VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
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Tips on video storytelling to make an impact with Kenan Convey
- Video storytelling is needed more than ever because it’s so accessible and because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
- One of the most key pieces I’m able to give to clients is something we call a content pyramid.
- It’s okay if you have 30 seconds to connect with the viewer online, how are you going to sell them or convince them or make them believe in your vision in those 30 seconds?
- I think the best element or the best setting rather is the one that best communicates your brand and fits that.
- The more [content], the better. I don’t know if you can ever have too much content because every touch with the consumer is another opportunity for them to become aware of who you are. The more opportunities for them to realize who you are or just see them, the better. It’s kind of out of sight, out of mind.
- I’ve fallen victim to this, is trying to craft your product to the client instead of your product to attract the client.
- I’m really excited to see video integration and how it’s changing and social media. I think social media is beginning to craft itself around video.
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VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Video storytelling is needed more than because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
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Doug: Well, welcome back listeners to another episode of Real Marketing Real Fast. Today in the studio, I’ve got joining me, Kenan Convey. Now I met Kenan at an event in Redding, Pennsylvania just a while ago. His company was in charge of video productions, and they did an amazing job. So I invited him to join us today in the studio to share his dream and how Convey Productions was birthed back in 2012.
Now when Kenan first started his business, he had a vision, and his vision was to impact people through creative storytelling. In the beginning, this vision was realized when he began partnering with nonprofit organizations, missionary organizations in the Philadelphia area, creating video and photo content that helped them to share their story. And then in 2018, he launched Convey Productions with the goal of impacting lives by collaborating with those who strive to influence the community around them. His aspiration is to help business owners, you and I, entrepreneurs, to share our stories that will influence and engage the world.
So I’d like to welcome Kenan to the Real Marketing Real Fast podcast today. Hey Kenan, I’m super excited to talk to you today. I just want to say thanks so much for taking time and joining us on the Real Marketing Real Fast podcast today.
Kenan Convey: Absolutely. Thank you for having me, Doug. I’m super excited to be able to connect with you and hope to be able to give something to your viewers.
Doug: That’s awesome. I mean, we connected at the Growth Now Movement in Redding, Pennsylvania. The first time I had been there. The service there was absolutely outstanding and phenomenal. I was just totally blown away at the level of service and the great event and the speakers. And then we had the pleasure of hooking up with you and your partner, and I’ve been enjoying all the media work that you’ve been doing after. So do you want to share just a little bit of background in our audience … with our audience, kind of who you are and what you do?
Kenan Convey: Yeah, absolutely. I am a Philadelphia based filmmaker. I create short-form content, video and photo to be used for marketing purposes with small businesses, entrepreneurs, and companies to create brand awareness. I’m creating content for their social media or for their online website to help get the name out and share the story of who they are.
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VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Video storytelling is needed more than because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
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Doug: I had a guest on just recently and we were talking about some of the video editing tools for people who are shooting some of their own videos. Kind of the GaryVee style, it’s the selfie video with the … I don’t know what you call it, where the text goes over the top of it. But now you’re talking about production. So you’re going to come out and actually you’re the guy behind the camera and then you’re the guy that’s doing the editing to make it look good. Is that right?
Kenan Convey: Totally. Yes. I always joke that my job is to make people look good. They come out and they kind of share their brand and I say, “Okay, how can we put that on Instagram in 60 seconds?” Or, “How can we make that on a video headline?”
Doug: I mean this is something new I guess in my world in terms of looking at the backside because I mean we had a chance to see you and your working. When you’re working with a client, I mean what are the challenges that typically clients have? I remember when I first started doing video, I had our PR company and we were doing some stuff with our local hockey team here. They had a videographer come out and then staring at the camera was like, “Oh man, I can’t … I can’t do that.” Like I can talk to people in the podcast. I can talk to people face to face. But now there’s you or one of your team behind a camera looking at me, and it just feels odd looking at the camera. So what are some of the challenges your clients have?
Kenan Convey: Totally. A lot of people are great business owners or great entrepreneurs, but it’s really hard to translate that in front of a camera. Sometimes people know they can talk about their brand or their company all day and share the vision. And then when you step in front of lights and a camera all goes out the window.
