We love our business and are thrilled by the predictions for expected global growth in video content. Take this statistic, for instance:

• According to Cisco, video will account for 69% of all consumer Internet traffic by 2017 (and some sources take this figure as high as 74%).

Experts indicate that video is the future of content marketing, and that trend is already in full swing. Nielsen claims 64% of marketers expect video marketing to dominate their strategies in the near future.

Our role is to develop clear, concise and engaging video stories for our clients. We know that in this age of information overload people want a quick visual message so they can move on.

In fact, even using the word “video” in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19% and click-through rates by 65%, as reported by Syndacast.

The icing on the cake?

Axxon Research reports seven in 10 folks view brands in a more positive light after watching interesting video content from them.

Videos are a great way to create an emotional connection with your audience and leave a lasting impact long after the video is over. And we love client stories with happy endings!

John Doty, owner of InMotion Imagery, is an Emmy Award winning director and editor who has now worked in broadcast television and video production for more than 25 years. His work has been recognized by, among others, the Telly Awards and The Press Club of Dallas.

Not only is he expert at creating the perfect script-to-screen visual communications tools for clients, but he also directed the construction of InMotion’s sound stages from blueprint to finish. He has led teams of industry experts in producing television programs, live national broadcasts and corporate Webcasts. He’s a member of the Dallas Producers Association.

Like InMotion Imagery on Facebook and follow on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and Vimeo as well.

I love it when people ask me about our brand and how the name came to be. We enjoyed our branding process immensely; and we as a team love it when start-ups come to us with their business concept and ask us to help them name, brand and market it.

Just yesterday we were presenting logo options to a client who commented that they were impressed by our process for naming, preparing a creative brief and then developing logo concepts. The leadership team had no idea how much time, energy and thought went into the process and were curious whether we thought other start-ups went through a similar process.

Unfortunately, the answer is no.

But they should! Naming your brand is an important process and must be tackled in a diligent, thoughtful way. Choosing a strong name requires that it:

1. Stands out from the competition (unless it’s more important to fit in)
2. Communicates the business you’re in
3. Reinforces your brand promise
4. Communicates your company’s distinguishing characteristics
5. Has long term viability
6. Is easy to read
7. Is easy to pronounce
8. Is simple to spell
9. Is short and concise
10. Is memorable

Do the work on the front end to analyze your brand, your business, your competitors and your promise to ensure that your identity represents all that you want and need. You will save time, money and energy down the road if you start off right!

When was the last time you looked up at the sky and really enjoyed the sunshine, being in the moment.

Felt the breeze on your face. Found shapes in the clouds.

If you stopped right now, went outside and looked up, how would you feel? What would you be thinking? Are you happy? Content?

Perhaps, like many of us, things are basically good, but you’re in a bit of a life rut. Same routine over and over, and you suddenly realize how quickly the years are slipping by. Or maybe things simply aren’t going the way you want. There’s a little too much rain on your parade, and it’s gotten you down.

We all feel this way at some time or another. In today’s busy society, no one is immune from getting swept up in the stampede of life. Or being occasionally trampled by it. So how do you break free?

One way, again, is to simply look up. It’s sunshine, folks!

Let me explain. The other day, I heard a client talking about an employee who wasn’t performing at her best. He noted, “All she needs is a little water and sunshine, and she’ll be great.”

That was an amazing observation, and it really struck home with me. Of course, he was talking about nourishment. Nourishment of a person based on who she is. The things that feed her soul. Things to help her grow and thrive and blossom!

Ok, I’m overdoing it a bit, but you get the idea.

Friends, what is your sunshine? What are the nutrients that will nourish the essence of who you are? What do you need in your core being to shine more brightly?

It’s easy to ask these questions but not always easy to answer. Try to discover the tiny inkling within that excites you. Something you love and are passionate about, deep down. Maybe it’s a hobby, like painting or gardening. Perhaps it’s philanthropic, like rescuing dogs or mission work. It could be a special career skill that you didn’t pursue in college. Something on your bucket list? Take a moment and really listen to your gut. What are you hungry for?

