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Unlocking New Dimensions: The Power of 360-Degree Video Tours for Your Small Business

In this technology-forward, post-pandemic age, businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to connect with their customers near and far. For small businesses, the adoption of technology is not just a trend; it’s a strategic move to stay competitive and relevant. One such technological marvel that’s gaining traction is the 360-degree video tour. But what exactly is a 360-degree video tour, and why should your small business consider integrating it into your marketing strategy? Let’s dive in!

What is a 360-Degree Video Tour?

A 360-degree video tour is a virtual experience that allows viewers to explore a physical space as if they were actually there. Often created using a combination of panoramic photography and video, these tours create an immersive environment where viewers can inspect the space in every direction. This enables businesses to showcase their premises, products, and services in a comprehensive and interactive manner.

How Does It Work?

To create a 360-degree video tour, a series of panoramic images or videos are stitched together. This process creates a spherical representation of the space. When viewers watch the tour on a compatible device, they can control their perspective by moving their device or dragging their mouse, giving them the feeling of being at the center of the scene.

Why It’s Important for Your Small Business:

• Enhanced Customer Engagement:
  • Immersive Experience: Unlike traditional videos, 360-degree tours engage customers by providing a realistic and immersive experience.
  • Interactive Element: Viewers are not just passive observers; they interact with the content, leading to even higher engagement.
• Competitive Edge:
  • Stand Out: In a crowded market, offering a 360-degree tour can differentiate your business from competitors.
  • Technological Savvy: 360-degree tours show that your business is forward-thinking and unafraid of new and emerging technologies.
• Increased Accessibility:
  • Remote Access: Customers can explore your space from anywhere in the world, breaking down geographical barriers.
  • Convenience: It’s accessible 24/7, allowing customers to visit your virtual space whenever they’d like.
• Boosts Marketing Efforts:
  • Shareable Content: 360-degree tours are unique and shareable, enhancing your digital marketing strategy by allowing for an experience unlike others in your industry.
  • Social Media Integration: These tours can be integrated into your social media presence, increasing your online presence & overall brand awareness.
• Builds Trust and Transparency:
  • Realistic View: Showcases your business’s space and builds trust among potential customers.
  • Transparency: 360-degree tours provide an honest look at what customers can expect if they choose to visit your business, reducing overall uncertainty.
• Cost-Effective:
  • Long-Term Asset: Once created, the tour can be used repeatedly without additional costs and can be recreated just as easily should locations change.
  • Reduces Physical Visits: It can cut down on the time and resources spent on in-person tours.
  • Overhead Opportunities: These tours can even help to reduce the amount of employees needed on any given shift.
• Analytics and Insights:
  • Viewer Data: You can gather valuable data on viewer interactions and preferences, helping to tailor future business strategies.

The integration of a 360-degree video tour into your marketing strategy is more than technological advancement; it’s a gateway to creating deeper connections with your audience within their own homes. It provides a unique and engaging way to showcase your small business, elevating customer experience while providing a unique, competitive edge. As technology continues to evolve, staying ahead of the curve is crucial, and a 360-degree video tour is a step in that direction.

Ready to revolutionize your customer engagement with a 360-degree video tour and more? Contact us to explore how this innovative tool can transform your small business today!

The Top 5 Best Video Production Practices for Social Media

Creating great content for social media can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right tools and techniques, you can create engaging videos that resonate with viewers and help your business stand out from the crowd.

In this blog post, we will discuss five key tips for successful video production on social media platforms. And by following these best practices, you can ensure that your videos are up to industry standards — as well as your audience’s expectations. So let’s get started!

#1 — Proper Timing

In today’s world of technology, it is important for video production teams to be mindful of time lengths when creating social media content. Limited attention spans mean that viewers are less likely to stay engaged with content that runs too long.

Recent studies have found that shorter videos tend to perform better on social media platforms, with the ideal length varying from platform to platform. For example, YouTube videos typically perform best with videos that are around two minutes long, according to Hootsuite, while Instagram reels can be as short as 15 seconds and perform well so long as they fall under one minute.

#2 — Aspect Ratios and Platforms

When it comes to aspect ratios, video production teams or content creators should also be aware of the differences between vertical and horizontal formats.

Specifically, vertical videos are best suited for social platforms such as Reels and TikTok, which feature content specifically designed for mobile devices. Horizontal videos are better suited for more traditional platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, which feature content optimized for computers and other larger screens.

#3 — Appropriate Lighting

Lighting is an essential part of any video production. When shooting on location, it is important to ensure that your subject is well-lit and not backlit, otherwise their features — and the quality of your focus — will be obscured in shadows.

A good way to prevent this is by using a ring light, which produces soft and even lighting that helps bring out the details of your subject’s face. Additionally, you should try to keep your lighting setup consistent throughout the entire production.

#4 — Sound Recording

Sound is an integral part of any video production and it should be considered just as carefully as lighting and aspect ratios. Quality sound design can make even the simplest video come alive, while poor sound can make even the best video seem amateurish and unprofessional.

Remember: When recording audio for a project, it is important to use a high-quality microphone that is able to capture a wide range of frequencies. Additionally, it is also important to ensure that your audio levels are balanced correctly and not too loud or too quiet.

