storytelling for small business with stephen and amanda sprague

Storytelling for Small Business

PR, Social Media and Video Creation Tactics to Engage Media & Consumers

Your Brand 1. What is it?

2. What do others think it is?

3. Do those match up?

PR = Public

Relations

PR = Perception &

Reality

Reaching Your Desired Audience• Traditional PR – news, trends, experts

• Advertising & Marketing – traditional and grassroots

• Social Media – various platforms; complete strategies

Your Story • What’s your story?• What makes your brand appealing?• What differentiates you from the

competition?• What’s the news hook?• What is the most (or some of the most)

important thing for you to get across to your target markets?

Ways to Tell Your Story• Traditional PR – Goes back to news, trends, experts– Relationships– Media placements

• Extend the life of media placements – Use media to garner additional press opportunities – Extend the shelf life of a media hit via social media

• CONTENT CREATION…

Goals

Lead Generation • Utilize content creation to spark new conversations

with your consumers

• Disseminate content to media to spark interest/ open a dialogue – Supplement pitching – Share via social media with interested parties

• Offer content to media for its platforms – Social Media News Release

Get Your Targets Involved

Share with Media On Social Media

Offer Content: Social Media News Release

Statistics:Video Used as Social Media Content• Adobe's 2013 Video Benchmark Report found that

social media users are more than 2x as likely to engage in video content than non-video content.

• Those videos will get more likes, comments and shares than photos, links and text.

• Video viral reach (the number of people who see a post in their feeds through friends or a brand page) accounts for 77% of all reach on social media platforms.

Statistics:Video Used for SEO

• You are 53 times more likely to appear on Google Page 1 if you have a video on your website. (Forrester Research)

• YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world. Obviously, you have to have video to be there. (ReelSEO.com)

• Video used in email marketing increases click-through rates by over 96% (Implix 2010 Email Marketing Trends Survey)

• Website visitors who view product videos are 85% more likely to buy (Internet Retailer)

THE BRAND • Small Austin based brand of men’s golf shirts • “Country club tested, farmer’s market approved”• Look is traditional, positioning is playful and the product has sellable

attributes

THE PLAN • Ecommerce • Marketing – Tidbits deal, newsletter, online promotions • PR – local & national

– Thrillist, Tribeza, Daily Candy – Details, Playboy, WSJ

• Content creation

Traditional Media Meets Creative Content

What happened next?• WSJ story • Interested readers to site• Video lived on top of home page • 1000 video views in 2 days • Last month, Criquet had an overall 3.5% conversion rate on their site.• Over the same period, had a 9.63% conversion rate for people who've

watched any video. That’s 175% better than overall conversion rate!• They had an 11% conversion rate for people who watched product videos.• Folks who watched videos accounted for 12% of revenue for this period.• This campaign was a smart way to further engage consumer; buy-in to

brand

What does that all mean? Simply put…sometimes stories can help move product.

Elicit Emotion to Drive Action

How the content was used • Meals on Wheels and More Newsletter• Sent out to press during pitching • Posted on Austin Restaurant Week website • Used to attractive event sponsors

Narrative to Increase Awareness and Shape Perception

What the story supports• Narrative provides background • Helps to elevate a brand by focusing on one of

its niches • Plugs for non-profits groups fit story but

further positive perception

What it takes to make a good video

• Solid plan (aka pre-production)• A prepared spokesperson who can effectively

tell your brand’s story (ie:owner, expert, actor) • Appropriate location• Clear audible sound• A knowledgeable editor• Creative flexibility• The art of brevity

Variables of Video Production

• Time, Quality and Cost The old Producer’s adage is, “Good, Cheap, or Fast? You can’t have all three.”

• Quality Video takes time and care in post production

• Teams of specialists can quickly turn out high quality videos for top dollar

• DIY may even work with enough time and preparation

Realities of Video• Things you may not expect – Creative visions vary – Happy accidents

Contact

Amanda Sprague amanda@cultivatepr.com

Stephen Sprague stephenbsprague@gmail.com