Episode 80: How To Use Video To Tell Stories With Andy Johnston

Professional Builders Secrets brings you an exclusive episode with Andy Johnston, Director at Expansion Media. Throughout this episode, Andy delves into the importance of video storytelling for builders and shares his expertise in creating engaging videos, tips on repurposing them and how often builders should consider producing video content.

 

Inside episode 80 you will discover

• Why video is such a powerful way to connect with your clients
• The types of videos builders should produce
• Tips builders can use to prepare for video production
• How to tell your story and get comfortable on camera
• The importance of project showcases and client testimonials in your marketing strategy
• And much, much more.

 

Listen to the full episode to uncover the key elements builders should focus on when creating video content, and how to overcome the challenges they may face in the process.

 

Andy Johnston - Director of Expansion Media

Andy is the director of Expansion Media and specialises in creating video content for builders. Whether that be project showcases, client testimonials or even building your brand. Andy believes builders are amazing at what they do, and deserve their work to stand out and be appreciated in a saturated market.

Connect with Andy

 

Timeline

2:11 Why video and storyetlling is so important

3:28 What should builders be paying attention to when it comes to videos?

4:37 What types of videos do you shoot for builders and how do you bring those stories to life?

6:45 The key challenges builders face when it comes to video

17:03 What type of sentiment you need to capture for builders and their audiences

18:25 What goes into the post-production process? 

20:31 How builders can repurpose their videos

 

Links, Resources & More

Expansion Media

APB Website

APB Rewards Partners

APB on Instagram

APB on Facebook

APB on YouTube

Join the Professional Builders Secrets Facebook group for builders & connect with professional builders world-wide.

Andy Johnston:

The thing that we need to focus on is actually storytelling.

Andy Johnston:

Saying for example, "We deliver excellent customer service and we are highly detailed," even though that might be true, the reality is the builder down the road can also say that. 

Andy Johnston:

We want to focus on the things that others can't say that are exclusive to you. 

Andy Johnston:

I engage builders when they have all these ideas in their minds, and they’re not quite sure how to bring them to life. 

Andy Johnston:

The ultimate thing we are trying to capture is the feeling. So, what's the feeling like when partnering with you as a builder on this journey?

Bosco Anthony:

Hello and welcome to the Professional Builders Secrets podcast, a podcast by the Association of Professional Builders (APB) for building company owners, general managers, VPs and emerging leaders. Here we discuss all things running a professional building company, from sales processes to financials, operations and marketing. 

Bosco Anthony:

We have another exciting episode from the Professional Builders Secrets podcast. Joining us today is Andy Johnston, Director at Expansion Media based out of Queensland. Andy, welcome and thank you for being here today.

Andy Johnston:

Thanks so much, Bosco. I'm pretty excited to be here and talk brand story videos.

Bosco Anthony:

We're going to talk a little bit about how to use videos to tell your story. We'll talk about storytelling, but before we get into it, tell us a little bit about you and what you do and what you specialise in.

Andy Johnston:

Yeah, sure thing. I'm the Director at Expansion Media. At Expansion Media we specialise in creating brand story videos for builders. So it's not just shooting videos. Our focus is on telling the builders' stories that reflect their true value as a building brand.

Bosco Anthony:

It sounds like you bring stories to life, but before we get into that storytelling phase, why is it so important to be paying attention to videos in this digital era, and what is video storytelling?

Andy Johnston:

Video storytelling in this digital era is essentially combining photos, videos and music, combining all those elements together in such a way that it tells an engaging story. In this digital era, it's just making it available in all the digital platforms for your audience to consume. Why should builders be paying attention to this and why should builders consider this? 

Andy Johnston:

With the rise of digital media, smartphones and cameras that are so easily accessible, with a few clicks, anybody can be creating video content, so therefore the volume of content that's going out into the market is going to increase. So if you're wanting to stand out and if you're actually wanting to reflect the true value of your brand and attract ideal clients who share similar values to you as a brand and as a building company, I believe telling visual stories of your brand and your building company is an extremely effective way of doing that.

Bosco Anthony:

Now what should builders be paying attention to in this era when it comes to videos?

Andy Johnston:

I think video is such an interesting word because when we think of ‘video,’ we just think of moving pictures. But the thing that we need to focus on is actually storytelling, captivating an audience and creating a story that resonates with them. So just showing a few progress shots or just having a drone shot of a build isn't enough today. Anybody can do that, and that's not a separation point for you as a builder. What really sets you apart from others is your story. 

