Archive for the ‘online video’ Category

Property insight: How to prepare to shoot a great property video - 23 | 01 | 2012

The advance in technology and online media has created many new opportunities for real estate professionals to gain an advantage in a highly competitive industry. Ever more present, video presentation is seen as a pivotal tool in showcasing a property’s most salient features and best qualities.

According to Digital Media Manager – Nick Keenan of IMAGEination.tv, there are some simple rules that should be followed prior and during the shoot:

  1. Ensure the property is de-cluttered as much as possible and remove personalised objects. Hide wires, straighten bookshelves and coordinate furniture to heighten the sense of space. For kitchens, remove obvious appliances and clear benchtops of objects. Soft furnishings should be fluffed and bed sheets straightened.  In preparing the outdoors, the same rules apply such as hiding bins, removing cars from driveways and clearing away leaves.
  2. Agents involved in the shoot must have a thorough knowledge of the property prior to the shoot and understand what angles and rooms will best highlight the home. If necessary have a script prepared, as a natural, flowing presentation will be more likely to influence the audience.
  3. Pick the right time of day to do the shoot. Be aware of the direction of sunlight, particularly for outdoor scenic shots and be conscious of any noise interruptions that might occur during the video.
  4. Property styling can reinvigorate interiors. Adding contemporary furniture, artwork and flowers can provide a splash of colour and create a chic modern aesthetic.

Above all, it is important that all parties understand the purpose and objectives of the video and ensure it complements the overall marketing strategy.

Words – Phil Brook I IMAGEination.tv

category: Design, Real Estate, digital media, marketing, online video, video

Integrated Marketing – QR Codes - 15 | 07 | 2011

For years, the separation between print and online in real estate advertising was enormous.  Print dominated for decades, online was irrelevant before catching up (and many would say it surged ahead) but still the two have been largely irrelevant for each other.

There have been mainly unsuccessful attempts to link the two mediums with significant amounts of cash spent on advertising and cross promotion, including video URL’s embedded into print copy.  It has really only been Domain (in Oz) who have managed to bring the 2 closer together through their relationship with video suppliers Visual Domain, providing free video content for print spend.

What we are seeing now however is a medium that bridges that gap between print and online once and for all – QR Codes.  QR stands for Quick Response, and these are 2-dimensional bar codes that you scan with a bar code and redirects you to any content you like.  Think of a mobile optomised site containing  listing content (photos, videos, copy) or think of the code serving up video content only (property or profile).

Used extensively throughout Asia and the US, they are being readily applied to the retail space here in Oz, which you can use as a barometer for their commercial relevance.  In real estate the application is enormous.

And with mobile predicted to surpass desktop as the primary internet search toll by 2014*, embracing mobile and QR as part of an integrated marketing mix, with multiple, branded touch points and significant targeted reach is pivotal. Using codes on your business cards, brochures, community publications, or signboard provides massive value-add to your vendors marketing dollars and significant brand penetration for the agent.

Please consider that while you can download QR codes for free from the internet and apply a simple redirect to your website,  the application needs to be much broader with customized codes, a self-managed platform, measurable ROI through detailed analytics and market education on implementation.

*(Morgan Stanley Research)

category: QR codes, Real Estate, marketing, online video, video

QR Codes - 28 | 05 | 2011

QR Codes (QR stands for Quick Response) are two dimensional bar codes that when scanned with a smart phone take the user to a mobile optomised site. These aren’t a new piece of technology and have been around for years in many parts of the world.
In real estate they have been used with moderate success, and I say moderate because the application has been limited and without any real thought as to the power of delivering quality, meaningful content quickly to a “primed” mobile customer.

Traditionally, a scanned QR code would take a user to the relevant section of a website, a phone number or a basic product promotion. Often these sites wouldn’t be mobile optomised, resulting in a poor user experience and below-par follow through.
Thought needs to go into the content that sits behind these codes and the user who will ultimately be scanning these.
At the very least your website should be mobile optomised, even better the QR code landing site is customised specifically for that campaign / promotion so that the content is highly targeted, the experience positive, the delivery instant.

With mobile platforms predicted to overtake desktops as the primary internet search tool by 2014*, it is clear that embracing mobile by integrating it into your marketing spread makes a lot of sense. QR code anyone?

