Engaging video needs to be quality video. Whether you’re making it with an iPhone, or a $10,000 camera, it’s important to make sure that a viewer (or viewers) can clearly make out what is being recorded. As personalized video and social media content such as Facebook Live are becoming increasingly popular, there’s one thing many aspiring video marketers fail to consider… 

Sound quality. 

The fact is, it doesn’t matter how expensive (or inexpensive) your video equipment is, almost all tend to lack microphones that are of sufficient quality to really isolate the speaker. Think about it. When you’re doing a video walkaround for a customer, consider all the challenges you face. You’re probably doing it on the dealership’s lot, which means all sorts of background noise is going on: other customers; people paging each other; service department noise; weather-related noise (like wind); and, since most dealerships are roadside, you probably have some traffic noise too. All of these background sounds can easily affect the sound quality of the video and make it difficult for a customer to hear you clearly, which makes the video less engaging --despite how great the video quality may be.  

The same issues can arise with personalized email videos, or any type of video content. Your showroom isn’t going to go silent just because you want to record a personalized video email to a customer. It just won’t! There are phones ringing, salespeople talking, customers milling about, perhaps kids in the service waiting area, or even background music playing. All of these things can also affect the overall quality of the video and detract from the professionalism you wish to present to your customer.  

My advice is to invest in a great microphone. Regardless of the equipment you use to make the video, there are many choices for external microphones that will work with it and it doesn’t have to be expensive. By simply adding an external microphone to your smartphone, DSLR or video camera, you can greatly increase the clarity and engagement of your video. Nothing is worse than creating a super video only to find out later that some car horn in the background, or other noise, interferes with your voice.  

If you’re the type that makes videos on your own (i.e.: selfie video emails or walk arounds), then a simple corded lapel microphone should be sufficient to adequately capture your voice and minimize ambient noise, while not interfering with your video production. If you have someone filming you, whether that’s with a smartphone or DSLR, consider upgrading to a wireless lapel microphone. This allows the camera to be further back, hides microphone wires and minimizes ambient noise, while nicely capturing your voice.  

Go ahead and keep making those videos. People love watching them… but they also want to hear what you’re saying. Follow this advice and you’ll find that your video quality increases and your audience is more engaged. 

September 12, 2017 – Urbandale, IA – Flick Fusion Video Marketing today announced that it has joined the growing CDK Global Partner Program. As a member of the largest third-party partner program in the industry, Flick Fusion is now part of a marketplace of applications and integration choices developed to help automotive dealers succeed.  

"Many dealers now realize that videos are not something to just post on your website, but an essential part of an integrated online marketing strategy that will increase the informational and emotional value of the dealership’s online content across all digital touch-points," said Tim James, COO of Flick Fusion. "The integration with CDK allows more dealerships to take advantage of our dynamic video marketing and hosting platform."

Flick Fusion's SMARTFLICKS is the only video marketing and hosting platform that automates the entire video production and distribution process. Dealers can use SMARTFLICKS to easily create inventory videos, personalized video e-mails, customer testimonial videos, dealership value proposition videos and more. SMARTFLICKS is designed to deliver the right video to the right shopper at the right time in the buying cycle. Flick Fusion's advanced technology monitors the activity of dealership videos and tracks individual shopper behavior across all Internet touch-points. SMARTFLICKS then utilizes a shopper's activity to instantly display relevant video content and integrated marketing messages to that individual.

Flick Fusion's videos are proven to drive more traffic to dealership websites, increase SEO rankings, generate more leads and increase website lead conversion rates. 

All of Flick Fusion's inventory and dealership videos can be viewed on mobile devices and are easily accessible on dealerships' mobile websites. Videos are viewable on any operating system using any browser.

“We’re very pleased to introduce Flick Fusion as the newest member of the CDK Global Partner Program,” said Howard Gardner, vice president and general manager, CDK Data Services. "Flick Fusion is a welcome addition to our vibrant program that provides dealers with a range of partner choices and the assurance that their programs can be seamlessly integrated with our applications.”

The CDK Global Partner Program provides members with access to a diverse CDK ecosystem through the ability to integrate with a range of CDK applications, as well as with CDK dealer websites. The addition of Flick Fusion to CDK's partner program will improve the integration of Flick Fusion's inventory videos with the CDK website platform, delivering a better viewing experience for online car shoppers. Additionally dealerships will be able to gather and access actionable data related to their customers' online behavior, whether those customers are viewing videos on the dealership's own website, or viewing videos on other Internet touch-points.

