Tag Archive for: establishing a target market

team

On Thursday, November 14th, Rosewood Founder & CEO, Deanna Simone spoke at the annual Entrepreneurs in Residence by the Aurora Public Library. The event invites 4 local entrepreneurs/small business owners to share their personal stories of entrepreneurship and then form a panel to answer attendees’ questions and share tips for growing your team.

Question #1: What Would You Tell Your Past Self About Your Business?

The questions were great! Deanna’s personal favourite was, “If you could go back in time and tell your entrepreneurial self something about your business, what would it be?” What a great question!

Deanna’s answer was, “I would go back and tell myself that you don’t have to do this alone. Asking for help and support is NOT a weakness. That being said, I would have encouraged myself to hire staff/subcontractors sooner. I waited 3 years into my business to hire someone, and I wish I had done it sooner!”.

She went on to say that “growing your business can be a daunting concept. Not only are you giving up control of your “baby”, but you have to spend time to find the right people. Practice your interviewing skills and know what values you are looking for in potential teammates”.

Question #2: How Did You Know It Was Time to Hire Someone?

One question was directed specifically at Deanna, “How did you know it was time to hire someone?”. My response was firstly, there were many signs and I wish I had done it sooner! I was overworked, overwhelmed and making way too many sacrifices. I remember pulling out my laptop after Thanksgiving dinner and working while eating pumpkin pie, or working until 1am Christmas morning so that I could have a few hours off the next day for Christmas dinner. There was a time I was wanting to quit because it was too much.

And then I read the book, Clockwork – How to Make Your Business Run Itself by Mike Michalowitz. It changed my life. It helped me realize that my time was better spent on certain areas. When I broke down the different tasks and responsibilities, it became clear where my time was best spent and what items could be delegated to someone else.  It also taught me about delegation, which is such a skill (but I’ll keep this for another time).

Since then, I’ve never looked back and we continue on with managed growth!

Tips for Growing Your Team

Since then Rosewood now has a solid team of three internal members, and a looser structure built up of several subcontractors who specialize in their individual areas. While there have certainly been setbacks, we wouldn’t trade it for anything. The team members we have now are the “A” team, and set the bar for attracting future talent with shared values.

Setting Your Organizational Values

My favourite saying is, “You can’t teach personality”. It’s so true! So instead of focusing on a set skill-set, I look for candidates who have the following traits:

  • Eagerness to improve the skills they already possess
  • Willingness to learn
  • Exceptional communication skills (as this is the Queen Bee Role of Rosewood as an organization)
  • Aptitude for technology (while not a personality trait, they should have a solid foundation in technical aptitude in order to build their skills)

As you can see from the list above, only one item has to do with technical skills. While this may sound bizarre coming from a technical business, if they have a solid technical foundation and an aptitude for learning – I can teach them anything.  This is partially because one of my strengths (and favourite things to do) is teach!

The Rosewood team now is exceptional. They bring in such an array of skills and foster a supportive environment. Although we’re subcontractor-based, we work as a team and foster a company culture together.

If you weren’t able to make it to the event, we’ve got you covered! Click here to watch Deanna’s presentation.

Happy Monday friends! Today’s topic is all about the ins and outs of video marketing on Instagram and how it can take your brand’s online presence to new heights! As you may or may not know – Rosewood loves Instagram, and we also just launched our new videography services for clients (check out our recent blog – LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION – WHY YOU NEED VIDEO MARKETING to learn more).

Let’s face it – Instagram has completely taken the social media world by storm and has forever changed the way businesses and clients interact with each other. Instagram is unique in that it thrives on an entirely distinctive visual approach to content dissemination. And in 2019, it is undoubtedly one of the most important platforms to include in your social marketing strategy.

And don’t worry if you’re an Instagram newbie, the application is known for being incredibly user-friendly, and with Rosewood to guide you through the learning process, you’ll be sharing top-quality videos faster than you think! Keep reading for our top 4 Instagram video marketing tips to help your business thrive.

#1. Understanding Instagram Culture

Instagram is the social media platform where brands show their audience who they are; it’s about shaping perceptions about a brand’s personality. And you only have 60 seconds to explain your product or message and grab the attention of your audience. Writing super long captions can backfire because the inherent appeal of the platform is its focus on visual aesthetics.

For example – Starbucks, a top brand on Instagram, clearly understands insta-culture. In curating their brand story, they’re definitely playing the role of your fun, artsy BFF. Virtually every video and photo are clearly branded in some way – whether it’s a shot of a paper cup elaborately embellished by a fan, or just a distinctive green straw poking through a mountain of whipped cream.

The main idea behind Instagram is sharing videos and images to build your own credibility on the platform. You can ask popular brands and/or influencers to give you shout-outs. Additionally, you can get your clients to create fun testimonial videos as a part of a give-away or contest.

#2. Create Compelling Videos That are Worth Watching

Instagram gives you the unique chance to tell great stories through captivating visual content. So, don’t be afraid to get super creative by showcasing your brand or services in a new light. You don’t need to completely rebrand yourself, but instead, try to show your brand’s versatility. And the best part is that since Instagram videos are bite-sized, people are much more likely to watch them.

