Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Yep, me again!

I ve been trying Facebook ads that link to my business facebook page, and
I ve spent $40, gotten 46 clicks, and 6 likes, and zero calls.

I just got a free $50 for LinkedIn Ads, so I am trying that now.
After that I might try Google ads.

I am getting about 500 hits to my website a month according to google, so I fixed up my website and demo reel some more as well. I seem to be getting very few calls or emails however, so if anyone has any advice I would love to hear it. (Phasing out weddings, and going commercial and corporate.)

silasbarker.com

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Demo reel looks great, and the audio is perfect.

Perhaps you could change "Contact" to "Make a booking"?

Andrew

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

hi checked out your site...

couple of comments

* Videos would not play for me ... they went to video page and then did nothing else... i really suggest you host you videos on VIMEO .. buy the 50.00 paid account so that you can embed HD video in your site.
Trying to host video any other way is a waste of time, ISP's do not have the bandwidth or streaming video setup to compete with YT or Vimeo

* Site looks a bit home made ...it is not the worst i have seen , but also anyone in multimedia has to have a wow website ...

The four stages of a buying decision are

1. Attraction
2. Qualification
3. Comfort
4. Indicate Interest

so if you are not getting 4. you are most likely failing in 1,2 or 3

You can get people to your website, but unless it establishes at least 1 & 2, the viewer will abandon and seek their solution else where...

Attraction, is discreationary, but rule of thumb your site has to grab attention and show you work as highly professional and beautiful ... something worth paying for ...
Video must be the main focus .. because that is what you are selling ....

Qualification, your site has to prove that you are the real deal. you can provide serious professional outcomes

Comfort is generally coveyed by external sources, 3rd party write ups, apprasals of your product service ... this phase the prospective customer is asessing if the decision they want to make is sound ...and low risk...

Indicate interest, is where they reveal themselve to you ... from that points its up to you the human to convert them to a sale ....

last comment ....

publishing your prices on site is good .. but mainly bad....
i think its better for professional service providers to negotiate a price with the prospective customer, build in some discount room for yourself ...
also, you look a bit on the cheap side ... best to cost by job ....

hope this helps ....

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Great points Justin.

Too add my two cents... I do not know if Vimeo is purposefully dialing back the bandwidth but over the last 4-6 months, pretty much every video I play from that site has suttering/buffering issues.

I have been happy with hosting my site at IPower and feel the bandwidth is plenty to play my videos. I keep the bitrate around 800-1000kbps for most of them. Video and the internet is still a large unknown as to the customer experience.

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Great thoughts guys!

Previously the videos did not work on IE9 - they should now work so definitely check them out if it did nt work earlier (refresh your browser). I am hosting my own videos for various reasons, but it should work well now on magor browsers, smartphones, and ipads (still need to double check some of these).


I am hoping with this new website design (live since May 22nd) to get the attraction, qualification, comfort and interest. The old design was messy and alot of the video work was old.

- I tried to make the website clean and simple, its not a wow website, but its nice.
- The demo reel (& other videos) shows what we can do by showing a number of great shots in a montage
- Testimonials and Past Clients are shown on the tesimonial page
- The simple contact page with a message box makes it easier for anyone to make contact...

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

nice site and some very good video - well done

some good points there ok, still learning myself - i like the 4 stage buying thing!!

i think for weddings and set pieces, a price list is ok, I know personally if i visit a site and see no prices for comparison i tend to leave it and move on! lots of sites here in Ireland seem to not show prices, i think it can deter people.
Perhaps for other events it's probably better to negotiate a price

the only other comments i would make is;
would you consider changing your email? yahoo mail sort of shouts 'low rent' :-)

oh! you have a broken line break tag showing in 'weddings.html'

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Looks good. The videos would not play in FireFox12 but did in IE8.

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Thanks for the feedback guys,

The videos should play in all browsers, if your connection is a little slow it might hang for a few seconds though. Also on IE9 it uses IE8 settings because IE9 has some glitches with that player.

I may need to change my email sometime (:

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

In FireFox12 I get the play button and no matter how many times I click it the video does not play.

