Aug

24

Love tailgating parties? So do we.

August 24, 2009 | 1 Comment | Written by Lindsay Talsness

At Metro Studios, we love tailgating. So, we were thrilled to work with Grill Topper – a company that sells specialty tailgating items – turning ordinary grilled meats into works of art by searing your favorite team’s logo on to the surface of the meat to extra-large, college-specific grilling mitts.

Over the course of the summer, we staged and shot photography, produced videos, and created an e-commerce website from the ground up for Grill Topper.

Here’s an inside look at the project:


Lifestyle shoot, featuring alumni enjoying a BBQ.



This lifestyle shoot featured Iowa Hawkeye alumni, grilling after the big game.



Campground shoot featuring a family grilling outside on a summer day. Grill Toppers aren’t just for tailgating!

Christmas morning shoot, with Dad opening his new grill glove and Grill Topper.



This shot, staged by Metro’s food stylist, shows that a Grill Topper can be used on virtually any kind of meat.



Here’s an outdoor picnic shot featuring the Oklahoma Grill Topper.



This shot was designed to show how to use the Grill Topper in a more formal setting.



The Wisconsin Grill Topper at its best - the Grill Topper works great on steaks!



A close-up shot of hot dogs using the Michigan Grill Topper. Don’t they look good enough to eat?



The completed website - check out all the Grill Topper products (and Metro Studios’ handiwork) at their website.

Aug

24

5 Social Media Myths Debunked

August 24, 2009 | 2 Comments | Written by John Whaley

It seems like everyone’s talking about social media. But when it comes to social media and your business - how do you separate the truth from the tweets? I’ll debunk five social media myths for you.

  1. Social media is the ultimate internet marketing solution.
    While using social media is a great part of an internet marketing strategy – it’s just that – a PART of it. When it comes to internet marketing, like many aspects of business, there’s no “silver bullet”. A combination of ongoing internet marketing strategies will have the greatest impact online.
  2. Social media is one-way communication.
    Social media platforms are designed for conversations – not a sales platform. Through social media, you can personally connect with current and potential customers, providing them with feedback, responding to any problems, and helping them engage with your people and products.
  3. Using social media to grow my business is a fast process.
    Using social media to grow your business is a slow cooker - not microwave - process. It takes time to build quality relationships, establish trust and respect, and develop your unique communication style. But in the end, you’ll find taking it slowly makes for more quality growth for your business online.
  4. Automated social media is better than no social media.
    Social media is designed for personal interaction. For the vast majority of Twitter users, there is nothing more irritating than being asked to interact with an automated “bot”. Having real people at your company use social media lends authenticity to what you do.
  5. Social media is difficult.
    It doesn’t have to be. Many people assume that to effectively grow their business through social media, they must use every single social networking site on the web. That would be impossible – and not very effective! A great way to use social media is to select 1-2 networks that will provide the most interaction with current and potential customers.

Interested in learning how your business can use social media? Attend one of our upcoming free seminars on the topic! Learn more about the seminars or register online.

Aug

24

9.5 billion reasons to stream HD videos online.

August 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment | Written by Mark Jones

At Metro Studios, we’re throwing party streamers, splashing in mountain streams, and have tears of joy streaming down our cheeks!

What’s the occasion? We now offer streaming HD video services!

Actually , we decided to celebrate our streaming HD video services through a blog entry– and explain to you what a streaming HD video server is – and why it’s an incredible tool for growing your business.

What is a streaming HD video server?

A streaming HD server is a powerful resource that enables high quality HD videos to be broadcast over the web. It allows for a data flow between the server and your computer that’s more than twice as fast as a typical video. What’s more, it results in decreased video load times and less buffering for a streamlined viewing experience.

Why should I use a streaming HD video server?

  1. More people are watching high-quality video content on the web.
    In the month of April 2009 alone, 9.5 billion videos were viewed online – an increase of 24% from just a year ago. Hulu, a website that provides HD streaming video has grown 470% in the past year, and is second only to YouTube in the number of videos streamed.1 As the number of online viewers grows, it’s important to reach them with your own message.
  2. The average person is more likely to watch, rather than read when it comes to web content.
    In today’s world of skimming and 5 second page surfing (see our article on how people read online), one of the best ways to effectively get your message across is through high quality video content.
  3. Your video is protected through digital rights management.
    With a streaming server, you can rest assured that your video won’t be used or abused. It isn’t possible for viewers to obtain a copy of your video without permission, which means that what’s yours, stays yours.
  4. Viewers expect HD video quality.
    With the advent high definition technology such as plasma TVs and BluRay DVDs, the average consumer has grown used to high definition videos. Standard definition videos now look amateurish compared to the high quality of HD.
  5. It’s inexpensive.
    Using a streaming HD server is a surprisingly cost-effective way to promote your business to a wide audience, typically costing just dollars per minute of video each month.
  6. We’ve got it under control.
    At Metro Studios, we’ll provide complete support for your streaming HD video solution. We can:

What’s next?

Coe College Streaming Video



Take a look at the HD videos we’ve produced and are streaming for Coe College. Then, contact us to learn more about using streaming video for your business.

1(Nielson Online, Online Video Market Share Report, April 2009. http://www.todaytrend.net/youtube-maintains-top-ranking-by-total-streams-and-hulu-grows-490-percent-year-over-year-according-to-nielsen-online.html.

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