When you find it, FEED IT! Embrace it! Nurture it! And give it plenty of sunshine!

Before you know it, you’ll be following your own heart on your own journey instead of being fenced in, grazing with the herd. It may be new and different, and it may require taking a risk. But you are only you once.

Dare to be great!

Cheers! Your company has a clearly defined brand – a simple, relevant customer promise that competitively gives you an edge. Check that off the list, right? Absolutely! But before you move on to other things, have you thought about your internal processes?

What must you do internally to execute the brand? To make it come alive? Become more than just a piece of paper? Ensure that your customers understand the brand as you intended?

Before you talk about your brand to the masses, you need to first look within to be sure you’re delivering on that brand throughout the organization. You don’t want to set an expectation that disappoints later! So consider this carefully – What are your customer touch points? Think about ALL of them, from where your store is located to how well the product performs or even how clean the front desk is when you walk in the door.

They’re all important.

Ergo, all companies need to identify and proactively manage their brand at all points of customer contact. Make a list of your contact points. Especially the less obvious ones like:

• the way your phone is answered
• how seamless your billing processes are for customers
• what your employees say to others about their job
• the attire of your salespeople
• the quality of your packaging
• the functionality and ease of navigating your website
• your response time for customer questions

Basically, everything you say and do as an organization reflects on your brand. Look carefully at your internal processes. If you’re experiencing problems at a touch point, they need to be addressed – you don’t want a seemingly minor issue to be the string that unravels all the work you put into building your brand. Assess each item on your list, and then prioritize those you need to change.

The goal is to eliminate negative experiences and keep or build on areas in which you are strong. Strong in communicating the brand promise.

Often, we ask a client, “If you do everything right, what’s the one thing you want your target to remember about you? If we conducted research now, would they give that answer?”

This is the fun part, folks! Branding and marketing rocks! Every company has struggles, but strategic marketing built on a strong brand is the impetus for success!

Go team!

Julie Porter is the chief rocker at Front Porch Marketing. You can follow her, julie_porter, or her company, itsfrontporch, on Instagram; and Twitter @juliedporter01 or @itsfrontporch; and like us on Facebook at FrontPorchMktg.

Like many of us, I am on my maiden voyage of “USS Raising A Teenager.” As such, I am in a constant state of waiting, watching, evaluating, tweaking and re-tweaking my parenting methods in an effort to discover the magic formula. I may never find it, but occasionally I do unearth a nugget that I feel the need to share.

So the story goes … my teenager was grounded. No after school activities, sleepovers, hangout sessions, and worst of all for her, NO ELECTRONICS. No texting, talking, skypeing, instagramming … the social death knell to a teenager. The first few days she was furious with me. And miserable. And surly.

And then, suddenly … not. Delightfully not. I noticed her head was up and she was smiling. She helped me cook dinner. She climbed into bed with me and we talked about friends and boys. I heard her upstairs laughing and singing songs with one brother, she played two hours of lacrosse in the backyard with the other.

Where had my surly teenager gone? And how could I replace her with this delightful creature on a permanent basis?

The conclusion is obvious. When she unplugged, she stepped outside of her stressful world of teenage tumult. She engaged. She paid attention. She enjoyed. You know where I’m going with this.

Don’t we all need that? Don’t we owe it to our friends, our families, our children to truly unplug and do the same?

• Face facts, you’re online more than you think you are. According to CNN, Americans spend at least eight hours a day staring at a screen. And more than one-third of smartphone users get online before they get out of bed. Um, yikes.
• On-line multi-tasking should make us more efficient, yet it really doesn’t. According to John Medina, author of Brain Rules, once a person is interrupted by something that’s not work related while on-line, it can take up to 50 percent longer to finish an assignment. Further research suggests that each time a person is sidetracked, the brain takes up to 45 minutes to refocus.
• It’s hurting our health. It’s increasing our stress (heard of Social Media Anxiety Disorder?), hurting our sleep, and straining our bodies.
• Our glut of connectivity is making us less connected. We aren’t connecting because we aren’t talking. It’s hurting our interpersonal skills. As one very astute high school student said, “We’re the most connected generation in history, “but we suck at intimacy.”
• And don’t get me started on what it does to kids. Children’s excessive technology use has the potential to cause attention, brain and behavioral problems. No bueno.

