Webstorytellers

Cisco Partners Outsmarting Competition With Online Video

2009-03-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

Cisco is showing once again why they are so dominant in the world of I-T. They have chosen to get ahead of the curve---even in a down economy---by outsmarting their competition when it comes to marketing themselves online.
How are they doing it? Three simple letters: MVP!

They have started their Marketing Vendor Program which assists Cisco partners in paying for professional video that can be used in an intelligent, 21st century way on company websites.

Two shining examples of partners who have leveraged video intelligently can be seen by logging on to www.dpsciences.com . There are three videos featured right on their home page that showcases who they are, how they build medical grade networks, and how Cisco products are improving customer service for an electric company in Kentucky.

The other Cisco partner is Single Path, based in Chicago. They had a Cisco approved video vendor ( www.webstorytellers.com ) do a tv-style report that is an overview about their unified communications systems, which can be seen at http://singlepath.com/about.asp , and they have numerous video testimonials that sing the praises of what Single Path has been able to do for a variety of companies.
They did every video in a cost effective way---and in the process, have literally spelled out what they do in an easy to understand and easy to operate way. Now, those who visit their website, don't have to work hard to figure out what Single Path offers. They click the play button and the stories unfold, as if they were featured on a National TV program.

There are a number of approved marketing video vendors, and we're ( www.webstorytellers.com ) fortunate to be one of them. Every approved video vendor has to meet strict criteria to be part of the MVP program.
No matter which video vendor Cisco partners use, they are making an investment in the hottest field online, professional video. And that video will pay dividends for years to come---with no further expense!

MARKETING IN 2009? HERE'S AN IDEA!

2008-12-31T15:20:00.000-08:00

Given the current state of the economy, every company is looking to save money more than ever. Period. We've all seen companies who just 12 months ago were laughing all the way to the bank---finding themselves cutting back on everything from employees and the type of coffee they provide for those who are left, to the type of toilet paper they put in the company stalls!
Nobody is happy about it--but as they say---it is was it is.

So as we start 2009 every company has to take a serious look at the most cost effective way to market themselves. Instead of trying many of the "tired" old ways of the past, smart companies are getting maxium bang for their marketing buck by utilizing "video" online to the max. That sounds pretty simple---but give me about two more minutes of your time--and I'll explain.

Why professional video? Well, the obvious answer is simple. Why not let people "see" and "hear" what sets you apart rather than using traditional "text" and "still" pictures alone for your website? That's an elementary explanation but it doesn't address the most important part of the equation which is it's cost effective. Consider this: Webstorytellers (www.webstorytellers.com) provides professional video for everyone from wineries, resorts, and Real Estate companies, to Cisco partners and other major I-T companies. Why are so many now turning to video? Because the budget allows for it. Once a company commits to putting its marketing money into its online front porch (it's home page) that money not only works for this year--but for the next year--the year after that, and likely for years to come after that. Heck, in the old days (and unfortunately even now) companies would spend thousands of dollars for a "one-minute" commercial that would run during a particular show on tv, or radio a few times, and that was it. If people were watching or listening to that show, that money might have been well spent if it prompted people to act and buy right then. So, if a company will spend thousands of dollars to run an ad a particular week or month (and that's it) why would they not pay that same money, or less, on something that can run 24/7 for years? That's not a trick question! That money is well spent.

Video provides a professional look, can help with converting casual browsers to real customers, and can help get you found on the web because of Google's use of Universal search. So if video makes you look better, can covert curious and potential customers into real paying customers, and can help you get found online 24/7, what's not to like about it? It makes sense.
So if you're the boss, and someone comes to you with the bright idea to "cut the marketing budget" do what you must. But don't forget, if you don't show people who you really are, they'll never really know. We believe they'll search for someone who uses video to save money and lose interest in your services faster than you can say "let's quit buying toilet paper!"

RESTAURANTS THAT SERVE FOOD, AMBIANCE, AND VIDEO!

2008-11-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

There are something like 18 bazillion restaurants in the universe, I know because I think I've eaten at all but 3 of them! As a business owner, I'm starting to see an obvious trend with restaurants (and all businesses) that I believe is driving new customers to restaurants all around the country. They are discovering that video on their website is becoming as important as their chefs working hard behind the scenes, and the hosts and hostesses greeting people at the front door. Sound crazy? Indulge me for about the next 2-minutes and I'll try to explain myself. A restaurant can have the best chef in the world and amazing service at wonderful prices, but if nobody knows about any of it what good is it?

Restaurants are all about the food, the ambiance, the "vibe," and the experience of sitting in a comfortable place that has great food and fits your mood. That isn't breaking news. What is fast becoming obvious to anyone paying attention though is that whether people are traveling or sitting home on a Friday or Saturday night, they no longer look to the yellow pages to see if there are any Thai or Mexican restaurants, for example, nearby that they may have missed on their way home from work. People who are hungry nowadays looking for something different go directly to the web to see if there's some hidden gem out there that can serve up their dish of the day and serve it well.

