Category Archives: video marketing

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

For several years I wrote a lot of short tunes that became jingles in advertising. And I wrote for all sorts of companies. If you lived in Colorado for any time during the past 20 years, and if you listened to radio, chances are you heard me at least once.

Most jingles in advertising tend to have a short life.

But not all of them.

In fact, one of those jingles I produced was for an auto repair shop in Lakewood, Colorado. And they used the catchy little tune for over 20 years.

I remember calling the shop to talk to someone about an issue I had with my Jeep. The receptionist put me on hold while she paged a service manager. And instantly I heard my own voice singing the jingle I wrote for them 10 years before that.

Then, over 10 more years passed. And by that time their repair shop had been handed down from one generation to the next generation of the same family. Their family history, in the auto repair and supply business, spanned over a hundred years. And that’s certainly not the norm these days.

But with a new generation you expect change. Right? Of course. Because each generation has to deal with a whole new generation of cars, too. So, it’s only natural the younger generation would probably see things a little differently from the previous generations. But even the new generation used the jingle I wrote for them in their on-hold music.

Wow, that’s a lot of generational talk.

Recently I discovered the owners finally sold their business to a large tire brand. So, I’m pretty sure you won’t hear me, anymore, if you call and get put on hold. But it was a great run. And you can still hear the catchy tune in one of the videos on their old Pickering’s Automotive YouTube channel.

It was an honor to be a part of their quality business for so long. Because Randy Pickering, the owner I worked with, was one of those guys who understood the value of jingles in advertising.

And that’s part of the reason why I wrote:

For great service and repair,
You need someone to care.
Look no more. Pick Pickering.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Sight and Sound a great way to be found

The first time I saw a comedienne do the “squirrel joke”, I almost did a spit take. It’s a joke about how attention spans are so short and distracted these days. Kinda like a dog that suddenly spots a squirrel. Focus is one place one second, then a completely different place a couple of seconds later. So, how do you fight that when you’re advertising? Well, instead of losing your readers to sudden video popups, use branded sight and sound and BE one of those distractions.

I’ve been around lots of sight and sound.

I’ve been involved with sound recording, in one way or another, for most of my life. Especially when it comes to voice and vocals. That’s why I focus on it here on my website and on my podcast and social media. And I know, without a doubt, you can set yourself apart with your own audio branding. But even more powerful is the combination of sight and sound”branded videos.

Have you noticed how the most popular video channels on YouTube”in any niche, are the ones where real people come across as actually being real? They’re the ones who allow life’s little imperfections to show through. In fact, many times they play those up. Either with humor, or self-deprecating comments, or some other technique. Why?

People see and hear “the real thing.” And they like it.

Face-to-face time is the best way to build relationships. And I believe video to face time can be almost as effective. At least when you’re being yourself and letting that come across. I’ve read some articles saying your business videos aren’t about entertainment. They’re just supposed to enhance or build your brand.

I disagree.

Whatever your brand, if you can entertain your audience and keep them around longer, you have more opportunity to sell them your products, services, or information. And you’re in business to make money. Doesn’t that make sense? Of course, I’m not saying you need to be a comedian or actor or singer-songwriter in your presentations. But adding an entertainment “feel”to them helps establish your brand in a way your buyers will remember.

For example”think about the music in the Avengers movies.

When you just listen to the movie score, it sounds so serious. Sometimes even ominous. But right in the middle of a battle scene, one of the superheroes says something funny. And audiences eat it up. The movie makers used that and ramped up an impressive Marvel movie empire. They combine the sight and sound in a way that appeals to both sides of your brain. If they made everything doom-and-gloom serious, I don’t think they’d be half as successful.

Superman VS Batman proves my point.

Almost every scene is dark. And pitting superheroes against each other is just stupid. But maybe that’s just me. Anyway, unless you’re a diehard DC comics movies fan, I’ll bet the music doesn’t stay in your mind like the score for IronMan.

OK”I didn’t actually mean for this to turn into a comics review or anything like that. I’m just trying to point out how you can put sight and sound together, entertain your clients, customers, or fan base”and create a relationship building machine. Just make sure it ties in well with your brand. And use it on your website, in your social media channels, in your radio and TV commercials, and anywhere else you advertise.

Or don’t.

Either way, you’ll learn something important. And isn’t that how you build better business?

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Video and Audio – be seen AND heard –

I remember, 20 years ago, when I started working online, how even having a website was a challenge for most businesses. And expensive. There were website design companies sometimes charging tens of thousands of dollars to build a business website. And 99% of them had no video and audio. These days, brand videos are necessary for most small and medium business owners. Video is no longer an option if you want to stay competitive online. Of course, they’re not free…unless you can produce them yourself. And even then, you should consider the time investment before jumping in.

Video and audio don’t have to be complicated, but they do have to BE.

According to surveys, you’re probably more likely to prefer websites with video over websites with just words and pictures. I know I do. Who wants to browse through endless sites with only text and stock images, when you can watch a video and connect on a deeper level? Those surveys also say video is key to driving conversions. And that means more potential for selling more stuff. Of course, that’s only important if making money is important to you and your business.

The great news is”if you wanna stand out from the crowd online, you still can. Use video and audio. Like I did. Did you watch this message, or just read the article? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Video marketing statistics agree with me”

  • One-third of online activity is spent watching video.
  • More than half of video content is viewed on mobile devices
  • Audiences engage mostly with videos 2 minutes and under
  • Landing page videos can increase conversions by 87%

Even though 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound, if you wanna be seen AND heard AND remembered, go to the next level with a custom commercial song. You’d immediately set yourself apart from video makers who don’t use sound…or have awful sound. I know it’s self-serving for me to mention that, but hey”I’m online to sell stuff too. And I’ve seen the power of deeper connection with a target audience using video AND brand music. And isn’t that what you’re working hard to do? Connect with your clients, customers, or audience in a way they’ll never forget?

You can think it over. But keep in mind…every day lots of other savvy business owners are committing to custom  video and audio. Some of them might be your competition.

 

Stay tuned,

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