Top 5 Audio and Video Sharing Sites

Posted on November 14, 2013 by mediagro

Multimedia applicationsWhen it comes to your audio advertisements, there are various avenues for you to distribute your material. There are the obvious platforms such as television and radio, but have you thought of sharing your audio and visual presentations on various audio and video sharing sites? Below is Media Sound’s top 5 rated sites.

YouTube
Did you know YouTube is the third biggest search engine? With millions of visitors each day (12 million monthly users) – so doesn’t it make sense to have content about your business on this site? Best of all, it is a free site to upload videos, and if your material is popular enough, you can even make money from it.

Instagram
Video is a relatively new feature on Instagram – but the trend is starting to take off. Again, a free site, but you are limited on how long your video is. Instagram is growing rapidly in popularity – and content uploaded via Instagram can also be uploaded to your Facebook and Twitter accounts all in the one go.

Flickr
Flickr is predominantly a photo-sharing site, but now also hosts videos. Videos are to be no longer than 90 seconds and if you have free account you can upload 2 x videos per month or you can upgrade your membership for $25/year and upload as many as you would like.

Viddy
Get lots of videos on your smartphone? Then Viddy is the place to upload and share them! Videos are limited to only 15 seconds, however, like with Instagram, you can share them via Viddy to your other social networks. Viddy has a growing community and is a great way for smaller businesses to promote their offerings to this online community.

Daily Motion
Europe’s version of YouTube, Daily Motion is a French social video sharing platform and is growing in popularity, however it isn’t quite as big as YouTube.

Don’t fret if you only have audio to share – as you can easily create visual content and put your professional audio production behind. If you don’t have access to video editing software, you can use PowerPoint to make a nice visual multimedia presentation that is surely going to make an impact.

Media Sound specialises in the production of audio for use in radio, television, multimedia and social networking. Call us today and get a production that stands out.

Posted in Advertising, Audio Promotions, Media Sound, Social Media | Leave a comment

Facebook Competitions

Posted on November 12, 2013 by mediagro

Facebook Competitions

Facebook competitions used to be quite regulated by Facebook. In fact, you weren’t even allowed to run a competition without a third party app. The rules have however, now changed and they have eased up on how you can promote you Facebook promotions and competition.

In the past it was a BIG no-no to run a competition, which required your fans to like, tag or share. Now the rules have been relaxed, there is certainly more opportunities for you to get your name out there and promote your business’ competitions on Facebook.

New Rules
The new rules mean that you can now promote your competition without a third party application (though this was as simple as an entry form on your own website). Competitions can be run through pages only – you can’t run a competition through your own profile page.

Tags are still a grey area, and getting fans to tag a photo to win is still prohibited.

Promotion
Facebook also has a new feature, where you can promote posts on your page. This therefore allows you to promote your competitions and leverage off Facebook’s popularity (though this is at a cost).

Businesses can also promote their competitions through the conventional advertising mediums such as print, radio and television, and of course, don’t forget to put your Facebook competition on free sites such as www.win-free-stuff.com.au.

Third Party Apps vs. Timeline Promotions
Timeline promotions will allow all businesses, both big and small to run Facebook competitions without having to get a designer to set up a third party app. It will also be a much quicker process to get your competition out to the public and reach a much wider audience.

Third party apps however, are generally much more professional and providing you have a good designer, usually come with much more advanced analytics – which you won’t necessarily get from Timeline promotions. So if measuring your marketing success and understanding your audience is important to you, then it is worthwhile investing in a third party application.

Facebook is a great platform to engage with customers and potential customers, and Facebook competitions are definitely a great way to build your following. However, even though Facebook rules have now been relaxed, Permits have not. It is up to you to check with your local authority to see if any permits are required for your competition.

Media Sound can further enhance the promotion of your Facebook competitions with a professional audio production. Call us today on 1300 736 465.

