But many probably don’t consider “nothing” as a competitor.

I’m reacting here to a blog post by Seth Godin yesterday titled, “Better than nothing (is harder than you think)”.

Godin put words in the mouth of a mythical customer, saying:

“I will buy this treat or I will buy nothing, because I don’t really need anything.”

That’s a battle for any business owner, particularly over the last year, I think. But it really applies to any kind of sales pitch in any kind of economy.

I can only speak as a digital media producer, trying to convince small businesses, schools, couples and families that the services I offer fill a need for them – marketing, PR, keepsakes – at an affordable price and are not just optional “wants.”

They’re a need.

People will always make buying decisions based on “need.” So business owners must demonstrate that they are better than nothing. And that there’s a new breed of need, when it comes to marketing or raising awareness, or in the case of couples and families, creating a keepsake.

Should a small business decide to put a short promotional video on its website, allowing the owner or employees to talk about their commitment to their customers?

Or, do nothing?

Should a school produce a short weekly audio or video podcast with its coaches and student athletes that showcases their achievements and efforts?

Or, do nothing?

Should a bride-to-be order a half-hour long well-produced, behind-the-scenes reality TV style video of her wedding day activities with her friends, family and hubby-to-be?

Or, do nothing?

I videotaped interviews with four of our travel basketball players – a boy and girl who played their first year in our program last season, and a boy (Nick, who you see below) and girl who just finished their travel basketball careers after five years – they’ll be freshmen in high school this fall.

The interviews became edited, short promo videos that our organization will send out as links to the parents of prospective players when registration opens. The idea is, those parents will show the videos to their sons and daughters to have them hear what our players said about playing travel basketball.

We’re basically letting our current players sell the program to our newest players. Why not?

The organization wants new players, particularly in younger grades who are currently playing in our community education “inhouse” program, to consider making the move to travel basketball to help us have more teams at every level. And, allow them to play in a more competitive environment, and to feel the pride of wearing our city’s name on their jersey.

Our program supports the high school program, down the road, by giving kids who enjoy basketball the best opportunity to improve individually and as members of a team. Our players have fun – as they say in the videos – and the high school benefits by getting players who love the game of basketball.

Here are links to the other three videos I produced:

Averi

Carter

Kamryn

Of course, over the last few years that changed. And today, there are dozens in the niche as well as in the social media arena, But, there are only a handful that I’ve found are truly worth listening or subscribing to – again, from a communicator’s point of view.

I thought I’d list five of my favorites, with links to their websites, to expose you to them if you haven’t checked them out. They’re also on iTunes.

For Immediate Release – One of the longest-running podcasts that every communicator should subscribe to. Hosted by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson, this podcast is posted every Monday and includes news and commentary that will keep every communicator in-the-know.

Age of Persuasion – A radio program from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), this is extremely well-produced, built around a creative theme or trend in advertising and marketing and hosted by Terry O’Reilly.

On the Media – This needs no introduction, it’s the can’t miss popular and award-winning National Public Radio (NPR) program hosted by Bob Garfield and Brooke Gladstone. It’s devoted to keeping the media honest, primarily the mainstream media, but it also focuses on news and developments on the Web.

Spark – Another interesting radio program from the CBC, hosted by Nora Young. The focus is on technology and culture and always has great content.

Six Pixels of Separation/Media Hacks - Mitch Joel hosts this podcast (Media Hacks is on the same feed and features a roundtable with key contributors in new media) and he regularly includes interviews with interesting authors and thought leaders in digital media and marketing.

What are your favorites?

In “Design and Build an Attractive Personal Homepage with Flavors.me,” Jennifer Van Grove outlines how Flavors works, in both a free mode and paid option.

I wasn’t really happy with the website design I was using for my digital media business. So I logged in to Flavors to see what I could do.

After just a few minutes, the result incorporates my Twitter feed, Linkedin profile, YouTube channel and my blog posts related to digital media (via RSS).

I like the simple layout of how the page looks and will no doubt tweak it a bit in the weeks ahead, and add a photo as the background instead of the theme based on “my” colors. Maybe I’ll even explore the theme ans design options that come with the paid model. But again, I just need it to be a sharp-looking place to park my email address and phone number for future digital media clients to find me. It didn’t have to be an elaborate website.

While I’m using it as a homepage for my business, Flavors strikes me as a nice way to build a landing page of sorts for anyone looking for an easy do-it-yourself way to put many pieces of your Web presence all on one page, especially a job-seeker for example.