Create simple how-to videos. Do a fun contest or give-away to thank your audience for their support. Offer behind-the-scenes glimpses. Give followers sneak peeks of upcoming products or services. Be relevant to their interests and stay up-to-date on current events. Show off your personal style.

#3. Take Advantage of Stories and IGTV Features

According to Instagram, around 70% of its users watch video content in the form of stories on a daily basis. And out of this number, there seems to be a marked preference (roughly 50%) towards those videos that make them laugh. Even more important than that is about one in four Gen Z and Millennials actively seek stories of products, services, and brands they are considering buying.

So, as you begin to chart out your upcoming plans for video marketing content on Instagram, keep an eye on these insights and try to make the most use out of them. These statistics represent clear trends on user preferences for the types of content users look for on the app, so they provide an ideal starting point to start developing video content that will help you reach the people you want.

And remember – there is always the new and flourishing IGTV option which is similar to YouTube in that you can post full length videos without time constraints. For example, you could provide a preview for your new how-to video on your feed and stories which will then direct followers to watch the full video on your IGTV channel if they wish – without being overly pushy. Brilliant!

#4. Don’t Dismiss the Importance of Instagram Analytics

Identifying where you stand among your competitors can have serious payoffs for optimizing your social media strategy.

Some beneficial analytics metrics to consider:

  • tracking post performance
  • monitoring Instagram trends
  • monitoring impressions and views
  • tracking comments and hashtag usage
  • measuring audience engagement
  • identifying influencers in your industry

Analytics can tell you what’s working and what needs to change. And over time, you can build a large scope of data to track and measure performance. It is incredibly valuable to know when and how your audience is engaging with your Instagram content, and how you can improve your performance moving forward.

Final Thoughts

There you have it folks! Rosewood’s top 4 tips for video marketing success on Instagram! And remember – our goal is to help you create and share visual content (videos and images) that help your brand build credibility and familiarity within your target market. These 4 strategies will ensure that you are not only interacting with your audience in a meaningful way, but that you are also taking full advantage of Instagram’s lucrative video marketing tools. And remember – as the popularity and importance of Instagram videos continue to grow and develop, the opportunities for businesses to reach their desired audiences will increase as well.

Of course, we are always happy to help! Rosewood offers both videography services and social media training. If you have any questions on how to get started, feel free to contact us directly.

Happy filming!

“Don’t deliver a product, deliver an experience” 

Questions? Get in Touch!

Until Next Time,

Ananta

Content Coordinator

Rosewood Inc.

video marketing rosewood va deanna simone

In 1979, Buggles sung “Video killed the radio star” – and no truer words have been made into a pop song. Since video’s conception, we’ve never looked back.

Fast forward to 2019 and video content is king. Social media platforms have prioritized the use of video, audiences demand it, and distributing it has never been easier. Video isn’t new, we’ve all got those dusty VCR tapes sitting in our basement, but there has never been a more powerful and effective marketing tool.

Everyone Loves Videos

Studies have shown that in 2019, 87% of people would like to see more video from brands, with an expected 82% of all internet traffic to be video by 2021. Pretty incredible stats, right?

Video has been known to have an online conversion rate of nearly 80%, influencing buying behaviour and website traffic. Not to mention, search engines LOVE video. Nothing entices more numerous and longer page views quite like a video. Not only that, but YouTube is the second largest search engine behind Google. If you put your video on YouTube as well as your website, your visibility and opportunity to show up in search is greatly increased.

This is the age of viral videos. Did you know 92% of mobile video consumers share videos with others? This is your chance to have some fun and really show what your company is all about.

Ok, have I done enough persuading yet?

Rosewood’s NEW Video and Photography Services!

Enter from stage right: Us!

Here at Rosewood we are excited to announce our new video and photography offerings.

Creating videos on your own can be intimidating. But never fear, we are here to make it easy, and you don’t need expensive equipment or large budgets to get started.

We can handle everything from shooting, editing, talent acquisition, scripting, directing and so much more. Packages can be tailored according to your needs, your goals, and what your audience will respond to best. We do this quickly, efficiently, and with a focus on distributing your content to reach its maximum potential.

I know what you might be thinking, are we ready for this next step? Am I ready to face the world in full 1080 HD quality? The answer is, yes.

Our Tips for Success

We always suggest a few handy tips and tricks that ensure you and your business are ready for this next step.

  1. Shoot where you are comfortable – you don’t need to be hanging off the edge of the CN tower to make a statement. If your office is your safe spot, shoot there.
  2. Have a company representative who is genuinely passionate – nothing comes across camera more than passion and relatability. Put those who WANT to be on camera, in front of the camera. You will find they come across more credible to the audience.
  3. Practice makes perfect – it might sound cliché, but literally practice in front of the mirror after brushing your teeth. It’s a great way to notice facial expressions and gestures.
  4. Know your message – we all like to ramble, hey, some of us get so passionate we just get carried away – but it’s not effective. Knowing your message and what you want to deliver is key.
  5. Wear what makes you feel great – high heels may look great, but they don’t feel great! Wear shoes that provide you the most comfort, wear the suit that is a little looser so you can breathe, you will be surprised how distracting clothing can become once it is a focus.

Contact us today to see how we can take your business to the next level with video marketing.

Questions? Get in Touch!

Until Next Time,

Georgina

Account Manager

Rosewood Inc.