posted by Steve26th, 2008
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I first saw the Apple iTouch in action a few weeks ago when Austin swamp rocker Papa Mali and I were motoring up to a gig in northern Michigan. The three-plus hour drive gave us plenty of time to listen to/argue about/sing along to music and since I was driving and he was my guest, “Pops” got to choose the music. When he whipped his iTouch out of his backpack…well, I was big time impressed.
I’m not usually the kind of guy who has to have the latest and greatest toys. Let someone else be on the bleeding edge of technology. By the time I’ve decided I really can use a new gadget, it’s Version 3.5 and all the bad bugs have been eradicated from it. So I was kind of surprised that when my second generation iPod finally breathed its last this past weekend, I found myself snatching up a new iTouch.
(Oh yeah. Even “new” is new for me. Our last two ‘Pods were used eBay specials.)
But I digress. Bought the iTouch because it was cool, sure…and it holds a decent amount of tunes and pictures (I’m happy with about 1700 songs at a time) -but I also wanted one because when you flip it sideways, you can view your preloaded videos in widescreen format. This is such a great sales tool. If you’re a video producer or a photographer, you’ve got your demo reel or your portfolio right at hand…ditto for just about any other service or product(s) you provide that can be captured visually.
The decrease in song capacity? No sweat. I don’t need to carry around every album I own, nor do I want to…and it’s easy enough to resynch your song list now and then.
Of course I’m having second thoughts now…like “Maybe I should have gotten an iPhone!”
Well, let’s wait a few generations and see how I feel about it.
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posted by Steve21st, 2008
A brief article in the June 13th issue of The Week magazine caught my eye. It mentions how a number of companies have reduced travel perks for their employees. Business class flights and swanky hotels are becoming a thing of the past.
Now, rising gas prices have motivated companies to look into ways to cut certain types of travel completely. Internet meetings, video-conferencing, live video feeds …
Are you seeing what I’m seeing, here? This is a great time to offer your services to corporate clients as a video producer or “video technology expert.”
Rising gas prices are also going to cause many people (clients) to look closer to home for the video services they need, too.
One of the ways to capitalize on this trend is to be sure your website and other marketing tools clearly indicate where your company is physically located. Let clients know that not only do you have the skills to deliver a quality service and/or products, but that you have access to the best local resources available.
Of course, don’t make the claim unless you can stand by it.
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Last month, I mentioned how getting local traffic is a real key to video business success. Why should clients have to go to the ends of the earth for quality service when you can provide it from right next door?
A few other benefits to rising gas prices … you can group all your errands and make a one-time run, preferably during your less productive hours, and you can cut back on non-essential out-of-office meetings. Certainly a little thought to how you can drive less can help sharpen your time-management skills and cut down on waste, eh?
The next time you stop at the gas pump, look at the bright side. This, too, can be an opportunity.
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For more information on how to save money during tough conomic times, be sure to pick up your free copy of my latest report,“Marketing Your Video Business Through A Downturn.” It’ll give you some common sense guidelines for stepping back, assessing your production business, and applying practical, low-cost tactics for stretching assets and marketing spending further -in the right directions -for a greater yield.
And it’ll teach you some great no-cost ideas and techniques to add a little extra to your bottom line, too. Click here to get your copy. No charge, no obligation.
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