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Strange - it should auto play, dont click the play button, it should disappear within a few seconds ( wait like 10 to make sure) and then it should play. I tried it with my Firefox 12 and works fine.

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Here's a brief write-up of my experiences with Facebook advertising: Does Facebook work for photographers?

I found that Facebook ads suck for my purposes.

Social media only works if you are constantly willing to engage your audience. Does your clientele fit in with the description of social media junkies who might be interested in what you have to say on a daily basis?

On why you are not getting emails from corporates or ad agencies:

Think like a marketing pro - you need to 'marry' your brand to theirs in order to be in contention for their project. E.g. your website is black and dark blue in its general tone - that'll put off most marketing professionals or art directors in less than a second. How many websites of ad agencies or companies do you see with a background design similar to yours?

A simple test: Make another version of your website with a white background and black text - nothing fancy, the exact same layout as the present one. Split half your visitors to your existing site and the other half to your 'white' site. Try this for a couple of months (ideally 3 months minimum). If you're using analytics, use it to track how many visitors return and how long they stay on your site.

Unfortunately, fine tuning a marketing and branding strategy is a time consuming process, and in the case of a small company (or even a one-man crew), the best suggestion I can give is to keep things as simple as possible - remove everything that does not contribute to your brand.

One other test: Try putting something like: 'Contact me for a FREE consultation right now on xxx-xxx-xxxx and I'll show you how to make your business grow without spending a truckload of money!' - on the main page in bold letters. But beware, you better have the personality to back up such a boast.

Hope this helps. All the best.

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Interesting...

Maybe I will mess around with changing the colors on the website.

Any suggested website to check out that look really cool (for film/ video / commercials / etc)

Also - google analitcs says that people are spending an average of almost 4 minutes on the website - so they are looking around at least apparently.
I would like more calls or emails though!

Thanks!

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Sorry, Silas, but if there's one thing I've learnt in marketing it's that 'cool' is not equal to 'revenue'.

But I can offer some direction:

1. Choose your 'area' of influence - is it a town, district, state, country, world? - this is the actual physical location you can cover to set up meetings and make sales. This is where 'you set up base'.

2. Make a list of former clients (corporate) and future clients in your area whom you plan to target. Choose about 50 of them.

3. Make a list of twenty of the best ad/marketing agencies/competitors in your area.

4. Make a list of ten of the most respected brands you can think of from your area. Try to remember other people talking about these brands - which ones have the best top-of-the-mind value (brand recall)?

Now comes the time consuming part - go to all the websites from the names on your list.

1. Take a print out of the main page layout - make a file, classify according to background color, main color themes (limit to two main colors), fonts and font colors, menu layout and items - whatever else suits your fancy. There are a million things you could look into, but at this point it might be a wise idea to just stick to five major points.

2. Find out how many of your preferred clients have accounts with the ad agencies/competitors you have chosen. By looking at the profile/jobs/about us section in the corporate websites, you will know whether they have an in-house marketing division or not. Make a 'map' (I use Excel for this kind of work) of who goes where, etc.

Using the file and the map, try to analyze how the website contributes to the actual relationships that exist between these groups. Hard work? You bet it is. This is a fraction of what marketing people do day in and day out. But that's what it takes.

The idea is to get a 'feel' for the business psychology in your area. It's one thing to 'claim to know' it haphazardly, and quite another to see the numbers going another way! Do it systematically, respect the numbers, and you should see the results you were hoping for.

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

I appreciate all the info, I'll definitely look into it.

Also - I just created the white background version of the website (:

silasbarker.com

Thanks!

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Silas, I think your focus is wrong. I truly don't believe that if you build a better site or reel that clients will choose you based on those improvements. Clients will choose you because they were referred to you by someone they know and trust.

The old adage, "it's not what you know, but who..." is so very true in service industries. And that's what ours truly is. In fact, ALL creative pursuits are. The video (or photography, or music, or whatever) is really just a commodity where "good enough" is really good enough to satisfy the client, but it's the service you provide a them that will make the difference between getting calls for new work and new referrals... or NOT.

