day, this line is yours alone to draw =- it is a personal decision.

Be aware, however, that once you’ve posted a photo or comment on Facebook or anywhere on the Internet, you can never be sure where it may end up, who will see it, and for how long it may last online. Always err on the side of caution when sharing anything personal.

The key objective in Facebook marketing is not to close deals, say the experts, but to build relationships and find new people who may be interested in your products.

Cost of Production

The cost a producing a good TV commercial has come down in price drastically over the past 10 years. I used to work on political spots in the 80’s and 90’s that cost upwards of $6,000 for a 30 second commercial. The same commercials today cost around $1,000, mostly because of the technology coming down in price. I shoot all of my spots in HD (High Definition) to give even more bang for the buck.

Beware of the free commercial giveaway! Some stations and cable outlets will offer you free commercial production if you spent over a certain amount on placement. I look at your commercial as a vehicle (It’s you and your messege, image, ideas, etc.) and the placement is the tires, the things that get your message out there and seen. So imagine going to a tire store and the salesman says, “If you buy 4 tires, we’ll throw in a car for free!”.  Well tell me, just how good is that car going to be? It will most likely fail after a few miles on the road.

Cost of Placement

Placement is actually buying time to run the commercials on TV. There are only 2 outlets you can go to. Local network affiliates (WNEP, WBRE, FOX), and a cable insertion company, The latter can place the commercials in specific regions on cable networks like Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, etc.

Spots that air on the local news can cost around a $1,000 dollars, and can reach lots of people throughout the entire county, while the cable insertion rates are only 5-10 dollars a pop, so $1000 and get you about 150 airs in a specific region of the county.

One service that Video Innovations offers to all clients free of charge is that we upload the all of our clients commercials to our YouTube Channel so people can see the spots at their convenience, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We also give them an unloadable copy of the video so they can send it to their FaceBook, MySpace, and other social media accounts.

I wish all the local candidates well, and regardless of what common sense may tell us, image can be everything!

So you all know how important it is to have a video on your business website, right? A marketing video lets people who are surfing the internet for your products know what your business does, it lets them see and understand your products and services, and gives you instant credibility as an expert in your field far better than words and pictures.

So with that in mind, here are some not so obvious things you can do with a marketing video from Video Innovations:

1. Put it on your website to keep customers there. It gives them the “feeling” of your company better than words and pictures.

2. Upload it to any Facebook, MySpace, or other social medial accounts you have.

3. Play it on a TV in your office lobby to inform visitors about you.

4. Use it to grab attention at trade shows.

5. Give the video to your sales staff on DVD to use as a sales tool out in the field.

6. You can email the video to perspective clients and e-mailing lists.

7. The videos we produce are high definition and broadcast quality, so they can double as TV commercials.

Mike Hegedus The Huffington Post

About a month ago I had a conversation with the CEO of a major construction clothing manufacturer; work gloves, boots and so forth. We were talking about his branding and marketing efforts and he told me he was sticking with his tried and true strategy of advertising in magazines. You know, working guy trade publications, ‘Oil Drillers Weekly’ and the like. I of course was incredulous–magazines? Now?

‘The guys I’m selling to just don’t use the Internet,’ he said. ‘They don’t have access in the field. They read magazines.’

So today when Reed Business Information announced it was ceasing publication of all but one of its regional magazines for the heavy, highway and non-residential construction markets I thought of that guy. I wonder how he’s going to brand and market now?

‘It’s the video, stupid.’ That’s been my mantra now for almost a year. And every day that goes by with another newspaper closure or downsizing, and another decline in television ratings or talk of ‘regionalizing’ local news, I just keep saying it over and over, both to myself and any business leader or public relations or advertising firm that will listen.

‘It’s the video, stupid!’

While you can argue about why the ‘traditional’ media landscape, everything from public relations to advertising to print and broadcast, is changing, there is no argument that it is. And with change comes opportunity. An opportunity for businesses to promote and control their own ‘story’, and for public relations and advertising agencies to help them do it. But first they have to embrace the change and quit trying to figure out how to be the ‘last man standing’ in a zero sum game. In 5 years the game will be over.