Sure, magazine cover photos get doctored, ads are air-brushed and Photoshop is a photo editor’s best friend.

This isn’t about that debate.

Rather, the soundbites in On the Media that got my attention, revisit the deception involved in getting famous people to do a photo shoot for a publication – under the auspices of being part of a news story – and then that publication chooses to only use the photo that puts the photo subject in the worst light.

Remember this sinister photo of John McCain by Jill Greenberg, for The Atlantic?

The Atlantic didn’t use that shot. Greenberg had McCain stand above a strobe to get the lighting for it, for her own personal purposes, after she had done the “regular” photo shoot with McCain. Of course, she also made news for doctoring a photo from that shoot for her website by making McCain have a bloody mouth, with a caption that said “I am a bloodthirsty warmongerer.” That got her into a legal fight with The Atlantic.

Greenberg told NPR she’s been assigned by editors to trick subjects and make people look bad.

It comes down to journalistic ethics for the photographer. But Greenberg essentially told NPR it’s not her responsibility. “I went to art school so I don’t know what those canons and ethic are.”

First Lady Michelle Obama also got hoodwinked by a photographer in 2008. On the Media recounts how Radar magazine used a photo of Obama, not smiling, for a cover story that posed the question: “What’s So Scary About Michelle Obama?”

As it turned out, NPR says the photographer for Radar took numerous photos of a smiling Obama. But Radar specifically chose a non-smiling photo. Obama felt she had been had.

So what are the lessons of McCain and Michelle Obama? I think you’ll see political candidates or politicians, especially, start demanding approval rights over any photos shot by publications. Or, perhaps even deny those publications the chance to have them do a photo shoot with a photographer chosen by the publication.

Instead, they’ll submit their own photos or insist that their preferred photographer do the shoot. Or, tell the publication to use something from one of their public appearances.

Why take your chances with a photographer who has been told to literally take the subject through the motions in a photo shoot, like what was apparently done with Michelle Obama, only to use a shot that goes with a predetermined headline for a story.

It’s too big of a risk for the photo subject, isn’t it?

West Wing Week – a weekly video recap of the president’s work week and news that it creates – is now available on the White House website, its blog and its YouTube channel. It features some nice behind-the-scenes moments you just won’t see on TV.

Here’s the latest epsiode:

As best I can tell, West Wing Week started with this episode April 2. It appears to be posted every Friday.

It’s being posted to the well-done The White House Blog by Arun Chaudhury, the official White House videographer. Now there’s a job title I can aspire to! (Arun, I’d love to meet with you the next time I’m in D.C. and learn about your job!)

It’s just the latest initiative in the Obama White House’s commitment to online communication. I appreciate that they’ve run toward the “new” tactics and tools of social media (live events, video, blogs, photos, etc…) instead of running away from them.

Though, as they do, the old-school White House press corps doesn’t exactly like it, and indeed if the White House were to shut down official press conferences and not allow reporters to certain events, for example, then there would be legitimate concerns about access to the White House by journalists who long for “the way things used to be.”

But they’re not doing that.

I’m fine with any White House of any party covering its own news the way Obama’s team is doing it.

This just in to the White House press corps – welcome to 2010!

Because…

Voters are smart enough to know that the White House is painting its own picture of reality, for better or worse. That’s what anyone with a blog and a video camera is doing these days. It’s PR. It’s reality TV, White House style. They’re doing what every business big and small should be doing, they’re pulling the curtain back a little bit to show us what goes on in a typical workday for the president of the United States.

Voters also are smart enough to know that they can get a more balanced, traditional, journalistic approach of the substance of the news the president makes each week from the mainstream broadcast and print media, partisan cable networks aside.

One final point… The thing about the Obama White House’s digital and social media efforts is that yes, they probably do have a large, talented staff putting it all together.

But there’s no reason any politician at any level – from Senator to mayor – can’t do something in the same spirit. Especially with video and/or photos.

If a politician in your area is doing something unique with video and social media let me know, I’d like to check it out.

One of the fun trends I’d like to get more involved in are videos for couples celebrating an engagement. It’s essentially the video version of the engagement photo shoot.