Andy Johnston:

The things that I get my builders to focus on are the things that nobody else can say, but you can say. Let's put that into the videos. Saying, for example, "We deliver excellent customer service and we are highly detailed," even though that might be true, the reality is the builder down the road can also say that. So let's focus on the things that only you can say that are exclusive to you and then let's amplify that through video.

Bosco Anthony:

Now why should builders consider using videos for their audience today? What are some of the types of videos that you shoot for builders and how do you bring those stories to life?

Andy Johnston:

I love that question. I think why builders should consider using video for their audiences today is because video has the biggest impact on your market, psychologically. So when we think of marketing, marketing and psychology go hand-in-hand. So in order for us to really evoke emotion and get people to not just turn their heads, but to actually prick their hearts, that's what we really want to be doing. Video is the strongest marketing asset that you have to do that. 

Andy Johnston:

If you're wanting to captivate your audience, engage an audience and ultimately win people over, video is absolutely your strongest marketing asset. It's not just video, as I said earlier, it's telling those stories. Somebody might ask, “What stories do you want to tell?” Well, let's explore the brand story of how you came to be where you are now as a builder.

Andy Johnston:

If you've got a particularly challenging build, you might have a grand project that you're working on now that's built on a slope and there was so much troubleshooting that went into it and you actually overcame those challenges. Let's bring those stories to life and actually showcase to the world how you as a builder and your team overcame those challenges. Because, if you are talking to another prospect and they've got another block of land with a big slope on it, they're thinking the same things. They're talking to three or four other builders, and there's a story that comes up, which is from you that talks specifically about this other project where you dealt with all of these challenges and you give insight into how you overcame it. Man, that's just going to separate you miles from your competitors.

Andy Johnston:

And as we know in this game, it's about attracting the right people as well. The building process is such a long process; even the lead time is such a long process. In order for you to live a good life, you want to surround yourself with the right team, but also the right clients. So, you want to be putting out these types of videos that attract those right clients so that you can run a good business.

Bosco Anthony:

What are some of the key challenges for builders when it comes to doing videos? Do you see builders struggle with their confidence? What are some of those challenges that you encounter?

Andy Johnston:

Yeah, absolutely. Straight off the bat, one of the most common objections that I get is, "Andy, yeah, I don't really like to talk on camera." That's one of the first things that comes up. But I think next to that, when we’re finding story angles on a building company, their challenge is, “Gosh, we've got so many different aspects to this building company: the process, the case studies, the brand story. How do we combine all of this and present it in a way and actually practically bring this thing to life?” 

Andy Johnston:

I engage builders when they have all these ideas in their minds, and they're not quite sure how to bring them to life. That's the next challenge, actually finding a team to understand the power of stories, but then know how to actually achieve it as well.

Andy Johnston:

So that's a challenge to say, “Well let's not just hire a videographer.” You might go on Instagram, #videographer Brisbane, you find the top three people there, inquire and find someone for $400. Then you go out on site. You get the footage and you say, "Okay, well it's good footage, but it doesn't necessarily activate us as a brand." Builders sit there scratching their heads, saying, "Well, what are we missing here?" That's the challenge, actually amplifying those unique traits of your building brand and telling the unique stories for you as a brand. That's where it's at. That definitely is the challenge, and that's what we specialise in.

Bosco Anthony:

How do you bring builders’ stories to life on set? What do you do to try to extract those stories? You talked about being at such an important vehicle for marketing because you can create that engagement, that sentiment. What kind of pressures do you deal with when you're filming a builder to bring those stories to life?

Andy Johnston:

A lot of the work is actually done in the pre-production. That's the trick here; victory loves preparation. As I mentioned earlier, we want to focus on the things that others can't say, that are exclusive to you. How do I know that? What we actually do is conduct an extensive interview right at the beginning of the journey. We film and document a 90-minute interview with our builder. We extract all of their ideas about their target market, their origin story, their unique value, their perspective on things. We really dive in deep in that, and it's purely an exercise for us as a creative team to understand who we're dealing with.

Andy Johnston:

In that pre-production phase we can understand, for example, these guys are leaning more towards a high-end luxury feeling, and the reason is because of X, Y and Z. Once we understand all those things, we put that into our shooting schedule and create our storyboards. When it comes to the actual day of filming, we already know what needs to happen and how much we need to film, and we ensure we don't over capture certain aspects because we know only need a few shots of that to capture that story.

Andy Johnston:

So a lot of the pressure is actually early in the process, in the pre-production phase. We conducted an interview yesterday that went for two hours, and now the pressure that I'll face is condensing two hours’ worth of origin story and values and philosophy down into a two and a half or three and a half minute video. That's where it's at and that's the pressure. The beautiful thing about having structures and frameworks is we can see the story on paper before we pull out any cameras. We don't have to do the guessing game of shooting a whole bunch of content and saying, "I hope we've got enough content to tell a story." We'll know that way beforehand.

