Author: mvpbethklepper

What’s better in the summer, peaches or watermelon?

I bet you have a preference. And there’s probably no amount of factual argument I could make that would change your mind. That’s because there’sno accounting for taste.

The same is true with creative work.

At Mainstream, what we think is cool isn’t nearly as important as what you think is cool. We absolutely have opinions and a creative vision. That’s what makes us good at what we do.

What makes us great is making sure we’re bringing YOUR vision to life, not ours.

That’s exactly why we storyboard every project before we ever hit record. 

It gets everyone on the same page, uncovers misunderstandings early, and saves you from costly surprises down the line, you know… reshoots, revision cycles, a final video that doesn’t feel like your brand.

In this week’s Behind The Stream, we talk about how we get that done with our storyboarding process and why it’s become one of the most valuable parts of every project we produce.

P.S. If you’ve ever gotten a “final” video back and thought “this isn’t quite us…”, this is exactly the process that prevents that.

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Do you ever see a company post on social media, “we started this for the money”?

Me neither.

Because most of us need a better, truer reason to connect with a person or a company.

Remember TOMS’ early days? I promise you, people weren’t buying those shoes just because of how they looked. They weren’t that cute, and I have several pairs.

Companies that have real passion for the problem they solve do better once we actually know about that passion.

We’ve all seen this work, whether we’re on the buying side or the selling side.

As Simon Sinek famously put it:
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

Take Guru Pet Company. They sell dog toys. But what makes them stand out isn’t the toys, it’s that they’re exactly the kind of people you’d want making your dog’s toys.

That’s the stuff that turns a buyer into a fan.

You know a great way to show and tell that story?
Video.

In this week’s Behind the Stream we’re bringing a case study on a client who brought a several year story to life in just a few minutes.

Got a why worth telling?
You know where to find us.

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Got a webinar or talk packed with great content that you know has nuggets of content gold?

Turning one presentation into months’ worth of content is one of my favorite things we do.

It’s basically alchemy, but with a timeline and a content calendar.

This week’s throwback: a case study of a client who did exactly that. And it still holds up, both the videos they made and the ones they made.

Check it out here.

Got long-form content collecting dust on your hard drive? You know where to find us.

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Over the years, I’ve argued (and sold) people on why they need to be doing video for their business and what they’re leaving on the table by avoiding it.

And while I’d like to think all of my points are good, this week’s video makes the strongest case yet for why businesses that want to grow can’t afford to ignore video.

Give it a watch and let me know what you think.

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Video doesn’t always have to sell.

Sometimes it’s just recording something you find yourself saying over and over again.

A good video can answer questions, train new people, explain a process, or share information without you having to repeat yourself 100 times.

It’s like being in a million places at once.

In this week’s video, I’m sharing how some of Mainstream’s clients use video to save their trainers time, create consistency, and make sure people get the information they need.

Even when the trainer isn’t in the room.

Check it out and see if there’s something you’re saying over and over that could be a video instead.

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This week Mainstream turned 12 years old.

So… as one does… I went back and watched some of our old videos.

One of my favorites was a FAQ series we filmed back in 2017.

Watching it was a bit mind-blowing.

That version of me had been in business for only three years, had no kids (I have three now), and had worked with maybe 30 clients. Today we’ve worked with nearly 200 organizations and produced more than 2,000 videos.

A lot has changed since then.

Instagram Stories were brand new. LinkedIn video had just launched. TikTok, Reels, and Shorts didn’t even exist yet.

But what surprised me most wasn’t how much had changed. It was how much stayed the same.

The advice I was giving in those videos is almost exactly the same advice we give clients today. The hair is different. The delivery is less confident. There are a lot more kids to raise.

But the message still holds up!

That’s the thing about a good video message. If it’s built around something true, it can last a really long time.

Maybe that’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the last 12 years.

Platforms change. Trends change. Algorithms change. AI goes bonkers. But a good message on video can last forever.

Check out the video series here.

Thanks to everyone who has been part of the last 12 years. I’m excited to see what the next chapter looks like.

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Anyone else feeling like you can’t go anywhere right now without ending up in a conversation about AI and what it all means?

Us too.

AI in video isn’t exactly new. We’ve been using tools powered by AI for years. But the recent explosion of “AI video experts” has definitely created a little fool’s gold in the industry.

Our take?

The tools are getting smarter, faster, and scarily impressive. But strategy, storytelling, taste, communication, and knowing what actually works for your audience? That still takes humans who know what they’re doing. The tools just make more possible.

In this week’s #BehindTheStream, our team talks honestly about:

How we’re using AI in our process

What excites us about it

What makes us nervous

Check it out here.

If any of this resonates, here’s what we’ve seen work: getting crystal clear on your audience and your top 5 videos before you touch any tool or hire any vendor.

That’s exactly what our Video Clarity Sessions are designed for.

Its two focused 45-minute conversations where we map your audience, identify what content will actually land, and give you a prioritized video plan.

No chasing shiny tools that will waste your time and money. Just clarity on what to make and why it will work.

If that sounds useful, just reach out and we’ll find a time.

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