by MYB Agency | Feb 10, 2023 | Video Marketing, Digital Marketing
Photo by Sam McGhee on Unsplash
Many brands are turning to video to appeal to consumers, grow an online audience, and sell more products or services. Though video is a powerful marketing tool, there’s more to it than hitting record. The prep work is paramount, and this guide from Market Your Biz shares everything you need to know.
What Is a Storyboard?
In film, including short video productions, storyboarding helps visualize scenes before production starts. When you create a storyboard, you break down a scene (or multiple scenes) into small pieces.
Each scene snippet has its own notes, directions, and script details. When you’re filming with a team, a storyboard keeps everyone on the same page. A thorough storyboard can save time and frustration, too.
Who Needs a Storyboard?
Storyboards are useful in many projects and industries, though they originated in animation for film, TV, and video games. Storyboarding also helps companies map out customer journeys, gives writers a way to plan chapters or scenes, and more.
For videos, storyboarding showcases the overall project goal and how a team can get there. If you are hiring outside help, like actors or animators, a storyboard is an essential roadmap for outsiders who may not be familiar with your brand or story.
Benefits of a Storyboard
A storyboard serves as a game plan for your video content. A clear storyboard makes production easier and helps you stay organized. It can also lower the time cost because even small details appear on the storyboard, so there’s less confusion and checking for clarification.
When time is money, such as if you hire outside help for video content, sticking to production timelines is crucial. Storyboarding helps you stick to a budget and project expenses for props and materials.
Establish Your Message
Most businesses use video for marketing purposes. Even behind-the-scenes content or customer interview footage serves as marketing fodder to attract new customers. Every video needs a clear marketing message that aligns with your brand.
As Indeed explains, there are many types of marketing messages, all with different purposes. You might appeal to ethos by showing your company’s credibility in a video short. Or, you might use humor to connect to consumers personally.
Target an Audience
All content creators (which includes business owners) make their content for a specific audience. Before filming videos to post online, brands need an audience profile in mind. Who is your ideal consumer, what do they want, and what content will attract their attention?
Attracting the right audience also involves nuances like the platforms you post on and the hashtags attached to your videos. A great way to plan your video content, even before storyboarding, is to see what other companies in your industry post. Watch their videos to see what works, what doesn’t, and what inspires you.
The most influential video-friendly social media platforms include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. Each platform has rules and guidelines for content and length limits. Research your target audience to determine which platform best supports your content and intended viewers.
Write the Script
After establishing the main theme or message, it’s time to weave those details into a written script. Scripts include in-depth information beyond the basic message, too. Your task is to build a world and characters that speak to your audience, which takes more effort than writing a story.
Your script should include dialogue, movement descriptions, action lines, and even camera direction. The more explicit the script, the clearer your vision, and the easier it is to achieve the desired result.
Cut Your Video Budget
Developing, storyboarding, casting, and recording your video can become expensive, even for a short project. For professional-looking yet affordable videos, explore ways to save on various steps in the process.
Using royalty-free videos with extensive stock video footage can reduce costs significantly. Subscribing to a stock site gives you access to quality HD videos that save time and the cost of hiring actors or renting studio space.
Like any marketing strategy, the right video content can expand your brand’s reach, delight consumers, and boost your sales. Start with storyboarding for a seamless video production experience and a final product you can be proud of. You can save substantially by using royalty-free videos in your marketing.
Count on the knowledgeable and experienced team at Market Your Biz for all your digital marketing solutions. Schedule a call today!
by MYB Agency | May 31, 2022 | Digital Marketing
In terms of starting an online business, it certainly makes sense that you make the most of well-established platforms to increase your odds of success – and there is no doubt that eBay fits firmly into this category.
There is no lack of reasons why this iconic online marketplace is a superb way to start your career in online selling. So, without further ado, it’s time to delve into a little more detail about some of the main ones.
Access a Huge Platform of Users
First and foremost, there is no doubt that eBay is the kind of world-renowned name that attracts millions of users every month. Of course, you may claim that this is going to set you back as you are competing against a lot of other sellers – many of them well-established already.
However, if you are able to cement a strong presence in your own market, you can truly make some serious headway in all the goals you want to accomplish – both now and long into the future.
Save Time on Setting Up an Online Business
If you are in the market to set up an online business quickly, checking out eBay is definitely going to be worthwhile. This is down to the fact that you would normally have to spend a great deal of time and money setting up your own website and coming up with shipping solutions yourself.
However, eBay’s logistical empire allows you to forgo this lengthy, complicated process, instead listing products quickly and easily on their world-class platform as well as dispatching orders on time and on a regular basis.