Posted in Media Sound, Online Marketing, Social Media | 1 Comment

Audio Advertisements for Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2013 by mediagro

It’s spooky, it’s kooky; it’s Halloween and it can be a whole lot of extra fun. Traditionally an American holiday, Halloween is now growing in popularity here in Australia also. I for one enjoy getting dressed up for the festivities, and have a selection of chocolate to give out to the sugar fuelled, costume clad kids who knock on my door. So why not let your business get in on the fun and invest in a professional Halloween audio advertisement to grab your customers attention.

Scary music beds and screams for sound effects are just some of the ways you can get in on the fun – and then share it with the world by uploading your audio advertisement to your website, social network or through the radio. Allowing your business to celebrate in various holidays is a great way to keep your advertising time specific and fresh. And it also lets you have some fun with your customers.

Copywriters
Our creative copywriters are extremely talented and quite witty, even if we do say so ourselves. With experience in both print and broadcast, they will be sure to use their expertise to help devise a script to have your customers shaking in their boots.

Voice Talent
With a large library of voice actors from all over the world on our books, we can guarantee you’ll find the perfect voice to bring your script to life. Our voice artists can do character voices, accents and various tones to really set the scene.

Audio Engineers
What can we say? Our audio engineers are monsters when it comes to mixing audio, and we’ll mix music and audio to produce you an eerie audio production for your Halloween advertisement.

Join in on the fun and call Media Sound today and get your seasonal audio advertisement.

Posted in Advertising, Audio Production, Audio Promotions, Business, Copywriting, Media Sound, Voice Over | Leave a comment

Audio Tours and Audio Spruiking

Posted on October 25, 2013 by mediagro

Have you ever been into a museum or tourist attraction and been greeted with an audio tour guide? Audio spruiking or audio tours are very popular, and great ways to spice up your internal marketing communications. With a professional audio production, you could really make a huge impression and educate your customers. Here are a few examples on audio tour strategies.

Fashion Retail
Select a couple of hot spots in your store and have a play button so your customers can listen to it at their own leisure. It might be for a new item or a sale item. Your pre-recorded audio spruiker can then talk about the garment and how to accessories it. Retail audio tours are more about educating your customers, taking a tour down product knowledge lane. Audio is a great way to offer a point of difference to the overall customer experience.

Public Transport
For routes around the city, public buses, trams and trains can incorporate the passengers very own private tour operator with an audio tour – and leave it up to the passenger as to whether they listen to it or not; informing them of major landmarks and the history of the city.

Museums
Audio tours are most often present in museums and are played at various points of the museum; educating customers about the artefacts and paintings displayed at the museum – relating the history about the subject.

Restaurants
Let your waiters and waitresses focus on taking the orders, and let your audio educate your customers about your current specials. On the plus side, your patrons can listen to it again if they didn’t quite get it the first time.

Audio is a great way to engage with your customers when your staff might not be able to. It also adds to your customers’ experience and educates them about your products and services. Audio tours / spruikers are entertaining and informative. Ensure you have a professional production, and contact the team at Media Sound.  

Posted in Advertising, Audio Production, Audio Promotions, Audio Tours, Marketing, Media Sound | 1 Comment

Tips for Aspiring Voice Artists

Posted on October 24, 2013 by mediagro

Radio Imaging

Whether it be radio, television, telephone messages on hold, corporate presentations or eLearing, voice artists have a story to tell and it takes great skill to be able to do this effectively.

A voice artist uses their voice alone to evoke emotion and tell a story. And in many cases (radio, online and messages on hold) voice artists can’t rely on any visuals to help with their storytelling, just a good script and the ability to transform that script into a professional voice recording.

The one piece of advice that our talent tell us, is that you aren’t merely reading the script and talking to the audience, but rather you are becoming the character / narrator in the script and you are sharing a message. And here’s how our voice artists do it:

  • Straight back, and head held high – this posture helps you to breath and deliver a strong reading.
  • Smile – believe it or not, just by wearing one can make your reading much more positive.
  • Concentrate on the script and the message within the script. Watch your pace and know when to pause and emphasis words.
  • Think of your audience and how they will best relate to the message you are trying to convey.
  • Don’t feel intimidated by the recording studio or producer – they’re there to do a job, just as you are.

