Video Testimonials Make Big Impact

Testimonials are an extremely powerful way to help sell things. Next to getting a direct referral, a testimonial from someone proclaiming the virtues of a product or service, is one of the most influential pieces of marketing out there.

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Tags: referrals, testimonials, video testimonials

Halloween Hints: What to do if You Run Out of Candy

The Jack-O-Lanterns are carved.  The Halloween decorations are up.  The treats have been bought.  We’re all set!  Or are we?

Every year, I stress about whether or not I’ve purchased enough candy.  I don’t want to buy too much (inevitably I end up eating the leftovers) but I would also be disappointed if we ran out before the night’s end.

So what do you do if you run out of treats on October 31? › Continue reading

Tags: Halloween Candy, Halloween Planning, Trick or Treaters

Give a Can of Soup, Get a (Discounted) Can of Paint

Tags: Paint Sale, Second Harvest Heartland

Asian Pacific Cultural Center Capital Campaign Video

Looking back on nearly 5 years of StoryTeller work, it’s interesting to watch some of our older projects because it takes me back to that specific time in my life. One of the first videos that I produced, along with photojournalist Neil Pursley, was a fundraising piece for the Asian Pacific Cultural Center (APCC).  The APCC was to be a new building and organization in St. Paul that would be a place where all Asian Americans could go to connect or learn about their heritage.  As an adopted Korean, I was especially connected with the mission of the organization and volunteered as a member of the capital campaign.

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Tags: adopted Korean, APCC, Asian American, Asian Pacific Cultural Center, Neil Pursley, Video Case Studies

Lindsey Vonn is Our Video of the Week

Okay, so this is a total “homer” play, but this winter Lindsey Vonn will ski for gold for the U.S. at the Vancouver Olympics. Hey, she’s a Minnesota gal and grew up in Burnsville so heck yeah, we’ll be pulling for her in the StoryTeller offices this winter.  Go Lindsey!!!

Ed Heil is the owner and president of StoryTeller Media & Communications an inbound marketing and public relations agency and video production company based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ed blogs on topics related to inbound marketing, social media, media relations, news media, video production and crisis communications.

Tags: Lindsey Vonn, Vancouver Olympics, Video of the week

Holiday Tip: Try a Homemade Gift!

It seems like more of us are trying to simplify our lives these days, whether to reduce clutter, stay organized, or better follow a tightened budget.  But we also can’t resist getting friends and family members gifts, whether it’s for birthdays or holidays.  How do we reconcile these sometimes conflicting ideals?  One way is by making homemade gifts.

I polled some moms I know for their favorite homemade gift ideas.  One friend of mine made fairy wands for the young guests at her daughter’s birthday party.  She and her kids gathered sticks from their backyard and then hot glued felt stars and bright, patterned ribbons to the ends.  So cute!  Here are some of other ideas for gifts your kids can make themselves:

• Try a Treat: Who doesn’t like receiving homemade chocolates, cookies, or breads?  And spending time with kids in the kitchen is a great way for them to learn a variety of skills (see my blog from October 9 for more information on that topic).  Make your favorite cookies or candy, put them in a cute little tin, and voila!  A great, yummy gift is complete.  One year (I admit this was before I had children) I made dark chocolate truffles for Christmas.  Your kids can even get in on the candy-making fun with MindWare’s Candy Factory.  If the people on your list are trying to steer clear of sweets, you could buy a soap-making kit or jewelry-making supplies from your local craft store to help you get started.
  

  Perform your own experiments - with delicious results!

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Tags: Candy Factory, Finger Paint Keepsake Kit, Holiday Gifts, Homemade Frames, Homemade Gift Ideas, Kids Mosaic Stone Kit, Project Runway T-Shirt Design Studio

Foods to Keep Your Skin Looking Great

I have a confession to make: I have mediocre skin.  I’ll admit, it’s not horrible - but it’s not as beautiful and glowing as I’d like it to be.  It’s frustrating — I’m nearly 24 years old; shouldn’t this have stopped troubling me around high school?  I’ve gone through the gamut of medications - some worked, some didn’t — but recently decided to try a more natural approach to helping my skin shine.  On my way home from a trip to Greece in September, I leafed through a copy of Women’s Health the woman next to me had already finished reading, and came across an article about the best foods for great skin.  I’m a pretty picky eater (most who know me would probably say that picky is an understatement), so I selected the foods that worked best for me and tried to eat them consistently over the last several weeks.  Here’s what worked: › Continue reading