Listen, I love my smartphone as much as anyone. But I can tell you first hand, putting it down feels good. Not just to you, but to those around you.

My teenager is no longer grounded. I haven’t shared this with her, and she hasn’t asked. She’s pretty happy these days and I’m riding this wave for as long as I can. I’m enjoying it. And I think she is too.

Perhaps we should all ground ourselves from our devices from time to time?

After the long, cold winter, the arrival of spring is a welcome influx of new growth and new beginnings. Spring flowers, Easter and Passover celebrations and the kickoff of baseball season brings us happiness and warmth. We embrace this change.

Change is good.

In business and in life, the one thing we can be certain of is that change is around the corner.

Change is necessary. And change is rarely smooth.

Change can often be tumultuous – just google spring weather and take a look at the storms created by the replacement of cold air with warmth. But then think about the spectacular aftermath … after the spring storms depart, we are left with a rewarding burst of color.

Anything worth doing well comes at a price. Successful disruptors are revered, and for good reason. To have the vision for necessary change and the courage to enact the plan is not for the faint of heart. Patti Johnson notes in her book, Make Waves, “Even though each change is different, there are common patterns, habits and strategies that fuel those who start grassroots changes”

In order to grow, evolve and meet today’s rapid pace of change. It is vital that you and your organization are ready to meet the needs of the process of change and the new environment created:

• Have a vision.
• Have a strategy (identify the end goal and plan how to get there).
• Make sure the vision and plan are clearly communicated.
• Be prepared. You need the right team of like-mind folks.

Remember change is good, necessary and it is rarely smooth. As you begin to implement changes, be watchful of results and ready to adapt. Communicate those changes along the way. You will find the results well worth the pain and effort of getting there.

Your company has gone through the branding exercise and has a clearly defined brand! Cheers to you! 

And by that I mean a simple, relevant customer promise that competitively gives you an edge. Check that off the list, right?

Absolutely! But before you move on to other things, have you thought about what you must do internally to execute the brand? To make it come alive? To become more than just a piece of paper? To ensure that your customers understand the brand as you intended?

Before you talk about your brand to the masses, you need to first look within to be sure you’re delivering on that brand throughout the organization. You don’t want to set an expectation that disappoints later. What are your customer touch points?

Think about ALL of them, like where your store is located to how well the product performs or even how clean the front desk is when you walk in the door. They’re all important.

Here’s an example. My parents, who are in their late seventies, recently had an eye doctor appointment which had been scheduled some months prior. When they showed up at the office, the staff told them the ophthalmologist wasn’t in – he was stuck in another city due to weather. What? Hello? Could the staff not call patients to reschedule before the trek to the office? Even though the doctor is an excellent ophthalmologist, his brand was tarnished that day by his people. If this happens enough, patients will leave.

Ergo, all companies need to identify and proactively manage their brand at all points of customer contact. Make a list of your contact points. Especially the less obvious ones like:

• the way your phone is answered
• how seamless your billing processes are for customers
• what your employees say to others about their job
• the attire of your salespeople
• the quality of your packaging
• the functionality and ease of navigating your website
• your response time for customer questions

Basically, everything you say and do as an organization reflects on your brand. If you’re experiencing problems at a touch point, they need to be addressed – you don’t want a seemingly minor issue to be the string that unravels all the work you put into building your brand. Assess each item on your list, and then prioritize those you need to change.

The goal is to eliminate negative experiences and keep or build on areas in which you’re strong. Strong as in communicating the brand promise.

Often, I’ll ask a client, “If you do everything right, what’s the one thing you want your target to remember about you? If we conducted research now, would they give that answer?”

This is the fun part, folks! Marketing rocks! Every company has struggles, but strategic marketing built on a strong brand is the impetus for success!

