In Germany, there is a curious expression that goes a little something like this, "Jetzt kommt der Moment wo der Afe ins Wasser springt." which roughly translates to "Now is the moment where the monkey jumps into the water", or for the laymen, "Something big is about to happen". And earlier this month, something big happened indeed.

I have been working freelance as the marketing specialist for Adam Garner and Heart Touch Films for their debut Documentary, "Relational". And a few weekends ago, we premiered the first episodes of the short doc. series at a local church to the attendance of approx. 100 people. The feedback and support we received that night was so heartfelt and exciting! Even more so because it meant that our plane was landing -- it was a success (at least among our first showing). 

This brings our project to its' next phase, which is online marketing and finding prospects for new showings, which I play a far larger role in as our Marketing Specialist. Tune in next week to learn how we plan to gather attention to our doc. and discover new prospects, and enjoy some pictures that bring the event to life in the meantime.

What is better than a promo video that captures real events and footage from your organization?

No seriously, what could be better than that? I asked myself that very question as I pondered my final video project as Head of Chi Alpha Advertising. We had put out a promotional video that last summer in preparation for the 2020-2021 school year, and we needed something fresh that communicated the same values.

It didn't take me long to decide after brainstorming. There weren't as many students available to create an authentic worship service or community event, so we decided to shoot a high quality and more intimate promotional video. One with much smaller shots, more emotion, and a voiceover. We used far superior equipment, all shot by myself and professionals instead of utilizing volunteer footage. I believe that long cut product does a wonderful job of displaying who Chi Alpha is and attracting the ideal target market (freshmen and upperclassmen at Ball State University). 

No more shaky cam or cheap soundtrack, but a professionally developed promo video set apart from more collegiate-branded videos. But I'll let you be the judge! Take a look, and let me know what you see, good or bad!

October 2021 is an exciting and scary date. That is the Relational Premier in Muncie. By then, we need to have three interview scattered across the Midwest secured, filmed, edited, and marketed. That's a tall order. But we have a talented team.

Last weekend, we finished interview two and have a third one scheduled for August. This interview was special, as Skye Jethani, the chill pastor in front of the camera, is the guy who inspired it all. We were hyped up and nervous to meet him as if he were some bigshot celebrity. Well to us, he was.

I was on BTS, PA, and Extra duty this shoot. Most of my work comes in during the marketing phase, which you might imagine as my title is the Marketing Specialist. Shocker. But I am on hand to help develop questions, strategy, shots and scenes. 

What is VERY exciting though, is that TODAY, I start work on developing the brand guide and social media strategy for our upcoming marketing push. Details to come. 

I worked for the Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship for three wonderful years. But our content strategy has not had the same level of consistent excellence for all three of those years. That's something I wanted to change. But it got me thinking -- what sort of content would draw college students into interactive online community when they have so little time already?

This spring, I did some thinking and research. I talked to students, looked back through our metrics (what was successful, what wasn't), and thought about what interested me as a student, and  I came up with a few topics/values that our Christian fellowship students have that attract them to posts.

1. ​Community Events: students value posts that relate to them and strengthen community bonds. If they were part of the event, they can celebrate, share, and relive it. If they weren't, they can feel like part of the event by interacting with the post. The post pictured is one of the most memorable events - a community baptism
2. Relevant Questions: students will interact with posts/Instagram stories that have questions that are relevant and make them think. I started an easily replicable and accessible content series called "Burning Questions" that is themed and has questions about college life, values, and their spirituality. 

​      3. Member Highlights: people love celebrating the people around them and learning more about them. This                      brings in more value (Inbound methodology) to the target viewer. We do a series called "People of Chi                              Alpha" where we highlight members' stories, faith, and personality through multiple mediums including video,               essay, and photo.
      4. Encounter Moments: Memorable moments and quotes from community events and gatherings connect with                  fellowship members and resonate with them (hopefully!!). I started a second easily replicatable series                                called "Encounter Moments" where we record those quotes or short videos with a fun logo and picture.
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So far it's been very successful! These four graphics displayed below along with their associated content or copy performed at the highest level of our posts that spring, and will continue to garner interest if utilized. However, that doesn't mean that Chi Alpha can stop there. Innovation and freshening things up is always necessary. Always be seeking to add more value to your target market or buyer personas!!