Why Is Project Management Important?

A version of this article was originally published in December, 2011 by Gaurav Akrani, with additional excerpts by Sarita Harbour. 

***

In the creative space, project management means the planning, organizing, directing and controlling of multimedia project activities. Project management also deals with decision-making regarding the specifications, quality, approach and cost of a project, and applies to the management principles of a project. The importance of project management can be broken down into the following bullet points:

1. Accomplishment of the project’s objectives : Project management helps the project achieve all its objectives, which in turn satisfies the customers’ needs and wants. Over time, this allows the company overseeing the project to increase clients and sales.
2. Reputation, Goodwill and Image : Project management ensures the project is satisfactory to customers upon delivery. This increases the overseeing company’s reputation, goodwill and image. A good image also helps the company to expand and grow.
3. Supports other functional areas : Project management often indirectly supports other functional areas in an organisation, such as marketing, finance, and personnel. The marketing department will find it easier to represent well-managed services, and the finance department will get more funds due to an increase in sales.  The personnel department will be able to manage the human resources effectively due to the better performance of the production department.
4. Helps to face competition : Project management helps the company face competition in the market. This is because project management ensures services of the right specifications, quality and price.
5. Minimizes project costs : Project management helps to minimize the cost of a media project, as the goal is to maximize efficiency of staff and resources. This not only helps save the client money, but also helps the company to expand and grow.

Project management is a growing field used increasingly by businesses of all sizes in the creative industry. Dedicated project managers oversee projects from conception to completion, and effective project management techniques helps companies carry out large-scale projects on time, on budget and with minimal disruption to the rest of the business. Project managers have expertise and experience in creating plans to deliver these items. In addition, they seamlessly integrate resources across a company’s departments and utilize communication, planning and budgeting skills to bring projects to completion.

Intersect Video utilizes a project manager on all client projects, regardless of size. As stated above, we agree that such a dedicated point of contact ensures the delivery of all projects on time and on budget. For projects requiring video production, Intersect Video also offers production management of experienced and professional crew people, who are also highly qualified as service providers and equipment operators. Individuals are generally members of IATSE or Teamsters. Project Management is always billed as an ‘expense’ with all labor fees handled through Intersect Video’s parent company Road’s End Films, Inc., alleviating any additional taxes or payroll fees that may otherwise be required to clients or third party productions.

What Are Some Top Benefits Of Online Video Marketing?

A version of this article was originally published on November 20th, 2013 by David Murdico 

***

1. Video is where your customers spend their time.

YouTube alone has more than 4 billion views per day, and it’s the second-largest search engine, right after Google (which owns YouTube).
78 percent of people watch at least once a week and 55 percent watch every day. Everyone is watching video. You need to be making ads, promos, branded entertainment, Web series, video blogs, —whatever style and format best reaches your customers.

2. Video is easily searchable.

Video results have appeared in almost 70 percent of the top 100 search listing on Google in 2012. (Marketing Week)
Consumers are looking for your products and services. How are they looking? Most likely, online search is one of the top ways. Social media can affect organic Google search results as well as be an entry point to your website, microsite, or promo page. YouTube is the second-largest search engine, meaning videos get ranked high in Google results. Photos, graphics, LinkedIn, Twitter, Quora, and other networks are also searchable.

3. Video is shared easily and frequently.

More than 500 years’ worth of YouTube videos are watched daily on Facebook.
More than 700 YouTube videos are shared on Twitter every minute.
Video sharing is a huge part of social media, and social media is a huge part of our lives. Get your product or service message out there in a fun and shareable way.

4. Video levels the playing field.

Online video production will account for more than one-third of all online advertising spending within the next five years. (Borrell Associates Annual Benchmarking Results) Video has created an even playing field on which brands, business, and organizations can compete. The advantage is still with larger, more established brands, simply because they have bigger budgets for video seeding and media buying, but the trick is just to keep being more creative and do a better job of targeting, in order to reach your consumers.

5. Video entertains, educates, and inspires.

More than 60 percent of consumers will spend at least two minutes watching a video that educates them about a product they plan to purchase. (MarketingCharts.com) Video is way better at moving viewers to laugh, cry, get mad, learn, and take action than photos, text, or audio. Video is a great storyteller and keeps consumers glued to your site.

6. Video allows for real-time feedback and interaction.

People love to comment on videos, and that’s where you can learn more about your consumers. Comments and response videos help you redirect your fire based on their feedback and needs. How cool would it be for fans to leave comments on a video, then find themselves mentioned by name in the next video? Answer: Pretty cool.

7. Video is measurable.

Analytics are so accessible, and they do a great job of telling how successful your videos are. No more guesswork. Measurement can help your boss, partners, and you to determine which videos and surrounding social media activities are leading to increased sales and moving your marketing in the right direction.

8. Video is one click away from the ‘buy’ button.

34 percent of apparel shoppers are more likely to purchase after viewing an online video ad, versus 16 percent after watching an ad on TV. (ReelSEO) Properly set up and executed, consumers should never be more than one click away from the opportunity to buy the product or service you are selling. You can put direct links in video descriptions, surrounding text, banners, or overlays that let viewers click directly on the video.