* Source,Morgan Stanley Research,

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category: Brands, Latest trends, QR codes, digital media, marketing, online video, social media

The power of social media marketing - 01 | 05 | 2011

Word of mouth is undoubtedly the most powerful marketing medium in business. And now social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are adding another dimension to property advertising.

Australia’s real estate market expects information to be readily available and direct. IMAGEination Digital Media Manager Nick Keenan said combining social media with video productions was a powerful complement to any marketing mix. “We are now seeing major players in the real estate industry embracing this concept – from direct property marketing through to promotion and brand awareness,” he said. “Clear evidence being the major portals such as realestate.com.au embracing and moving video technology to the forefront of their services.”

Mr Keenan said social media pushed traditional word-of-mouth marketing boundaries further than ever before. He said people needed to identify elements of their specific campaign that were socially engaging. “I really think the power of social media lies at the brand level more so than at a campaign level. In the social space, it is all about how information is wrapped up and delivered.”

He encouraged real estate marketers and agents to look specifically at how social media mediums could work for their business. “It’s a new and very exciting medium where the core values and principles of marketing are very visible and being heavily embraced,” Mr Keenan said. “I do however think there is still a long way to go and again, the real estate industry needs to look outside of the market to see how resources such as social media and online video are truly and effectively being utilised.”

category: Brands, copy writing, digital media, marketing, online video, social media

Does Sex Sell? - 22 | 03 | 2011

Creating innovative and fresh property advertising is all about thinking outside the square. Two agents on the Gold Coast have well and truly achieved this, pushing advertising boundaries further than before.

Neo Property principals Ian Adam and Adrian Jenkins took property advertising to unchartered waters with a risqué YouTube clip promoting one of their Gold Coast listings. It became an internet sensation, grabbing world-wide attention and thousands of views.

There’s no doubt that sex sells. It has been proven time and time again. But in terms of suggestive property advertising it all comes down to one factor – identifying with the target market for your property.

The key then is to produce content that is relevant to your target market.   Who are they, how old are they, how do they consume media and what are their core values? Understand that and you are half way there.

Wrap that up in a video that that has a story behind it, draws on the heartstrings of clients, and promotes a property’s salient points and emotional features while taking the viewer on a journey completes the picture.

Something that we think ticks those boxes  – http://bit.ly/fnD6DX

So while we know the concept of sex sells, applying that to property advertising will attract a market.  But is it the target market…?

category: Brands, Real Estate, marketing, online video, social media, uncategorized, video

In-Room Auctions Taking Off - 07 | 03 | 2011

A new wave of auctioneering is sweeping across Melbourne.  And it’s caught the eye of Melbourne’s real estate community. An in-room auction is an institution that’s been around since the 1980s, but with technological advances, it’s taking off in Australia’s second largest city.

In-room auctions are a popular way to sell properties in Sydney and on the Gold Coast, but its success in Melbourne was limited until a format change and digital media revamp. IMAGEination.tv worked closely with Ray White Port Philip to refine a state-of-the-art multimedia presentation.

A change in the presentation to Ray White’s in-room auction in St Kilda last month was a resounding success. $20 million worth of property sold with a 90 per cent clearance rate and an average sell price of $900,000.

Such was the success of the auction that it gained national coverage on the front page of one of the country’s most prominent newspapers, The Age. http://theage.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/auctions-may-shift-from-street-to-room-20110224-1b73v.html and Ray White are now presenting monthly in-room auctions across its core, most successful Melbourne markets.

category: Auctions, Brands, Real Estate, digital media, marketing, online video

Chasing the pink dollar - 21 | 12 | 2010

In modern day real estate marketing it appears that honing in on the right target market can make or break a campaign and there is no better way to achieve this than through the power of imagery.

New York agency, Tag Creative, have taken the reins in controversial marketing with their latest campaign strategy used to drive the leasing of a 13-storey residential building, port 10. The detail that sets this project apart is its impressionable method of advertorial imagery, and its unashamed aim on the gay and lesbian community.

The signboard used to promote this trendy establishment targets the members of three demographic groups who are attracted to living, working and playing in Chelsea: gay men, students and arts lovers.