There's also a trend to specialize these days, and I think it's sound. Even though you obviously CAN do event work, commercials, music vids, corporate or industrial, you should make a site (or at least a playlist) and a reel for only ONE of those specialties, and see if that doesn't help. Potential clients can become very "concrete" in their thinking. When someone asks for my medical work, that's all I show them. Attorneys? Same thing. Commercial spots? Just show them my Comcast reel. Race stuff (bikes and running)? That's what I show them. And what would they say if they also knew I did photography on the side? "Well, he couldn't possibly know how to do ALL of those things well!"

Be very intentional in a market you want to go after, and ask for referrals from existing or past clients. Don't waste time cold-calling. I used to recommend chambers of commerce, but rarely do anymore. Trade associations in your desired field would be better. And never under-estimate the power of a well-executed pro-bono film in the right industry. I launched a very-successful foray into non-profit films that way, and various non-profs account for over 60% of my $ these days. I get new leads every month, and they're the most easy-to-satisfy and downright grateful of any clients I've ever had. And, unlike many for-profits, they pay on-time!

And truthfully, most of my clients never even looked at my website. They took the referral from their friend or associate, then called or emailed me, I sent them a playlist and a quote, and then we started shooting.

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Brian,

Thank you for the information, and I agree that networking is basically the best way to get new clients. Also, I totally agree that instead of being a jack of all trades and focuses on one area makes sense.

However, the purpose of this thread was to turn all the google hits I am getting into calls or emails for work. That's why the focus is on the website and demo reel. Just a littler about me too, I am 25, recently switched over to do corporate work instead of weddings, so I have very little past clients that could refer me to commercial work. I do have a few really good samples on my website and would love to hear what you think of my work on there. Thanks again!

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Silas, I think you reel is fine. Other than the fact that it has the "jack of all trades" look to it. If you're looking to get DP gigs, I think it shows that you know your way around getting shots and you might get hired to lens something. But if you're looking to get full-service productions, you'll need more links to full-length productions you've done.

But, again, I think it's delusional to assume that any hits to your website will lead to any qualified calls or emails. By qualified, I mean, someone that is likely to hire you for a project. I've been in video production for almost ten years, and have had ZERO projects come about because of my website or YouTube channel. Plenty of questions, lowballs, "looky-loos", and the like. But good clients just don't select producers via a site or channel, because those say nothing about what it's like to work with you.

I wouldn't spend a moment more tweaking this or that on your site, and just get out there and find clients. And I wouldn't spend a dime on Google, FB, or LinkedIn ads, because they will not lead to any qualified clients, and will continue to erode your bottom line and make you frustrated. Produce something at low or no-cost for an influential organization, and then ask for their referrals. Goodwill goes a LOT further than good websites. I have friends and associates that washed-out of their production businesses because they assumed that their art spoke for itself and didn't work on their networking, sales and people skills. Or assumed that those were secondary. It's the only thing that really matters. Really.

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Interesting.

Over the years I have gotten quite a bit of work through my website, (probably because I have a high google ranking in my area) but I see what your saying. Basically I should try to put my efforts into networking with real people to see how I can help them with their video needs it sounds like...makes sense because I seem to have a lack of work since I am no longer filming weddings.

Thanks again for your input, really appreciate it!

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Hi Silas. You're quite welcome. If you've gotten work with your site, by all means keep growing that asset. But I do think you'll be better-served with really targeting your prospects and networking them face-to-face.

Another avenue is to approach other shooter/producers in your area and collaborate with them. I look at those in my area as peers rather than "competitors", because every pro often brings something to the table that I can use and vice versa, and we rarely go after the same clientele. I often need second shooters, sound people, etc., and the other producers in the region sometimes return the favor to me. I almost PREFER it when I can walk on a set, fire up the camera, shoot, hand them the cards (or tapes) when done, then get paid that day knowing I DON'T have to edit something that night. ;-)

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Points well taken, thanks!

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Right or wrong, I gotta go with Silas on this one.

