Ask the expert

SBT ASK THE EXPERT

SBT ASK THE EXPERT SPONSORED BY:

THREE AT THREE

WITH EMMA, JAMES & LISA

9 GOLDREN RULES

BY JAMES JOHNSON, PICTURE BOOK FILMS

Emma Mills-Sheffield Mindsetup Ltd T: 07775 947 818 E: emma@mindsetup.co.uk

Ask the

James Dempster, Managing Director Cobb Digital T: 01273 208 913 E: James@cobbdigital.com

expert

Lisa Seymour, Managing Director Made By Spoken T: 01273 964044 E: lisa@madebyspoken.co.uk

Lisa, James and Emma set up a series of webinars aimed to help businesses discuss their current challenges and what we’re all doing to adapt.

They don’t proclaim to have all the answers but between them they do have 45 years’ experience in marketing, business, design and leadership so they do know it’s important to have a space for business owners to talk.

Their now weekly Three at Three on a Wednesday is bringing business owners together to discuss their challenges under various subtopics of evolution. Each week has a slightly different focus but they always cover marketing, business growth and leadership with one eye on how businesses need to evolve to stay relevant, ahead of the competition and remain successful.

There’s a real sense of positivity around change now and it’s a great chance to meet some new people, air what’s on your mind and you might even learn something along the way. Above all, it’s honest. Do join them!

Emma on Business leadership

‘Transparency with employees and including them in problem solving is a great way as a leader to show empathy and inclusion as you develop a culture of openness, trust and loyalty. When managing teams and dealing with any negativity it’s important to get as faceto-face with them as possible. Videocalls are as close as we’ll get to meeting in person so this still has more impact than messaging, or losing meaning in emails. If you’re a small business owner or leader, make the most of your networks for support and advice at the moment. We can’t network traditionally but those relationships which are forged are deeper and more meaningful at the moment.’

Lisa on Branding

In the current economic climate we have been forced to make adjustments with no warning, with no time to manage the shift, or change in habits. As Darwin’s theory explained, ‘It’s not the strongest that survive, nor the most intelligent. It’s the one that’s most adaptable.’ Have you adapted? Do you understand what your customers need from you now? Our brands need to respond to their new needs, communicate concisely and consistently, and be mindful of the ever shifting landscape. As nothing is normal it means we don’t need to be normal either! Don’t be afraid to try something new, the current circumstances mean it’s time to be bold, to disrupt and try new things.

James on Marketing

Everything has to start with a deep understanding of your audience. Who are they? It’s not enough to say our audience is 45 year old females in Sussex. Get under their skin. Then explore their pain points. What are their current problems and how can you help. Note the word help. Not make money, but how can your business truly solve their problems.

Adapting to how we respond to our audiences needs is something that will stand us in a stronger position than just following the herd. We should be doing this anyway, but now is the time to truly listen to what our audience is telling us. Accepting where you are right now is a positive point - things aren’t normal, but once you accept that things have changed you can react and plan to address the new normal.

Picture Book Films 9 golden rules when filming yourself...

Several of our clients have been asking for advice on how to self-shoot video content, which they have then be sending to us to edit together and polish up.

This is a great way to reach people and maintain your presence online, and I thought it would be helpful to share some key tips when filming yourself talking to camera (also known as “talking heads”, or “piece to camera”).

So here are our 9 golden rules:

1. When setting up your phone or camera, sit with the light in front of you so that you’re not just a silhouette. No one wants to struggle to see your face and you’re not auditioning to be a vampire. We always work on the basis that the person on screen should be brighter than their background. Natural light is great- so face a window.

2. Pay attention to that background and what is in the shot - the viewer’s eyes will be drawn to anything they can see behind you and will use it to draw conclusions about you. Perhaps tuck that copy of Fifty Shades behind the National Geographic photography book…

3. Be as upbeat and engaging as you can. People will forgive bad quality video if it is fun to watch.

4. Keep the video short and to the point. If you can say it all in 60 seconds you’re doing brilliantly. 90 seconds is good. 3 minutes and you’ve lost people. If you have a lot to say, break it down into several videos and drive people to the other content with links and a call to action. 5. Include a strong call to action at the end of the video! What do you want people to do after watching it?

6. Get straight to the heart of what you want to say and don’t overwhelm people with information. We work on the basis of 3 key takeaways from a video. Any more than this and they will forget important stuff… Video is a great medium for conveying information, but don’t abuse this. Decide what are your key points that you want to convey and stick to them - don’t waffle on!

7. Pay attention to your sound. People will forgive bad imagery, but bad sound is a real turn off. Sit in a quiet room, turn the radio off, and speak clearly. If you can, choose a room with soft furnishings and carpet to avoid echo.

8. As your mother used to say - don’t slouch. If you are leaning back and look disinterested people will read your body language and turn off. We like to interview people standing up as it gives the interviews more energy. If you can stand up for this then that’s good.

9. If you have existing content of your products, facilities or anything on the subject of what you’re talking about, add that into the video. If you don’t know how to do that then ask us!

If you’re struggling to create video that you’re happy with, then get in touch and I’d be happy to give you some pointers. We’re also working with several clients who are getting team members to record content and we’re editing it all together and giving it a polish. We’re always happy to help however we can!

Most importantly, look after yourselves and each other.

James Johnson, Picture Book Films m: 07976 973018 t: 01273 921290

www.picturebookfilms.co.uk

MULTI AWARD WINNING VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY: 2019 AVA DIGITAL AWARDS - WINNER PLATINUM AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE 2017 GLOBAL TMT AWARDS - WINNER ETHICAL PRODUCTION COMPANY