So I kind of consider it my job to be that bridge. I want to take all the passion and vision that they have and be able to translate that to the audience or to their viewer. A lot of people really don’t know how to communicate it. They could say, “This is who we are. This is our brand.” But they don’t know how to communicate that to the consumer and how to translate that. Especially over video, if it’s not done well, it can be completely lost and the message, and rather than impacting your audience, you’re actually having a negative effect. So kind of the challenge of bridging the gap to the viewer and being relatable and clearly communicating who you are and what you do.
Doug: Well, how much of that, because originally I assumed that, well, when you’re hiring somebody to do video, I mean there’s going to be two sides to that, or I guess there are three parts. There is the creative process in terms of, hey, so what are we going to say? Then there’s kind of the backdrop and setting. And then there’s the shooting. And then there’s the editing. So how much time do you spend upfront with a client helping them to r-craft or maybe rethink their messaging so it’ll fit for the media?
Kenan Convey: Yeah, yeah, that’s a great question. I honestly think that pre-production work is some of the most vital and important time because that’s the time to come down to them and hear who they are and what they do. Because if I don’t have an understanding of it, then how can I help them communicate it?
So come in and just hear their vision, hear about who they are, and [inaudible 00:05:07] ad campaign or a new product they want to advertise or just a general promotional they want to share the company. And so then that takes one meeting, two meetings, three meetings, a phone conversation to follow up, it’s important and really it’s as much time as it takes. And so as much time as we need to be able to understand who they are and what they do. And then how do you want to communicate that to your consumer?
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VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Video storytelling is needed more than because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
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Doug: Well I guess, so to use your lingo, so the pre-production, so I guess a lot of that’s going to depend on what the end product is. Do I want a 30-minute corporate video, or like you mentioned, do I want 60 minute or 60, sorry, 60 minutes. Not 60 minutes Instagram clips. 60 second Instagram clips. So do you do any batch work? I know with podcasts as I shared with you just before we got on the air, I batch all my podcasts on Thursdays because it’s very convenient for me to do all my recordings on one day. I’m assuming, and tell me if I’m wrong, that you might work with a client. Say let’s you shoot a whole bunch of video and then you can say this is a five-minute piece and there’s a whole bunch of 60-second pieces or … ?
Kenan Convey: Totally, totally, yeah. One of the most key pieces I’m able to give to clients is something we call a content pyramid. So like you’re saying, if we go, we’re going to create a five-minute brand awareness video, just to post to your website for your landing page so people find out who you are when they come to your website. We work, that’d be two or three pre-production meetings and we film it and we have this five-minute video. Well, we can take that and take two or three one-minute videos from that to post to social media. So we’re taking one-minute clips, directing them back to the five-minute video that’s on your website. And then from that, you can take a one-minute Instagram clip and you can create 15-second audio on your Instagram Story. So you’re taking one piece of content and you’re delivering it in multiple ways, all with the end goal of delivering that traffic back to your website.
Doug: Now how much input does the client normally have? I’m just asking because I’m trying to draw from you, so for our listeners, what does this process look like? I’m not a manager or micromanager that needs to see and touch everything. My preference would be that we would have the pre-production meetings and then we would just go wherever in the city or in a studio or in the country, and just do the shoot and in the end, I’d have all these really nice things.
Kenan Convey: Yeah. If I’m doing my job well, then you shouldn’t have to think about it it’s kind of what I tell clients. So if we come in and we share the vision and then go in, the less that it’s on your brain and in your headspace, the better, because you don’t have time to think about it, to market it, to how you want it to look. That’s why. And that’s why you hired me. The more we’re able to take it off your plate to get out of your brain space, the better. Some clients, they really, they have a specific look and a creative style that they want. That’s totally fine. It varies a little bit from person to person. But in my opinion, the less it’s off your plate and the less it’s in your head, the better because that freed you up then to focus your energy back where it needs to be.
Doug: Well, and I think the other thing that sometimes we forget as entrepreneurs and business owners is that because this is our business and we’re in it every day, we have this set expectation that people understand what we do. I sit down with somebody and I explain it, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they get it because you’re also bringing a fresh set of eyes because you may be working with a business you’ve never seen or been exposed to before. So I guess you offer them that sounding board so they can make sure their message is relatable to people who aren’t intimate with their business and what they do.
