Your Online Presence

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Apr 24, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments

We help businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers develop their online presence. Everything from website development, video and audio distribution via Youtube or iTunes, blogging, podcasting, and much more. We help you build your digital home on the internet.

The Common Craft Way, In Plain English

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Mar 23, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments

I’m a big fan of Common Craft and have mentioned the company at various business meetings, conferences, and blog posts from time to time. An amazing simplistic approach to explaining the most complicated concepts. If you never heard of them or their “In Plain English” videos, do yourself a big favor and go to their website at http://commoncraft.com. I had a chance to communicate with Lee LeFever about their company and how they got started. Here’s the Q&A.

Q: When did you start actively using the internet to build your business?
A: 2003, when I founded the company.

Q: How have you seen your company grow using the power of community building?
A: We make videos and we’ve been able to use our blog and YouTube to create fan community. Our videos have been viewed over 10 million times, partially because of links being shared in the social media world.

Q: What specific “social media” tool do you think best contributes to your
success? i.e. blogs, videos, comments,etc
A: Our blog, YouTube and Twitter.

Q: Why do you think digital media and the internet contribute to your
success?
A: Free distribution, marketing and communication. We’re in the business of selling digital downloads of our videos and thanks to web based tools – we have no middlemen. We create, edit, market, sell, distribute and support all from a small home-based business run by 2 people.

Q: What would be your recommendation to businesses wanting to go online with
a product or service?
A: Small is beautiful. Always look for ways to simplify, streamline and reduce. Stay agile and be ready to change some of the ideas you’ve held for years.

Q: What is your average number of comments and commentors?
A: 20 comments on a blog post maybe?

Q: What is the average traffic to your site? Pageviews/visitors
A: Pageviews: 300k per month; Uniques: 125k

Q: What changes have you seen since going online?
A: We’ve always been online, there was no offline Common Craft. Lately we’ve seen a lot of demand from organizations who are very serious about communicating differently (internally and externally). Like consumers, they are tired of all the jargon and buzz words. They want and need people who can help them get across big ideas and concepts.

Great insight from a company that never existed before the internet but yet is making a huge impact in the world through the use of digital media. My thanks to Lee LeFever for taking the time to answer my questions.

Commoncraft Videos

Optimizing Your Website for Mobile Platforms

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Mar 22, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments

I ran across this podcast while doing some work for a client. The idea that you need to optimize your website for mobile platforms is as true today as it was when this episode was released last year. Your business has to stay current with the latest trends in consumer buying habits as well as what they’re using in the way of communication tools. How are you planning to do business with the mobile consumer? Leave your comments below.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

August Trometer, author of the Digital Shortcut called Optimizing Your Website for Mobile Safari, talks with Barbara Gavin about what inspired him to write it. He points out several of the differences between the phone and the desktop.
Episode Link
For more podcasts like these, go to Informit.com/podcasts

Understanding Social Media

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Mar 5, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments

So what is this stuff called social media and why should I care?” is a question I get asked quite frequently. Now, I’m pretty good with analogies, so inevitably I start replacing social media with every other form of communication we’ve had in history like email, cable, tv, radio, mail, phone, newspaper, stone tablet, well you get the idea but then I say imagine doing all of that, instantly, sitting in front of your computer. Sharing with people who are interested in the same things you are and want to share with you. That’s social media. Sometimes, some of my clients need a visual and more often than not, I refer them to Lee and Sachi LeFever at CommonCraft.com. Take a look at the video below if you’re still grappling with the concept of social media. These guys do a phenom job when it comes to explaining things. So what do you think, did they do a good job or what?

Want to Learn More, Here are some related articles:

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Who Would You Trust?

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Mar 5, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments

Would you take medical advice from a doctor who smokes?
Would you take nutrition and diet advice from someone overweight?
Would you buy a Ford or Chevy from a salespeson that drives a Nissan?
Would you buy a PC from someone who works on a mac?
Would you take business advice from someone unemployed?
Would you listen to someone give advice on social media that doesn’t use twitter or facebook?

Why Would I Sponsor That?

