Online Video for Public Affairs Workshop for the Marines

Owned, shared and earned media are the key components to building an effective online public affairs campaign. I’ve advised the USMC on owned, shared and earned media relations for many years.

Owned media refers to websites, blogs, podcasts, virtual events and any other online content that an organization creates to deliver a message to its target audience online.

In this online video, which I shot and edited as part of an online training video training program I put together for the US Marine Corps recruiting and public affairs command, you will see an actual weapons briefing, much as it is delivered to new recruits.

If you’re a Marine, tweet me up and let me know if this is accurate at @ericschwartzman.

The Marine Corps has a program called the Educator’s Workshop, which involves hosting high school counselors at Parris Island for three days of events to learn more about what a young recruit should expect if they join up.

High school counselors are in a position to advise students on what to do after they graduate, and the Educator’s Workshop gives them a practical solution to learning more about the Marine Corps way of life.This is essentially an influencer marketing program.

Influencer marketing is about relaying your message to your target audience through third parties they find influential. In the fashion industry they dress celebrities as a way of influencer marketing. At the Marine Corps, they educate Educators about the benefits of joining the Marines as a way of influencer marketing as well.

It costs the United States taxpayer $1,000,000 to make a Marine.

That’s right.

The cost of housing, training and supporting the family of a Marine is an expensive proposition.

Recruiters can’t afford to get it wrong.

The Marine Corps is as selective about who it recruits as recruits are about becoming a Marine.

Paid media is an effective door opener for the US Marine Corps Recruiting Command. But no one joins the Marines just because of a commercial.

Paid media starts the conversation. Then, they go online and see what they find.

That’s where owned and shared media come in. If they can find all sorts of had a positive impact on the lives of others, they’re more likely to join up.

Plus, if they can find candid videos about what it’s like to become a Marine, this is a good way to alleviate Their Fear and get them to ask more questions.

In addition to the series of videos I made at the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot in South Carolina, I also made a portfolio of videos for the Marines at Marine Week Boston.

If you’re considering using online video for public affairs, these videos will give you a good idea of how you can integrate owned media into your social media outreach program.

Essentially, owned media gives you something to share and something for people to talk about. If you don’t have your own videos,

Those conversations will revolve around other people’s videos. And if they revolve around other people’s videos, you won’t be able to use them to attract traffic to your site where you can convert them into a potential lead.

The practices between using owned, shared and earned media to drive growth for business is really not much different than for nonprofits in the military.

In both cases, you’re looking to generate some sort of interest that can be converted into a measurable transaction.

For the Marine Corps, that’s a new recruit. For a business, that’s a prospective buyer.

I also advised on the development of the Marine Corps Social Media Policy.