Bosco Anthony:

Take me through your process when it comes to video storytelling. You talked about the interview process being an important part, but from brief to post-production, I'm sure there are some critical steps. What should a builder know when they're working with you through this process?

Andy Johnston:

One thing they should know is that we hold their hand throughout the entire process from that 90-minute interview right through to post-production. We inform them of every step of the way, as they probably would with their clients. But one of the key milestones of pre-production is definitely conducting that 90-minute interview. We extract all that information and put it into a story circle framework so we can actually see the structure of this story. We know the highs and lows of the stories, and we have a structure to the narrative. From there we create the storyboard so we know exactly what we need to capture. We prepare the script, the shooting schedule, the shot list, and we then work with the builder to schedule in the shooting dates for all the production.

Andy Johnston:

When it comes to the day of filming, we'll ensure that we capture the drone shots, the interview shots, any of the cinematic B-roll, and we may be filming over multiple days, or it could be a half day here or two hours. We handle all of that, because I understand builders already have enough on their plates. They don't need the hassle of a production crew to manage as well. So that's the beauty of working with us as a producer. We alleviate that burden of saying, "Oh, where are these guys going to be?" We handle all that. So we work with them and keep that process as seamless as possible.

Bosco Anthony:

Do you service just the Queensland area or are you out of state in Australia? With the work that you get, where is your primary focus?

Andy Johnston:

We currently serve all of Australia. We've got crews in Queensland, New South Wales, Melbourne and South Australia. We’ve yet to establish a pod in Perth, and we're in the process of working on that, but the process is essentially the same for any of the states that we go through.

Bosco Anthony:

What should builders prepare for through the video storytelling process? You talked a little bit about the interview. Do you recommend that they know the questions ahead of time? When I interview people on either on camera or on podcasts, sometimes they're so nervous that they'll ramble or they'll just keep going. I keep saying to them, "It's okay, take a deep breath. There's no rush to get your answer out there." But what type of preparation is required for an effective video storytelling process?

Andy Johnston:

For that 90-minute interview, right from the beginning, we do send them through the questionnaire. There's about 16 questions that we cover, and we send that questionnaire through to them as soon as we can, and they basically fill that out in dot point form. They don't have to go through that meticulously, but that prepares them for that shoot. 

Andy Johnston:

The biggest thing that I focus on when it comes to preparing my builders for these brand story videos is actually their mindset. In my experience, I've found that builders might feel a bit awkward going through this process, the thought of bringing cameras and talking on camera. And when they think of videos, they might think it's cheesy or they might think they're acting or maybe TikTok has tainted this process for them.

Andy Johnston:

But the way that I like to think about it is, first of all, builders deserve a brand story. You didn't come all this way for nothing. So you deserve to have your story heard. But next to that, when it comes to the actual filming of everything, the thing I like to say to them is to treat it like a conversation. We're just being conversational. We're not doing any hardcore selling or hardcore pitching where you’re saying, "Buy my product now." 

Andy Johnston:

We're really simply documenting what you are already doing and making it available for the right people to consume in an engaging way. So just think of us documenting that process. I've found that when I share that with my builder clients, I see the shift. They say, "Okay," and it just alleviates that pressure where when we say “production” or “filmmaking,” people go into stage mode. For us, it's all about being human and we're just amplifying the beautiful aspects of you as a human and as a brand.

Andy Johnston:

So when I can make that shift mentally, everything else corresponds, everybody's a lot more willing, and the process becomes a lot more seamless.

Bosco Anthony:

What makes the video creation process smoother for a builder? Any considerations that they should be paying attention to?

Andy Johnston:

The thing that makes the process smoother, as I mentioned earlier, it's the pre-work done beforehand, and using an actual story framework when you're creating your videos. A common thing that I hear when I engage with builders, before they become clients of mine is, "Andy, we have a ton of footage, but we don't know what to do with it. Oh, we've got a library of footage that we shot. We got a young guy to come in and shoot all this content for us." So they've got all this content, but they don't know what to do with it. So in order to see this video creation process through to the end and actually make it seamless and smoother and easier, it's important to understand what are we actually capturing first. So it's using a proven framework to help us achieve that.

Andy Johnston:

The next thing is actually working with somebody who understands the story. So it's not just a videographer. There are some videographers who are phenomenal at capturing visuals and flying a drone, but in this digital era, it's not enough. It's just not enough. We need to be doing more. We need to go deeper. We need to go deeper as a brand. If somebody's got a million dollars plus to spend on a build, they've got options. You're not exclusive. They've got options. So you really need to establish your footprint and you need to establish it deep. 

