From an early age, Danny Greene had a goal firmly in his mind: he wanted to start his own business by the time he turned 30.
He just wasn’t quite sure what that business would be or when exactly everything would fall into place. Until then, though, he was committed to gathering as much knowledge and information as he could. That way once the right opportunity came along, he’d be ready to jump on it.
“I looked at every job I had from the lens of ‘what can I learn from this position and the person I work for that will help me run my own company someday?’” Greene said. “I was always paying attention to what was going on around me.”
But then something happened that no one could have predicted – a global pandemic. And Greene, like millions of others across the U.S., suddenly found himself without a job.
“When I got laid off, I had a little spike of panic,” said Greene, who was working as an account executive for a prepared food company when Covid hit. “I was thinking, ‘OK, what am I going to do now?’”
Between his unemployment benefits and the money he’d saved over the years, Greene realized he had a safety net in place and wouldn’t have to rush out and grab the first job that came along. Comforted with that knowledge, he started pondering his future.
“I took a deep breath and asked myself ‘is whatever I got laid off from something I that want to try and do again?’” he said. “The answer was no.”
With two years left until his 30th birthday, Greene began thinking more seriously about starting his own business.
“This is it,” he said to himself. “If not now, when?”
At that point, Greene’s plan was to start a cleaning company. He’d previously worked for one as a sales and marketing manager and he’d enjoyed creating marketing assets and strategizing new ways to connect with prospects.
“I thought maybe I could differentiate my company through better marketing,” he said. “But when push came to shove, I really had no desire to go clean buildings.”
Then one day while out on a walk, Greene had a moment of clarity.
“I realized I was having so much fun doing marketing that I should scrap the cleaning business and focus on doing what I love,” he said.
And that’s how Minneapolis-based Greene Media was born.
Greene started out doing drone photography and video for real estate agents but has since grown his company into something bigger. Now, he works with clients from all industries to tell their stories and build their brands through digital content. Whether he’s shooting on-site footage of a construction team working on a new project or testimonials from his clients’ satisfied customers, he’s passionate about the power of video and all the possibilities it can unlock.
“We’ve never had the capability to capture life the way we do today,” Greene said. “And it’s about a lot more than just business – it’s about legacies and the things we’ll be able to show future generations to inspire and guide them.”
When Greene is talking with prospective clients, there’s one point he emphasizes above all others, and that’s the importance of making video a part of their ongoing marketing strategy.
“It’s not enough to just hire a videographer to do one video and think you’re all set,” he said. “It’s definitely a start and there’s some long-hanging fruit there, but once you start thinking about how you can use video to solve problems and scale your company, you begin to realize that the sky is truly the limit.”
If you’ve been wondering what role digital content can play in helping you grow your business and solidify your brand, here are few of Greene’s thoughts:
- Your (video) vibe will attract your tribe: These days, there is a ton of competition in every industry, making it challenging for customers to know who to do business with. So what will make someone choose to work with you instead of the company across the street that does the same thing? It’s all about differentiating yourself and there’s no better way to do that than through your content. “The content you put out is going to attract the type of person that wants to do business with you,” Greene said. “It’s a natural way for people to get to know you without too much investment or risk on their end.” By sharing your values and what you find important, like-minded customers will find their way to you. It’s a win-win!
- Digital content puts action behind your words: It’s easy to write about how amazing your company is and how much you value your employees, but are your words being backed up by actions? Not necessarily. By adding video elements, you can show rather than tell the story of your company and what makes it special. “If you’re trying to attract a certain type of employee or customer, showing off your culture or the people in your company and really championing them can be very powerful,” Greene said. “Additionally, it helps build your brand and establish trust over time.
- The limit does not exist: According to Greene, 80 percent of internet traffic is video based. That means that companies can and should maximize the amount of video content they put out because that’s what people want to see. Once you start thinking about the possibilities of video content, you’ll begin to realize that it doesn’t just have to be about sales and marketing. Why not incorporate video into your employee onboarding process? Or use it to review your standard operating procedures with your team? “Video content is infinitely scalable,” Greene said. “And if you’re not using it, you’re missing out.”
- Practice makes perfect: Greene talks to a lot of clients who tell him they don’t feel comfortable being on camera. It’s understandable, he said, but it’s something that most people can overcome in time. “Like anything new, you just have to practice a bit, take baby steps and be OK with maybe not presenting yourself exactly how you want to right off the bat,” he said. To get more comfortable in front of the camera, Greene suggests taking practice videos on your phone and then watching them back to look for areas where you can improve. Above all, though, don’t take it too seriously. “We’re all so caught up with how others think about us, myself included,” he said. “But at the end of the day, people don’t think about it that much. They’re busy worrying about themselves.”
To listen to Danny’s podcast, click here.
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