My career as a journalist spanned nearly a decade. When I left to launch online video startup, BizBOXTV, I quickly discovered storytelling was part of my DNA, evident in the process and style of my new media company and how it approached its first productions.
It wasn’t about story-boarding or scripting, it was about asking questions, getting answers, and weaving content together to produce an interesting and useful story. The benefits of combining the approaches of traditional journalism and brand storytelling seemed obvious. It’s something we’ve called “brand journalism” since day one, and it’s picking up speed as the new-media world continues to evolve, along with consumers’ habits.
Businesses are using social media, web video, and digital publishing to speak directly to consumers. It’s a way for brands, big and small, to use the approach of professional journalists to create, curate and share expert content in the form of blogs, articles and video. Brand journalism is obviously not as impartial as journalism, but it’s a way for a brand to engage an audience with relevant and interesting material. The content must be factual, and keep “relevance to... Read more
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Archive for Lisa Ostrikoff 
Farewell ‘Push’ Marketing, Hello Brand Journalism
Tags: bizboxtv, blogging, boeing, brand journalism, calgary, canada, cisco, content creation, content marketing, corporate video, customer engagement, digital media, home depot, journalism, lisa ostrikoff, online video, online video production, PR, public relations, social engagement, Social Media, Storytelling, toronto, usa, video marketing, vlogs
Posted in Ad Serving, Creative Best Practices, Media Planning & Buying, Opinions, Social Media, Targeting, Uncategorized, Video | No Comments »
Cut through the ad clutter by telling a great story
From annoying pop-up ads to often completely irrelevant video pre-rolls, the clutter is causing consumers’ “BS meters,” as digital rock star Gary Vaynerchuk has called them, to become more sensitive and accurate than ever before.
So while the speed of technology is increasing, it’s interesting to note that one of the hottest trends in online marketing might just be the age-old art of story-telling.
What does this mean? To cut through the clutter, businesses need to stop annoying, and start telling stories.
Story-telling has evolved from ancient rock markings to the current age, where brands are able to effectively tell their stories via Web video, blog posts and social media platforms. Despite technology’s effect on the methods we’re using to tell stories, the basics remain.
If you ask the experts, they’ll tell you the same story they’ve been telling for years.
“Marketing is storytelling,” says author, entrepreneur and expert Seth Godin. Writing on “ How to tell a great story,” Mr. Godin says that “first impressions are far more powerful than we give them credit for,” making it important to ensure your story does what you need it to do the first time... Read more
Tags: bizboxtv, blogging, brand journalism, branded video, lisa ostrikoff, online video, social media marketing, Storytelling, video marketing, vlogs, web video
Posted in Creative Best Practices, Opinions, Social Media, Targeting, Video | No Comments »
Video. Make a connection.
What do people want?
To connect.
Marketers know emotion plays a massive role in getting a message across... consumers choose + stay loyal to certain products and brands because of how they make us feel ~ and what they broadcast about ourselves.
It's no surprise, taking TV commercials and re-purposing them online is not nearly as effective as creating web video content specifically for an Internet audience. With high quality video more affordable + accessible than ever before, what better way for a brand to connect with it's potential clients/customers?
Did you know Video = #1 way to connect with people on Social Media? If you're tweeting ~ you should also roll video into the mix.
You'd be hard pressed to find another medium that engages and connects like video does. I'd go as far to say... impossible.
Connect with me on Twitter @LisaOstrikoff + @BizBOXTV
Tags: bizboxtv, branded video, conversion, educational videos, Email, emotional connection, engagement, informational video, lisa ostrikoff, marketing, online video, ROI, Storytelling, Video, vlogging, web videos
Posted in Creative Best Practices, Opinions, Social Media, Video | 1 Comment »
"The Story" + the conversation…
The Story... a never to be underestimated starting point. A captivating tale to get a message across... and one that gets people talking.
I learned this early on, the first day I entered broadcasting... it's always about 'the story'. Telling a tale that flows, that connects, that resonates... *and* that sparks conversation once 'the story' itself, has reached it's end. This is evident today more than ever, with the rise of social media - where it's not just about "The Story" anymore... but almost more importantly, the *conversation* surrounding the story.
It's easy to gauge what gets people talking... RT'ing, "sharing", "liking" while adding their own thoughts to the original tale... These types of conversations can offer a lot of value to those participating, and especially to the original storyteller.
Feedback from our communities = invaluable.
This is happening more now than ever on these evolving platforms we all spend so much time on.
What 'story' are you telling...
... + does it get people talking?
Follow me on Twitter @LisaOstrikoff + @BizBOXTV
Tags: bizboxtv, brand journalism, broadcasting, commenting, conversation, conversations, engagement, feedback, lisa ostrikoff, marketing, online video production, Social Media, Storytelling, video marketing
Posted in Creative Best Practices, Opinions, Social Media, Video | 1 Comment »