To learn how Flick Fusion Video Marketing can help to maximize your marketing ROI, visit Booth #805 at Digital Dealer 23, Las Vegas, NV. Or visit www.flickfusion.com

About the CDK Global Partner Program

The CDK Global Partner Program now numbers 300 partner companies that together offer more than 400 unique applications auto dealers can use to run their businesses. The CDK Partner Program provides data, workflow and website integration to a wide range of third parties, OEMs and dealers. Visit http://www.cdkglobal.com/partners.

About CDK Global

With more than $2 billion in revenues, CDK Global (Nasdaq:CDK) is a leading global provider of integrated information technology and digital marketing solutions to the automotive retail and adjacent industries. Focused on enabling end-to-end automotive commerce, CDK Global provides solutions to dealers in more than 100 countries around the world, serving approximately 28,000 retail locations and most automotive manufacturers. CDK solutions automate and integrate all parts of the dealership and buying process from targeted digital advertising and marketing campaigns to the sale, financing, insuring, parts supply, repair and maintenance of vehicles. Visit cdkglobal.com.

About Flick Fusion

Flick Fusion Video Marketing offers a full-solution video hosting, marketing and distribution platform to automotive and other inventory-based industries. The platform delivers automated, integrated and rule/behavior-based, including geo-targeted, video content in real-time, across multiple touchpoints and throughout the entire purchase cycle.
 

Flick Fusion makes it easy for dealers to create desktop and mobile-friendly vehicle inventory videos, video email and customer engagement videos such as testimonials, service department overviews and more. Videos are proven to capture more buyers' attention, advance organic SEO rankings, generate leads and increase conversion rates. The Flick Fusion system builds emotional value and customer loyalty for more than 4,500 auto dealerships through a network of 80 to 100 resellers. Visit www.flickfusion.com.

Urbandale, IA – August 14, 2017 – Flick Fusion today announced that VehiclesTEST, a content creator of independent test-drive videos, has selected Flick Fusion's SMARTFLICKS as its new video hosting and marketing platform. VehiclesTEST conducts independent road tests on the new Honda and Toyota models and creates broadcast-quality test-drive videos. Dealerships subscribe to the VehiclesTEST-SMARFLICKS feed and display the videos on website home pages, inventory pages, social media pages and more.

"We have admired the professionalism and high-quality content of VehiclesTEST’s videos for a long time, and we're very excited to be selected as its video host moving forward," said Tim James, COO of Flick Fusion. "We're even more excited for VehiclesTEST’s customers and the extra benefits they'll receive now that VehiclesTEST is utilizing SMARTFLICKS to help them get their video content in front of the right shoppers at the right time in the buying cycle."

"We selected Flick Fusion SMARTFLICKS because viewing a VehiclesTEST video on a mobile phone is as good—or better—as it is on a desktop," said Doug Thompson, Publisher of VehiclesTEST. "In addition to hosting, VehiclesTEST-SMARTFLICKS offers advanced marketing and distribution features that will help to increase organic SEO rankings, conversion rates and generate more leads for our dealership subscribers."

According to the Google report "The 5 Auto Shopping Moments Every Brand Must Own," test-drive videos are one of the top three types of video content that car shoppers search for, along with videos that show features and options and vehicle walkthroughs.

VehiclesTEST's test-drive videos include highway and city footage with commentary on the actual use of the vehicle, objective performance data on speed and acceleration, fuel economy results and highlights of new and improved features designed to help buyers make an informed purchase decision right on the dealer's website.

Watch the VehiclesTEST Honda Odyssey video road test: https://www.yonkershonda.com/new-honda-odyssey

Watch the VehiclesTEST Toyota C-HR video road test: http://www.dwtoyotalasvegas.com/new-inventory/index.htm?search=&model=C-HR&year=2018&gvBodyStyle=SUV

Flick Fusion's SMARTFLICKS is the industry's most advanced video marketing platform. SMARTFLICKS makes it easy and affordable for resellers to engage with their dealership clients' customers by offering up the right video content at the right time in the buying cycle. All VehiclesTEST test-drive videos hosted on SMARTFLICKS are viewable on mobile devices.