I myself am a TERRIBLE marketer, self-promoter and networker. On those rare occasions when I try to do it, that is, tell people what I do, hand out biz cards, etc., it has NEVER gotten me anywhere. I have had people tell me right then and there that they need work done and will be calling me shortly. And that call never comes. I also refuse to do that thing, simply 'cause literally EVERY SINGLE PRODUCTION COMPANY, EVER, does it, where I say "Basshole Productions Inc (that isn't my company name, though I wish it were, but I've been advised that could turn a large number of potential clients with more conservative sensibilities away) has been servicing the Houston area for over ten years and is the BEST source for your video production needs. We know how to tell your story. . ." If there are 1 million companies (and there literally might be) in Houston, how can they all be the best?

On the other hand, in the last couple years, I have slowly started to get people coming out of God-knows-where and emailing me about jobs, and those turning into paid work. I'm assuming that this is 'cause of the number of ads I have on all kinds of different sites advertising my services. I won't lie, this doesn't happen regularly, but the fact remains that networking = 0 return for Bass, while having a website, ads linking to that website, and sitting around doing nothing = some minor return for Bass.

So if I can get more of those people to find my Bass shire on the interwebs and get excited, bully for me.

So, to sum up, yay Silas, yay advertising, yay internet!

I WILL say that none of the ads I have up are paid, all free listing on these sites. Google ads cost me money, facebook has always seemed like a dead end.

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Thanks Josh!

I think Brian has some good points as far as in person referrals and actual physical contact with real people. However my website gets me business. I am just looking for more of it and to turn more of those google hits into calls or emails. My previous website was super cluttered and bad layout, the new one looks tons better and i had some friends look at it and they like it - they would tell me if it was bad too. I too, can't tell you how many people have been "referred" to me in front of my nose and I never get the call. The "other" problem with my personal situation is that I am 25 and I don't have alot of contacts or people to refer me. Definitely not enough to make a living off this which is what I am doing currently. Obviously this will depend on each different person, so it might work really great for more established companies with many clients and connections.

I think the better the website and reel the better your clients impression will be and the more likely you will get the job - at least thats how it worked for my wedding business which I am phasing out of now. (Commercials & Infomercials is my focus now).

Thinking about doing some sort of email marketing as well.
Making a list of local businesses that could benefit from video services and email them perhaps....

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Great post, Josh. But don't confuse marketing (cold-calling, handing out cards, etc.) with networking... at least what I'm suggesting: utilizing a network of known quantities, that love your work, and would refer it their peers. At the end of last year, I tallied up a single client of mine as referring over $24k worth of work to me in 2011. She got a bottle of Dom for the Holidays, which was well-received, and she continues to refer me work a few times a month. With a 75-80% conversion rate. Because I'm a "qualified" lead... in networking-speak.

Now, THAT kind of network takes time to build up, granted. But I do prefer intentionally seeking out a client base as opposed to unintentionally having them find me on the Internet. In looking at my own choices and selections, I would just never choose a professional (doctor, lawyer, copy writer, photographer, filmmaker etc.) via their website, no matter how slick it was. But if you're reaping rewards from yours, I certainly wouldn't steer Silas away from putting some energies into it. Just... not too much. ;-)

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

I may have been a little aggressive with that initial post.

Here's the thing, I think different things work for different people. I have a friend I work with frequently who is BRILLIANT at chatting up total strangers and getting work. I admire him. I'm jealous. But it ain't me.

When I think of networking, I think of two things:

-handing your card/info to people you work with while on the job ("oh hey, yeah, I shoot and grip too, here's a card"). Often times I am not doing those jobs, am there as, for instance, a teleprompter operator (something I do a lot of). I have done this a few times, but I always feel awkward. I can't help but see it from their perspective as I imagine it---"oh, you're a camera guy are you? Sure. You and the PA over there. Yeah, I'll be throwing this card away as soon as you turn around." I imagine they see it as desperate and pathetic, and so I simply just don't do it most of the time. Same way I don't tell people I'm a "filmmaker" unless it comes up organically. . .it's awkward and seems desperate.