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Feb 22, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments

Sponsorships are a great way to embed yourself and your businees in the community. Deciding which sponsorship makes sense is a skill that must be learned by small and large businesses. You want to make sure the sponsorship makes sense. Sponsoring a golfing tournament which raises money for a little known charity may seem like a noble cause. But let’s face it, if the only time you mention the charity is the week leading up to the event, then maybe it’s time to rethink your participation.
Sponsorships can be a huge drain on resources and time. Taking on a sponsorship is a committment. It isn’t a quick public relations gimmick. If the charity or sponsorship is a part of your overall strategy as a business, then go for it! Participate year round in the fundraising and/or publicity of the event. Use your website to drive traffic to the event’s web presence. Tell people about charity month’s ahead of time. Make it a point to integrate the mission of the charity as one you value as a person and as a business. You’ll be better off as a company if you just said no to a sponsorship opportunity then if you said yes, and gave no effort. Sponsorships become cheap and meaningless when the only time you talk about them is when the event is about to happen. Successful sponsorships come from committment. Know of any worthwhile sponsorships? What’s worked in your opinion? What hasn’t?

Free Video Offer With TurnHere

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Feb 16, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments

We are please to tell you about an offer we have through TurnHere. TurnHere is leading internet video production and advertising company for businesses around the world and they’re giving small businesses a chance to try video on their web site free of charge for three months.  Small businesses don’t have a lot of extra money to spend on new marketing ideas. The free trial lets small businesses see if video makes sense for them before buying. We’re so confident that once small business owners see how video can help their business on the Web they’ll want to purchase the video and ongoing online promotional services from TurnHere
 
Sign Up Here
 
What do I get?
A high-quality, custom 1-minute video of your business:  see real examples

A video player that can be placed on your web site:  see http://www.freshology.com/  for an example of how a customer has incorporated their video onto their site. You’ll receive the code for the video player and 3 months of hosting and streaming of your video free of charge.

What’s the catch / What do I pay after 3 months?
No catch, truly.  After 3 months, if you are happy with the video keep it for a low monthly subscription fee of $19.99. Included with this subscription is our promotion package: your video matched to your business’s Google Local, Earth and Maps listings and placed on popular video sites such as Yahoo!, YouTube, Veoh, MetaCafe, Daily Motion and Facebook Fan Page. If you don’t want to keep your video simply let it expire.  We don’t ask for your credit card information up front, so you can’t forget to cancel and then get billed.  

Who is TurnHere?
TurnHere is a leading Internet video marketing services company for businesses around the world. We’ve produced videos for companies as large as Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn and as small as Mo’s Pizza and Legacy Hair Salon.  We’ve produced videos for traditional small businesses with store fronts, authors wanting to highlight their book, service businesses such as plumbers and landscapers, medical professionals, web-based businesses and more. In short if you have a story to tell about your business, we can make a great video for you.

Read more at www.turnhere.com.

If I sign up, what happens next?  
One of our filmmakers or production coordinators will contact you to schedule your shoot and answer any questions you have.

Once scheduled, we’ll send you a confirmation email that includes a link to a web site that will help you get ready for your shoot:  Shoot Guide

On the day of the shoot, the filmmaker will show up at the appointed time and spend about 1 hour with you – 20 minutes of preparation, 20 minutes shooting an interview with you and 20 minutes of shooting your business in action.

About 7 to 10 days after the shoot, we will email you a link that will allow you to view your video and request edits to it.

Once you approve the video, we’ll send you the video player code that you’ll need to put the video on your web site. 

What if I don’t want to be on camera?
No problem.  Anyone can speak on behalf of your company, not just you.  You can also speak off-camera — we use your voice telling your story, but you don’t have to be seen in the video.  Another great option is having one or two customers share their experience to help tell your story.

I’m overwhelmed!
Shooting a video can seem to be a daunting task, but with just a little preparation on your part and an hour of your time on shoot day, we can truly make a professional, high-quality video that tells your story.  We are here for you every step of the way, so if you have any questions or concerns feel free to ask the filmmaker assigned to making your video.

Find out more here

the Cleaner Carpet Challenge

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Jan 26, 2010 in Blog | 0 comments

The Challenge

We’re challenging all carpet cleaning businesses in the area to put their best cleaning foot forward and show us what they can do when it comes to helping customers with their carpet concerns. The challenge is to come up with the most compelling cleaning video for your company. We’ll provide all the production, you provide all the cleaning stuff. It’s just that easy! Here’s the link again to sign up for your free video

Here’s a sample of what we’re looking for…

Why Video Is Becoming More Important

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Dec 7, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

The increasing of use of video on websites and mobile devices only means one thing, video sells. Just like in the beginning days of television, businesses realized that using video to sell their products works.