Kenan Convey: Totally. Yeah. I find that even with myself, I forget sometimes that people don’t know what I do, and I just assume that they do. And so how much easier for someone then, like you said, when we’re doing it every day and this is our lives, we forget that not everyone understands and doesn’t have the full grasp or the vision of the organization. So when we’re able to come in and communicate that and really kind of cut it down, a lot of times it’s very meaty and it’s very long, but attention spans are short, videos are short. And so we’re able to kind of break it down and make it more concise to an elevator pitch style where it’s okay if you have 30 seconds to connect with the viewer online, how are you going to sell them or convince them or make them believe in your vision in those 30 seconds?
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VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Video storytelling is needed more than because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
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Doug: Walk us through the process then. If we’re going to engage you guys or your team to do some work for us. So we’re going to have a pre-production meeting or several pre-production meetings. And during that time, as you mentioned, we’re going to cover off kind of what the end deliverable is, is that the primary focus?
Kenan Convey: Yeah. Yeah. The number one question is what’s your angle? Do you want a general promotional video of your organization? Do you have a specific product you’re advertising or a service? Kind of the vision or goal of the video is the first question is what is it that’s being shared? What story are we telling through this video?
Doug: So then, so once we get to that point and we get an idea, what’s the next step? Are clients typically going to write scripts, want teleprompters, or what is your process to go to the next step?
Kenan Convey: Yeah. Then from there, after we have an idea of the story they want to share, we begin, that’s when we begin the trim down process. Let’s say, for example, you wanted to share the story of overall promotional who your company is. So then from there, okay, well let’s take … That’s grand and large. Let’s cut that down and how can we communicate that in 60 seconds. Let’s take, let’s cut out. A lot of times people want to go a lot on history, which unfortunately the general viewer doesn’t care about. Let’s cut away the history and add a couple of key points and then what value are you bringing? I try and focus a lot my clients with that, what value are you bringing to the customer, and how can we communicate that in 15 seconds?
Attention spans today are so short and even more so on social media. It’s really easy to swipe really quickly. I kind of have the benefit of being the skeptic when they’re … when I’m talking to them. “Convince me of your product in 15 seconds. Let’s work on this together so you can sell me.” And then we’ll take that kind of vision or product I guess of the 15-second pitch and then we’re going to create … be creative behind that. I think the creative piece is really the meat between it that helps to sell it. But first, we have to have the foundation of who you are, what you do, and how you convince people of that in 15 seconds. So this is all that’s pre-production. This is all the hard part.
Doug: Well, that’s the secret sauce, right? That’s like you say, well that’s what’s going to make it work. Now, what about the setting? I mean, what do you find, and maybe this is too general of a question, but I’m going to ask, and you can let me know. What do you find is the best setting to use for a company for the backdrop, like is it … Personally, I don’t like the boardroom shots. I’m so bored with the boardroom talking head shots.
Kenan Convey: Yeah, suit and tie.
Doug: Yeah. Yeah, that’s right. The suit and tie, the arms crossed, the head tilted slightly leaning forward into the camera. I’ve done those. That’s why I remember those poses. I remember the photographer says, “Hey, do this.” So back to you. So what really captures people’s attention and draws them into the videos? What do you guys find is working today?
Kenan Convey: Yeah, that’s a great question. And I think this ties back into the creative element and this is the creative piece to help sell. For example, I worked on a project recently with a company. I helped out a friend who was doing fire installation. They install sprinkler systems that prevent fires. We were actually on job sites filming with them on the construction site. I also worked with a school recently who’s a new startup school and they are … founding class is going to be in 2020. We were actually in downtown Philadelphia filming outside in the city. So I think the best element or the best setting rather is the one that best communicates your brand and fits that.
Boardrooms are boring. No one likes a boardroom. If you work in your company, that’s if you are a huge organization, a boardroom is still boring. It’s kind of connecting I think with the viewer. So if you’re a fire installation or a sprinkler installation system, the best setting to communicate that was to get out in the field and just be on a construction site. If you’re a school, a new startup school that’s founding next year, let’s be where exactly we’re going to be in downtown Philadelphia. And so kind of, I think the setting is a great creative piece to further kind of communicate who you are and what your company is.
