Archive for the ‘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

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

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

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

Social Media - 07 | 09 | 2010

We have all heard about social media (twitter, facebook, myspace, delicious etc) with most agents / agencies embracing it in some way, using these platforms to communicate with an increasingly online, mobile audience.  It is widely agreed that from being a quickly passing fad, social media is here to stay and should / will play a role in an an agents marketing strategy (for their vendors property, their own profile, and their agency’s brand).  What no-one know has been able to measure just yet is what the return on investment is!

We know that around 90% of property searchers are using the internet as their primary search tool when looking for property, therefore it is imperative that agents have a strong presence online to reach out to these potential clients.  Whether market updates, industry insights or general interest articles, be the visible expert in your area and broadcast this to your online / mobile audience using social media as a highly targeted vehicle.

If you are not sure where to start, there are some very talented social media experts consulting to the industry here in Australia, so do some research, get online, and twitter about it!

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

What’s in a Supplier? - 27 | 08 | 2010

There are multiple marketing service providers in the market place now, which on the surface may seem quite similar – the websites look good, and for the most part, prices are comparable.  Outside of building strong customer relationships with your suppliers, your choice needs to be based on 4 key things. 1. Quality of product 2.  Consistency of product 3.  Service – pre-sale, on-site, & after sale, and lastly on their ability to provide you access to innovation.  If your supplier ticks all of those boxes then you are well positioned to build a strong market presence, win listings and attract the right kind of buyers.

category: copy writing, digital media, floorplans, marketing, photography, social media, video

Perception is Reality - 24 | 06 | 2010

For any real estate business, your public image is created through the quality and effectiveness of your marketing.  In Australia, Vendor Paid Advertising (VPA) provides agents with a marketing fund to be used to advertise a particular property (in the first instance) but just as importantly it markets your brand.  Even if you operate in a market where VPA isn’t strong, use any marketing dollar wisely and invest in good quality property marketing.  Why?  Because perception is reality.  How your brand is perceived on the face value of your marketing provides buyers and sellers with a direct indication of how your business is run, what it stands for and what kind of service can be expected from it.

category: digital media, marketing, photography, video

The Concept of Brand - 07 | 06 | 2010

Building a recognisable and trusted brand is the goal of every business (and one that Apple owns!).

A strong brand is built through the quality of product, quality of service and ability to build trust with the end user.  It takes time however and the absolute focus should be ensuring that every touch point a client has with your brand is a positive one.  In a small business environment this is more easily controlled, however as a business grows ensuring that the same virtues, principles and processes around quality can sometimes be lost in the quest for growth.

Keeping that focus on quality and service is vital and the time taken to instill this into your staff will pay dividends in the long run….hopefully.  It’s not easy and not every brand makes it.

From our perspective it all starts with a quality product, wrapped up with fantastic service, delivered quickly and easily, has a perceived value by the client, is marketed well and is backed up by strong post-sales support.   Fingers crossed….

category: copy writing, digital media, marketing, photography, video