Being a voice artist takes skill; you need confidence and the ability to bring script to life. The broadcast industry is a very competitive one, and to make it in this field, you need to be motivated and continuously practice your technique, The more character voices, tones and accents  you can do, the more employable you are. So start practising today.

Posted in Audio Production, Voice Over | Leave a comment

Audio Promotional Products

Posted on October 21, 2013 by mediagro

Audio Production

At Media Sound we are extremely passionate about audio. Our experienced staff have all worked in the broadcast industry for many years, and we have watched it evolve into a spectacular marketing channel. Recently, we have seen the rise of companies using audio promotional products to reward the loyalty of their customers.

This is by no means a new concept, however, with the ease of distributing and sharing audio productions, many companies now see the value of an audio production for use as a gift.

Here are a couple of examples on how you can use audio as a promotional product.

Instructions / Manual
I don’t know about you, but I hate reading manuals. If only Ikea would provide a CD barking directions at me. Of course I would still need to refer to the pictures, but at least I would have a better chance at understanding the voice artist, rather than having to decipher the written instructions.

Product Knowledge
My husband and I recently bought a brand new Holden Captiva. The sales guy did tell us about all the bells and whistles, but we forgot all about it by the time we got home. Yes they provide a manual, but seriously, I just don’t have the time to read it. Imagine if they provided a CD that I could listen to in my new car, detailing all the cars bells and whistles. So much easier.

Audio promotional products are a great way to add extra value to your products, and help you stand out from your competitors; it is also an inexpensive way to continue your branding once the customer has already made their purchase.

If you’re eager to get more ideas about how you can come up with an innovative audio promotional product, then please contact one of Media Sound’s audio engineers today on 1300 736 465.

Posted in Advertising, Audio Promotions, Media Sound | 2 Comments

Facebook Changes Privacy Settings (Again)

Posted on October 16, 2013 by mediagro

Facebook

Facebook has recently announced they will be discontinuing the “Who can look up my timeline by name?” search setting. That’s right, now everyone can search for you on Facebook and find you, unless of course you have blocked that particular user.

According to the social media site, this function was only every really used by a small minority, and if privacy is big on your list, then it is important that every status or picture you post, you select the audience who you want to see it (bottom right-hand corner of the post box), otherwise everything you post will be for all the public to see.

Facebook is a social sharing site, however, in many cases, not everything shared on Facebook is for the masses, and it is therefore important that you keep up-dated on the privacy settings – regardless of whether you are a business or an individual.

The team at Media Sound love engaging with our customers through this social network, and we even have our own Facebook business page (www.facebook.com/mediasound), however, we also understand how important it is to keep some things out of the public eye. We therefore recommend that you be diligent with your social media accounts, and make sure that you constantly stay up-to-date with the privacy policies associated with your accounts.

If you’re looking for a professionally scripted, voiced, recorded and mixed audio production for your Facebook business page, please give the team at Media Sound a call today.

Posted in Media Sound, Social Media | Leave a comment

Do Annoying Radio Commercials Work?

Posted on October 16, 2013 by mediagro

Audio Production

Annoying radio commercials – we hear them every day, however, there is always one that just sticks out from the rest. So bad is the radio commercial that you can barely stand to listen to it. Just think of Kimmy’s Dad on Crimsafe Screens or Frank Walker from National Tiles radio commercials.

My husband absolutely cringes when he hears Kimmy’s dad come on the radio, that he actually has to change the channel when it comes on. But when we were looking for screen doors recently guess what brand he could recall … that’s right, Crimsafe.

National Tiles is one of Australia’s all time most annoying radio commercials – having been voiced by Frank Walker the company’s owner over 13-years ago, and his nasally voice that has annoyed millions has also helped make him millions. Their new radio strategy is to talk about how annoying the advertisement is.

So whilst not all annoying advertisements will work, some actually make a lasting impact, and are responsible for building brand recognition. And just like with a creative or humorous radio commercial, an annoying radio campaign could potentially go viral – creating even more publicity for the brand.