Of course, you will also need to check out how to make eBay deliveries in a way that is going to help you to ship eBay items with ease. Obviously, there will still be time and effort involved in the process, but that time and effort will be significantly reduced thanks to eBay’s efficient and streamlined service, which is an appealing prospect to sellers in so many ways.
Boost Your Credibility
You can spend a great number of hours and an even greater amount of energy ensuring that you have the appropriate kind of online shop with plenty of credibility. However, if you make the most of the brand presence and visibility that has already been long established by eBay, this can certainly help you out when it comes down to acquiring customers, making sales, and building brand visibility and trust.
When you are first starting out in the online business world, earning trust and growing sales from that trust can prove to be the trickiest aspect of everything that you are trying to accomplish in your business venture. However, with famous selling platforms like eBay, you get to take advantage of their fame and solidified trust, which sees you have customers coming through the proverbial door right from the start.
Increase Both Security and Protection
Beyond everything else, there is also the sense that you will be able to increase the security of your online store, as well as make the most of the extensive protection systems that have already been put in firm place by eBay – which are designed to protect both sellers and buyers.
Overall, these are just a few of the top reasons that are more than worth noting down when it comes to setting up a store on eBay. Therefore, if you find yourself setting off on an online eBaying adventure, be sure to check back and remind yourself of these perks that this major online selling platform can offer you.
by MYB Agency | May 17, 2022 | Digital Marketing
How to Succeed as a Digital Agency in Sydney: The Ultimate Guide
Think you can’t make a living as an independent digital agency in Sydney? Think again. The local market is positively buzzing with optimistic and forward-thinking digital agencies who thrive on collaboration and innovation, rather than competition and backstabbing. This article explores the unique challenges independent digital agencies face when operating in this saturated market, along with advice from leaders working at their own successful independent digital agencies in Sydney. It will arm you with everything you need to succeed as a digital agency in this city…
What’s so difficult about being an independent digital agency in Sydney?
There are a few inherent challenges when running an independent digital agency in Sydney – namely, the struggle to compete with the ‘big boys’ of the market, and subsequently, the high expectations of both clients and staff. Firstly, there is a huge amount of competition in the digital agency industry in Sydney. Many companies have ‘added digital’ to their list of services, which makes choosing an agency almost impossible. The trick to finding your niche is deciding what makes your agency different from the rest. Secondly, running an independent digital agency in Sydney means you’ve likely come from a corporate background and are used to managing a team of managers and directors. When you transition to managing and leading a team of creatives, the culture shift can be unexpected.
How to succeed as a digital agency in Sydney: The essential tools
For your independent digital agency to thrive in Sydney, you’ll need to put in the hard yards at the front-end. This includes branding, marketing, and establishing your company as a trustworthy and reliable resource. Getting your name out there is the first step and will require you to undertake some serious marketing. This may include writing and distributing press releases, networking with key stakeholders in the industry, participating in events, and even undertaking guerilla marketing tactics like street-writing or stencil graffiti. You’ll also need to invest time and money into developing a strong and reliable brand. This includes everything from your logo and brand colours to your company culture and values. Investing in a professional brand identity is essential as it will set you apart from the competition and act as a unified tool for communicating your business to clients and customers.
Utilise remote working and overseas teams
All your competitors are likely to be based locally, which means hiring and retaining the best staff in the city can be challenging. You’ll want to offer competitive salaries, but you’ll also want to ensure your employees have everything they need to succeed. This could include providing remote working opportunities, encouraging flexible working hours, providing staff training and development, and providing a transparent and cohesive company culture. Managing a team across multiple time zones is a tricky task and one that’s not for the faint of heart. To succeed in this area, you’ll want to foster an open and transparent working environment. You’ll also need to clearly define your company values and set expectations from the get-go.
Work on multiple projects at once
One of the most important things to remember when running an independent digital agency in Sydney is that you’ll likely be juggling multiple projects at once. Whether it’s for a client or for your in-house team, working on multiple projects at once will allow you to fully utilise your team’s skills, build trust with clients, and stay on track with your profit and revenue goals. From the start, you’ll want to set clear expectations with your clients and ensure they know you’re juggling multiple projects at once. This will help ensure your clients are satisfied and pleased with the work they’re receiving. If you’re working on multiple digital marketing projects for your clients, you’ll want to make sure your team is regularly communicating and keeping each other updated. This way, you can avoid any potential communication breakdowns and ensure all projects are progressing as they should be.
Leverage social media advertising
One of the most underrated and effective marketing tools for any digital agency is social media advertising. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn, investing in paid advertising will allow you to expand your reach and connect with a broader audience. From the get-go, you’ll want to avoid over-spending on these ads. It’ll take some time to get your ads approved by the social media platforms, and you’ll want to ensure you’re not spending too much on your ads. The trick to successful social media advertising is targeting your ads to the right audience. If you’re hiring a digital agency, you’ll likely want to target a younger audience. If you’re advertising your company, you’ll want to target a slightly older audience.
Provide training and development for your staff
As a manager or leader in an independent digital agency, you’ve likely hired people who are talented and highly skilled in their respective fields. However, it’s likely that many of these employees are underutilised or under-trained. This is a challenge facing many leading digital agencies in Sydney. There’s a lot of skill-building that needs to occur both onsite and in-house, but there isn’t always the time or budget to invest in this. This can cause problems in the long run. Before hiring new employees, make sure you have a plan in place to provide them with the training they need to succeed. This could include providing training in-house, sending employees to conferences, or offering tuition and training opportunities through universities.
Conclusion
Running an independent digital agency in Sydney is a challenging and rewarding career. It requires hard work, determination, and perseverance, but the reward is worth it. Make sure you’re prepared for the challenges of the digital agency industry in Sydney by investing in the right branding and marketing techniques. This will allow you to stand out from the crowd and connect with potential clients and customers. When you’re ready to make the transition from corporate to entrepreneurial life, you can look to the examples set by these leaders to guide you on your journey to success.
by MYB Agency | May 11, 2022 | digital marketing agency
Here’s How You Can Get a Freelance Writing Business Off the Ground
If you are talented as a writer, you may be able to monetize your skills as a freelancer to help bring in some income during your college years, or while you’re trying to launch a career after graduation. There’s a lot of demand out there for freelance writers and editors, in a variety of fields, from medical writing to marketing to ebook writing. This does not mean, however, that freelance writing is easy to break into, or that you can immediately begin to earn a living as a freelance writer. In addition, if you are going to be taken seriously as a professional writer, you need to be able to demonstrate excellent mastery of the language across the board. If you feel you have the ability and the work ethic, however, it can be an extremely satisfying line of work, whether you’re aiming to make it your full-time career, or hoping simply for a decent side gig.
Make sure your skills are top-notch.
Some companies hiring freelancers will send you links to proficiency tests, prior to considering taking you on. You don’t want to have a poor or mediocre score on your record. Also, if you are submitting pieces to publishers, they will probably have editors who are trained to spot grammatical and other errors. Sending in pieces that are not professional and error-free is a waste of time in such cases. So, if you think you need to brush up on your writing, proofreading, or editing skills, do so before you start putting yourself out there. If you are proficient enough to plausibly hire yourself out as a freelancer, it shouldn’t be too much work, to polish your skills and be prepared to compete in the market. Some refresher quizzes and writing exercises should help you identify and correct weak areas in your writing.
Find funding.
It’s not unusual to need a loan to help your business get off the ground, whether you need some funds for a new computer, a better home-based office, or to market your skills. Keep in mind that lenders and grantors alike will look carefully at your finances. If you have a high debt-to-income ratio, it may make it difficult to obtain financing, so take steps to reduce your debt.
Start creating content.
The easiest way to create a body of solid content is to start a blog. Consider doing so as part of a writer’s website, so pieces you share will bring readers back to your site, where they can learn more about your rates and services. You can create a professional-looking writer site, with a blog page, on platforms such as WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace. Do make sure you get your content on the site as quickly as possible. Also, consider writing guest posts for bloggers and freelancers in your network who already have a sizable platform and a broad audience. Chances are they will be happy to give you a boost in exchange for extra content. You should also start pitching pieces to different publications, especially those that pay per piece, so you can start earning from the very beginning, and link to all published pieces on your writer site.
Get your name out there.
Marketing is one of the biggest challenges you face as a novice freelancer, especially early on while your resume is still on the slim side. So, start getting your name out there, and getting your writing shared. First, make use of social media. Have a Facebook writer page, and start accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Like, share, and link to other writers’ work. Follow other writers and freelance professionals and promote their work, since freelancers all need to help one another out – and invite them to follow you, too. Take advantage of free marketing tools on those social media platforms that will help you extend your reach. Also, consider email marketing to get your name and your services known.
Find ongoing writing gigs.
The constant hustle of searching for calls for submissions, or cold pitching, can get pretty draining. So, see if you can find some leads for regular work where you contract to provide a certain amount of writing for a company or publisher. One way to do this is to look for postings on job boards such as Indeed or LinkedIn. Or get on a freelancer site and post your services, plus rates. Some job types that may be available to you include content writing, blog post writing, and working as a contributor to a periodical. Also, consider editing jobs to bolster your earnings. Some kinds of companies that might hire editors include academic publishers, book publishers, independent writers, and magazines or other publications.
Keep clients coming back.
Getting gigs and clients is great, but don’t forget that once you’ve secured a contract doing work you enjoy, you need to make sure those clients or companies want to keep coming back to you. One important rule to keep in mind, toward this end, is that you must always treat your writing like a job. When you contract for a client your end goal is not to create a unique masterpiece showcasing your name and talents, but rather to complete the work you agreed to do, in a timely manner, and as excellently as possible. Aim for a culture of collaboration in which you work with your client, rather than dismissing their concerns or acting as though their own voice does not matter. Always consult clients when you are uncertain about a project, always keep lines of communication open, and always complete projects ahead of deadlines. Having satisfied clients is one of the best marketing strategies there is, as they will be sure to recommend your services to their friends and colleagues.
No, it’s not an easy way to make money, and you probably won’t get rich. On the other hand, freelance writing can sometimes be a very lucrative field, if you’re willing to put the work in. Plus, it’s work you can do on your own terms, in nearly any space, setting your own schedule.
The knowledgeable and experienced specialists at Market Your Biz have the expertise to handle all your digital marketing needs. Call 1800 150 750 to learn more!
Image via Pexels
by MYB Agency | Feb 25, 2022 | Digital Marketing
Every entrepreneur knows that time is money. Budding business owners want to do everything themselves, from manual tasks to specialized processes that require professional skill sets. But all that time focused on things you don’t really need to be focusing on is sucking you away from the big picture. To be able to focus on revenue, optimization, growth, and other big picture questions, it is imperative that you free up your time. Here, Market Your Biz takes a look at some great small business technologies.
Flock
Collaboration and communication are essential attributes for every business. Transparency and easy communication are critical to upping sales and revenue. To ensure a free flow of thoughts and messages, use an app like Flock that makes it easier for employees to stay on top of things. You’ll be able to exchange messages, share files, host video calls, and manage to-do lists. The best part? Flock offers syncing with the most popular business tools out there, including Twitter, Asana, Google Drive, and more.
InEvent
Another excellent communication tool is InEvent. It is a powerful software solution for business-to-business communication, video conferencing, and hybrid experiences. It also has built-in integration of marketing tools to enable you to better communicate with your customers.
TripIt
If you’re always on the go, TripIt is the app for you. With conferences and commitments piling up in different locations (and perhaps different cities), it can get challenging to keep track of it all. This app allows you to organize your travels all in one place. It forwards your scheduled bookings (you can manually add entries too) to your inbox so you know exactly where you need to go or be at any given time.
Adobe Acrobat
Practically every computer user is familiar with Adobe Acrobat and it’s common PDF file structure. But Adobe also has a host of online tools to help users with common tasks, like PDF file merger. Using these tools can save you a lot of time and headaches.
SaneBox
Do you have an overflowing inbox? We get it, it can be challenging to keep track of all those emails constantly coming in. However, it’s important to stay on top of things because missing an important email can have serious consequences. SaneBox offers the ideal solution for a cluttered inbox. The app uses advanced AI to filter out spam mail from the important ones. It will also sort through, unsubscribe and snooze those irrelevant emails so that you can focus on the important stuff.
Plaid
Practically every business needs some kind of software solution for handling financial transactions. Plaid’s transaction API is a purpose-built solution for any business’s transaction tracking needs.
Blinkist
In all the busyness of entrepreneurship, don’t forget to put aside some time for your personal development as well. Reading and opening ourselves up to different methods, thoughts, and knowledge systems will be key to growing and retaining a successful business. But if you find yourself lacking the time to sit down and read each night, use an app like Blinkist. Each listen is between five and fifteen minutes long – the perfect amount of time to absorb information. This way, you can be growing your mind even when you’re stuck in traffic or in the gym!
Buffer
Social media marketing is likely a big part of your business. If you’re looking to make posting across different channels and networks easier, check out Buffer. This app lets you sync and schedule content so that you can rest assured knowing your business is out there getting promoted and optimized.
Work with Professionals
While the above apps can free up your time and enhance productivity, sometimes you still need help getting the job done, especially in the case of marketing. You can try to navigate this solo or through various apps, but professionals like those at Market Your Biz can ensure you make the most of your marketing efforts. From SEO to Google Ads to influencer marketing to video marketing and more, Market Your Biz can function as a one-stop-shop for all of your marketing needs, making it easier for you to focus on big picture elements of running your business.
As a small business owner, you’re likely always on the go. With a million things on your mind, why add one more task to the list? Use technology to all of its potential to help keep your eye on the ball. These apps will automate your workflow, reduce staff billable hours, and most importantly, free up time so you can grow your business successfully.
