VIDEO MARKETING

DISTILLING INTO IMAGES WHAT SETS YOUR COMPANY APART.

By Dean Jackson, CCAM-HR

The last few months have been an adventure in reinvention. I was forced to take a hard look at what sets me apart. Talent, experiences, focus, and personality were all put under my microscope. I had to honestly assess my strengths and weaknesses, play to my strengths and strengthen my weaknesses. The result was a new position that is now leading me to think about the things that set my company apart and market those things. I went from the microscope to the macroscope!

I was asked to make a video to market our company through an HOA organization. As I delved into the work, I had conversations with my boss, I looked at company literature, and I looked at the talented staff around me. There was a lot to process, and I had to boil it down to about a minute (nobody wants to hear me talk for longer than that anyway, you’d get a dad joke, and I’m not a dad).

I decided to shine a spotlight on some of the things that set us apart and play to our strengths. Our managers are all either certified through CACM or working on achieving certification. Our company did the hard work of achieving the Accredited Community Management Company (ACMC) certification through CACM. We offer unique services such as project management, we are family owned and operated, the CEO is just a phone call away, and we bring many things to the table that other companies may not.

The task was to distill all of this and more into a short recorded and narrated PowerPoint presentation which would hold attention and provide a window into our services and our culture. I accomplished this by backing up my points with imagery. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, since I had an extremely limited time in which to use words, I let the pictures do the talking. A photo of a professional and diverse workforce, a picture of an award or designation hard earned, an image of a project successfully completed. Much more than words, these things can leave an indelible perspective in the eyes of the watcher.

What sets your company apart? I know of a painting company that is really focusing on diversity of race, gender, and background in their company. There is a management company, based in Southern California, that would fly all their staff from around the state to a holiday party once a year (hopefully they will be able to do so again). There are companies that have unique manager support structures with “pods” of managers working together on accounts. There are companies with proprietary software, a focus on technology, unique fee structures, hands-on customer support, and much more.

There is always something that sets your company apart. Take a snapshot of the unique qualities and services that you want clients, and future clients to know about. What is your calling card (or video)? We all have an image, imagine what yours could be.

Dean Jackson, CCAM-HR is Director of Project Management at Collins Management, ACMC.