Tags: Almonds, Dark Chocolate, Green Tea, Healthy Foods for Your Skin, Healthy Skin, Low Cholesterol Foods, Orange Juice, Women's Health

Next Year’s Color Inspiration? Think Neutral

Though the new year is still several months away – at this point, you might be more focused on getting through the holidays – experts are already forecasting 2010’s most popular trends in design and décor.  I spoke with Kathy Basil of Hirshfield’s Design Studio last week about what we can expect – and what kind of trends we can implement in our own homes.  She predicts that where 2009 was full of bright, vibrant colors, 2010 will see a shift towards safer neutral tones, and believes this transition may be related to the economic situation.

“Neutrals seem safe in uncertain times,” said Kathy.  “People may not feel comfortable changing their whole room, and neutrals provide a great backdrop to pull in other colors.  If you nail the perfect neutral in your main living space, you can use more adventurous colors in other areas of your home.”

While neutrals – such as Benjamin Moore’s Ashwood – will dominate the main areas of many homes, plums like Autumn Purple, peacock blues and leafy shades such as Terrapin Green will be popular as accent pieces.  Metallics will remain popular, but be more subtle – pearlescent tints rather than pieces reminiscent of mylar or foil.

Neutrals - like Ashwood - are a good base for any room.

Plum shades like Autumn Purple make great accent colors.

Adding in an accent piece in a bright shade of peacock blue can really spice up a room.

Try a natural, grassy green as an complement to your neutral base.

Kathy predicts that a desire for safety may influence all realms of design, including furniture and accent pieces, where handmade and reclaimed items – think quilts and heirlooms – will remain popular.  Carpets and rugs also will make a comeback, providing another avenue to make homes cozier.

For walls, wallpaper is the trend to follow.  “Not only does wallpaper look great, especially on accent walls, but it’s extremely user-friendly,” said Kathy.  “You can get removable wallpaper so you can change it out easily and as often as you like.”

Tags: 2010 Color Trends, Benjamin Moore, Green, Metallics

Fall Painting Tips

Although it’s been getting colder in the Twin Cities — as evidenced by the snow covering the ground this week — there’s still time to finish up your exterior painting projects before winter arrives.  Fall can be an excellent time of year to paint the exterior of your home — you can paint in temperatures as low as 35º — but there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure the success of your painting project:

• As a general rule of thumb, the best hours of application are between 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

• Start your painting on the sunny side of your home and follow the sun around.  (In the summer months we recommend just the opposite – painting in the shade.)

• Lower temperatures mean slower drying and longer curing times.  Be sure to allow ample time between coats, generally 24 hours.  This is especially critical when using darker colors (more colorant) or when applying a latex paint over an alkyd primer.

• Watch those dew points!  The dew point is the temperature at which moisture will condense on a surface.  Paints, stains or primers should not be applied unless the surface temperature is at least 5° higher than the dew point. Remember that all surfaces to be stained or painted need to be clean and dry.  If dew forms on a painted surface that hasn’t had a chance to cure properly, you may experience some water spotting or surfactant leaching problems, especially in darker colors.

• Remember all surfaces to be painted or stained need to be clean and dry.

Be sure to follow all label directions, or for more information consult the paint experts at your nearest Hirshfield’s store.

Tags: Cold Weather Painting Tips, Exterior Painting

Great Toys for Toddlers

Oh, to be a little kid again and play all day long.  How fun is that?  Happily, playtime is full of activities that help little ones grow, learn and develop important lifelong skills.  Keep the following tips in mind when buying toys for the children you love and your gift will not just be a toy, but a great learning tool.

• Use Your Imagination: Toys that foster imaginative play are great for kids.  The mini kitchens, tool benches, vacuums, doll strollers, and dress-up clothes (I could go on and on) are fantastic, because they require the use of motor skills—for example, bending down to pick up the plastic apple and putting it back in the shopping cart, turning the wrench from the tool box, or reattaching the truck’s wheel, like with the award-winning “Design and Drill Activity Center.”

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Tags: Block Buddies, Design & Drill Activity Center, Imaginative Play, Pattern Play, Toys for Toddlers