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Speakers:

	Mike Lyon, President, Mike Lyon Group, Inc
	Jim Adams, CEO, NewHomesDirectory.com
	Sarah Yaussi, Executive Editor, Hanley Wood - Big Builder
	Jeff Click, President, Jeff Click Homes
	Allison Buffom, Online Marketing Manager, SummerHill Homes

Guest Post: Sarah Yaussi From Big Builder – How To Shoot Good Video (And Not Yourself)

Such a great post from Sarah, I thought I would post it again here. Great stuff!

Sarah Yaussi
Executive Editor – Big Builder

I was reminded of a blog post that I wrote last fall about the importance of video in the future of online marketing for home builders this week, as I was catching up on some of the things I missed last week during the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas. I had pulled up the Powerpoint presentation that Myers Barnes, Jim Adams, and Tom Nelson had put together for an educational seminar titled, “Red Hot New Home Sales and Marketing Solutions,” when I ran across this factoid on page 15:

Google and YouTube are serving 10 billion videos a month

The take-away, as this sales and marketing trio so expertly pointed out, was that people online would rather watch than read.

So, I’ve been taking this insight to heart of late, even purchasing a FlipCam pocket video recorder and shooting some video on my own with the intent to integrate more of it into my news stories and blogs. (You can check out an example from IBS by clicking here.)

The tools may be cheap, as Monte Hewett’s Dina Gunderson told Builder magazine, and when you’re an expert, maybe posting video is a great way to blog when you don’t have time to blog (see #10 on the list), but there is definitely a learning curve no matter how easy the FlipCam software may appear to be.

So, here are a few “lessons learned,” if you will, from my experience with video.

Don’t try this on deadline. Looking to do something cool online in conjunction with a big event but a little cramped on time? My advice is for as easy as it looks, you’re better off playing around with the technology at home first.

For me, for example, I had no problem just plugging the FlipCam into my computer and accessing the files for preview. However, from there, I ran into a few snags. First, it took me downloading about seven batches of videos before I realized that the FlipCam software hadn’t been launching. Now, the software makes it super easy to share videos online–think post to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc.–but I hadn’t realized what I was missing, so I was making things harder on myself.

Second, I was renaming the files so that I would better be able to recognize what they were. “VID0001,” for example, meant nothing to me. However, somehow in doing so, my FlipCam no longer has its full memory capacity even though the device says it’s empty of videos. (I’m still working on figuring that one out.)

Needless to say, running into these problems with limited time on your hands is something you truly want to avoid.

Keep it simple, stupid. Don’t try–at least at first–to string a bunch of clips together unless you’ve got some decent computer programs and equipment. Every time I try to create a more produced piece with multiple clips, Windows MovieMaker crashes my computer. And I probably don’t have to tell you how frustrating that can be. So, think of shooting a one-subject, one-shot video until you graduate from cameraman (or woman) to the producer level.

Short and sweet. You’ve heard it before, but let me just say it again. Keep the videos under three minutes–preferably two. To help keep it short, I suggest writing out your clip intro or interview question in advance so you not only have it engrained in your head but also so you can simplify it and make it more concise. This will also help your interview subject narrow down his/her answer.

And if you happen to be on the other side of the equation–as the main star–take a minute to put a simple, bullet-point outline together so you can sound like you’re as smart as you really are. I like the number three, but if you’re a fast talker you might be able to get through five major points in two minutes or less.

Smile, you’re on not-so-candid camera. Bust out the Vaseline or whatever other beauty tip you’ve got in your back pocket to make sure your (or your guests’) lips stay peeled from the fronts of your teeth during your video clip. It feels totally unnatural, but I promise you, you’ll be happier with the results.

Ask the experts. There are tons of people in our industry who do a seriously impressive job of using a ton of video online. (All you need to do is check out http://www.doyouconvert.com/ to get an idea of just how much you can use video online; Mike Lyon’s coverage from IBS was pretty much incredible.) So, don’t be afraid to ask.

For example, if I hadn’t been talking with Mike about some of my video troubles, I wouldn’t have found out that I’m probably better off uploading my videos to YouTube rather than Flickr because YouTube has a mobile application and when you’re in media, you want be to be able to access your info anywhere, any time. (I don’t think I would’ve ever figured that out on my own, to be honest.)

People are correct when they say amateur video is not hard. But there are definitely some tips and tactics to make shooting and posting video a much smoother experience. So, these are just some of the simple things I’ve learned as I’ve done more experimenting with video. Hope they help you in your next on-camera project.

And if you need more tips–or even more important–a really great example of how to use some of these strategies to leverage video for home builder sales and marketing purposes, I recommend checking out this video interview from Builder magazine with Dina Gunderson of Monte Hewett Homes in Atlanta. The video of Dina demo-ing her walk-in closet and upstairs laundry room really shows how a DIY video can turn into a powerful selling tool online.

Podcast: Interview with Sarah Yaussi from Big Builder on Blogging, Twitter and Content

Tune in for the full interview with Sarah Yaussi as we discuss blogging, Twitter, and Social Media goodness. Learn how you can create valuable content and spread it out amongst all the appropriate networks. We explore what this means for homebuilders and tips on how to use effectively. You can also view the follow-up article she wrote below the podcast player. Enjoy.