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VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Video storytelling is needed more than because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
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Doug: Now, how much content do you typically shoot for a client? If I came to you and said, “Hey Kenan, I want to do some video.” I’ve done some self-promotion videos, selfies sitting, staying by the river, having a conversation, sharing my latest marketing thought or whatever. Here’s a picture of me on the golf course after I just knocked the ball into the water, which happens often.
Kenan Convey: [inaudible 00:13:50] for me.
Doug: So how much content would you normally suggest a company or entrepreneurs start with? A company comes to see you. They’re an entrepreneur company. They’ve never done video before. They’ve probably got some social media sites. They’ve got, obviously got a website, and they need to start communicating. I mean, because the issue with social is at least, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. It’s a river that’s moving and you can’t just throw something in once and go, “There we go. I did a video. It’s all done,” because … So how much content [crosstalk 00:14:26] Do you guys have a packet you suggest, so let’s say, “Hey, let’s do this,” and that’ll be a five-minute corporate video and there’ll be 50 clips, or how does that normally work?
Kenan Convey: Totally, yeah. It’s if you make one video and you post it, it’s seemingly meaningless, because like you said, it’s going to be swiped and lost instantly in the river of social media. I think it goes back to if you’re starting out, “Okay, we have no content,” I think the answer of how much is the more, the better. I don’t know if you can ever have too much content because every touch with the consumer is another opportunity for them to become aware of who you are. The more opportunities for them to realize who you are or just see them, the better. It’s kind of out of sight, out of mind.
So if you have no content, then it kind of goes back to content, all right, let’s create first and foremost a video to share the story of who your brand is, to share the story of your company. And that’s let’s say a four and a half, five-minute video. We take that. Now will be posted on your website. But we’re going to cut that down into three or four different one-minute videos to post onto your Instagram, on your Twitter, and run those once a week on paid promotions.
Then from that let’s take 15 seconds of those videos and put them up on your Instagram Story or put them up on Twitter. People begin, and it takes two, three times of seeing the same thing before people are paying attention to it, especially when it’s sponsored people swipe it away. So if they begin to see the same thing and it’s creatively and professionally produced, then it begins to get in people’s heads. We could take one video that’s five minutes and we could create three or four smaller videos. Then from that, take three or four smaller audio clips or Instagram Stories. So we’re taking one piece of content and we’re creating four or five touches with the consumer from it.
Doug: You’ve broken it down so it’s not so overwhelming. I guess there are two things that came to mind as you were sharing that. One is, like you said sponsored. So you can pay to run this on Instagram and also on Twitter and Facebook. But you can also run it now on LinkedIn as free or paid content. Then the other thing that I think that a lot of times people forget about is that in terms of social posting, I know when I post a podcast for example, so when this podcast is produced and it’s ready to go, we’ll create 15 to 20 different social media posts from this one interview, but we’ll share it multiple times because there are so many posts coming through Twitter for example.
We try to share it every day at a different time slot for like an entire week the same content. Then it goes evergreen because what we think is, “Well, hey, this is my post again.” You need to remember that the people that are looking at your social stream or they’re on Facebook, they don’t see your ad every time. It might seem like overwhelming to us as the entrepreneur, but the reality is the consumer at the other end might only see one out of every, I don’t know, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 posts, whatever the number is.
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VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Video storytelling is needed more than because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
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Kenan Convey: Totally. Totally yeah. And then yeah, to relate that back to your question of how much is too much, so many clients [inaudible 00:17:24] “Well, we don’t want to flood the feed,” or, “We don’t want to bother our audience. We don’t want to annoy them.” But your audience more than likely isn’t seeing the majority of your posts. Social media feed is so fast and attention spans are so short and there’s … The average person follows so many accounts. They’re not seeing your content.
As you said, if we had one-five minute video, we’re going to post that several times. Then we’re going to do smaller videos and post that several times because just as you are communicating, the normal consumer, the normal follower rather isn’t going to see your content until the third or fourth post.
Doug: Yup. So can we just change the direction a minute and talk about the event that you and I met at?
Kenan Convey: Yeah.
Doug: I’d never, like I said, never been to one of Justin’s events. I met Justin at a different event. We were both speaking at in San Diego and you guys created all this really cool video. So that’s now … So we’ve got the let’s build your corporate brand. Let’s shoot a video. As you said, do your five minute or seven minutes, or whatever it is, a piece that’s going to be your staple anchor video on your website, and then we can break it into social. And then the other side is events.
