by Marcia O'Malley
I’m on my way to Las Vegas with my son to be part of the premier public viewing of my latest video, “Hear Me! People with Developmental Disabilities Speak Out”.
It all started a year ago when Sherry Manning and Kari Horn from the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities contacted me with an idea for another video to increase public awareness about issues people with developmental disabilities typically face day to day. We created a short music video a few years ago, “Let’s Build a World for Us All”, and they wanted to expand their message through another video.
Because I have a young adult son with Down syndrome, I knew this was a huge opportunity to pair a big passion with my video expertise. My initial inspiration came from a video series at BBC Three, “Things Not to Say to…” I loved the raw humor, simple setting and bold messages captured in each episode and wanted to bring some of that to our video.
So one day last winter, seven Nevadan’s with varying developmental disabilities (including my son) came together at Digiman Studio in Reno, Nevada to talk about their lives, their experiences and their dreams for the future. The result is an incredible collection of inspirational stories.
“Hear Me! People with Developmental Disabilities Speak Out” is a powerful, uncensored and in-depth conversation with Jacob, Ian, Kailin, Russell, Jonah, Stephen and Santa as they share stigmas they encounter every day, as well as their key relationships, experiences with education, and unique pathways to employment.
I usually work with entrepreneurs and nonprofits just like you, but this was a project I couldn’t pass up! People always talk about WHY they do what they do and that giving back and being part of something that is bigger than them is SO important…well, this was my chance!
And now I have the opportunity to experience the unveiling of my work with my son by my side! What an honor. In fact, he is SO excited he wanted to introduce the video and tell everyone just how proud he was of me, but I stopped him and told him he probably won’t be able to do that because the presentation is during a big dinner at a conference. Then I thought, “Why not?” He has a dream, who am I to squash it?
What’s YOUR dream for your organization? Think about a time when you or someone else stopped you from reaching for that dream?
I don’t want that to happen to you ever again! I personally know the difference that video makes, not just in our businesses, but the impact it makes on the world.
Isn’t it time YOU started sharing your brilliance in a much bigger way?
Let me be your guide. Let’s chat on the phone or on Zoom to see what type of video would be best for you in sharing your message with the world.
Stop hiding and start shining online! Schedule your call now!
by Marcia O'Malley
Information on anything is at our fingertips. As an information consumer, this is amazing!
Google is not only a brand but also a verb!
We “google” things all the time! As a consumer, this is fantastic, but as a content creator, this can be daunting.
How do I brand myself?
How do I drive traffic to my site?
How do I stand out?
Let’s first talk about what type of content to include, because knowing how to present your information is crucial.
Many, many marketers have researched what types of presentations make the most impact, and by far content with video is the clear winner.
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According to Business Insider, this year a whopping 75% of ALL traffic online will be video based. This study accounted for video; web, email, and instant messaging; file-sharing; and online gaming.
This is a staggering percentage that is only getting larger by the day. By 2019, that number is predicted to be 80%.
Still not convinced you want to include video in your brand? According to MediaPost, there is a 49% increase in revenue with brands that use video over those that don’t.
There are over 400 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute, which has helped make YouTube the second largest search engine today.
Marketers are paid to be successful with their clients, so it behooves them to really dig in to what makes a brand successful. Content Marketing Institute found that people are 10 times more likely to be engaged on video content than blogs or similar social posts. That means more comments and more embedding and sharing of your video.
Your connection with your audience increases drastically. And who doesn’t love more comments and more views?
Lastly, using video increases your search engine optimization (SEO). So much so that Comscore found that including video on your website can increase your chance of a first page google result by 53 times! A similar study found that click through rates on email with embedded video doubled. Doubled, folks!
Clearly video is the cool kid, and the best thing you can do for yourself and your brand is dive right in. Learn how to use the tools available to you, learn how to communicate visually with your audience, and learn how to brand yourself.
Join me in this informational journey over the next few weeks as we discuss how to increase your SEO, tips on how to overcome being uncomfortable on camera, how to increase visibility of your brand, and other video tips and tricks.
by Marcia O'Malley
I’m often asked why I chose my business name, Mindful Media Services. Like many other entrepreneurs, selecting my business name took a lot of time, energy and thought. I wanted it to capture my essence, while describing what I do and how I serve.
It’s tough to get in all into a couple of words!
For one thing, I am kind of a jack of all trades when it comes to media. I have professional and academic training in video/television production and theatre with decades of continuing education in social media, web-based education, workshop creation, live video streaming…
I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
In addition to my professional background, I am a parent of a child with special needs. This experience launches me in a number of different directions advocating and supporting people with disabilities. In this world I am known as a parent advocate.
While wearing this hat, I’ve managed a statewide nonprofit, served on numerous local, state and national committees, lobbied for legislation in Washington DC and at home in Nevada, and now volunteer as the President of Family Voices, a national nonprofit organization that focuses its work on children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities.
And I love yoga.
I haven’t done much beyond a few stretches here and there in quite a while, but at different times in my past I’ve had a very active practice. Recently, I began setting aside time most days for meditation.
Fast forward to this week—I’ve just taken a week-long intensive training to become a practitioner of Yoga for the Special Child!
I’ve had an amazing journey so far in this life and one of the greatest challenges I’ve continually faced is finding and maintaining balance.
Yoga teaches me balance and mindfulness. It shows me ways to stay calm while juggling a million things and helps me tap into my true, spirit driven self so I can be focused and present in my life.
No matter how often I do a Sun Salutation or chant OM, I have tools that help me in every aspect of my life including my business.
17 years ago I found a local yoga teacher who had just become certified to teach Yoga for the Special Child and my son became her first student. Since then, Kathy Randolph and I have worked together on two different video projects, Yoga for Scleroderma and Assisted Yoga for Scleroderma. Last fall she took my YouShoot: DIY Video Training program and is now creating short videos for social media.
So how would you encapsulate all of this into a few words to name a new business??
I think Mindful Media Services does a pretty good job! Finding that perfect name for a business is quite a journey, but a really important one.
What was it like for you to name your business? Are you happy with the name you chose? I’d love to hear about your experience.
Please share any details you’d like in a comment below! I’m curious about your journey and where you ended up.
by Marcia O'Malley
Today smartphones and tablets have great cameras that produce high-quality video. With a little training, just about anyone can shoot video like a pro.
Join us for a FREE webinar and learn how easy it can be! Thursday, October 22nd 10am PT
We’re Going to Show You…
• Three essential tools that turn your smartphone or tablet into a professional video recorder
• How to feel comfortable in front of the camera
• Ways to enhance the look and feel of your video