A big fat “thank you” to Sarah Yaussi, the Executive Editer of Big Builder for her participation in the Blogging lesson in the Social Media Boot Camp series. She also did a great wrap up and agreed to re-post here. Be sure to let her know how awesome she is by leaving a comment and following @bigbuilder on Twitter

Last week, I participated in an online seminar called “Social Media Boot Camp: Blogging – Building Your Home Base.” I was invited as a guest speaker by Mike Lyon of http://www.doyouconvert.com/ fame, who hosted the event. (I still love that he called me a social media ninja, although it means I may have to start dressing the part.)

I thought the topic of blogging was a particular good one because it seems as though builders are starting to catch on to the idea that blogs are an effective search engine optimization tool. Now, let me just talk about SEO for a second. Even though I can’t see you, I know some of your eyes are glazing over at the term. The kindergarten-level explanation is that a blog, like other social media outlets, can help your name pop up higher on the list of possible matches when someone does a Google search for something generic like, say, “new homes in Dallas.” (For a much more detailed and yet easy-to-read explanation, I suggest checking out this blog post; it does a great job explaining it all in plain English.)

But being able to stack the deck in your favor when it comes to search results is just one benefit to a blog. Others include:

• Simple to implement (there are many user-friendly templates)
• Low cost (some blog hosting services are free)
• News focused (fresh content drives Web traffic)
• Authoritative (looks very professional)
• Highly interactive (comment features are king)
• Spread easily (think RSS feeds)

Given this rather long list of benefits, I’ve been noticing a lot of builders launching blogs, both separate from their corporate Web sites and integrated into their existing sites.

But with a growing number of builders sold on the blog idea, “now what?” seems to be the big question. Many builders seem to be struggling with the content part of the equation–what to post, how often to post, how much to write, what kind of voice to have, and so on. If that sounds like you, let me share with you some of the advice, suggestions, and ideas that were doled out during the seminar.

1. What’s the best blog format? While some of the seminar participants used Blogger, most liked using WordPress. We built http://www.housingcrisis.com/ on a WordPress template and have been pretty happy with it. It’s not too hard to figure out how it works, and there are a ton of different template styles and themes. (A word of caution here: Some of the coolest looking blog templates require an enormous amount of content, so you may want to rein your imagination in to make it more manageable.)  

2. How often do I need to post? That’s a good question, and there’s no right answer. But remember that search engines absolutely love all that is fresh and juicy content, so the more often you post, the more likely you are to have success in driving traffic. Me personally, I’m trying to step up my blogging to two to three times a week. It’s a far cry from some of the best bloggers who post multiple times a day–one of my faves is Calculated Risk, who at the time I wrote this post had posted five times on his blog–but I think that’s a good goal given that my day job has a few other responsibilities. The bottom line: Content gets moldy fast, so new posts a couple times a week are probably the way to go.
3. What should I write about? I totally feel you on this one. There are definitely times when I open up a new Word doc, and it sits there blank for quite some time. And I’m sure it’s worse for people who aren’t naturally prolific writers. But that’s really where I say, “Loosen up!” Your next blog post is not your opus. (I have to remind myself of this all the time because as a journalist my natural tendency is to write stories with facts, figures, and quotes in them, and you don’t have to do that with a blog. A blog is more about personality and perspective, in my mind.) The shelf life of a blog post is so short that it doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. I liken a blog post to a paper cup; you use it once and then throw it out. Of course that doesn’t mean they should be messy and riddled with typos and grammatical errors. It just means stop stressing and get typing.

   As for topics, there are a million things to write about. Here are eight ideas that are a little more imaginative than “home for sale”:

• Real estate/home building
• Local economy
• Green building
• First-time buyers
• Financing
• Local events
• School districts
• Your employees (I think this is a good one that is hardly ever used)

We covered off on a lot more, but I think that’s pretty much the meat of the session. As a follow-up, I asked participants to point me to some of the blogs they were working or thought were good examples. Take a look!

• Peachtree Residential Properties: http://atlantaluxuryhomes.wordpress.com/
• Dealssentials: http://www.dealssentials.com/
• Zach Schabot: http://zachschabot.blogspot.com/
• Wanderings of a Wayward Online Sales Consultant: http://www.leahkaiz.blogspot.com/
• Stylecraft Builders: http://stylecraftbuilders.wordpress.com/
• NewHomesDirectory.com: http://blog.newhomesdirectory.com/
• Brookfield Homes San Diego: http://blog.brookfieldsd.com/hud-does-it-again/
• Housingcrisis.com: http://www.housingcrisis.com/
• Real Property Alpha: http://realpropertyalpha.com/
• Eastern Shore Housing: http://www.easternshorehousing.com/

Blogging Basics as told by Sarah Yaussi from Big Builder

A big fat “thank you” to Sarah Yaussi, the Executive Editor of Big Builder for her participation in the Blogging lesson in the Social Media Boot Camp series. She also did a great wrap up and agreed to re-post here. Be sure to let her know how awesome she is by leaving a comment and following @bigbuilder on Twitter

Last week, I participated in an online seminar called “Social Media Boot Camp: Blogging – Building Your Home Base.” I was invited as a guest speaker by Mike Lyon of http://www.doyouconvert.com/ fame, who hosted the event. (I still love that he called me a social media ninja, although it means I may have to start dressing the part.)