For more information visit www.flickfusion.com

About VehiclesTEST

VehiclesTEST.com traces its roots back to 1999, when co-founder Chris Kelly revolutionized the marine industry with online test videos by creating the award-winning BoatTEST.com. Since 2007, VehiclesTEST.com has produced high-energy performance-oriented video test reviews on cars, trucks and SUVs. VehiclesTEST.com shoots all of its own Honda and Toyota B-roll footage, fully fuel and speed tests all vehicles, and publishes those reports so the prospective buyer can review objective information from a third-party source.

About Flick Fusion

Flick Fusion offers a full-solution video hosting, marketing and distribution platform to automotive and other inventory-based industries. The platform delivers automated, integrated and rule/behavior-based, including geo-targeted, video content in real-time, across multiple touchpoints and throughout the entire purchase cycle.

Flick Fusion makes it easy for dealers to create desktop and mobile-friendly vehicle inventory videos, video email and customer engagement videos such as testimonials, service department overviews and more. Videos are proven to capture more buyers' attention, advance organic SEO rankings, generate leads and increase conversion rates. The Flick Fusion system builds emotional value and customer loyalty for more than 4,500 auto dealerships through a network of 80 to 100 resellers.

Head of National Accounts for Flick Fusion Ted Dupuy shares the path for dealers wondering where to begin in video marketing.

Flick Fusion COO Tim James continues explaining Google's 5 Auto Shopping Moments that Every Brand Must Own in the fifth and final installment of this series.  

22-Page Report Summarizes Market Potential and Provides In-Depth Evaluation of Flick Fusion's Smart Flicks Video Marketing Platform

Urbandale, IA--July 17, 2017--Flick Fusion today announced that PCG Research, a premier product research provider for retail automotive companies, released an in-depth evaluation of Flick Fusion's Smart Flicks video marketing platform. The 22-page report concludes that video marketing presents a 'massive opportunity' for auto dealerships as the popularity and consumption of videos by car shoppers rise.

"If your dealership is considering a video marketing solution, or if you are a reseller and your dealers are asking for videos, this report will answer all of your questions about what a video marketing solution can do and whether Smart Flicks is right for you," said Tim James, COO of Flick Fusion.

The report offers a detailed explanation of how Smart Flicks works and where to get it. It includes a sample case study of how a dealership has used videos to increase business, shares insight and opinions of resellers and gives an in-depth review of Smart Flicks' reporting tools.

The report also summarizes best practices for how auto dealerships can best utilize a video library, and makes recommendations for marketing, service, sales, and general branding.

Additionally, a complete list of Smart Flick's video marketing platform components is provided along with summaries of each. Flick Fusion designed Smart Flicks so it would be easy for dealers to start with the basics, such as inventory videos, then add different components as they grow comfortable with scaling up their video marketing campaigns and trying new strategies.

Components reviewed in the report include:

• Automated inventory stitched videos
• Full motion video
• Personalized walk arounds
• Vid2Pic
• Live Video Upload (LVU)
• Vidmail (video emails)
• Vidmagnet (SEO tool)
• Geo-targeting tool
• Retargeting tool
• Video equity offers
• Facebook app
• New model test-drive videos
• Human voiceover videos
• InstaVid

PCG Research provides comprehensive product research for the automotive community. The PCG Research evaluation of Smart Flicks is available free to auto dealerships and resellers including chat companies, website developers, email marketing agencies, lot service providers, video production companies and more.

For more information and to download the report, visit http://flickfusion.com/case-study-pcg-research-smart-flicks/

About Flick Fusion

Flick Fusion offers a full-solution video hosting, marketing and distribution platform to automotive and other inventory-based industries. The platform delivers automated, integrated and rule/behavior-based, including geo-targeted, video content in real-time, across multiple touchpoints and throughout the entire purchase cycle.

Flick Fusion makes it easy for dealers to create desktop and mobile-friendly vehicle inventory videos, video email and customer engagement videos such as testimonials, service department overviews and more. Videos are proven to capture more buyers' attention, advance organic SEO rankings, generate leads and increase conversion rates. The Flick Fusion system builds emotional value and customer loyalty for more than 5,000 auto dealerships through a network of 80 to 100 resellers.

Flick Fusion COO Tim James continues explaining Google's 5 Auto Shopping Moments that Every Brand Must Own in the fourth installment of this series.