#5 — Filters and Edits

The use of filters and color/lighting correction can be important tools in video production for social media. Filters can be used to enhance the look and feel of a video, creating a more engaging experience for viewers. Additionally, color correction is crucial for ensuring that colors look consistent across all devices, creating a more professional appearance.

“There are a lot of tools within apps like Instagram to edit videos, but also I’ve come to realize Google Photos has some really great editing tools,” recommends Tamara Dileo, the Director of Production with Mad Men Marketing. “But it’s also important not to overdo it with the filters unless it’s a deliberate style choice.”

Honorable Mention — The Right Music

When it comes to picking the right music for a Reel or TikTok, it’s important to match the tone of the video. Music can be used to evoke emotion and create a mood that resonates with viewers. Depending on the type of content, different styles of music may be more effective in creating the desired atmosphere.

For example, upbeat music may be more suitable for an inspirational video, while a slower piece is better suited for a reflective moment. Music can also be used to add energy and dynamism to a clip, or even just provide background ambience.

Overall, by following these best practices, video production teams — or individual content creators — can achieve greater success while developing content for social media platforms.

Then again, if all of this feels just a tad overwhelming, it’s important to know that you don’t have to go it alone.

After all, here at Mad Men Marketing, we are rooted in the belief that brands should interact with their customers, not interrupt them. Thus, our in-house production team is equipped with the right tools, technology, and expertise to help you take your visual media to the next level!

So, are you ready to interact? If so, contact Mad Men Marketing today by calling (904) 355-1766!

4 Tips for Shooting Video of Yourself on Your Phone

1. Setting

• • Choose a space that is well-lit with as little background noise as possible.
  • Avoid spaces where you will be back-lit, such as sitting in front of a window or a lamp, as this could cause you to be silhouetted and difficult to see. Position yourself to keep your main light source in front of you.
  • Also, avoid spaces where there would be distracting clutter in the shot.

2. Framing your shot

• • Position the camera at your eye level to avoid shooting yourself at high or low angles, and keep yourself centered in the frame.
  • Use a tripod to keep your camera steady. Some selfie sticks come with a built-in tripod. If you don’t have this equipment available, then propping up the phone on a flat surface can work.

3. Front or back-facing camera

The back-facing camera on your phone will provide higher quality video due to a better lens and higher megapixels. But if you prefer to be able to see yourself as you shoot, then you can use the front-facing camera.

KEEP IN MIND: As you’re shooting, keep eye contact with the lens as if it’s the person you’re talking to.

4. Hitting the record button

• • Give yourself a couple of seconds after you hit the record button to start talking. This will give the final video editor room to splice in your video and transition between others.
  • Be sure to smile before you start talking and after you finish.
  • Speak clearly and avoid muttering or trailing off as you talk.

5. Some more helpful tips

• • Keep water on hand (but make sure you can’t see it in the shot) for when your mouth or throat get dry.
  • Avoid wearing jewelry that can make noise, like bangled bracelets.
  • Don’t be too hard on yourself. Most people get nervous being on camera and it can take multiple tries to get it right!

The Three Steps Involved in Creating a TV Commercial

“It is expected that TV advertising revenue in the United States will grow … to 81 billion [dollars] in 2025,” Statista reports. And oh, we know: you want in on that.

But without experience behind the camera — let alone walking meticulously through each step of commercial advertising — you might (understandably) not know where to start.

So, if you’re looking for a basic three-step rundown on the commercial creation process to help you get prepared, simply read on with us:

Step One: Pre-Production

Pre-Production is the planning phase that involves brainstorming, establishing a vision, writing the initial script, and creating a shooting script and/or storyboard.

The difference between a shooting script and a storyboard is that…

• A shooting script is written descriptions of visuals that will be captured to represent the content of the script
• A storyboard includes drawn thumbnails or illustrations to convey what those shots will look like.

Otherwise, in addition to the aforementioned, pre-production may also include “hiring the actors and crew, finding locations, determining what equipment you’ll need, and figuring out the budget,” as explained by MasterClass.

Step Two: Production

Production is precisely what you might expect it to be: it is the process of going on location or into a studio in order to capture all of the video/audio content that will be in the commercial.

This includes shooting scenes with the required actors/talent, capturing any B-roll content to be spliced in, and recording audio (such as voiceovers or custom music).

And remember, when you’re deciding what that content should be, always hone in on the interests in passions of your target audience. This is because “video viewers said relating to their passions is 3X more important than content featuring famous actors,” as reported by Google.

Step Three: Post-Production

Post-production is where everything comes together in the process of editing.

Production specialists will use video editing software to cut together the best shots from the footage that was captured before laying in the audio bed, which includes:

• Voice
• Sound effects
• Music

“Additionally, this is the point at which any other visual elements — like motion graphics — will be added in order to create the final product according to the established vision during the pre-production process,” Mad Men Marketing Director of Production Tamara Dileo says.

And remember: if you aren’t sure what story or message you want to convey on-screen, you’re not alone — Mad Men Marketing is ready to help you adjust your focus!

From photography to videography and more, we’re eager to get behind the camera and help you capture your brand’s vision. After all, our research-driven and content-inspired agency believes that your television commercial should help you to interact with your audience, not interrupt them.

So, are you ready to interact? If so, reach out to Mad Men Marketing today by calling 904-355-1766!