Kenan Convey: Totally, yeah.
Doug: I looked at your Instagram account, and you’ve got a lot of comments and a lot of feedback on the video that you posted there. I’m just amazed. I look at that, I’m thinking, “How the heck did you cut that down from all-
Kenan Convey: Three days, yeah-
Doug: … the good speakers over three days.” That’s right. I mean there was the pre-event for the VIPs. And there was the event. And then there was a post-event.
Kenan Convey: Yeah, yeah. Justin put on an incredible event. It was really cool. It’s a hard process to take two days and cut it down to 60 seconds, especially when you’re trying, you’ve got six, five or six powerhouse speakers, and to try to decide who to fit in with the four seconds of space you have left in the video.
Doug: I would think that obviously because there are so many people there, there’s a way again to leverage your video because instead of just being about you and your company, I mean it’s an event that you’re at or you’re holding or you’re sponsoring. Now you’ve got all the people at the event and you’ve got the speakers who are happy to see themselves in the videos. So they’re happy to share it as well. So it increases your reach organically.
Kenan Convey: Totally. Yeah, totally. My goal, especially with this, in this event in particular, because I knew it was going to have so many powerhouse speakers and influencers were as much as I can incorporate them into the content, they’re naturally going to share it because it’s promoting their brand. And when their share is promoting my brand. So all in all if at the end I have my logo within the video for four seconds and so people aren’t really paying attention to the video or paying attention to the logo, they’re paying attention the video and they’re watching it, “Wow, this is incredible.” And like “Wait, this is great. Who created this?” So that it’s all for the tap onto my profile.
And if I can get my video onto five different influencers’ Instagram feeds, that now their audiences are tapping on my profile. So if I naturally share their brand, I naturally promote who they are, and that’s going to all feedback into my content, to my advertising. So it’s kind of the if I give and give and give, it’s naturally going to promote me.
Doug: Yes. And come back. So what’s the biggest myth about using video? I mean I don’t know if there is. I’m just asking because the video, I mean I remember the video, guys doing a video when I was in the Chamber of Commerce like 25, 30 years ago with these big huge beta recorders, and they were, “$10,000 is the entry point.” And it was just tough … It was just a really tough sell. Now you see everybody doing video. So what’s people’s biggest concern or what’s the biggest myth around starting to use video for their business?
Kenan Convey: Yeah, it’s a great question. I think like you’re saying, it used to be so, so difficult to do video and now that’s become so accessible and so easy I think so many people think that it’s over flooded and that it’s just an overpopulated space. I think now video’s needed more than ever because video is so accessible because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about. So as it becomes more and more popular and more and more populated, I think it’s that much more important to have a voice and have quality and creative content that sure it’s a brand because now everyone expects it.
Back then when it was $10,000 entry point, people didn’t expect it, but it was a great, great way to advertise. Now when people go to your page, if you don’t have video or a way to engage them, they don’t care. They’re used to it. We’ve kind of been spoiled as a consumer that we’ve all been able to connect through video, that everyone now has incredible content and they’re connecting with their audience. So if you’re not doing that, why are they going to pay attention to your brand when company B, C, and D are doing it so well?
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VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Video storytelling is needed more than because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
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Doug: Yeah, I hate to admit it. I haven’t done that. I haven’t done that. But I really … It’s not that there haven’t been enough people telling me, “Hey, why don’t you do that?” But I think you’re right. I mean looking at where things are moving especially today, yeah. I mean, people can say is flooded, but I guess my question back to them would be, “Well, what alternatives are there?”
Kenan Convey: Totally.
Doug: You’re either going to be part of the marketing mix and what people are expecting or you’re not because you think it’s flooded. Well, I don’t think it’s flooded. I especially look at the business pages, and there’s not that many guys that are doing video, but the guys that are doing video right now are just crushing it.
Kenan Convey: Yeah. Yeah. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that so many of the huge name entrepreneurs that are so successful and happen to do video, I think a lot of them are successful and have such a large audience because they are doing video.
Doug: So what are you most excited about in the next 6 to 12 months?
