In 2019, Saberpoint brought on OMH Creative to help them add video to their marketing strategy, and we built them a plan from the ground up. We closely consulted with Saberpoint to not only help them create videos that would resonate with their specific audience, but we also made sure their team members gained the skills they needed to create and implement an ongoing video strategy.
But first thing’s first:
What is Saberpoint & Why Did They Hire OMH Creative?
Saberpoint is an IT Consulting and digital solutions company that provides technology and business transformation services to small, medium and large enterprises in the U.S., Europe, and India.
Ken Engel, Executive Vice President and Founding Partner at Saberpoint
Through their ongoing work with SAP, Saberpoint became aware of the fact that they weren’t leveraging the incredible power of video in their marketing: “The impetus really started with SAP and just being at that digital marketing conference and seeing up on the screen the power of video in general,” shares Ken Engel, Executive Vice President and Founding Partner at Saberpoint.
“For a very long time, we have been dabbling with a lot of refinement in our email campaigns. But just seeing what we saw at the SAP conference in Orlando, it just kind of hit me that video could be a key differentiator,” Ken added.
Saberpoint reached out to us at OMH Creative to help them navigate the path of successfully integrating video into their overall marketing strategy. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what it all entailed:
Getting Started
During the discovery process, we learned that Saberpoint was excited to get started, but they needed help with identifying the types of videos they needed to focus on in order to generate the results they wanted.
Early in the process, we addressed a few challenges:
- In order to create quality videos that would convey a high level of professionalism, Saberpoint knew they needed a premium video setup. They just weren’t sure what gear they needed OR how to set it all up and maximize their tools.
- Saberpoint needed to refine their ideal audience personas before they wrote scripts for their videos. (Scripting in the correct voice is essential in making a strong connection with viewers! Strong connection = action and results.)
- We needed to figure out where and how Saberpoint wanted to use video in their buyer’s journey.
- Once Saberpoint had their videos created, they weren’t sure how to get them in front of their ideal audience. After assessing their needs and goals, we recommended a platform with the right balance of price, ease, and potential for growth.
- Ken Engel (Executive Vice President and Founding Partner at Saberpoint) has a busy travel and meeting schedule. We knew we wanted him on camera, so we had to plan everything well in advance to accommodate his busy schedule. Since Ken is charismatic and loves connecting with clients, we targeted him as the main on-camera talent for the initial videos, but he needed to have some basic on-camera coaching and adapt his innate “off-the-cuff” style to incorporate key messages and specific, actionable CTAs from a more formal script.
- Hanit Gyani (Director Partnerships & Marketing/Chief of Staff at Saberpoint) also had several pressing priorities, so she would only be able to participate during the video scripting and final review stages.
Taking the Plunge
Early on in the process, McKenna Blake (a new hire in the Marketing Department at Saberpoint) was identified as the best fit to complete OMH Creative’s signature “Video Creation for Marketing Teams Program.” In just four weeks, she learned how to take an idea, script it, shoot it, edit it, and get it posted to their platform of choice. We shipped a curated video gear package directly to Saberpoint’s office and showed them exactly how to set it up with live online coaching sessions.
“OMH did a phenomenal job to really align with McKenna, which I think also reduced her anxiety for delving into something that she didn’t have a lot of experience with,” shares Ken. “I really truly believe that that made a huge difference.”
Like many of our clients, the first and sometimes most daunting hurdle when learning to produce videos in-house is addressing the feeling of not knowing what they are doing at first.
It’s perfectly normal to feel daunted or even slightly overwhelmed before they begin working with us. We worked with Saberpoint to make sure they knew this was going to be fun, and that anyone can learn these skills if they follow the tactics and techniques we teach in the specific order we teach them.
Hanit Gyani, Director Partnerships & Marketing/Chief of Staff at Saberpoint
“OMH made it very simple because they sort of dumbed it down to video 101 in terms of teaching us how to get started with video and then even equipping us with the equipment that we needed for it as well as storytelling and best practices, “says Hanit.