-going to industry events/mixers and simply chatting up everyone, handing out cards, etc. Also just feels weird to me. Not something I'm good at. Period.

Did cold calls a few times, got me a few things, but mostly, yeah, dead end.

All I can really say to sum up is I'm not good at following the advice I often get which is basically, to BS, say yes to anything ("Ever shot HD while skydiving? Think you can do that?"), make yourself sound bigger than you are, etc. etc. I just refuse to do it. I feel it's tacky, corny, possibly dishonest, and just embarrassing if they ever learn you are not a fully staffed production company (many people like to say "we can do this, we can do that". For me, there is no "we". Just Bass in his tiny apartment.).

This is what I consider networking, self-promotion, etc. It ain't me. I'm a plain-spoken, lower double-digit IQ, salt of the earth, very short, but very sexy, bald production freelancer.

On the other hand, again, putting my stuff out there on every site that I can think of with links back to my site has at least gotten me some work. So where my rate of return on talking to people, etc. has been absolutely 0, my rate of return on simply putting the work out there and letting folks find me has been mildly successful.

True, people really in the know have contacts they trust, and get referrals, etc., but there are many who are NOT in the know, and don't know any better than to google "Houston Videographer", etc. That's where Bass shines.

As for the impersonality of looking at video on a site and then hiring someone vs knowing them, knowing their personality, and knowing what it's like to work with them, I have had a few potential clients do the Starbucks/lunch meeting/interview thing, where we get to know each other. That negates at least some of those issues.

Lastly, sigh, yes, my most regular clients have come out of more organic "it's who you know situations," but those things just seem to happen when they happen. I didn't force them when they initially occurred; they just sorta happened, and trying to force more of them never seems to work. So oh well.

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Great stuff and always a learning experience here at the DVinfo business forum.

My take is that your best approach is very dependent upon what service your are selling.

If you are selling full production and finished films, the web might be a stretch for the level of confidence clients need to make a choice. On the other hand, if you are selling more of a commodity service that is very defined, the web might be a lot more effective.

I have a sports video business that has been reasonably well served by the web. People do not know where to find a provider, they find my site and give me a call. Kind of cut and dry. But, I know that the business would be augmented if I used the techniques Brian has mentioned. It all would be better.

So in the end, I think you always have to do both and change the ratio between web and face to face marketing depending upon your work.

I have found cold calling, e-mailing to be good at times and horrible at times. But, when I look back, I have dug up some work by just sending targeted e-mails to high percentage possible clients. The moral to the story is always be doing something.

BTW, this mythical land called Basshire sound like a cool place!

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Yeah, the shire's ok. It costs too much, is tiny, and is constantly invaded by Barf Demons (you humans call them "roaches.")

Anyway, I don't attempt to be (or put myself out there as) a full service production company (concept to final, or even shoot to final product), and mostly try to stay away from post since I'm weak on motion graphics, don't have the setup to really handle this newfangled HD stuff, and most importantly, prefer field work.

Maybe my hook/marketing strategy should be "the guy who won't try to sell you a load of crap."

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

@ Tim. That's well said. My projects range toward the longer-form, $3k - $5k range. So, it's more about the relationship and service. Shorter, less-involved work might be better-served with web marketing/ discovery.

@Josh, I like the way you put things. You're a really engaging writer, so very disarming and funny. Yeah, I totally get where you're coming from with selling as NOT being your personality. And it's totally not me, either. Those "type A" B.S.'ers, I can read a mile away. Just being yourself

@Everyone I've read a lot of Seth Godin's books, since you can usually finish one with a few well-planned loo sessions. Although more typically geared toward retailers or widget-sellers, there's some nuggets to glean in his work for service providers like us, as well. "Permission-based Marketing" (vs. Interruption-based), "Small it the new Big", and "All Marketeers Are Liars... Tell Stories" stands out. My all time favorite book is "Blue Ocean Strategy" by Kim/Maubourgne. It's well overdue for a new version, but some amazing insights from one-man-shows all the way up to Fortune 500 companies.

Re: Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, New Website and New Demo
 

Thanks for the book suggestions Brian. I will add them to my list.