When dealerships first start their video marketing programs, one of the most common questions I am asked is, "Will I have to buy an expensive camera?" The answer is no. Just about everyone these days has a smartphone that can shoot HD video. When used properly, the quality of video produced can be exceptional. All it takes is practice. 

Most dealers start with inventory walkaround videos and these are probably the trickiest videos to shoot, so that's what we'll focus on here. 

First, to ensure a good high-resolution (and non-pixelated) video, adjust your camera setting to record video at 1920 x 1080 and 30 frames per second (fps), unless you plan to extract your still images for the inventory from the video.  In that case you may want to utilize 60 frames per second (fps). 

Next, invest in a stabilizer. Most smartphones have a pretty good stabilizer built into them today, but they will only make a good video better. This is the merchandising layer for your inventory that most shoppers are going to view, so invest in the tools that you need to provide the best experience for your shoppers that you can. Don't fool yourself into believing you can walk around the vehicle while holding the smartphone steady in your hand. The result will be a bouncy video that will make your viewers seasick and result in low video completion rates. 

A hand-held stabilizer or tripod is better than nothing, but if you want to produce the best quality video invest in a 3-axis gimbal for a couple hundred bucks. It is worth every penny! For top of the line stabilization a 4-axis gimbal is even better, but may run you a couple thousand.  

Currently we recommend using a set-up that includes your smartphone, and the DJI OSMO camera/gimbal combo. This is a really cool camera that takes amazing quality video and connects wirelessly with your smartphone, so you can use your smartphone to view what the camera is recording.  

You can find a DJI OSMO starter kit for around $500 and depending on how you want to accessorize it, you may spend $700 to $800. This is a small investment that will make your inventory shine!  GoPro also offers some great camera/stabilizer combinations that cost less and produce very good quality videos as well.  

Once you have a stabilizer, the next thing you'll want to address is lighting. Smartphones have small lenses so adequate lighting is critical. This shouldn't be a problem if you're shooting outdoors, but always position the vehicle so you will not be pointing the camera into direct light, such as the sun. 

When you first begin shooting walkarounds, you may want to allow extra time to shoot the entire video two or three times. With each 'take,' experiment with different ISO settings, which measure your camera sensor's sensitivity to light. On a sunny day your ISO settings will be lower and on cloudy days your ISO settings will be higher. If you do shoot on a sunny day, avoid shooting midday because that's when the sun casts the harshest shadows. Instead, schedule shoots for early morning or late afternoon. 

For vehicle walkarounds, you want to feature shots panning the side of the vehicle, as well as the front and back so the viewer has a good sense of what the vehicle looks like from all angles. Open the doors and shoot the interior, both front and back. 

Then focus on shooting the features that you will use to sell the car, such as the Infotainment system, new tires, safety features, etc. The total length of your walkaround videos can range from one to four minutes. Don't believe experts who tell you that all videos have to be one minute or less. Though this is probably true for a bad or dull video, if the presentation is informative and entertaining, two, three or even four minutes is okay. There are plenty of dealerships that get 80 to 90 percent completion rates with videos that long, and plenty of dealerships that only get a 50 to 60 percent completion rate with their bouncy and dull one- minute videos.   

If you are worried about the audio track for your videos, you can have your photographer shoot your videos and have a data driven audio track added to the video automatically.  If you are adding your own audio while shooting the videos, or if you decide to shoot your walkaround videos featuring a salesperson or spokesperson giving a live presentation, invest in a good noise-cancelling microphone.  

Either way you can always go back and replace the audio layer of the video if you want or need to without having to re-shoot the video.  You can even personalize the audio layer of the videos for specific leads (personalized walkarounds) without having to shoot another video, saving you a LOT of time while producing an identical personalized walkaround video to one that was shot from scratch. 

Finally, expect that the first few videos you create will probably suck. Don't be discouraged! Practice makes perfect. Keep doing it and eventually things will click. Pretty soon you will find your own unique style and every walkaround video will become a mini-masterpiece. 

What tips do you have for shooting professional quality video with your smartphone?

Flick Fusion COO Tim James continues explaining Google's 5 Auto Shopping Moments that Every Brand Must Own in the third installment of this series. 

In this series of video blogs, Flick Fusion COO Tim James shares Google's 5 auto shopping moments that every dealership should know and how to take advantage of those moments to lead customers to your dealership.