It’s no secret that short-form videos are taking over social media. TikTok built their platform on the concept, and others like YouTube, Instagram and Facebook are learning and changing due to TikTok’s success.
But just because short-form videos are, well, shorter…that does not mean they’re easy to produce or implement in your own strategy. Which is where Angela Myers of Angela Myers Creative comes in. She sat down with my friend and content marketer Christoph Trappe to discuss short-form video on the Business Storytelling Show: what is it, how brands can implement it, what makes a good story and more.
Special thanks to Christoph for allowing me to share his conversation on K-Stream.
The latest guest on the K-Stream Podcast, Dr. Efrain Lopez, better known around the web as Dr. ELO, helps people and businesses get more comfortable with live streaming. He posts tech reviews, hacks and tutorials on his YouTube channel.
In addition, he hosts weekly live streams on social media for Be.Live and on his personal channels.
In the conversation we chat about:
Dr. ELO’s live streaming business and how he got started
How he managed to get a regular live stream series with Be.Live (hint it took posting 150+ videos before he got a call)
How he organizes his live streams
The “F&#$ the Tech” mentality
The importance of email lists
I think the highlight of the episode is the “F&#$ the Tech” mentality. I asked Dr. ELO about this because in one of his previous streams, I noticed he was wearing a t-shirt and ball cap with that exact message printed on them.
“That is a mindset,” says Dr. ELO. “People get caught in gear acquisition syndrome, which we call GAS, and they don’t start doing content.”
Dr. ELO elaborates on the “F&#$ the Tech” mentality.
It’s easy to get caught up in having the best gear and correlating that with good content. That’s not always the case. If you have a good story or message and a decent smart phone, you can make something great.
“You need to start ugly. You beautify your streams little by little and with experience.”
He started out creating beard content – product reviews, beard science, tutorials, and more. He grew the Bluegrass Bearded YouTube channel to more than 2,000 subscribers and was able to monetize the content through product reviews and sponsorships. Then he began to notice his audience was interested in his creative video expertise. He began receiving questions on his editing techniques and equipment. That gave him the idea to start Ken the Content Coach.
Ken is still very much a part of the beard community, but now spends most of his time helping other content creators build and monetize their own YouTube and TikTok channels.
As a veteran of the U.S. military, Ken appreciates community and camaraderie. He says he’s found that with content creation. Check out the clip below to hear him speak on that.
In this interview we discuss:
Not waiting until the absolute perfect moment to post your first video
Listening to your community when it comes to creating content
The importance of understanding and creating short-form content
What to do when you just don’t feel like being creative
Brands are increasingly coming on board with podcasting, and more specifically, what the industry calls branded podcasting. Branded podcasts are not strictly promotional. They tell great stories.
We had a great conversation about what exactly branded audio is, why so many brands are starting podcasts, and if they aren’t, why they should be. She also gives a few examples of great branded podcasts out there including shows from Trader Joe’s, Ford Motors and State Farm.
Liz is a business growth coach serving companies specifically in the audio space. For most of her career, she worked in audio as an advertising executive, which includes a stint at WNYC Studios. There, she took a particular interest in branded podcasts and developed a partnership with Target’s Corporate Responsibility division for a six-part branded podcast series, Future at Heart, according to her website.
Branded podcasts offer “compelling ways to bring your audiences closer to you; bring your customers more aligned with you,” says Horowitz.
“What’s better than having 30 minutes to tell your stories as opposed to 30 seconds?”
In this episode, we chat about the benefits of creating a branded podcast, as well as the tools that can help you measure success, such as Signal Hill Insights, Chartable and FieldCast.
I learned a ton from Liz, and I hope you will too!
Brandon Costa is director of digital with Sports Video Group (SVG), which was formed in 2006 to support the professional community that relies on video, audio, and broadband technologies to produce and distribute sports content, according to their website.
SVG reports on the latest innovations in the sports broadcasting world, and works to bring together the best minds in the business to help others succeed. And with the ongoing pandemic, many innovations were accelerated. There were also many surprise, unexpected changes to the way broadcasting happens, some of which are here to stay.
One example is “at home production.” This refers to remotely producing a broadcast. This saves money and enables companies to use the same staff for multiple productions. There’s no need to bring giant 52-foot production trucks across the country to put on a professional show.
“There were trends that were working their way into the industry,” says Costa. “This [pandemic] gave them a pretty dramatic push off a cliff, most notably being the shift to alternative production models.”
E-sports also jumped in and really paved the way for virtual productions. The NBA 2K League was only sidelined about a month at the start of the pandemic before getting a big tournament off the ground. They pulled off productions with nearly their entire production crew sitting in their homes over a virtual cloud-based production switcher.
Brendan Donohue, managing director of the 2K league said in a January 2021 Sportico article “We had a transformational season for us. As crazy as the external environment was, it was an amazing year for esports.”
Brandon and I chat all about how the pandemic has affected the way sports content is produced, some of the coolest innovations of 2021, and of course, if you’re a sports content producer, how you can get involved and learn more about SVG.