“OMH guided us through the whole process from A to Z in terms of what it is that we needed to do, what we needed to consider, and how to ensure leveraging video as a part of our marketing strategy was a sustainable thing. We were given best practices and guidance that we have been using ever since OMH worked with us.”
After we had Saberpoint’s video setup up and running, we then customized an editorial calendar and provided a repeatable production process for Saberpoint to follow to ensure there were no roadblocks for them to create video content on a regular rhythm.
Betting on Yourself
During the process, it was amazing to see our clients grow. Through coaching and repetition, Ken was able to find the right balance of scripted and improvisational style that he was able to refine into short and impactful messages. His confidence in appearing on video grew, and his ability to authentically connect with his audience became a definite strength.
Hanit became adept at reading a script proposal, giving actionable feedback, and giving candid notes on initial video edits that helped her team generate content that helped her get their business messages across.
And McKenna now has the confidence and skills necessary to lead the charge as a Producer within Saberpoint!
Actions & Results: Was Hiring OMH Creative Worth It?
“We’re actually getting leads out of the videos that we’re putting out (on our site and on social media), so that’s been exciting. …We’ve tasted its success, and we want more of it.”
-Hanit Gyani, Director Partnerships & Marketing/Chief of Staff at Saberpoint
“We managed to get four new leads out of the first video that we posted on our website and that we are leveraging on social media,” says Hanit. “That’s kind of given us momentum because you know, we’ve seen the success that comes with leveraging video effectively.”
Not only has Saberpoint seen real results from their video marketing strategies, but Hanit describes an overall shift in thinking at the company: “There’s been a change of mindset about video needing to be an essential part of our marketing strategy. So now we’re trying to expand on how we can do that.”
“We’ve gotten everyone in the organization thinking video, thinking social media,” Hanit adds. “If anything, we’ve got too many people now taking pictures and videos, sending them and hoping to see if they’re a good fit for what we’re trying to do in terms of our marketing efforts, but I think what’s really important is that you’ve got everyone across the organization thinking about it and not just the marketing department. Marketing helps to manage and channel the message that comes in, but we’ve reached the stage where everyone in the organization is thinking about video as an essential marketing tool.”
“The momentum in our marketing was just so terrific towards the end of the year,” shares Ken. “We were just really floored when we were told we were going to win this award, this North American Digital Marketing Award. So it really sets the stage. The bar is so much higher for us this year. But we are very, very interested in continuing to look at different ways that we can tweak and improve video.”
“Sign up already!” says Hanit. “It’s been a great learning experience, and again, it’s all aspects of it; the equipment, the lighting, the storytelling, to the point of view, to the editing. We learned best practices for all that, so it’s been a great experience and anyone that’s involved with marketing should definitely have video in their portfolio, and if they don’t know how to do it, OMH is a great place to start.”
“There is no ifs, ands or buts about it,” says Ken. “Through the sessions that we had with you, we are now much more comfortable to really be self-sufficient. I think you did a very, very good job of really working with us to really figure out ways to do the videos with the proper lighting, and with the proper camera positioning, which we really didn’t know before. And then I think as well, which is something that became very, very significant, was just really starting to become more natural on the camera through kind of a limited scripting but not going too impromptu. And I think with those changes, it made it much more fluid as time went on. We’re now creating our own videos after we had the sessions finished with you.”
“There was no question about it, that the level of professionalism in a video is very, very, very, very important and I think underestimated. And I think that’s one of the key things that OMH did for us. I absolutely saw the difference when the lighting was positioned a certain way, I actually saw the difference when the camera was put in a certain position, and most importantly, I learned how crucial the scripting is. …OMH really helps with the nuances of what you have to do to really present an effective video.”
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After collaborating with Saberpoint, we were invited to present their newfound video production abilities as a case study to the SAP Partner Marketing Council in New York. Guests included Gary Vaynerchuck, Senior SAP Leadership, and a select group of their Partner peers.
We are on a mission to help technology companies learn how to harness the power of video by demystifying the production process and teaching simple, actionable skills that drive results in the form of an accelerated pipeline for marketing, sales, and pre-sales teams.
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