By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ readers,

Here’s your Friday Deal:

1. Hey white papers, you’re boring. And no one likes you.

David Meerman Scott often says, “Ebooks are the hip and stylish younger sister of the nerdy white paper.” Yet, white paper fans around the globe refuse to believe that they might be wrong. They’ve fallen in love, and they don’t know how to let go. But now’s the time to listen up before it’s too late. The truth is, readers don’t WANT to read white papers. They want to read something interesting and eye-catching that they can pass on to their friends without asking them to give up their social security number and first born child just to get it. Still not an eBook believer? Check out why David Meerman Scott thinks white papers need to take a flying leap into the recycle bin:

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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ Readers,

Here’s your Wednesday Deal:

1. Want a job? You’re going to have to woo us first.

I often check the info@captainsofindustry.com inbox. In fact, I read every single email. Really, I do. But I’m sad to report that out of all the cover letters and resumes Captains receives, we rarely find a candidate that stands out. Why? Well, now that recent grads have been pushed out of the educational birth canal and into the real world, they’re desperately plastering the city of Boston with their lists of accomplishments in hopes of obtaining their first big kid job. From one not-so-recent grad to another, that method doesn’t work. But before you get all discouraged, chew on this. When you go on a date, is it fun to listen to the other person talk about themselves incessantly? No, it isn’t. So while it’s great to know that you interned at Fort Franklin and you just “love” the marketing industry, what we really want to know is if you get us. Have you even checked out our portfolio and the kind of work we do? Did you read our manifesto? Have you commented on our blog or sent us a tweet? If the answer is “no,” do you really have to wonder why were not keen on getting into bed with you?
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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ Readers,

I hope you all had a safe and smog/smoke-free Memorial Day. Here’s your Tuesday Deal:

1. On to Plan E

This is the 42nd day crude oil has been continuously gushing into the fragile ecosystems of the Gulf Coast. And it’s only going to get worse. The Top Kill plan was nixed this past weekend, so BP’s going to try a new kind of cap. If it doesn’t work, a relief well is the only guaranteed way to stop the oil. But according to BP, it could take months to drill.

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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ Readers,

I hope you’re all ready for Memorial Day weekend!  I know MD is typically known for beers, BBQ and the beach, but try to remember while your chowing down on burgers and throwing back some brewskis that the day is really for those who’ve died in our nation’s service. They’re the ones who make it all possible. So thank you!
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By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ Readers:

Break out your Manolos and shake up a cosmo, Sex and The City 2 is in theaters today! If you’re a die hard like me, you’d pay 10 big ones to watch those ladies hobble around Manhattan in walkers and Depends if you could. So if you’re finding it almost impossible not to bolt out of your chair and head to the nearest theater during working hours, I feel you. But if you can possibly contain yourself, it’ll all be worth it. Boston is hosting some great premiere parties tonight complete with themed cocktails and sky-high stilettos. So if you’re in the mood for something a little harder than fountain soda, these are the hot spots to head to before or after the movie:

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By Jean Levasseur, Captains of Industry

I’m a big fan of Life. The cereal, I mean, though like any carbon-based life form, I’m a big fan of being alive as well. There’s nothing better than a cool bowl of Life in the morning, when the cereal is still crunchy in the milk, but almost saturated to the point of soggy. I’ve been eating the same cereal almost exclusively for about 15 years now, with an occasional interlude for Captain Crunch.

My love of Life has left me virtually impervious to all forms of cereal advertising. Kix was kid-tested, and found wanting. I have never been Coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs. And Toucan Sam? Climb down out of your tree – you’re wasting your time. Read more Share This

By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ Readers,

Here’s your Daily Deal:

1. I just ate a bologna sandwich. With cheese.

Just because you CAN create updates about your deliciously processed meat sandwich, that doesn’t mean you SHOULD. According to Michael Troiano of Scalable Intimacy, we’re in the age of “real-time web.” That’s right. At this very moment you have the capability of receiving information the instant an author publishes it. Amazing isn’t it?

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It is time for more erudition from the Captains, this time in the form of a free eBook about making video customer testimonials, and how companies should use them as part of an effective inbound marketing strategy. The eBook, which is a compilation of our 10+ years of video production experience, is split into two chapters: why video testimonials are important, and how to make them effectively. The Why includes topics like increasing your credibility, turning your website into a TV channel, increasing referrals, giving people content to share, and showing off the personality of your company. The How section includes topics like telling a story, making the videos snackable, guiding users into a sales funnel, optimizing videos for search, and the need to publish new videos on a regular basis.

We hope you enjoy!

Download “How to Make Video Customer Testimonials.

By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ Readers,

Sorry I was a no show yesterday. I had to nurse my baby back to health. And when I refer to my baby, I mean my 2003 Toyota Corolla. With the help of the Glass Doctors, I think she’ll pull through. A special shout out to Dr. Mike for comforting me when I didn’t think she would make it.

Now on to the show:

1. First the neighborhood, then the world!

According to the Captains’ favorite marketing guru David Meerman Scott, not only can web videos help local businesses thrive, but they can also help local businesses thrive internationally. By embedding a video onto your website or social networking page, people from all over the world will have the ability to learn more about your company. And if your boss still isn’t convinced, Scott has created a great video called; “Are you reaching your buyers via online video?” which shows how many different cultures engage with online videos on a DAILY BASIS. This is an offer that’s just too good for any marketer to pass up.

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By Ted Page, Captains of Industry

Our Captains hats are off today for Bettina Hein of start-up Pixability in Cambridge, Massachusetts, featured in today’s Boston Globe article.

Pixability arms small businesses with flip cams, and lets them upload their raw video files that Pixability has edited for them by their network of freelancers. It’s a smart business model and we hope it takes off big time. Now, you might wonder if a video production company like Captains of Industry would feel threatened by a start-up that makes it easy and really cheap to make decent web videos. Not at all. Read more Share This

By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ Readers,

Here’s your Friday Deal:

1. Nice mug shot

Since 2004, I’ve sported a variety of pictures on my Facebook page. They’ve ranged from holding a blowup doll named Sanchez at my friend’s bachelorette party, to holding my masters’ degree at my college graduation. However, my most recent picture has caused quite the stir among my Facebook posse. In the offending photo, my eyes are crossed and I’m sticking out my tongue. I look ridiculous, but who cares? Well apparently my friends do. Not only did a slew of them comment on my photo, but one actually made a plea for me to take it down. His post read, “Linds, For the sake of the greater Facebook community. Please take this picture down.” Nice, huh?

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