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a little tennis-obsessed. I love to play it, watch it, discuss it … it’s my thing. It keeps me sane and makes me happy.

So about three months ago, I got a phone call from someone who I knew only by name (a captain of a rival tennis team). She was forming a “dream team” of players that she felt had the potential to advance and win a city championship, then a sectional championship, and ultimately a national championship.

Naturally, I jumped on board, excited about the possibilities.

After easily winning our regular season flight, last weekend we played for the city championships. Unfortunately, in the month prior I’d been sidelined with illness and injury and wasn’t in fighting shape. My heart was in it and I played, but I didn’t play well, and I wasn’t able to get the win to help my team. Fortunately for me and for everyone, other members of our team won their matches and the team as a whole won the city championship and advanced us to sectionals.

Of course this experience clearly illuminates the importance of TEAM. Finding the right people at the right time to help with the right things – a perfectly constructed gathering of people fully able to collectively move the ball forward and achieve goals. Yin and yang. Strength and weakness. It’s applicable in tennis and even more applicable in business.

I am so thankful to our captain, Lynn, for doing the work necessary to put us all together.

Here’s what we all can learn from her about assembling a TEAM, I will call them ~ “Lessons From Lynn:”

1.  Every team needs a leader who knows what’s what. A good leader has been in the trenches and knows whereof they speak. They should have the knowledge and experience to know what lies ahead and what will be required.

2.  Experience will tell you what you need. Trust your experience to guide you in identifying the needs of your TEAM. Do you need a strategist? An analytical type? Someone wildly creative? A worker bee? What combination of strengths and personalities is going to get you where you need to go?

3.  Find your people. Find the best people you can to fill your roles. Don’t settle for “almost good enough. “Enlist help from recruiters (we are partial to Mom Corps Dallas, one of our superstar clients) and/or behavioral benchmarking software (we are partial to Shadowmatch USA, who we have worked with in the past) to aid you in your search.

4.  Don’t be afraid to remove people who aren’t a good fit. If someone’s work is not aligned with the efforts of the TEAM, don’t try to fit a round peg into a square hole.

5.  Delegation is key. Lynn didn’t even play during city championship weekend. Her role was to make the decisions, delegate, organize and support. The leader doesn’t have to be the star.

6.  Let people do what they’re good at. Diversity in skills and experience brings broader perspectives and different approaches to the TEAM and allows for efficient assignment of people to roles. If you have assembled your team well, who does what should be an easy decision.

I feel lucky to be a part of a fantastic tennis team, and an equally fantastic rocking work team at Front Porch Marketing.

Take a page from our leaders and assemble your own DREAM TEAM to get you where you want to go!

First of all, if you don’t know what a typewriter is, this blog probably isn’t for you. 

It’s for us old geezers who distinctly remember the clickety-click of “secretaries” creating paper office correspondence.

In fact, typewriters were once indispensable tools for practically all businesses.

So what happened? Why aren’t they around anymore? The answer is easy, right?

Technology. We’ve now entered the digital world. Fast forward to laptops, tablets and smart phones that empower paperless communications anytime from virtually anywhere. Duh, you say. What does that have to do with me?

Let’s take a lesson from our typewriting past, and apply it to our future. What seems absolutely critical in today’s business environment that’s going to be obsolete tomorrow? You know the answer – you just don’t want to say it out loud:

Paper.

It’s happening, friends, more quickly than you might imagine. Offices across all industries are conducting more business and storing more documents online.

Real life example: I had a root canal (joy) done more than a year ago. The endodontist’s office was digital – I sat in the waiting room at a laptop station for new patients and “filled out my paperwork” digitally. Crazy, huh? Well, not really.

Back to my point.

Where are you in your paperless journey? Is it even on your radar? Are you ahead of the game, or will you be pulling up the rear, kicking and screaming? If you’re not convinced you need to take action now, then let me hit you with a few impressive facts:

Environmental Impact

• According to reduce.org, the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper a year.
• Conservatree.com has calculated it takes one tree to create 8,333.3 pages of paper.
• Thus, even a small office of 10 people would cost the environment about 12 trees per year.