Don't get me wrong. I know there are certain places (Subway, McDonalds, etc...) that people will go to and they could care less what their website looks like. I get that. But if you're in San Francisco, LA, New York, or Cincinnati, Ohio, for that matter, and you're looking for a place that has great food, some ambiance , and maybe a dance club upstairs, you're going to the web looking for answers. That's why restaurant owners are fundamentally changing the way they are being perceived online. They are now featuring video of various menu items instead of just showing still pictures. They're showing video of what the restaurant looks like instead of an image of a menu. They're featuring testimonials from chefs, customers, and ownership on what makes their place special. They're making a bold statement on the web about why their places are a "must stop" for customers looking for their specialty foods. The fact is, people today expect to see video----even on a restaurant website. They don't log on to a site and "hope" video is there.

Video is not only being used to help show the world what a restaurant offers and what it's like to walk in the doors and eat, it's also being used to tell the restaurant's "story" and what they stand for. One example of a restaurant who is serious about taking this approach is a place called 360 Gourmet (www.360gb.com), based out of Northern Californa. They're in the process of changing the way people see restaurants online. They're in the early stages of preparing their new web presence with video and it's really going to be something!

They have several restaurants at airports and cities around the country and are expanding as we write this. What's great about them is that their food is delicious, you can get it hot and fast or take your time if you like, and eat "healthy" burritos all day long and feel good about it. Besides the great "gourmet food on a humble tortilla" what I like most about this group is that they are spearheading a project called "meal for meal" where they donate 100-percent of the proceeds from their kids menu to feed hungry children around the world. Wow. Having met the owner, Wafi Amin, I know that he's doing this because it means something to him. It's not a gimmick. The point is, if I'm a consumer and I can go to a website simply lookng for food, and stumble across a place like this that shows me that they not only have great gourmet food at great prices---but they're also acting in a socially responsible and humane way--it only makes me want to do business with them that much more. I think most of America feels the same way.

It's a pleasure to see that today's technology can help tell those wonderful stories that are happening in big cities and small cities all around this great country. These are stories that frankly might have gone unnoticed if the story was just told with simple text and still pictures.
When used properly, isn't today's video technology (and people like Wafi Amin) great?

Why Do Companies Need Video on the Web?

2008-08-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

It seems everyone these days is writing blogs on THE POWER OF INTERNET VIDEO. We could fill the remaing space on this, our very first blog, with all sorts of statistics that have been recycled time and time again about how powerful online video is. That's not to say the statistics aren't important, correct, or meaningful. They are. In fact, those numbers are right on. Every month the world is realizing that video on the web is not just a luxury that viewers enjoy, they realize how it is "expected" by today's consumers---of all ages.

In the coming months we too will write an article that is packed with statistics that will clearly show how online video is working on the home pages of thousands of comanies worldwide. We wil also discuss how video is one of the most powerful online tools available when it comes to having consumers discover your business before they ever log on to your website.

For now though, we thought we'd go way out on a limb and talk about video and the POWER OF COMMON SENSE.
It only makes sense that if text and still pictures are good, then text, combined with still pictures and video are better. By adding video to that equation, the first benefit of video couldn't be more obvious. Video gives people a "real" look into the window of a company. Here's the best example we can give. If you were looking for a unique winery in "vineyard rich" Napa valley what is it that would set a particular winery apart? Go ahead and look for yourself (when you finish reading this, of course!) and see how many wineries either offer simple text and a picture of a vineyard, a wine glass, or some grapes on their home page.There is simply no way to distinguish who's who or what the "true" personality of a winery is. You may be able to determine if a winery specializes in Merlot or is pet friendly (if you click on enough tabs) but you won't be able to get a true look or "feel" for the place. Is it a down-home winery or is it stuffy? With video, you can often see the actual vineyard, hear from the owners and customers, and often get the real story on the types of wine they produce.Would you rather read about it or watch the story unfold in front of you? With all due respect to those who say "we're just not reading enough" these days, the answer is fairly obvious to most. Video wins, hands down. That's why there are wineries out there like Goosecross Cellars, one of the remaining family owned and operated wineries in all of Napa Valley, (http://www.goosecross.com/) that "get it." This small, quaint, friendly winery has everything from blogs, to podcasts, to dozens and dozens of videos that are in the works as we speak. There's another small Napa Valley Winery (our very first client, God bless them!) called Casa Nuestra. They only produce 1,500 cass of wine ever year. They decided they needed video to show consumers what they're all about. To this day, that video (on http://www.casanuestra.com/) gets more positive comments than any of our videos because it accurately describes what they're all about. When you meet them through video, you absolutely have to visit them when you're in Napa.

Wineries aside, Webstorytellers has clients who are internantionally known, like Cisco and the Jelly Belly Candy Company, "and" small midwest companies that offer services that some would never suspect would ever need video, like "check making" (http://www.quikproof.com/) and "conveyor belt" (http://www.insightautomation.com/) companies.The range of companies already using video on the web should not be surprising to anyone. It is surprising to us how many quality companies either haven't gotten the message or are operating like it's 1999 and losing customers to those companies, large and small, who have discovered the power of internet video.