Digital Shoebox

Tips, stories, and video in today's changing world.

February 1, 2019 In The Business of Video, Video Marketing Tips By DigitalShoebox

Finding royalty-free stock footage

Is something missing from your video? Are you not fully satisfied with your footage? Did you create a voiceover but are unsure where to find the images to accompany that? How about music? Even the best videographers occasionally have to turn to other sources to find appropriate footage. I've needed to find footage of the perfect sunset from a Hawaiian beach and my client certainly was not going to fly me out there to get a 40-second clip. Would have been nice though. Royalty-free stock footage sites are popping up like weeds. A lot of savvy videographers and photographers have realized that...

January 30, 2019 In Social Video, Video Ideas, Video Marketing Tips By DigitalShoebox

Shooting great video with your mobile phone

If you think you don't have the tools to make a good video, think again, then check your pocket. If you own a current smartphone, then you already have a powerful video producer in your pocket. Today's technology enables anyone to create amazing video, provided you understand the basics, take some time to test the waters and really listen to what your audience is telling you they want to hear from you. If you are serious about creating video for your business and are really committed to doing so yourself, then you need to invest some time and a little bit of...

December 11, 2018 In The Business of Video By DigitalShoebox

Tailoring your video to Google trends

I’ve been geeking out on Google Trends for the last 6 months or so. I devour almost every article that lands in my inbox. I take screenshots, run tests, and unpack what I learn so that I can teach or apply the information to my clients’ success. If you haven’t yet investigated or played around with Google Trends, be prepared to go down a very deep, but deeply satisfying rabbit hole. Trends is like Pinterest, but for data lovers. I’ll admit, this part of my personality caught me by surprise, but the clearly the left half of my brain is enjoying...

July 31, 2018 In The Business of Video By DigitalShoebox

The value of Google My Business

Have you been using Google My Business? If not, you are missing out on the power of this valuable - and free - resource. I'll admit it, I was slow to the game with Google My Business, but mostly because I was still stinging from the wasted effort I put into Google +. I wanted to wait a while, see what would happen, how the platform would develop, and whether mapping a service-based business would bring people in the door, so to speak. The game changed when Google Maps updated to allow videos to be added to a Google Listing. I created a...

April 9, 2018 In The Business of Video, Video Marketing Tips By DigitalShoebox

How to leverage your media appearances

I hear this question often: I was on the news, now what? When you - or your business - is featured on the news, it is a very big deal. VERY BIG. If you are like most humans, getting the call or the email asking you to appear on television, speak on the radio, or be featured in print sent you into a tizzy of emotions. You were over-the-moon excited and wanted to tell everyone you know about this news. Then you moved into anxiety over what to wear, whether or not to have makeup professionally done and what you would say....

September 21, 2017 In The Business of Video, Video Marketing Tips By DigitalShoebox

Making sense of YouTube analytics

Maybe it's just me, but I can get lost in analytics like a scrapbooker gets lost in Pinterest. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I am a numbers geek. I get easily overwhelmed by too much information, especially when I can drill down into minutiae and play with parameters. I could easily spend hours trying to navigate through Google analytics and still only know what my most popular blog was last month. But it's a whole different story when it comes to YouTube analytics. The video-sharing platform makes is so simple to discover who is watching your videos, where they...

June 19, 2017 In The Business of Video, Video Marketing Tips By DigitalShoebox

How video marketing can be like the best frozen yogurt

Are you ever really satisfied with just plain froyo? Probably not, and with video marketing, more toppings means a more fulfilling experience. Plain Run of the mill, one flavour only. Boring. If you only ever create one video, don't anticipate much action. That's like having vanilla frozen yogurt every single time you go the shop. Mix it up a bit. If you can't afford a double scoop, add some flavour with live or DIY video. Plain with Chocolate Sauce Saucy, but safe. You can sweeten your one video by running it through an editor. If possible, add another layer of interest to your video with some...

April 18, 2017 In The Business of Video By DigitalShoebox

How Animated Video Brings New Clients to Visions Applied

I recently completed an animated video for a company called Visions Applied in Clearwater, Florida. Owner Dianne Allen was revamping her business and her website, and wanted an animated video to be featured on the home page. Animated video can be expensive to produce, but ChicFlicks offers affordable solutions for those who don't want a traditional video or don't have the generous budget required for a drawn-from-scratch animated video. I started with a discovery call with Dianne so I could better understand her vision for video. We talked about her clients, what they love about working with her, what her mission is...

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