Publicity is directed through the use of eclectic posters, signs, postcards, brochures and photographs on the building’s website http://www.port10.com. One of the pictures used to describe the vibrant lifestyle is of two stylish men holding hands, under the words “Bye Mom and Dad.” This mixed selection of images is focused on representing the stereotypical groups of potential tenants.

President of Glaad (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), Jarrett Barrios, supported the advertisement saying that; “the ad suggests that gay and lesbian people are recognised by New Yorkers as being a part of the fabric of this community.”

Even so, the advocacy organisation Glaad found that no real estate campaigns responded fondly to Port 10s efforts. The abundant gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community were left to debate whether marketers who were seeking their business are showing respect or just a desire for the almighty dollar.

Port 10s doors officially opened in early July 2010 and an impressive 20 percent of the available apartments were immediately leased. At Tag Creative, partner, Amy Frankel, and Creative Director, Toshi Ide spearheaded the campaign. They have since left the agency and are currently preparing to start an innovative shop of their own, IF Studio.

category: Brands, Real Estate, marketing, online video, photography, video

Best of the block - 25 | 11 | 2010

Channel Nine’s ‘The Block 2010’ has culminated in a huge auction-fest that saw three of the four renovated Vaucluse apartments sold under the hammer. Only one achieved a sale price over $1 million with John & Neisha’s ground floor unit selling for $ 1,105,000 – $205,000 over the reserve. IMAGEination.tv was proud to be responsible for the marketing collateral for this property, providing McGrath sales agent Matthew King with high quality photos, floorplan and copywriting to ensure the property was presented in the best possible light. The results speak for themselves. Congratulations John & Neisha.

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category: Real Estate, marketing, online video, video

Building Your Brand Online - 16 | 11 | 2010

With an increasing number of online marketing tools, platforms, and advice from suppliers and consultants, one of the toughest questions for any principal is “how to build your brand online plus drive traffic to your website”.  With so many ingredients to this ‘recipe’ – (your website, portal sites, facebook, twitter, blogging, YouTube, video etc), the difficult part is bringing them all together in an organised, meaningful and measurable way so that they add value to your brand and not end up as ‘noise’.

While agency websites are being developed to accommodate some of these ingredients (social media, blogs, RSS feeds and video) they don’t always present in a way that adds the kind of value they should i.e. engage your audience longer, increase Google rankings, provide local, relevant information in a format that todays consumer wants plus provide a point of difference in your market.

There are some great solutions out there that aggregate this information, displaying them in a ‘video channel’ that sits adjacent to your website, is accessed directly from it (or a separate domain eg www.youragency.tv) acting as a funnel to drive traffic back to your site and increasing your page rankings on Google.

The media companies are heading down this path already (www.theage.tv) so as agents these video channels are something to seriously think about as part of your online strategy heading into 2011.

category: Brands, digital media, marketing, online video, social media

Getting the best out of Video - 05 | 10 | 2010

We have seen a significant increase in demand for property video tours across all markets in the last 6-9 months which is an extremely positive trend. Online video is not a new marketing tool as it has been available to agents for 4-5 years now, however it is only recently that the value of video as a marketing tool  is being realised,  and is recognised by most as a great addition to the marketing strategy for any property.

What we are seeing far too often though is that all of the hard work put in by the agent in selling the video to the vendor is lost through poor application. Whether that be a failure to add the video to the portals (where all of the eyeballs are), or not incorporating the videos into your social media strategy, or not approving the videos in the first instance (we get this a lot) and therefore missing the first week or two of a marketing campaign, the benefits that video provide are being under-capitalised.

It is vitally important that you think about these considerations before you look to apply video to your business.

1. It must have a purpose (what’s your strategy)

2. It must target a specific audience (who are you targeting)

3. It must be relevant (know your target market)

4. In must be valuable (positive brand association)

5. It must be searchable and accessible (SEO benefits)

If you get these aspects right, you are well on your way to maximising the benefits that video can provide thereby enhancing the value to your vendors’ property, your profile, your brand and your business.  And remember that perception is reality!

category: Brands, digital media, marketing, online video, social media, video

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