I’ve seen some really creative examples on the Web over the last couple of years, ranging from short music videos (“save the date video,” “engagement video” or “date video”) of a couple in one or more of their favorite locations to a half-hour long (“love story”) documentary style with interviews about how you met, what he/she means to you, what you hope for the future, etc…

I have done some of these music videos with couples who have chosen a local park or landmark. It’s a memorable video shoot and one you will certainly appreciate that you did, when you (and your kids!) watch it again 10, 20, 30 years down the road. I’m definitely looking to provide the same keepsake to other couples in the years ahead.

The key to a great engagement or date video lies in a few simple factors:

Pick the right location

-If he proposed to you on a specific bench in a specific city park, make a video that takes you back to that spot. If you used to get ice cream every Friday night at the neighborhood Dairy Queen, make the video it about getting ice cream, and taking a walk in the neighborhood afterward, etc…

-If you went to a certain event together every year – like the State Fair – make the video at that event!

Lose your inhibitions

-This is not the time to be shy. A good engagement video is all about the hugs and kisses, strolling hand-in-hand. You’re in love, right?!

-If you want the shoot to be in a public place, you can’t care that “people are watching”… Just relax and have fun and shoot the video!

Take care of two birds with one stone

-Coordinate with the still photographer doing the engagement photos to have a video record of the shoot. Make the video about the photo shoot, with a few extra video shots and scenes mixed in to bring those photos to life.

The best part of making these videos, for me, is that I get to be more of a “director” than I usually get to. I’m basically asking “actors” to do certain things on command (Walk over there, now look at her, look down, look up again, kiss her, etc…) You’ve always wanted to feel like you’re on a movie set, right? It’s a lot of fun to piece several scenes together to a couple’s favorite song.

I’m happy to sit down with you if you’re in Minneapolis/St. Paul and talk about your vision for your affordable, professionally-produced, engagement, date or love story video…. and show you what I’ve done.

Cost largely depends on the hours planned for the shoot and length of the video requested.

There’s no better way to get a lasting video keepsake of this special time in your life. I wish I had an engagement or date video on my DVD shelf for my wife and I and to show our kids and grandkids. Photos don’t do that time in our life as much justice. I also would love to watch a “love story” interview of my wife and I talking about our hopes and goals.

If you’re interested in making a save the date, engagement, date or love story video, and you’re in the Twin Cities, send me an email or call me at 651-402-7086.

In the meantime, check out these great examples to see what’s possible:

-Giant Brothers in Utah does phenomenal work. Here’s one of their date videos and a love story.

-Here’s a sample of an engagement video from Film Style Weddings.

-This is a variation of the engagement video, more of a “save the date” video from Hakim Sons Films.

I’m neck deep into podcasting, both as a listener/viewer and as a producer of podcasts in my corporate communicatons day job, and in my side business.

While recent podcasting usage studies show that more people are indeed developing an interest in all that great free content that’s being put out on the Web every day – that you can consume when and where you want to – the most popular podcasts remain programs that in many cases are just repurposed content from traditional media and broadcast outlets and radio stations.

Sure, a few niche podcasts with “amateur” hosts are listed among the most popular on iTunes and other directories.

But I suppose the popularity of the professional radio and TV stuff proves one thing, that people want a high quality production, along with compelling content of course. Though, I do see great potential for the niche podcaster who also strives for quality, using good gear and engaging in a professional manner.

I talked about some trends in podcasting back in 2008 with Steve Lubetkin, of Professional Podcasts in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and it’s worth revisiting part of that conversation today.

Steve’s passionate about encouraging businesses of all types and sizes to podcast with audio and video. He also knows the importance of producing a high-quality program, especially when it comes to video (which I’m happy to help businesses in the Mpls./St. Paul area with). Steve also knows that professional audio and video services don’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

Every day, there are many large vendors who want to charge businesses thousands of dollars to do what a sometimes better-skilled professional digital media producer can do for much less.

And, as Steve points out toward the end of this audio clip, podcasts are a great way for businesses to increase how many people will find them when searching the Web:

Steve also told me good podcasts from businesses are “really about telling the story and engaging the audience in giving them a piece of yourself, letting them know how you are an expert in your field, why you have the expertise and what you can do to benefit them and give them something that is tangible and usable before you ask them for the order. It’s not about being commercial, it’s about giving a piece of yourself so that people get to know you.”

He added, today more than ever the traditional approach of businesses large and small of trying to reach people through advertising is not the only game to play. Podcasts are an easy way to dip your toes into the social media river.