Kenan Convey: That is a great question. I’m really excited about… personally, I’m excited for the growth of seeing, being able to increase your reach and reaching out new marketplace in my own business with schools, I’ve really been able to give back through that. I’ve been really excited to give back to that. But in a more broad view, I’m really excited to see that the video integration and how it’s changing and social media. I think social media is beginning to craft itself around video. We see things like Instagram TV, we see things like little things like Instagram Stories now you can post one video and it’s connected.
I think social media has really begun to craft itself to help video rather than hurt it. Instagram is the number one video sharing platform today, and yet, we can only upload video like in 360 quality, 360p, which is super, super low resolution. The more we see social media begin to advocate and help with video, I think the more it’s going to help us as entrepreneurs and business owners and the more we’re going to be able to connect with the consumer through it.
Doug: Yeah, that’s cool. Yeah, it’s an exciting time to be in the world. I’ve said it before, but in terms of people wanting to start a business, whether it’s a full-time business or have a side hustle that makes it an extra $500 or $600 a month, I don’t think there’s ever been a time in the world when it’s been easier with the tools that we’ve got. Basically, you just need access to the internet and to be able to create a business and start to build an audience and have a conversation.
Kenan Convey: Yeah. I completely agree with you. I really think the internet has erased the excuse to not be able to do it.
Doug: Well, and you think back, I would say maybe I’m going to date myself, but the older days, I mean the only way to create a side hustle was really to go get another job. So you finished one job and then you’d go have dinner and you’d go take your second job. But now, now you can … You’ve got the luxury of doing that part-time from your home.
Kenan Convey: Yeah. I taught myself how to do, what I know how to go through the internet, which started as a hobby and became a side hustle and then became a career. It’s all … The internet … My career exists because of the opportunity the internet has given me.
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VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Video storytelling is needed more than because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
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Doug: That’s cool. I also read in your background that when you started, you started by donating your time to charities and not-for-profits to help them produce some video.
Kenan Convey: Yeah. It’s kind of like I was saying with the [inaudible 00:25:28] with my live video. I started out helping out with them. Really, I didn’t know what I was doing. They needed help and I knew how to do it a little bit. And so it just became a snowball. And so the more I did it, the more I was able to give to them. The more I gave to them, they’re like, “Wait. Now can we do this? Now can we do this? Now can we … ” And it just kind of grew and grew and grew. It kind of came from a … It started I guess [inaudible 00:25:52] to just want to share stories and be able to help out and it’s kind of snowballed from there.
Doug: That’s really cool. I’m going to be using a Tim Ferriss question I stole from one of his books. What’s the bad advice you hear about using video?
Kenan Convey: I think it relates to video. I think it’s a little bit [inaudible 00:26:11]. I think, and I’ve fallen victim to this, is trying to craft your product to the client instead of your product to attract the client. I think with a video trying to craft your video or your style to your audience so it appeals to them rather than letting your product, your brand, your company attract the consumer if that makes sense.
I think so often I work with clients, they’re like, “Well, we want to try and fit into this style because that’s what we see on social media,” or, “We want to try and make ourselves look a certain way,” rather than just sharing the story of who they are, which will naturally attract authentic and real consumers.
Doug: There’s that word again, authentic. I just had a podcast recently go live and I was interviewing somebody from England. And she was sharing the importance of having your content be authentic. She’s got a great video on her on there we go video on her homepage that kind of shares her story of who she is and where she came from and what she’s doing. But like you said, it’s not overproduced. I think the other guy that you’ve probably heard of, everyone has, is Gary Vaynerchuk, and he said, “Just produce content. Quit trying to impress people and craft stuff. Just produce content.” Like, “Just be you.”
Kenan Convey: Yeah, totally. I think authenticity is the greatest advertising tool that any of us has. And I think because social media has become so saturated with people trying so hard to portray a certain way, kind of like I was saying, to look a certain way or to come across a certain way, that it’s really easy to see people that are fake-y or aren’t authentic.
Personally speaking, I think it goes for the consumers as a whole is we’re drawn to authenticity. We want people that are real. We want companies that are real. So I think when that’s portrayed through video or really advertising of any kind in marketing if we’re honest about who we are and what we are that that’s going to draw way more consumers and public than trying to make yourself look a certain way.
