Author: DigitalShoebox

May 11, 2022 In Blogs and Written Content, The Business of Video By DigitalShoebox

5 Things To Do To Make Your Blog More User Friendly (and improve SEO as a bonus)

Spring cleaning is in the air, and as we sweep away the cobwebs of winter, it's a good time to have a look at your business blog. I've been working with some new clients to review and assess their blogs. It helps to have an objective opinion, someone who is skilled in identifying what would resonate with your desired client. If you have more than 5 years of blog content, you should start reviewing what's there. Dumping old, irrelevant content will speed up your website, making it easier for users to find what they need. As an added bonus, cleaning

5 Reasons you need to build a video library for your business

Here's a simple yes or no answer question: Do you have a video library of generic footage for you business? If you answered "No", then you need to correct that. There is so much value in having b-roll footage ready to use at any time and you can build a collection during one day of filming. Here is what you need to know about building a video library. What is b-roll? B-roll is the industry term for footage that can be used anywhere during a video. There is purposeful b-roll - footage that will be used to illustrate what we are hearing in

June 9, 2021 In Social Video, The Business of Video, Video Marketing Tips By DigitalShoebox

On-Demand Discovery

It's not that long ago that settling down in front of the television to watch your favourite program was as natural as eating breakfast. When I was a kid, every Saturday night my mom and I would sit on the couch, TV tables set up, Swanson frozen dinners fresh out of the oven, to watch The Love Boat. It was one hour of family time, a ritual that lasted for almost a decade. Fifteen years later, I repeated the ritual with my best friend on Thursday nights to watch friends, Frasier, and ER. Instead of dinner, we shared chips and

April 29, 2021 In The Business of Video By DigitalShoebox

Paid advertising: 5 Questions to ask before you buy

Have you been approached for a paid advertising opportunity? This is a growing sector in direct marketing and this is how it works:A company or a representative calls you, leaving a message (because, really, do any of us answer our phones anymore?) telling you they'd love to spread the word about your fab business.Sometimes, they mention your company name, sometimes it's clear they are reading from a generic script, and other times it's an eerily human-sounding AI call. It doesn't matter who makes the call, the goal is the same: to take your money in exchange for exposure. Many of these

December 1, 2020 In The Business of Video By DigitalShoebox

Maintaining the story on silent mode

Your video needs to tell the same story no matter how it's viewed Here's an important lesson: your video should tell the same story whether it's played with or without sound. It's the b-roll footage - the video shots that fill in the blanks or add visual interest to a talking head interview - that plays a critical role here. Our brains are not built to process visual and audio at the same time. Evidence of that can be found in our daily lives: bits of conversations missed when our attention was on our phone or the attention-grabbing silence of a

May 7, 2020 In The Business of Video By DigitalShoebox

Getting the close up from a distance

The way I do business has not changed at all, it's the volume of business that has been turned on its ear. I went from a fully booked March, April and May to 2 shoots. One was an industrial shoot, so I was in a vast warehouse where it was easy to keep my distance. The other was a medical shoot where I was required to wash my hands the minute I entered the building, mask up, set up and stand back. I did not enjoy the mask at all and I gained a new perspective on our health care workers

October 10, 2019 In The Business of Video, They like me, they really really like me By DigitalShoebox

On the road with a woman who hears voices. From the dead.

Earlier this spring, I spent three days on the road with Jennie Ogilvie. Jennie is a spiritual medium, which is a benign way to say she talks to dead people. I've always been on the fence about this, straddled between wanting to believe and rolling my eyes. I also believe in following your gut (though I don't always listen - ask me about my first marriage), which is how Jennie and I ended up filming a pilot. FOR A TV SERIES!!! Jennie and I were loosely connected via our respective networks. When she popped into my WomenTalk circle, I felt compelled to reach out, so

July 5, 2019 In The Business of Video, Video Marketing Tips By DigitalShoebox

Starting with strategy: Why you need a plan for video marketing

Effective video starts with a plan It may be tempting to just create some video, throw it up on YouTube and wait for the people to come, but the reality is there are thousands of videos competing for views. Every business owner has heard the phrase "Say yes, then figure out the how". While you can have success with that approach for basic business transactions, when it comes to video, you need to have a clear plan. You can't just wing it when it comes to video content. Planning extends beyond the scripts, the shoot location and what you're going to wear. You