Hey, I’m Reb Risty, Head REBL at REBL Marketing. And I’m here today with Michele Killman, Fractional CMO and my partner in crime. And we are going to talk to you about the 10 best practices to get the most out of your video production.
Number one is start with your strategy. Video is a great tool but it really needs a strategy and so we’re going to talk about what goes into a really good video strategy.
There’s this professional service category called the Fractional C-suite. And if you haven’t heard about it, you really should know about it. It’s something that small and medium-sized businesses are using today to grow and scale their companies against their competition.
There are a variety of key benefits of hiring a FRACTIONAL MARKETING TEAM. One of them is…
For example, we were engaged by a client to help them with their branding, messaging, website, and marketing strategy and plan. During the time we were working on the foundational work an opportunity to attend an industry conference came up and the REBL Team was able to QUICKLY switch gears and get the entire team focused and aligned to prepare the strategy and all the deliverables needed for this upcoming event.
A common theme for many business owners or CEOs today is their challenge with managing their junior marketing person or their only internal marketing person. This is usually a small to medium-sized business problem, where they have one marketing person or even an admin that’s doing marketing for them, and this person is struggling. The owner or CEO is pulling their hair out because they don’t feel like they’re getting the results they want. They feel like they’re spending a lot of time with this person giving them direction, but is it the right direction for marketing. I get it, we’ve all been there as a small business.
If a small business owner wants to grow their business, they have to rethink how they’re going to approach marketing and get out of the marketing lane, emphasizes Reb Risty, founder and CEO of REBL Marketing.
Marketing is getting more complex and it’s hard to know every single platform and type of marketing and tool and strategy. Being able to bring in knowledge and talent on a fractional basis to fill those gaps for you is essential to having a successful marketing function. The range of expertise that you’ll need to market your business successfully is too broad and dynamic for a small business to have an internal team of full-time staff do it well. The W2 full-time employment model is not agile and nimble enough to work for a small business.
Risty recommends that small businesses bring in a fractional CMO to take point and manage the appropriate specialists on a contract and project basis. Flexible working relationships are what the talent wants and the business can afford.
Listen to the end for a special gift Reb is offering our listeners that will help you get your marketing on track. https://www.centricityb2b.com/reb-risty-rebl-marketing-inc
I’m still flabbergasted at how many companies still don’t use video in their marketing strategy. It’s such a powerful tool and it’s not a nice to have, it’s a must-have. We’ve seen the results of video for ourselves and our clients. There are several reasons and statistics that prove businesses need to be using video today. Michele, what is one of the reasons businesses need to start incorporating a video strategy into their marketing mix?
1. Nearly nine out of ten people report wanting to see more videos from brands in 2021, making video an excellent tool for lead generation and brand awareness.
2. Video Content: It’s hard to believe that posts that don’t include a video receive 93% less traffic when compared to posts with at least one video. 93% less, people!! That’s a critical statistic to pay attention to.
The number one problem growing businesses have today is recruiting top talent. Why is this? The market is extremely competitive and talented professionals have a lot of choices and opportunities. Granted we’re in a unique situation coming out of the pandemic and many businesses are opening up again and that means large numbers of job positions are now available.
If a company wants to stand out and attract top talent they have to be able to show their company culture and highlight it in a way that is attractive and engaging for professionals they are looking to hire. What’s the number one thing we recommend to our clients, Michele?
The number one problem growing businesses have today is recruiting top talent. Why is this? The market is extremely competitive and talented professionals have a lot of choices and opportunities. Granted we’re in a unique situation coming out of the pandemic and many businesses are opening up again and that means large numbers of job positions are now available.
If a company wants to stand out and attract top talent they have to be able to show their company culture and highlight it in a way that is attractive and engaging for professionals they are looking to hire. What’s the number one thing we recommend to our clients, Michele?
Though there are many avenues of reaching clients and potential clients, email marketing still remains one of the best ways to nurture prospects and keep your brand at the top of your clients’ minds.
After all, everyone has email, and despite the pervasiveness of new forms of media, everyone is constantly on email. While you should not bombard your clients with useless communications, developing a strategic email strategy is a great way to keep your brand relevant, recognizable, and engaging to your audience.
Emails are crucial to building brand recognition, so even if recipients do not click or read all of the content inside, your brand is still being reinforced. And if you are providing content that is valuable to your clients or prospective clients, they will read the content, appreciate it, and think positively of your brand! Either way is a win-win, so consistent branding through email can be critical to developing your holistic integrated marketing program.
What are some best practices for email marketing?
Keep things short, on topic, and relevant to what your brand does! That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with your emails, or have social blasts that reflect holidays or team culture. But the first step should be curating and developing content that is simultaneously relevant to your business and valuable to your audience. This content might include tips, education, updates, or even statistics that can help a potential client with their own business.
Your subject line needs to be interesting and attractive, since it is the first thing that will draw your reader in by grabbing their attention! Head REBL at REBL Marketing Reb Risty advises the “magazine cover methodology.” When perusing magazine titles, what sort of headlines stand out? Succinct, punchy lists, catchy headers, and interesting bits of information can all make a reader stop and open your email. The key is keeping it simple and to the point.
If your audience likes what they read, how will they get in touch? What is your “ask”? Make sure that your email includes ample (but not overbearing) opportunities for your client or potential client to connect with you.
In all, valuable content, great subject lines, and calls to action can help your emails stand out and get the attention of potential clients.
Is email marketing better for some types of businesses than others?
Retail businesses will likely need to email more: if you are having a sale or have a special product release, for instance, you might send more emails and be more promotional, since that is imperative for your marketing tactic. However, if you’re a business-to-business company or more service-based, emailing once a week to once a month might be a better approach. Email frequency should be tailored to your integrated marketing program, which must consider your business’s goals and objectives. If email is an important part of your sales funnel, frequency is important, whereas for service-oriented businesses, emails serve the role of emphasizing education, branding, and staying at the top of your (potential) clients’ minds.
What are the best ways to gather contacts for email lists for email marketing?
Be sure to invite people to your list, not just add them! When you invite a contact to an email list, offer a welcome message that explains what they will get by joining your newsletter, along with an opportunity to unsubscribe if they choose. In the service industries, it’s important to be conscious about your lists. You do not need thousands of contacts: you need the right contacts.
All in all, emails remain a very important part of your integrated marketing program, though they shouldn’t be the only part. If you leave emails out, you are losing valuable opportunities to build brand recognition and potential client relationships. If you need help developing an email marketing strategy, give REBL a call today at (858) 848-7325! We would love to help you REBLutionize your brand.
Reb Risty, Head REBL at REBL Marketing, was recently a guest on Julia McLaughlin’s ‘Her Agency Toolkit’ podcast, a podcast designed to encourage and inspire women entrepreneurs working in digital marketing.
Reb discussed the importance of building processes and procedures for your agency, since as an agency owner herself, she is intimately familiar with the challenges inherent to the process.
You can listen to the whole podcast here: