by admin | Feb 26, 2016 | Blog
Our own Matt Schlossberg was quoted in the article below, which originally ran on www.acefitness.org.
Written by Carrie Myers
“Everyone is doing it,” says Jimmy Craig, M.A., video marketing and viral expert and co-founder of MethodLoft, LCC, based in Boston, Mass.
What is Craig referring to? Put simply: video marketing.
“Video isn’t only great at connecting to and converting visitors,” Craig adds, “it can significantly boost your visibility online. Google displays blended search results, too, making it easier for businesses with video to get the coveted spots on the front page.”
Shawne Duperon, Ph.D., six-time EMMY-award winner and founder of Project: Forgive, agrees. “Video is the fastest and easiest way to create relationships in business. People do business with people they trust and like. Video is a medium that builds trust and likeability.”
Not quite convinced video is for you? According to James McQuivey of Forrester Research, the value of a one-minute video is equivalent to 1.8 million words. Here are a few more convincing facts compiled by Adelie Studios and Syndacast:
- 70 percent of marketing professionals report that video converts leads into customers better than any other medium.
- The average Internet user spends 88 percent more time on a website that include videos than on websites that do not contain videos.
- Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of consumers are more likely to buy a product after watching a video about it.
- Featuring video on landing pages has been shown to increase conversions by 80 percent.
- If a video lasts one minute or less, 59 percent of viewers will watch it all the way to completion.
- Only 24 percent of brands are using online video to market to consumers.
- Using the word “video” in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19 percent and click-through rates by 65 percent and reduces unsubscribe rates by 26 percent.
- Business-to-business and business-to-consumers marketers both say video is among the top three most effective social media marketing tactics.
- 52 percent of marketers believe that video is the content format with the highestreturn on investment.
- By 2017, 74 percent of all Internet traffic is predicted to be video.
- 69 percent of smartphone users say videos are a perfect solution for smartphone viewing, as it offers a quick way for consumers to grasp an overview of a product.
- Three out of four brand marketers and ad agency executives expect original digital programming to become just as important as television programming within the next 3 to 5 years.
PUTTING YOUR FEARS TO REST
I know what you’re thinking. You don’t have the budget to produce videos. Or you can’t stand the way you look on video or the sound of your voice. Or perhaps you feel you’re not enough of an expert to be on video.
Let me put your fears to rest. First, you do not need a Hollywood budget to create videos that will market and promote your business, skills or products. In fact, says Duperon, “your phone is perfect, especially if you’re doing little one-minute video blogs with tips.”
“The bottom line for health and fitness clients are client results,” explains Scott Sobel, president of Media and Communications Strategies, based in Washington, D.C. “You don’t necessarily need to dress up those kinds of videos. As a matter of fact, demonstration and testimonial videos that appear to have been shot by a home user demonstrate honesty and simplicity of method. You see what you get.”
“High-quality equipment is surprisingly affordable today,” adds Craig. “Even smartphones have incredible video cameras now, too. I think that the most overlooked piece of equipment is a reliable audio recorder. If you’re working with little-to-no budget, at least pick up a cheap wired lavalier (lav) microphone, because most on-device audio recording capabilities are severely lacking. You might be surprised how much quality audio will improve a video.”
Don’t have a website to upload video to? Our experts overwhelmingly suggested YouTube as one of the best platforms for video marketing. Matt Schossberg, senior account and content director for Amendola Communications in Scottsdale, Ariz, recommends integrating your YouTube account with your other social media channels to get the biggest bang from your video time and buck.
As an example of this big bang, Duperone says, “You can start a channel on YouTube and repurpose your videos to share on your social media. When I post a video on our Facebook page, it’s getting shared up to 15,000 times. It’s deeply impacting my business.”
According to YouTube’s own statistics:
- YouTube has more than a billion users, which is almost a third of all people on the Internet. Every day, people watch hundreds of millions of hours of YouTube videos and generate billions of views.
- Each year for the past two years, the number of people watching YouTube each day has increased by 40 percent and the number of hours people spend watching videos on YouTube has increased by 60 percent.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS
As far as lighting and make-up go, keep it as natural as possible, suggests Schlossberg. “Unless you have a budget and expertise, try to use natural lighting. Avoid fluorescent lights or spotlights that shine directly down over your head.”
If you’re a man with a shiny face, Schlossberg recommends splashing some water on your face and drying it off or do a light dusting of translucent powder. “For women, their normal amount of make-up usually works fine.”
Try to make sure there are no shadows on your face, points out Duperon. “If your face is hard to see, it actually has the opposite impact of trust. You literally appear shady and untrustworthy!”
Duperon also suggests keeping your eyes steady and your chin down some. “People have a tendency to raise their chin and it will come across as arrogant,” she says. “People tend not to buy from a person who feels arrogant. It’s actually an act of vulnerability to keep your chin down, similar to how TV news anchors are trained.”
Keep it short and simple. “Keep the topic high level and the message succinct,” recommends Schlossberg.
“Ideally, keep your video under a minute,” Duperon advises. “Research shows more than 50 percent of the audience leaves after 10 seconds. When someone starts watching your 60-second [or shorter] video, they tend to stay with you and the video, because the time investment is so little. Think about how many times you dropped out of a video that says it’s three minutes or longer.”
Lastly, make it personal and speak directly to your audience. “When talking on-camera, talk to one person, just as though you were at [a coffee shop], says Duperon, and use the word you.
If you still feel a little skittish at the idea of going on video, here are a few final words of wisdom from Duperon:
“Dance in the discomfort! For newbies, it takes some getting used to [performing on video]. That’s normal. The more conversational you are and the more authentic, the better. Perfection is overrated. You don’t have to do it perfectly. My motto is that 80 percent is good enough.”
by admin | Feb 26, 2016 | Blog
Attention runners, joggers and power-walkers early morning is a fantastic time to hit the famous Vegas Strip! According to Melissa Farrell of the group Las Vegas Runners, if you get out early enough before HIMSS, you can run along the Strip without worrying about pedestrian or car traffic.
“If you’re staying near the convention center itself, it’s only about a quarter of a mile via Sands Avenue to the Strip,” Farrell says. “You’ll need to be careful on that road and probably run on the sidewalk. From there it is all pedestrian bridges, sidewalks and a few stairs.”
And then, you’ll be able to count the Las Vegas Strip as one of your conquered running destinations!
In addition to heading up Las Vegas Runners, Farrell is a run coach and personal trainer. If you’re interested in getting a group run scheduled from the HIMSS convention, get in touch with Farrell at LasVegasRunners@gmail.com. Or visit www.LasVegasRunners.com for additional info.
by admin | Feb 24, 2016 | Blog
Wondering where the closest fitness facility is to the HIMSS conference? It’s right next door at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub in the Venetian Sands hotel. The spa’s fitness centers and locker rooms are open to non-guests (for a fee) and included in the resort fee for guests. Hours of operation are from 6:00 AM 8:00 PM.
For those tired feet and tension headaches, Canyon Ranch is offering HIMSS attendees 20% off Express Spa Services! Just mention promotional code TS16 and choose from an array of 25-minute services that bring quick relief and rejuvenation:
- Tension Zone Therapy
- Sole Rejuvenation
- Extremities
- Custom Facial
- Foot Doctor Express
Need more time to relax? Pamper yourself with $40 off Spa Services or 20% off at the Salon. Guests must be 14 years or older and discounted services may not be combined with other discounts or offers.
Canyon Ranch SpaClub is located at The Venetian at 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South,Suite 1159, Las Vegas, NV 89109. For more information visit www.canyonranch.com
by admin | Feb 24, 2016 | Blog
It’s a physical and mental marathon. It’s five straight days of being on point, on message, and on your feet. It’s HIMSS and to help you survive it, here are some tips from the team at Amendola, who have years of HIMSS conferences under our belt.
Michelle Noteboom, Senior Content and Account Director: Assume you won’t get eight hours of sleep a night but find a way to get at least six. Make sure to drink a ton of water, which helps to hydrate you from all those late night adult beverages, and, seems to help a bit with swollen feet. Assume your feet will be swollen and your shoulders aching from lugging all the trinkets you collect from exhibitors. To that end, don’t forget Advil and Band-Aids for your feet. Bring healthy snacks for your hotel room, and finally, don’t skimp on coffee. That weak hotel room stuff doesn’t cut it when you have to be “on” for 18 hours straight. HIMSS requires a Venti Starbucks!
Margaret Kelly, Research Coordinator: Bring an emergency kit. For women, pack a clear-plastic and easy-to-get-to bag full of small amounts of Tylenol (or pain reliever of choice), Tums, “handitizor” (as my granddaughter calls it), bandages for the shoe blisters, safety pins, Chapstick, protein bar, and breath mints. The men’s version just substitute the safety pins with duct tape, and a fanny pack for the plastic bag!
Todd Stein, Vice President: Be sure to schedule time for lunch. Many people fill up their schedules without remembering to leave time for eating. Me, for instance. Every darn year.
Amy Koehlmoos, Senior Account Director and Resident Germaphobe suggests bringing the following:
- Raw almonds (they’re small, portable, healthy and provide good energy)
- Anti-bacterial wipes (for the trays, arm/head rests in the plane; and the faucets, door handles, light switches in the hotel room)
- Small Ziploc baggies (I put remote controls in these as those suckers are the #1 place for nasty germs in hotel rooms!)
- Hand sanitizer (you shake lots of hands at these events!)
- Earplugs (help you get a good night’s sleep in a hotel, where there are often weird sounds and loud neighbors)
- Shoes with arch support (my philosophy is you look better wearing an orthopedic pair of shoes with confidence than you do limping around with a pained expression on your face and a pair of sassy heels on your feet)
- Phone/connections to loved ones (mental health is important and having easy access to pictures of family and the ability to Facetime them at night makes it a bit easier to be away from home).
Mariesa Whitaker, Senior Writer: I do some of these exercises on long flights. They can sometimes feel brutal, but it keeps me feeling better and they supposedly prevent blood clots. http://www.seanogle.com/travel/airplane-excercises
Ken Krause, Senior Content Director and our other Resident Germaphobe:
- Drive instead of fly. Planes are breeding grounds for germs, and they keep recirculating.
- Assume everything you’re about to touch has been previously touched by a small child with a runny nose. Proceed accordingly. That goes double for your hotel room.
- Eat like your significant other is there watching you. Nothing good comes from visiting the snack machine.
- Try not to touch your eyes or nose after touching a common surface such as a doorknob until you can either wash your hands or use a cleanser such as Purell.
- Get to sleep as soon as you can rather than staying up watching TV or reading. Sometimes business travel calls for working on minimal sleep, but don’t go out of your way to get into that state.
by Jodi Amendola | Feb 23, 2016 | Blog
It’s hard to believe that HIMSS is next week. In addition to meetings with new business prospects and partners, networking, and reunions with friends and former colleagues, you can maximize your HIMSS experience by arranging media and analyst interviews during the show. HIMSS is a golden opportunity to meet one-on-one with these key industry influencers and differentiate your company from the competition. You can also leverage these meetings to identify and secure opportunities to be included in print or online articles, blog posts and industry reports.
These industry movers and shakers are incredibly powerful: One positive mention and your sales leads could skyrocket. One negative comment and the opposite can occur. Don’t panic. The following media training “cheat sheet” can help you achieve your goals and generate positive coverage:
- Do your Homework. One of my most embarrassing HIMSS moments was when a client told an analyst that he “really liked his magazine.” The client obviously hadn’t taken the time to read our prep book! Before a meeting, research the background of the editor or analyst and become familiar with his/her areas of expertise and interest. Always customize your answers to address their audiences needs and pain points.
- Remember your Manners. Nothing is more annoying than being interrupted. Listen to the entire question being asked and tailor your responses. Address the questions within the context of the target audience(s) and avoid dominating the conversation with a product or service pitch. Sometimes it will be appropriate to share your knowledge, vision and thoughts on the industry rather than focus on your company.
- Body Language. Be confident, enthusiastic and friendly. Smile, lean forward and make direct eye contact. Don’t cross your arms or fidget. Remember, how you deliver your message can be as important as the message itself.
- Get to the Point. Prepare an “elevator” pitch a two to three sentence description of your company that is easy to understand. In other words, how would you describe your company and its products and services to your mother or the person sitting next to you on an airplane? Make sure it includes the key points you want editors or analysts to remember.
- Avoid Jargon. Explain your product or service in layman’s terms. It’s your responsibility to make the pitch simple, clear and memorable.
- Power of Three. Focus on three main talking points and weave them into the conversation whenever possible. Often a reporter/analyst will ask if there is anything else that you would like to add at the end of an interview. Use this opportunity to restate your three core messages.
- Tie to Hot Topics. Demonstrate that you are a thought leader and can address hot topics such as meaningful use, ACOs, and where the industry is heading — not just talk about your product or company. Share the bigger vision.
- Zen of Interviewing. When asked a difficult question, maintain eye contact, control your gestures and breathe. Listen to the question and request clarification if necessary. Give yourself time to collect your thoughts and then respond. If you don’t know, don’t make it up. Offer to get back to the reporter/analyst with the appropriate information.
- Tell a Story. People remember stories. Talk about client successes and lessons learned that highlight how your products deliver real-world value. If possible, include relevant ROI data in your storytelling.
- Build Relationships. Be yourself, be genuine and have fun. Let editors and analysts know that you can address multiple topics and to feel free to call on you for commentary or to discuss industry trends. Offer your clients as sources for future articles. Remember, these editors and analysts can have an incredible impact on your company’s reputation and marketplace visibility. Take the time to establish and strengthen these important relationships. Your investors, board members and employees will be glad that you did.
by Stephanie Fraser | Feb 16, 2016 | Blog
It’s a brand new year and HIMSS season (a.k.a. #HIMSSanity) is officially upon us. The Amendola team is in full swing preparing clients for the big show in Las Vegas, from media kit development and booth collateral to social media campaigns and on-site support for interviews and analyst briefings.
It goes without saying that garnering media attention at the healthcare IT industry’s largest annual conference is no easy feat. With 125 credentialed press floating among a sea of 43,000-plus attendees and over 1,300 HIMSS exhibitors, rising above the noise takes hard work, tactical planning, and a little bit of luck to land the coverage your company desires.
No matter what time of year, it’s always a challenge for us healthcare PR folks to determine what will tickle the media’s fancy. But even more so when the industry’s journalists are flooded daily with pitches, product launches, and interview and meeting requests the months before and during the conference.
So how can you make the most out of your HIMSS investment and improve your chances of getting noticed among press, analysts, and ultimately, potential customers? I asked four respected healthcare IT journalists what advice they would give to attending vendors to maximize their efforts, remain relevant, and stand out among an overly “transformative,” “disruptive,” “innovative,” and “solution”-saturated HIMSS conference world.
Fred Bazzoli, Editor-In-Chief, Health Data Management, @fbazzoli “Many companies feel compelled to release news at HIMSS. This happens to such a degree that, sadly, most news releases issued during HIMSS are hardly noticed in the email onslaught. Nor is it true that five releases issued during HIMSS are better than one. Your best bet is to manage your news release to occur before HIMSS (one to two weeks) make it as strong as possible, and be ready to discuss it at HIMSS, especially opportunities for follow-up or second-day coverage, if the outlet did not cover the release earlier.”
Kate Gamble, Managing Editor, HealthSystemCIO.com, @khgamble “Journalists receive tons of requests for meetings during HIMSS. If you’d like your request to stand out, customize it. Tell us why you would like to meet with us in particular (for example, you have a specific interest in an article series our publication is running, or you have someone you can recommend for an interview). And if we can’t take a meeting, please be understanding – we really are bombarded with requests, and we only have so much time to cover the conference. Also, please do not have multiple people from the same company reach out to us. And lastly, thank you for your interest – we do appreciate it, even if we can’t accommodate you.”
John Lynn, Blogger and Founder, HealthcareScene.com, @techguy “Don’t shout on social media, engage. No one cares that you’re at Booth #0000 at HIMSS, so don’t shout that out on the #HIMSS16 hashtag. Instead, focus your social media efforts on engaging with those talking on the #HIMSS16 hashtag that could be customers or could be influencers that your customer watch. No one will remember your booth, but everyone remembers someone who sincerely engages with them. Others will notice that sincere engagement too.”
Neal Versel, Reporter, MedCity News, @nversel “Respect our time. There are 1,300 vendors, and we can’t meet with everyone. We also have to find time to do our regular writing assignments, and can’t afford to spend all day meeting with vendors. Plus, a lot of the educational sessions are excellent and worthy of coverage. A lot of vendors don’t understand that it isn’t just the zoo of a show floor.”