I grant you it’s no easy task. Businesses of almost every stripe are traditionally ‘risk adverse’. PR and advertising firms know how to get ‘placements’, their business clients understand ‘placements’, so the world revolves around–you got it. Get your client’s name mentioned in the WSJ or NYT, or the holy grail, on ‘Oprah’, and it’s instant renewal. On a more regional, and realistic basis, it’s been about getting on the local morning show, or in the ‘Living’ section of the local newspaper. Or placing your client’s ad in the right place and the right time in the right medium.

But as the traditional opportunities evaporate due to a whole list of reasons–cut backs, shifting audience numbers–where do you go? What do you do?

‘It’s the video, stupid’

Unlike a CEO who told me a few months back that the Internet was…’…still too experimental…’, the answer to a great degree is indeed the Internet. First, a company, with the help of it’s advertising and PR firms, needs to use its branding and marketing prowess to drive customers to its Internet site. Then when they arrive, the customer, client or consumer needs to be greeted with a robust experience, allowing companies big and small to control their story, their ‘pitch’. Yes it will need to be fair and focused. No, it can not be just one big piece of ‘hype’. Yes it will have to include one thing in particular.

Video.

Video is ‘the’ driver on the Internet and it is ‘the’ difference maker between sites that tell their company’s story and sell their products and those that do neither. But wait, won’t the public, the consumer, the client, be skeptical? Won’t they know that it’s the company that’s doing the telling and the selling? Yes it will.

That’s an ‘old world’ question actually. In this the ‘age of the blog’, where ‘unvetted’ information abounds, the responsibility has fallen to the reader, or viewer, to determine what he or she believes. In this new age it will fall to the companies and businesses to tell it well, tell it straight or suffer the consequences should they be found out, and they will be. You can find out almost anything on the Internet.

Companies and their PR and advertising firms can embrace this new reality, or, I can give them the number of that fellow who is still advertising his wares in the magazines. He’ll have plenty of time to talk to you.

That is the power of video. People can get a sense of who you are and what you know, without ever meeting you in person. By having a video of YOU on your website, you will be showing potential customers who you are, your knowledge and expertise about your products and services, and maybe most importantly, your passion for your business.

Now some people were just born to be in front of the camera, other, not so. It’s my job as a video producer to educate my clients on the video process and to ease the nervous client into the on-camera process so they fell comfortable and confident in their presentation. Sometimes, a lot of effort goes into making the client look good. It’s an art, and something I take great pride in.

I can tell you first hand that this works. Since I put a video of me talking about my services on my website, perspective clients that call to inquire about my services tell me they saw my video on my website. So before they talk to me, they already know this:

1. They know what I look like
2. They know how I sound and act
3. They know exactly what I do
4. They know how much experience I have
5. They know that I am serious and passionate about producing videos

Website video is a very powerful tool, and you can do much more with the video than just put it on your website, but that will be in the next blog!

Jim Dandy’s got it half right. They had a catchy jingle, but accompanied by video of green chicken, green lobster, and green steak! Whoever they had make the commercials didn’t know how to use a camera, but the idea was there. Get your restaurant engrained in everyone’s head, so when it was time to eat out, you remembered, “You’ll have a Jim Dandy Time!”.

It’s a shame that today, local TV stations and cable outlets make commercials for local eateries that are bland and boring. How often do you see a local restaurant commercial that has a pan of an empty dining room and then shows food that is poorly light that doesn’t look appetizing? I want to see people having fun and food that makes my mouth water!

One thing I’ve noticed about my clients videos that I have posted on the internet is that commercials I have done for restaurants have more hits and comments about them than any other type of business. The reason? People like to talk about food online! They are very loyal to their favorite pizza, hot dog, or hoagie. Internet video is the way to go for local restaurants to get their name and food out there.

The spot we did for Abe’s Hotdog’s on Barney St. in Wilkes-Barre and had over 10,000 people look at it in less than a year. Abes Hot Dogs

Bennigan’s in Bloomsburg, despite having a nationally produced spot to use, chose us to produce their grand opening commercial. Not only do we produce commercials for television, we also post them on the internet, so people can find them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Bennigan’s Spot on YouTube

Alas, Jim Dandy’s is closed due to retirement, but on their last commercial, they decided to do something special. They hired a company who knew what they were doing! I had the pleasure to be the director of photography on that spot produced by DVX, a Scranton company who conceived the commercial. No more green chicken, just the veggies!

Jim Dandys Spot on YouTube