Now let’s multiply that by the millions of workers in the U.S. I think a whole forest just disappeared. And that doesn’t even account for the negative impact of energy and greenhouse gasses used in paper production or its transportation to retailers and businesses.

Office Efficiency

Well-filed digital documents are easier to find than paper documents, thus saving time, reducing frustration and improving productivity. According to papersave.com:

• The average document is copied 19 times in its life.
• The average time it takes to fax a document is eight minutes.
• Professionals spend 20-30% of their day filing, searching and retrieving information but only 5-15% of their time reading the document.
• It costs companies $20 in labor to file a document, $120 to find a misfiled document and $220 to reproduce a lost document.

Greater efficiency equates to a more streamlined business, which not only enhances profitability, but makes it easier to better satisfy customers.

Economics

• The costs of using paper in the office can run 13 to 31 times the cost of purchasing the paper, per reduce.org. That’s because for each sheet of paper used, a company also incurs costs for storage, copying, printing, distribution, postage, disposal and recycling.
• A survey reported by dentalproductsreport.com indicated that a fully digital dental office saves nearly $9,000 per year.
• On a bigger scale, Citigroup, determined that if each employee used double-sided copying to conserve just one sheet of paper each week, the firm would save $700,000 each year. KA-CHING!

Don’t let mounds of paperwork today get in the way of going paperless tomorrow. It can seem like a daunting task, but to move forward, to be competitive, to be a leader, you have to bite the bullet. It’s good for business, and it’s good for the environment. Just remember the ol’ Underwood typewriter, boxed up in the attic gathering dust …

Enough of my soapbox! Let’s talk about HOW you’re making the transition. Hit me up with your best ideas and let’s make this happen!

Everyone recognizes the importance of social media marketing in this day and age. There are obvious benefits of using social media – it’s low cost high return, it’s easy to use and every consumer is active on one or more social media networks.

But as important as it is to have a social media presence, the biggest part of effectively using social media is having a strong social following that will help you build your brand and your social network week after week.

Here are some suggestions for building your social following:

1. Share frequently and be consistent. Let your followers hear your voice. The worst thing you can do is let too much time pass between shares.
2. Provide content that is informative, engaging and valuable. People want to feel like it’s worth their while to follow you. If you provide information that is useful rather than product-focused, you are more likely to attract more followers. You will also become recognized as an authority or expert and that’s a great way to increase your shares. The goal should be quality over quantity.
3. Make sure it’s not only all about business. Sharing inspirational quotes or photos or even throwing in a little humor will make your shares feel less commercial and add personality to your brand. It will also most likely get you more shares, RTs, etc.
4. Be responsive and interact with fans and followers. Monitor your accounts and respond to questions or complaints immediately. You should also engage your fans and followers by asking questions or participating in discussions. Polls are another way to get followers to interact.
5. Don’t spread yourself thin on too many social media sites. There are many social media outlets, but it’s crucial to focus on the sites that work best for your business. Not every business needs to be active on every social platform. If you are in more of a visual industry, an image-based site like Instagram or Pinterest may be the best fit. A business-to-business situation requires a presence on LinkedIn.
6. Talk about your social media presence everywhere. Include your presence on your website, your email signature, on your blog, on your business cards and other collateral materials, print advertising, signage, etc. Everywhere you talk about your business you should talk about your social media! You should also add share buttons to as much of your content as possible.
7. Offer incentives to new fans and followers. Whether it’s a giveaway or the first look at something, people love to feel like an “insider” and love to get a deal of some sort. Consider offering exclusive promotions and offers available only to your social media followers.
8. Connect with people in your industry. Those people will value your brand. Follow them and engage in conversations. Retweet their content. Follow back anyone who follows you. Look to see who your followers are following and follow some of them.
9. Make sure your profiles are complete with a clear description of your business and a link to your website. Make it easy for your current and prospective audience to find you.

Building your social media following will take time, but if you stay committed, consistent and make an effort to optimize your social media presence you will see the results!