Andy Johnston:

Working with a videographer who understands storytelling will definitely make that process a whole lot smoother. It's not you having to say, "Oh hey, capture this and capture that." The videographer as a creative should bring that to the table. So, I think it's important to have the right creative team around you and use frameworks when building your stories.

Bosco Anthony:

What type of sentiment are you trying to capture for builders and their audiences when you're working with them? What are some of those core engagement factors that you're trying to capture on video?

Andy Johnston:

The ultimate thing we are trying to capture is the feeling. What's the feeling like when partnering with you as a builder on this journey? What is that feeling? We are trying to create a feeling of excitement, a feeling of desire, a feeling of curiosity. “Oh wow. What would it be like to actually team up with them?” What's it like to go on a journey with you as a builder? We want to get the audience or the prospects excited.

Andy Johnston:

Next to that, we want to generate a feeling of exclusivity as well. That's what we really want to focus on. So it's not just focusing on the “Yes, you've done great builds,” but it's also capturing that journey and that feeling around it. It's weaving that, combining all those elements of that beautiful footage, the things that you say in the interview, the music, the drone shots, combining all those elements together and creating that cinema magic. That then creates a feeling, and we want to capture that feeling and we want them to actually feel it because people buy with their hearts and then justify it in their minds.

Bosco Anthony:

Once filming is done, what goes into that post-production process? I'm assuming you're working with the client to get that finished product out there.

Andy Johnston:

Yes, correct. Once we've captured all the footage, we go into the video editing stage or the post-production stage, where we’re ensuring that the footage that we capture doesn't just tell the story, but it actually amplifies all the elements that we've done. So it's one thing capturing it all, that works, we tick that box. But when you bring all of those elements together, we want to make sure that it amplifies every aspect that we've tried to bring to life.

Andy Johnston:

Once we have that and we go through client revisions and we make sure that the video is A1, that the video is inspiring. Once we have that, you might be looking to start running ads. Then we help you get eyeballs on those videos and we will create short-form versions of that video as top of funnel video content to then drive traffic to the long-form brand story video. If you're just going to be posting it organically, you can deploy it onto the different pages on your website. If you're running nurturing email campaigns, you can just start what we call the distribution process.

Bosco Anthony:

Cool. And how do you know APB? Have you done work for them? Are you an APB Rewards member? Have you worked for some of their members, the builders? How did the relationship come to play?

Andy Johnston:

Yeah, I am an ABP Rewards member and I actually reached out to Russ in mid to late 2022, and offered this service because I said, "Hey, we specialise in this niche and I think we can offer a lot of value to all of your members." Since then, we've started chatting with a few builder clients, builders within APB, and if people want to have a discussion, they can simply go through there and onto our website. They can book in a call for a free first discussion where we just have a chat to see what you're trying to achieve. If it's anything that we can help with, we show a little bit more about what the next steps look like.

Bosco Anthony:

Any tips on how to repurpose videos or use videos online? You talked about potentially using the videos for different digital media, but what's the best practice when it comes to repurposing videos?

Andy Johnston:

Consistency is key when it comes to repurposing your videos. If you've shot anything in a long form, if you've got a three-minute video and you have the capacity for somebody in your team to take out 15 seconds of that, which is gold, and put that onto YouTube shorts, onto TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels; I do highly recommend that. That's a great way of repurposing your content. You can even look back at old content that you may have shot a year ago, two years ago. There's so much value that builders have within their existing content library that they don't really pay attention to. So it's cutting up that longer form video and within a three-minute video, you could get five short video pieces out of that. You say, “Wow, that's fantastic.”

Andy Johnston:

I think you need to ensure that first of all, your foundations are set. Have your website looked after, and make sure you've got your main video on your website, including on any landing pages that you have. If you've got email campaigns going out, embed video into them and in your lead magnets as well. If you're running ads you can use your video in them too. They're the big boulders that you should focus on. Once you have those things dialled in, then we can go and focus on those finer details of cutting up longer-form videos and turning them into Reels, for example.

Bosco Anthony:

I'm sure this is a popular question that you get asked, but how often should builders consider video production? Is it a quarterly thing? Is it every six months, a year? With the builders you're working with, how often are you working with them?

Andy Johnston:

I think you can go quarterly. I have some clients who are shooting monthly, but the thing that I say is once you have your brand story video done, your capabilities videos done, your process, your client case study videos done, they act as your solid foundation. And once you have those brand videos done, then I say, "Okay, let's work out what type of building brand you are to become." 