It was a pleasure to bring back Amazon Livestreamer and tech guru Monte Weaver to the K-Stream Podcast to talk about finding authentic influencers during this year’s holiday season.
While Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, millions of shoppers will still find their way to Amazon this holiday season to watch influencers rate and review products. Monte talks about what to watch out for to spot streamers that may not be the most authentic when it comes to selling. He also hits on a few recent updates Amazon made to the streaming platform, adding rules and restrictions to make it more of a QVC-like experience.
We also briefly chat about tips for creators out there who may be looking to increase sales and build an audience during the biggest shopping times of the year.
Although the episode is very much holiday focused, the lessons can be applied for both viewers and streamers throughout the course of the year.
Zoom is quite the dynamic tool. Not only is it a video meeting powerhouse, but it can also be the perfect interview tool for podcasting, especially if you’re working on a budget.
Max Branstetter of MaxPodcasting.com and host of the Wild Business Growth podcast, uses Zoom for all of his remote recordings. He also recommends the tool to his clients who are creating their own podcasts with Max’s help.
“Because everyone is so familiar with Zoom these days, especially over the last couple years, I always start with Zoom,” he says. “It’s also the best free option.”
With Max’s help, I’m laying out a few quick tips to make sure you’re getting the best possible quality during those Zoom interviews.
Plug into ethernet
To ensure the best and smoothest sound quality, you’ll want to be plugged into ethernet connection. No matter how strong your WiFi is, it’s not quite the same as being hardwired in. If it’s possible, plug the device you’re using into your router/moden using an ethernet cable.
If that isn’t an option, a powerline adapter like this one is a great solution. This is the one I’ve used for almost two years now, and I’ve never had a connection drop.
Check your audio settings
There are a few settings within Zoom that you’ll want to double check before you click “record.” We’ll start with “original sound.” In your Zoom settings, go to the audio tab and look under the “Music and Professional Audio” section. Check the box next to “Show in-meeting option to enable ‘Original Sound’.”
This option is recommended when recording higher quality audio for things like podcasts. It removes some of the automatic noise suppression and filtering that Zoom uses during regular calls and meetings.
I like to check off the echo cancellation box as well. If you and your guests are all wearing headphones, echos shouldn’t be an issue. But if someone doesn’t have access to headphones, this option should be checked to ensure there are no echos picked up in the recording.
To make sure Original Sound is on during meetings, look in the top left corner after the meeting has been opened.
Make sure that box says “On.”
Use Headphones
As mentioned above, headphones eliminate the chance for echos, and they also just bring up the general sound quality.
Headphones with built-in mics are a bonus, which most have these days. Apple ear buds or AirPods are good options.
I use a combination of headphones and a Blue Yeti USB mic. But there are many affordable mic options on Amazon if you’re looking to upgrade your mic, too.
Max has produced more than 150 episodes of Wild Business Growth, and now helps other aspiring podcasters produce and promote their shows. He focuses on what he calls the 3 Ps: Podcast planning, podcast production, and podcast promotion.
“Consistency and having quality is really key,” says Max. “Also, making sure that the guest has the best experience possible. If the guest has the best experience possible, and you’re having fun as a host, that’s going to funnel through to the listener and the listener will pick up on that.”
We talked about:
Why business owners should create podcasts
How podcasting helps entrepreneurs
Tips to make your podcast stand out
Being consistent with your release date
What tech to use…hint: Zoom can do great things
How blogs/website helps in having your podcast show up in search
How awesome the networking part of podcasting is
Many dad jokes were also inserted throughout the show. Max will readily admit he loves a good dad joke. He also dishes a little on some of his dream guests to have on his show.
GrillGirl Robyn Lindars’ first grill experience included almost losing her eyebrows. Fast forward to today, and she’s been on the Today Show, Chopped Grillmasters, amassed an Instagram following of more than 30,000, and has her own magazine all thanks to her grilling skills.
She attributes a lot of that to being consistent and doing the basic stuff right when it comes to building a blog and social media audience.
On the podcast, we talked about how the GrillGirl business began, what goes into sustaining her delicious looking Instagram channel, what exactly a video shoot with food looks like, how important social media has been for her business growth, and of course I had to throw some fun ones in there. Robyn gives us her favorite recipe on her site, her favorite cocktail she makes, and tips for using smoke in your adult beverages.
Terry Schilling is a freelance copywriter for creative companies and entrepreneurs. I discovered Terry through an insightful post he shared a while back on LinkedIn around free productive tools that are worth paying for if they offer a paid subscription. For what it’s worth, I said Kapwing. Since then, I’ve found Terry’s LinkedIn content to be incredibly engaging and helpful.
He gets marketers to think about copywriting from different perspectives. One message he reiterates over and over on his social platforms is “Tell people how cool they can be, not how cool you are.”
Terry also cohosts a podcast called The Copy Corner that he also live streams on LinkedIn and YouTube. The episodes are short – typically around 10 minutes. They break down copywriting and go into specifics around psychology hacks, writing better headlines, doing calls to action, and more.
We chatted about how Terry markets himself and his business in the latest episode of the K-Stream podcast.