9. Video is mobile.

Online video now accounts for 50 percent of all mobile traffic and up to 69 percent of traffic on certain networks. (Bytemobile Mobile Analytics Report)
30-second mobile video ads have an 88.3 percent completion rate. (Rhythm Insights)
More than 85 percent of marketers have reported that they plan to increase their mobile advertising budgets in the near future. (Association of National Advertisers and MediaVest)
People take video with them on their phones and watch it because they’re interested in a certain topic (see No. 3) or just entertaining themselves. With mobile video you have the potential to be in people’s hands, understanding everything about what you offer, and one click away from their buying your stuff—which is the whole point.

How Important Are High Quality Product Videos?

This article was originally published in September 2011 by Team Marketing Houston 

***

A good product demo video not only showcases the product you are demonstrating, it also sends a message to viewers about the product’s quality. Make sure that your product demonstration video features the best production values possible so that viewers receive a message of quality. After all, an amateurish product video screams out that your product or company is also amateurish while a high quality video has the opposite effect. In addition to production values, your video should also contain quality content that shows you understand the benefits your viewers will realize by choosing your product.

Production Value

Whether your product demonstration video focuses on luxurious cosmetics or heavy duty construction equipment, the quality of the video production says something about the quality of the product. For example, if you were considering purchasing a $250,000 bulldozer, what would you think about a product video with fuzzy images, horrible sound, and jerky camera moves. If the video looks like it was shot on a cell phone by one of the equipment operators, what does that tell you about the company’s commitment to its customers?

While you may not be able to drag a bulldozer into a video production studio, you can certainly hire a professional video crew to shoot and edit the product demo video. Using a professional-grade video camera, tripod, sound equipment, and lighting is a must because the overall quality of the product demonstration video relies on the production values used at every point of the process including shooting.

In addition, the product video should be professionally edited. A good editor can do wonders with raw footage, voiceover, music, and interviews. A good video editor can transform a lengthy product video into a short, engaging product demonstration video.

High Definition Product Demo Video – Is it Necessary?

Before you shoot the product demonstration video, make sure to consider shooting in high definition. Even if your product demo video is destined for your website where high definition may not be necessary, shooting a high definition product video gives you options. Remember, you can always scale down a high definition product demo video for the small screen, but you can’t necessarily do the opposite. Once you have your product demonstration video produced in high definition, you can re-purpose it for trade-shows, sales presentations, Blu-ray discs, or even television commercials.

Most video production companies have the capacity to produce your product video in high definition. In fact, most will be happy to produce the product demo video in HD and provide you with alternate formats for the Web and other uses.

Product Demo Video: What to Include

Okay, so you know you want your product demonstration video to have the best production values possible and be shot in high definition – now what? Before sending a product video film crew to your job site or booking studio time, you’ll need a solid idea about what your product demonstration video should include.

You may have already detailed which features to demonstrate in your product video. While that’s a great start, a feature-rich product demo video is missing a key component: the viewer. Instead of focusing your product demonstration video solely on your product’s features, switch perspectives and adopt the viewer’s perspective. What benefits will viewers of the product video realize if they purchase your product?

A product demo video that focuses on benefits answers the question of “what’s in it for me?” Viewers watching a benefit-focused product demonstration video will know that the product makes them look younger, saves them money, saves them time, reduces injuries on the job, makes them more productive, and so on. A product video that focuses on benefits creates an emotional connection and helps frame buying decisions.

When a product demo video features high production values and focuses on the benefits viewers will receive by choosing that product, it’s bound to be a success. How have you incorporated benefits into your product demo video?

***

Intersect Video specializes in product and demonstration videos and can offer both on-location and studio shooting services. Contact us for more information or for a free consultation.

How Important Are Training Videos To Your Business?

This article, written by Sophie Bins, was originally published by skeletonproductions.com

Although training videos have been around for years, the advances in video and media have changed the whole concept for good. Digital training videos are more flexible, interactive, and effective than ever – but just how have training videos changed and why are they now so important to your business?

Video Is Adaptable

Digital video is a highly flexible media nowadays and can be stored on DVD, USB sticks, embedded on your website and used in a PowerPoint presentation. Video is highly adaptable and versatile training material, as it can be stored and viewed in a multitude of ways, making it very applicable to your business’ needs.

Interactivity

Video has changed greatly since the days of the VHS tape. Rather than making your employees sit and watch it in a stuffy room, if you host your training video on YouTube they can interact with clickable options throughout leading to the next section of video content. This means that they can choose answers by clicking on interactive elements of the video, and see the results with the next section of video content. Involving employees not only increases their learning but allows them to see the consequences of their actions without making real mistakes, making interactivity a key reason why you should use training videos.

Accessibility For Your Staff

Video is now highly accessible as it can be viewed on many platforms, ranging from your mobile, to your tablet, your TV, your computer, your laptop. It can be viewed both on and off the web, enabling your employees to access it at almost any time. They can view it at their own convenience, meaning that you don’t need to organize a time when everyone is available to view it together, and also allowing them to absorb the information fully.

An Engaging Media

Video is a highly powerful tool, enabling you to reach your staff and engage them. Your employees are far more likely to absorb the information and implement it into their own work when they are learning from such an interesting media than if they were reading from tiring manuals and leaflets.