1. Can you tell us about your role at Vyond?
I’m the head of marketing at Vyond and represent the marketing organization on the executive team. I’ve been with Vyond for just over four years and manage a team of 10, soon to be 11.
2. Can you tell us about your journey into this industry?
I’ve spent my entire career in technology marketing, mainly in the mobile and video sectors. Before Vyond, I worked for a variety of start-ups in both B2B and B2C marketing roles and even spent some time in Melbourne, Australia working for a lifestyle marketing agency. If I’d have to pick a common thread of the companies for which I’ve worked, it would have to be communication. From mobile messaging and applications to video solutions, I’ve been involved in and have become passionate about how technology helps us to stay connected with others.
3. How do you think technology is upgrading Video Marketing sector?
What I’m most excited about is how technology has democratized the making of video. In my 25 plus years of marketing, I’ve seen the production of video move from being extremely costly and time-consuming to something that is accessible for anyone, no matter their skillset or budget. Tools like Vyond, the sophistication of today’s mobile devices, and the network capacity to host and share videos have led us to a point where video is dominating our marketing channels, and for good reason. With video we have a way to engage and convert like no other medium – it’s the next best thing to face-to-face interaction, which in my opinion, is the cornerstone of effective communication.
4. What impact do you think animated videos have on marketing outcomes?
Animated videos are fun to watch. They are an excellent way to tell a story without having to shoot live video. And they, like any video, capitalize on our nature to focus on something that is moving. Think about how polarizing video auto-play in social media is for users. Whether you’re for it or you turn it off, you have to admit that the videos draw all of your focus – which is why to some they are too distracting. To me, this is the primary reason why videos convert at a higher rate than static images and text. If your message is on target, your audience is much more likely to act if they are engaged with it. At Vyond, we see much higher conversion rates when we add video to our campaigns versus using just images and text.
5. Why do you think this content type is proving to be effective in the present-day market?
We are living in an instant gratification era and we are distracted. If something doesn’t provide value immediately, it’s difficult to justify. We have fitness trackers, phones, smart home devices, and computers delivering the constant pings of instant-messaging apps, push notifications, and text messages. Today’s marketer has a lot of work to do to cut through that noise. This is why video is so effective. Done well, a great video—even if it’s only 15 seconds—draws the attention required to get a message through.
6. What is the best way to incorporate video marketing in the existing marketing strategies of organizations?
I recommend getting started by enhancing existing content with short videos. For example, using a tool like Vyond to create a short, animated GIF to promote an existing eBook, blog post, or webinar. That way, you’re getting even more value from work that’s already budgeted or complete without having to spend a lot of time or money on something new. Video also needs to be written into content plans and marketing campaigns from the start. As our marketing team at Vyond has grown, so has our video strategy. We started by just making sure we were using video in at least half of our campaigns, and now we’re launching series-style video campaigns with no other supporting text apart from the landing pages on which they live.
7. Can you explain to us in detail about serialized video content?
Storytelling is having a moment, and there’s no better way to tell a story than through video.
As one of the foundations of person-to-person communication, storytelling helps us to connect with an audience that’s looking for something warm and familiar, especially in today’s tumultuous social and political environment. Plus, our consumer tastes for instant gratification in entertainment are bleeding over into our professional lives. Marketers are capitalizing on how stories told through Netflix-style serialization continue to engage and enthrall audiences. Employing the same tactics that encourage binge-watching can definitely move the needle for marketers. We binge because we want to find out what happens next – it’s a natural human instinct to finish the story. Incorporating storytelling tropes like cliffhangers, character development, and hero’s journey, can and should be used in a business video. Just because your consumer is a business buyer, doesn’t mean you have to ignore what makes entertaining content successful.
8. What advice would you like to give to the technology Start Ups?
When it comes to marketing, invest in it early. Brand building starts from day one, and it’s much more difficult, not to mention expensive, to have to re-build or augment a brand strategy a few years into developing a business. Bringing it back to video, it’s important to realize how critical it is in a marketing strategy and that it can be an inexpensive way to convey your message. Using software tools like Vyond or just a smartphone can go a long way in delivering video on a budget. Also, realize that video is not a panacea. Without a solid messaging and content strategy behind it, video can fail just as easily as anything else.
9. What is the Digital innovation in video technology according to you that will mark 2020?
Hands-down, it’s video conferencing technology. I’m not sure it qualifies as a 2020 innovation, but it’s proliferation during the COVID-19 pandemic has been crazy to watch. Tik Tok is pretty cool, too.
10. How do you prepare for an AI-Centric world?
For Vyond, we’re looking at how AI can make our platform even more intuitive. For example, we’d like to be able to proactively present templates or assets that match a user’s current content versus the user having to search for it. I think AI is most helpful when it shortens a process or eliminates a pain point. For example, I spent a few years working with the voice-to-text technology that you use today when you read the transcript of a voicemail on your iPhone. Who wants to listen to voicemail when reading the text is quick and easy? I also love the Gmail feature that finishes my sentences. It’s pretty accurate – and I was an English major. As marketers though, we have to be cognizant of crossing the line between personalization and being too familiar. AI allows us to get closer to our customers than ever before, but we have to remember that these relationships are permission-based, and that some people want to give that permission in phases rather than all-at-once.
11. What are the major developments you are planning, in recent times?
Right now, my team is focused on how we drive leads outside of in-person events, which were a big part of our strategy pre-COVID-19. We’ve put out a lot of great content around remote work, mental health, and staying safe if you do need to re-enter the workplace. We’re investing in virtual events and webinar sponsorships to supplement our editorial calendar and internally produced webinars. One of our biggest initiatives this year is the re-launch of our customer community. We love our customers and want to make sure they have a place to connect and share best practices about working with Vyond and give us feedback on how to make our platform even better.
12. Can you tell us about your team and how it supports you?
I love my team! For a smaller organization, we have quite a large marketing team, and there’s no way we’d be able to execute a successful marketing strategy without them. What’s somewhat unique about Vyond from a marketing perspective is that we support both an active e-commerce channel as well as an enterprise sales organization. That means we need a comprehensive ABM strategy that operates alongside a digital strategy that drives online sales and feeds the pipeline, which is no easy feat. Plus, as a video technology company, it’s critical we have a strong internal video and creative team. I’m fortunate to have—in my opinion—the most creative, fun, and hard-working marketers in Silicon Valley helping Vyond to meet our objectives. I’m so proud of how our brand has evolved and our position in the market, and it couldn’t have happened without them.
13. We have heard that you have a very joyful work culture, so can you share with us some of the fun pictures of your workplace?
14. Can you give us a glance of the applications you use on your phone?
Does it age me to answer that I use my iPad so much more than my phone? I tend to gravitate towards the largest screen I can carry, so the iPad Pro is my constant companion. As for apps, I don’t shop without Rakuten, I do the New York Times crossword via the app every day, I’m on all the socials, and right now I’m addicted to the game Homescapes. Oh, and there’s always music coming from my phone via Amazon Music or Sirius XM – I love Madison on Alt Nation.
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