Top 5 Phrases a Small Business Needs Help

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Apr 11, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

Down economy? That’s not what you hear from small business owners. What I found out while asking them if they’re looking into new ways to find customers or build better relationships was baffling. Many of them are saying things like
“business is great,” “we’re doing okay,” or “we’ve got a full staff and couldn’t be happier.”

Huh? Did I miss the latest news bulletin about being in a recession. If you’re a business owner, and have prepared wisely for the weak economy…this is the best time to market even more to your customers and potential clients. And if you didn’t… you’ve got no choice but to market your stuff. Nobody knew you existed before the fall and they’re not going to know you if you don’t engage them now. The idea of expressing outward success publicly while sitting behind the business curtain gritting your teeth when the latest revenue reports comes in seems silly.

Of course, I will concede that exposing any weakness as a small business could start a stampede of recently laid off marketing/advertising account executives to your doorstep. Like lions looking for some fresh meat, they’ve got to eat too.

But what if they’re bringing you some ammo for your next marketing campaign.A tidbit about social media or want to help you start a blog, shoot your picture for a startup online mag. The truth is many small business are reading the writing on the revenue wall and facing a bitter-sweet reality of a trickling money stream.

The hard nut to crack… is that even when there are online apps and technologies that are free…again…FREE why are small businesses unwilling to take a chance and listen?

If you’re talking to a business owner or office manager and any or all of these phrases come out…you know there’s more going on behind the great curtain and an opportunity to help is at your doorstep:

We’ve already done all our marketing for the year.
Somebody else does our website.
We’re in real estate when don’t need any of that online stuff.
I’m not interested in free marketing opportunities.
We don’t do any marketing in town, we’re a satellite office.

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Credit Crisis

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Apr 11, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

Every once in a while somebody does something in the motion graphics world that really stands out. This is one of those times. Jonathan Jarvis does a tremendous job not only visual but clearly explaining a very complicated situation.

Made Me Think

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Apr 11, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

Okay, so yes it’s been awhile since I last posted…but during that “awhile”, a lot has changed. My focus, my determination, and my motivation. I watched a great video today and it made me think about myself and the next step in going forward. It may seem like gloom and doom but it really makes a statement. Check out Zack Arias His work will make you think alot about your next creative project.

History of the Internet

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Jan 12, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

History of the Internet from PICOL on Vimeo.
I’m always amazed to find video on the web that is both informing and entertaining. I was greatly impressed with the motion graphic work on this piece. Simply and clean. This video was easy to follow and enlightening as to how the internet came to be. And as you know, before you can get to where you’re going…you have to know where you’ve been.

History of the Internet from Melih Bilgil on Vimeo.

Children and Digital Media

Posted by AcktiveMedia on Jan 7, 2009 in Blog | 0 comments

We’ve heard the warnings about keeping children safe on the internet and how to protect them from online predators but I just saw a disturbing post by Mitch Joel on his Six Pixels of Separation blog referencing a recent study about children and what they’re sending people online.
The biggest takeaway for me was this startling statistic…
“One in five teens has sent sexually explicit messages.”
ONE IN FIVE! I would have never thought that number would have been so high!
So what does this mean to you? If you have kids, explain to them what is appropriate and what is not. They need to understand that anything they send online can be seen by everyone in the world. Today and in the future. There is no privacy when you start sending and posting content online. There is a unique transparency quotient that is factored into the world we know as digital media. This could have lasting consequences when they go to apply for a job or try to build a network on online relationships. Social media applications like twitter, facebook, myspace, etc. are powerful in that way but they are equally powerful in the realm of transparency. One misguided upload to youtube, flickr, or a myspace account and your child’s reputation could be tarnished for a long time if not permanently.
So what if you don’t have any children ? We all need to take notice and understand the limitless and timelessness of the digital space. Online, there are no boundaries. Only the boundaries that are self imposed. Time does not exist. Only space. Digital space. Massive amounts of mathematical data that can be retrieved at any moment and consumed ad nauseam. This by itself should give you pause the next time you upload a photo or comment on a post.