Doug: One, if you think about the types of people that you’ll work with if you put your message out there authentically, the people that are going to be attracted to you are likely to be a better fit for our client. I mean, I talk about that all the time. I mean your marketing should attract the people that like your personality, your style, your authentic self, and it should repel the people who don’t like your style because they’re not going to be fun clients anyhow.
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VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Video storytelling is needed more than because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
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Kenan Convey: Totally, totally. And you think of the longevity of the customer. If you happen to land a customer with someone who came across because you’re marketing yourself a certain way but it’s not really who you are, that’s not going to be a repeating customer and that’s not going to be someone who stays with your brand for, forget life, even for a couple of months, a couple of years. They begin to see through the façade, see who you really are, versus if you’re real and honest.
Doug: Yep, absolutely. I changed the style of my personal newsletter I send out and I had some people unsubscribe, and I actually did a podcast episode on it, and every Thursday, as I mentioned, this is Thursday, so I’m interviewing podcasters and I promote our podcasts, and I promote my podcast on Thursdays. I do most of my social stuff.
So I opened up, I looked at my stats this morning. I thought, “Hey two more people unsubscribed from my mailing list. That’s great. There are two more people that don’t like my style,” which is fine. They’ll go find their own, find somebody that they like that really aren’t going to affect my metrics on my list. I mean, if my message isn’t suitable to them, then move along. I tell people all the time, “If you’re subscribed to a whole bunch of lists and you don’t like the content, just unsubscribe. Just get off there. Reduce the flow of information. Find the people that you like, that inspire you, and that help you and camp there.”
Kenan Convey: Totally, totally. I always think back to early impact to like a social media following. I’d much rather have 1,000 real followers of people who engage with my content and know who I am, than 15,000 bots or fake accounts. Why do we try and do that with customers when it comes to advertising?
Doug: Yeah, that totally makes sense. A couple of questions, I’ll let you get back to your day. So who’s one guest you think would be great for me to have on my podcast?
Kenan Convey: That’s a hard question. Trying to choose one. I think one who’s really helped me with the … He’s a business coach and a speaker and he speaks internationally and does coaching and consulting named Jamie [inaudible 00:30:24]. He speaks around the globe, helping entrepreneurs like myself. He coached me and still coaches me from when I first started this thing up until now. He’s just been an influential voice in business, strategy, and advertising, and a lot. He’s kind of an expert in customer relations.
Doug: Excellent. I’ll ask if you’ll make an email introduction to us. That’d be great. And now where, Kenan, where can people track you down and find you and learn more about what you do and connect with you?
Kenan Convey: Absolutely. They can find me in Instagram and Twitter @KeenanConvey, the Facebook page is Convey Productions, and of course, they can find me online at conveyproductions.org.
Doug: There we go. Well, I just want to say thanks for taking the time. It was really good to connect with you and it was good to hang out with you on the Saturday after the event and just to hear your story and your backstory. I’ve really enjoyed looking at and consuming the content that you guys produced from that event. And then scrolling through your accounts and looking at the meeting photos you’ve got of New York as well.
Kenan Convey: Thank you. I appreciate it. Thanks for taking the time to chat with me.
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VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Video storytelling is needed more than because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
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Doug: It was a blast. I love to learn this stuff. I need to get into the video space. So there’s my, man, I just hate thinking about how long I’ve been procrastinating on that.
So there you go listeners, this is another episode of Real Marketing Real Fast. And for me, it’s a bit of a pain point because I haven’t got my video on my web page yet. But if that’s something you’re looking at, I would suggest head over to Kenan’s website, have a look what he’s doing, take a look at what he’s doing in social media, and figure out that it’s not this big, bad, scary thing.
Thanks for tuning in. If you liked this episode, or if you didn’t like this episode, leave us a comment. Don’t be shy to subscribe to the podcast and/or subscribe to my email list and see what we’re doing behind the scenes. So thanks for tuning in. We look forward to serving you on our next episode.
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VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
VIDEO STORYTELLING TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Video storytelling is needed more than because everyone is on video. If you don’t have a voice in the market, I think you’re completely forgotten about.
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Get in touch with Kenan:
- Website – Convey Productions
Find out more about Kenan:
Links to other related podcasts and or blog posts:
CREATE YOUR OWN WINNING VIDEO CONTENT STRATEGY
HOW TO CREATE AUTHENTIC ENGAGEMENT WITH BRANDED VIDEO CONTENT