Andy Johnston:

Maybe you want to focus on the high-end luxury market, one to two builds a year, or do you want to be seen as an authority giving education and insights, a brand maybe that is more personable, maybe more candid or comical? Identify whatever that is, and then find a team who can help you create the content consistently over time.

Andy Johnston:

The type of brand you choose or what kind of brand persona you want to have in that market will dictate how much content you want to be creating. But you've also got to work out within your schedule what's practical, also financially, what you can invest into a team as well. But if you can consistently look at doing something at least once every two months, at least a one-day shoot, or a half-day shoot every two months, and from that, create enough content to distribute two to three videos, that's a good start.

Bosco Anthony:

So consistency is key here. What are some of the storytelling trends that you are seeing in the building industry specifically today?

Andy Johnston:

The thing that I'm seeing, obviously with the rise of Reels and TikTok, short-form content videos are a hit. You can easily get a few thousand, 10,000 views on a piece of video that you shot from your mobile phone combined with a trending soundtrack. All of a sudden you've got 10,000 views on this and you think, "Oh wow, I'm a superstar," and there's nothing wrong with that. 

Andy Johnston:

Builders can whip out their phones and do before and after shots pretty easily. That's something I see a lot of. I've got some of my older clients in this building space who were doing a lot more of that before and after stuff. There's no harm in that. I think that's great. One thing to keep in mind is that those types of videos are short shelf life. They have a really short shelf life. So they'll be around this week and gone next week. People will forget about them, and their attention spans are getting smaller and smaller as more and more content goes out there. So that's one thing to remember about the rise of short-form content.

Andy Johnston:

One thing I see a lot of, again, is that drones are cheaper, cameras are cheaper, so we're seeing a lot more drone shots, we're seeing a lot more progress shots of builds, which is cool. There's no harm in having progress shots, but I like to focus on selling the destination, the outcomes that you have. Showing the process reminds people of the pain that they've got to go through. “Oh, crikey, I've got to go through that whole phase again of having that structure just standing there.” That's not the end of the world, but if you can focus on the destination and the feeling that comes with it, that's really where the goals are. So the trend that I see is actually a lack of storytelling. That's the common denominator here.

Andy Johnston:

If we think of the psychology behind why that is, I believe it's just because A, people don't understand the massive impact storytelling can have on a market. But B, they just don't have the right team or right individuals to help them execute that. So maybe they do understand it, but they don't know who to talk to, to help that come to life. Then they may start a conversation with somebody, but then 50 other plates are spinning and they've got to run over there and before you know it, six months passes by. So it might be really hard for them. 

Andy Johnston:

So the last trend that I see is hiring videographers, expecting them to tell your brand story and truly represent your brand. I'm not knocking down videographers. I work with videographers. I have a lot of videographers under my bell, and I know they are talented at creating cool transitions and they know how to set the lighting right when it comes to shooting a shot in the harsh sun or capturing the perfect dusk shot. But when it comes to telling a story, they're more technical than they are emotional. So you really want to be partnering up with storytellers. That's where it's at. So that’s definitely the trend I’m seeing. A lot of companies hire videographers, expecting them to do the heavy lifting for them.

Bosco Anthony:

And sometimes taking the shortcuts doesn't necessarily give you the best quality of work as well. So I can appreciate that.

Andy Johnston:

Unfortunately not.

Bosco Anthony:

Yeah, unfortunately. It's been an interesting chat. My final question for you for today is do you have any advice to give to those builders who are listening to this, sitting on the fence thinking, "I know I need to get with the times; I know I need to capitalise on this," but they may have some sort of hesitance. What's your advice for those first time builders out there considering videos?

Andy Johnston:

I think the advice would be to have a conversation with somebody like me. I don't want to sound like that's a sales pitch, but it's true. Because when you have a conversation with somebody like me who can walk you through the process, it becomes a lot less daunting and you realise it's actually achievable. It's actually really achievable. With the right team, you can get the ball rolling pretty fast. Action precedes clarity. So if you just take that action and you might be unsure, the clarity will come.

Bosco Anthony:

Well, Andy, it's been an absolute pleasure talking to you today. Thank you for the insights. I'm sure we'll have you back again for some other topic around videos as well. And thanks for sharing your energy and time with us today.

Andy Johnston:

My absolute pleasure. Thank you so much.

Bosco Anthony:

Thank you for listening. Remember to subscribe to Professional Builders Secrets on your favourite podcast platform and leave a review. To learn more about how the systems at APB can help you grow your building company, visit associationofprofessionalbuilders.com. See you next time.