Welcome to Simantel’s Mailbag, where agency owner and VP of Client Services, Tim Leesman, addresses questions we hear from our clients.
Have a question you’d like covered? Tweet it to us at @simantel and include #mailbag.
Q: It seems like every company is using video to connect with their target audiences. How important is upping our video output and what does it takes to make an impact?
TL: It’s no secret that video is one of the fasting growing marketing tools today. With video streaming available on any device and a non-stop flow of content being uploaded to the masses, your audience expects video content. And apparently, it can make a major impact on consumer’s buying behavior. In fact, businesses who used video in 2017 saw revenue increase 49 percent faster than non-video users.
A well-executed video can not only express a brand’s message but communicate its personality and character. It has the ability to inform, appeal to, and entertain the viewer, all within a few minutes. Studies show that messaging is retained 95 percent after watching a video compared to 10 percent when reading it in text form.
So while virtually anyone has the tools to make a video, it’s important to align with the right professionals to cut through the clutter and get your message seen, heard and acted on. The only thing worse than not having video assets is trying to cut corners and ending up with stale, unengaging video content. That says something about your brand too! At Simantel, we tap into a team of producers, script writers, videographers, art directors, editors and motion designers, all working at different stages of the video process.
Sources:
https://www.lemonlight.com/blog/60-video-marketing-stats-2018/
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/the-state-of-video-marketing-in-2018-infographic/518339/
https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/03/08/video-marketing-statistics
Q: Everyone has preconceived notions of what goes on behind the scenes of an agency (Mad Men, movies, etc.), what’s it really like to work at one?
TL: This seems like a loaded question! I can’t speak for all agencies but would describe Simantel as highly agile. Constant change is a given in our world. Our fast-paced environment can require long hours, tight deadlines, a ton of collaboration and a pretty broad mix of skill sets and personalities. On any given day diverse roles like a researcher, art director, blogger, data analyst, project manager and web developer will work side-by-side trying to find and execute a “big idea” that will engage our client’s customers. And while our clients generally focus in on a single type of product or audience, our teams at Simantel become knowledgeable in many industries, constantly learning and applying good marcom practices across a variety of industries.
To succeed in an agency you need to be self-motivated, passionate, selfless, curious and, above all, a team player who can embrace constant change and always remember to keep things in perspective. If you’ve worked with us, I’m sure you’ve experienced all of these traits within our team. Of course, we can’t divulge everything that goes on behind the scenes. Let’s just say that Hollywood isn’t far off in their depiction.
Q: What’s the difference between account management and project management?
TL: At Simantel, these roles share a few similarities but many distinct differences. Our account managers focus on becoming subject matter experts for their clients and are the voice of the client within the agency. They consult with various departments and vendors, track budgets, review all aspects of a project to ensure they are meeting expectations, and keep the client informed and engaged. They are also the first line of defense when a challenge arises or the evaluator of an opportunity that presents itself.
Our project managers truly manage our clients’ initiatives once they become active projects. This means creating project plans, managing resources and schedules, leading status meetings, creating and sharing meeting recaps, collecting, organizing and sharing key project information and ensuring the full team has all the information and feedback they need to be successful. Many of our account managers started as project managers, and this is actually the path I took when I first joined Simantel in 2003. This experience gave me a line of sight to how to be a good account manager and how to effectively work with a project manager.
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Stayed tuned for future editions of The Mailbag where we will explore more common questions we hear from clients. But in the meantime, if you have a question we haven’t addressed, tweet us @simantel or contact us.