I thought the topic of blogging was a particular good one because it seems as though builders are starting to catch on to the idea that blogs are an effective search engine optimization tool. Now, let me just talk about SEO for a second. Even though I can’t see you, I know some of your eyes are glazing over at the term. The kindergarten-level explanation is that a blog, like other social media outlets, can help your name pop up higher on the list of possible matches when someone does a Google search for something generic like, say, “new homes in Dallas.” (For a much more detailed and yet easy-to-read explanation, I suggest checking out this blog post; it does a great job explaining it all in plain English.)

But being able to stack the deck in your favor when it comes to search results is just one benefit to a blog. Others include:

• Simple to implement (there are many user-friendly templates)
• Low cost (some blog hosting services are free)
• News focused (fresh content drives Web traffic)
• Authoritative (looks very professional)
• Highly interactive (comment features are king)
• Spread easily (think RSS feeds)

Given this rather long list of benefits, I’ve been noticing a lot of builders launching blogs, both separate from their corporate Web sites and integrated into their existing sites.

But with a growing number of builders sold on the blog idea, “now what?” seems to be the big question. Many builders seem to be struggling with the content part of the equation–what to post, how often to post, how much to write, what kind of voice to have, and so on. If that sounds like you, let me share with you some of the advice, suggestions, and ideas that were doled out during the seminar.

1. What’s the best blog format? While some of the seminar participants used Blogger, most liked using WordPress. We built http://www.housingcrisis.com/ on a WordPress template and have been pretty happy with it. It’s not too hard to figure out how it works, and there are a ton of different template styles and themes. (A word of caution here: Some of the coolest looking blog templates require an enormous amount of content, so you may want to rein your imagination in to make it more manageable.)  

2. How often do I need to post? That’s a good question, and there’s no right answer. But remember that search engines absolutely love all that is fresh and juicy content, so the more often you post, the more likely you are to have success in driving traffic. Me personally, I’m trying to step up my blogging to two to three times a week. It’s a far cry from some of the best bloggers who post multiple times a day–one of my faves is Calculated Risk, who at the time I wrote this post had posted five times on his blog–but I think that’s a good goal given that my day job has a few other responsibilities. The bottom line: Content gets moldy fast, so new posts a couple times a week are probably the way to go.
3. What should I write about? I totally feel you on this one. There are definitely times when I open up a new Word doc, and it sits there blank for quite some time. And I’m sure it’s worse for people who aren’t naturally prolific writers. But that’s really where I say, “Loosen up!” Your next blog post is not your opus. (I have to remind myself of this all the time because as a journalist my natural tendency is to write stories with facts, figures, and quotes in them, and you don’t have to do that with a blog. A blog is more about personality and perspective, in my mind.) The shelf life of a blog post is so short that it doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. I liken a blog post to a paper cup; you use it once and then throw it out. Of course that doesn’t mean they should be messy and riddled with typos and grammatical errors. It just means stop stressing and get typing.

   As for topics, there are a million things to write about. Here are eight ideas that are a little more imaginative than “home for sale”:

• Real estate/home building
• Local economy
• Green building
• First-time buyers
• Financing
• Local events
• School districts
• Your employees (I think this is a good one that is hardly ever used)

We covered off on a lot more, but I think that’s pretty much the meat of the session. As a follow-up, I asked participants to point me to some of the blogs they were working or thought were good examples. Take a look!

• Peachtree Residential Properties: http://atlantaluxuryhomes.wordpress.com/
• Dealssentials: http://www.dealssentials.com/
• Zach Schabot: http://zachschabot.blogspot.com/
• Wanderings of a Wayward Online Sales Consultant: http://www.leahkaiz.blogspot.com/
• Stylecraft Builders: http://stylecraftbuilders.wordpress.com/
• NewHomesDirectory.com: http://blog.newhomesdirectory.com/
• Brookfield Homes San Diego: http://blog.brookfieldsd.com/hud-does-it-again/
• Housingcrisis.com: http://www.housingcrisis.com/
• Real Property Alpha: http://realpropertyalpha.com/
• Eastern Shore Housing: http://www.easternshorehousing.com/

Sarah Yaussi from Big Builder as Social Media VIP Guest

Rock n’ Roll! Sarah Yaussi, Big Builder Executive Editor and Social Media ninja will be joining us on next weeks Social Media Boot Camp. In the live training course, we will explore Blogging – Building Your Home Base.

I have asked Sarah to share some strategies and secrets on how she continually creates valuable content to distribute across networks. A social network has little value for a business if you can’t create and distribute valuable content.

You won’t want to miss this session – Sarah is a unique professional and always has delivers killer information. See you virtually on Tuesday!

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