Radio advertising is what funds radio stations throughout the globe, and whilst many listeners get sick of commercials, it is a necessary means in order to keep the radio stations on air. Plus, it is an effective marketing tool for many Australian businesses.

Media Sound is a leading Australian audio production company, who specialise in the production of radio commercials for all commercial radio stations. Call us today and we will help produce a memorable audio production for your next radio campaign.

Posted in Audio Production, Media Sound, Radio Commercials | 4 Comments

Has the Internet Killed Print Directories?

Posted on September 21, 2013 by mediagro

Gone are the days where we would let our fingers do the walking, and open the rather large yellow or white pages. Nope, these days we simply get on our phones, iPads or computers and type our searches into Google. Hell, even Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube can help us find what or who we are looking for.

So has the Internet killed the need for print directories?

Printed Directories Vs. Online
Well according to the vast majority of our clients, friends, employees and suppliers, yes, the print directory’s days are numbered. Why waste paper and major marketing bucks, when you can look up the information you need on Google? Think about it … how often do you hear the phrase “I’ll Google it” compared to “I’ll Yellow Pages it”?

More than 50% of Australians own a smart phone with access to the Internet, and according to the ABS over 75% of Australians have access to the Internet at home. The growth of online usage by Australians is phenomenal, and we will continue to see a growth in this arena.

Sensis offering online services
Another tell tale sign is the fact that Sensis (the people behind the Yellow and White Pages) is now trying to break into the online market – offering SEO, PPC and web design as part of their packages. In my view, offering online marketing packages not worth the money the paper the quote is printed on.

Print Directories Shrinking
Furthermore, both the Yellow Pages and White Pages books have now shrunk dramatically in size (yet they still have the audacity to charge a fortune for advertising in their books), reducing in size by approximate 75% since 2009.

Times are a changing, and so too is the way we search for people and businesses. Unfortunately, we believe that the print directories days are numbered. However, they do make for great computer boosters, but apart from that, Australians seem to be finding businesses and people through online searches.

The team at Media Sound are huge advocates of the online world, and we are constantly amazed by how fast the world is changing. If you’re to be found online, then make sure you are also heard, and get us to produce a professional audio production for your website or social network.

Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Media Sound | Leave a comment

How Customer Complaints Help your Business

Posted on September 14, 2013 by mediagro

Dealing with customer complaints

The title of this blog is absurd … surely, right? If that’s what you’re thinking, then you would be wrong. Customer complaints aren’t entirely all that negative. Whilst it isn’t ideal to get a lot of complaints, the ones you do get can help you really fix a big problem in your business. It is inevitable that a company will receive a complaint at some point in time – you can’t please everyone. But it is the way you deal with these complaints, that can turn it into a positive.

At Media Sound, we take customer feedback very seriously. Our customers are our business and we want to make sure they get the best experience and best audio production without fault. Here’s how we suggest you can handle negative feedback from customers.

Listen to your Customers
Many businesses don’t want to acknowledge they are wrong, and sometimes they won’t be. If you have a disgruntled customer, make sure you take the time to listen to what they have to say. Show them that they are worth investing your time to try and fix the problem.

Fix the Situation
After you have established what the problem is, try and fix the situation. Even unrealistic complaints can easily be fixed, even if it isn’t the exact outcome they are looking for. Offer a replacement to the product, a discount on their next visit or even a gift voucher.

Fix the Problem in your Organisation
If you have a recurring complaint about a specific product, service or staff member, then maybe it is time to address the situation and look at changing the way your business operates. Maybe you need to ask an employee to lift their game, find a new supplier or change the way you conduct your operations. Businesses need to constantly evolve – by addressing your customers’ feedback, your business will be able to change for the better, and will be more competent in serving their needs.  

Obviously if your company is inundated with customer complaints, then your really need to take action very quickly; but a customer complaint here or there will help you identify problems with your business, and give you the opportunity to fix them and really enhance your businesses operations and the experience you give your customers.

Posted in Business, Media Sound | Leave a comment

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Media Sound
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