And why not podcast? Your audience, your potential customers, are out there waiting for you.

“You’re looking for the audience that is out on the net, already seeking content that meets their needs,” said Lubetkin. “You are getting downloads from a self-selected, pre-qualified audience. Podcasters are getting an audience that is interested in their content already because they’ve sought it out by going on the Web and looking for it.”

Steve Lubetkin can be reached at steve@professionalpodcasts.com, or on Twitter at @podcaststeve.

No way, no how.

It didn’t stop me from practicing that tickle-the-twine jumper for hours on end, but it wasn’t gonna happen, no matter how much I loved basketball.

But through the fantastic program The Journey on the Big Ten Network you and I both get to see what it’s like to be a part of a major college men’s basketball program.

This is my kind of reality TV.

Here’s an excerpt from a recent clip, highlighting the return of Evan Turner to the Ohio State lineup:

I didn’t have access to the BTN when it first started The Journey, or just didn’t see it on the Web, but it is precisely what a rabid college basketball fan in the Big 10 needs – and also includes some similar production elements and compelling behind-the-scenes sights and sounds to what I try to create when I produce a season highlight video for a high school team in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area.

I love the documentary feel to it. It’s compelling to watch. This isn’t just a few highlights set to music. Videos shot with the look and feel of The Journey create and capitalize on the excitement and passion for the team and school. They also humanize the players and coaches, showing them on and off the court in a way that just wasn’t available before.

The episodes of The Journey are really well-done and have a nice pace, showcasing the various story lines from different Big 10 teams each week. Must have quite a large staff to put it all together. Have any job openings, guys?

Simply put, the kind of PR and promotion on The Journey is pure gold.

Every college conference should be doing it – and maybe some more are – especially those with their own broadcast outlets.

Along those lines, I would also argue that the colleges themselves should be kicking out their own weekly behind-the-scenes productions. (A great example is Gopher Basketball with Tubby Smith on Fox Sports North, with weekly interviews with Tubby, player profiles and feature stories).

Why stop at the college level?

State high school leagues and conferences could try it, even on a seasonal or monthly basis to start. Follow teams through their regular seasons, playoffs and the state tournaments. People love the inside the locker room, behind-the-scenes stuff. The coaches I’ve worked with are open to having cameras around 99% of the time because they know that win or lose I’m there to capture the moment and someday down the road they’ll want to watch it again. And, in the case of a season-ending game, that the 17 and 18-year olds celebrating or sobbing in front of me will have a permanent recording of that moment, even if it’s after a painful loss.

And, I’ve often made the case in some previous posts that high schools – some with even more expensive equipment than I have in my digital media arsenal – should be putting their students to work producing weekly programming about their sports, players, coaches…. even just about academics, clubs and organizations.

No, none of those ideas have to be on TV. That’s what the Web is for. Put it on the school’s website, put it on Facebook, iTunes… wherever students, parents and supporters would watch it.

Either hire pros like me – or students learning as they go – and follow the lead of the Big Ten and Fox Sports North.

Why not?

So no reflections the post-Declaration period or Gettysburg, got it?

Here are five moments in my lifetime when the nation turned to presidents to see and hear history:

Richard Nixon – August 9, 1974

In his farewell to White House staff, Nixon ad-libbed his remarks, offering this line of advice toward the end: “…greatness comes not when things go always good for you, but the greatness comes and you are really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes, because only if you have been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.”

Ronald Reagan – January 28, 1986

His remarks on the day of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion are legendary. He famously finished with: “The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and “slipped the surly bonds of earth” to “touch the face of God.”

Bill Clinton – February 17, 1993

In his first State of the Union address – and by far the highest rated of his two terms – Clinton ended with an upbeat challenge that was meant to set the stage for his first term: “Tonight I ask everyone in this Chamber – and every American – to look into their hearts, spark their hopes, and fire their imaginations. There is so much good, so much possibility, so much excitement in our nation. If we act boldly, as leaders should, our legacy will be one of progress and prosperity. This, then, is America’s new direction. Let us summon the courage to seize the day.”

George W. Bush – September 14, 2001

Speaking through a bullhorn with firefighters by his side at the World Trade Center recovery site, three days after 9/11, Bush ad-libbed a line that drew chants of “U.S.A.” at the site: “I can hear you! I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people – and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!”

Barack Obama – November 4, 2009

On his election night, in Chicago, Obama said: “…out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes we can.”