Jay Grandin and Leah Nelson have established themselves as accomplished New Media producers with web content that has seen audiences of over 35 million. The success of their short films, comedy and documentary work has led to contracts for original series with companies such as Myspace.

The two will be speaking at Gnomedex about using video to build loyalty and brand engagement. But first they answered some questions for SMC Seattle’s Jennifer Cabala.

When did you first start using social media and why?
Leah: Jay was living in Michigan, designing furniture and making silly videos on the weekend and had built up a surprising following on Myspace, which at the time, was hot like fire. So, when Jay and I joined video-making forces, there was this hungry audience there to watch our stuff and comment and pass it around. It was really used as a place to show our work, but we also worked really hard to connect with that audience, writing them back and making sure we were connecting on a human level. Note: this was before your Myspace inbox became completely laden with spam, so there were actually real people writing to us.

Jay: It was an accident. In 2006 I was designing office furniture at Steelcase in Michigan, and was mandated to join YouTube and MySpace as part of a project about technology and collaborative office work. It began as an odd phone call from my boss talking about LonelyGirl15 on YouTube. “You what? Lonely who?” I didn’t have a home computer.

Which tools do you use most and why?
Leah: Facebook has become kinda like one of those leather-bound day timers that we all used to have. It would house my phone numbers and addresses, and events in my social life, birthdays etc. This is what Facebook is for me. Youtube and Twitter, aside from being places that we post our work, have become these amazing search engines more than anything else. I find I go there multiple times a day just to show people stuff I’m talking about.

Jay: What’s funny is that since we, as a company, began using SocMed tools to build other people’s/brands’ online presence, my own use of the tools as plummeted. Isn’t there a saying about not buying a mechanics call? Don’t read a marketer’s wall? I still consider myself an analog expat in many ways and find that I oscillate between deep social media dives and pretty infrequent transmission.

How do you successfully combine video and social media campaigns?
Jay: Videos are inherently social; they’re social objects that can be digested and shared easily and enjoyably. Some great videos are social media campaigns unto themselves — they’re so much a part of the sharing tools already. But the bigger the space gets, and the further it fragments, we’ve really noticed the need to hold a video’s hand and guide it to its audience. So much of the equation is incredibly simple… on paper at least: 1— make something worth sharing. 2— position it in the tools so that it’s easy to share. 3— know who the influencers are in your market, and tell them about it. If you’ve done #1 correctly, it works!

Leah: What Jay said.

For those on a shoestring budget what are some easy ways to incorporate video into a social media campaign?
Jay: Our friend Boris Mann always reminds us that his phone shoots video. He’s right. And it’s cheap. We’ve been conditioned to digest content, not fidelity, online… so the barrier is very low where the tools are concerned. Even high quality video, depending on the size of your shoestring of course, is doable—the days of PAs and grips and gaffers being a necessary component of a shoot aren’t really there any more. If you look at some of the most memorable campaigns lately—the “Best Job in the World” for example by the Australian Tourism board—hours and hours of content are being created for free by crowdsourcing the contents of the campaign. That’s pretty cool; you can’t you THAT on TV!

How does a web series differ from a television series?
Leah: I get impatient watching TV. There are a few shows that I really like, but I prefer to rent the whole season at the video store and have mini marathons watching them all in a row. This how you can watch a web series so I think they appeal to people who stay attentive can voraciously digest the content one episode at a time. On the flip side, they also appeal to people who like to tune in, watch 10min on a break, and then check out a few more a couple days later. Entertainment a la Carte.

Jay: Web series have no rules. The expectations around duration, frequency, consistency of content don’t really apply. For a long time we had what we’d call a web series (JayVideo) that was only really tied together through us; it was a silly variety show devoid of theme that only gave the promise of regular content. We were the web series.

How do web video ads differ from tv ads?
Leah: I think it depends where you are watching them. The line between TV and web viewing is nearing non-existent and when we watch traditional TV programing online, we ARE watching TV ads that are interspersed throughout the program and they are often the same ads that are running in traditional broadcast. But when the ad you’re watching lives on the companies website or on a video portal or social networking site, there really aren’t very many constraints (aside from the obvious one: don’t make it too long unless its really compelling. But I think this applies to anything, books, films, articles) so you have freedom to tell your message in more creative ways with less parameters.

Jay: Sometimes they differ vastly, sometimes not at all. Like I mentioned above, the expectations around duration and content don’t apply in the same way but, the BIGGEST difference, is that the audience isn’t captive. They have to CHOOSE to watch an online ad and, for it be successful, they have to CHOOSE to send it to their friends. When’s the last time you called a friend and told them they really needed to tune into channel 10 to catch the next commercial break? I think it requires more thought into who your audience is and how to connect with them in a way that’s memorable and mentionable.

What do you think makes a video go viral?
Leah: I’d love to know. I think timing is a huge factor. If something is already “hot” and being discussed online, the chances that the video will be passed around will increase. Aside from timing, its important that it be something that people relate to. Our shower video, How to Shower: Men vs Women, was something that made people laugh because it was true. Most of the comments on the video were “My husband totally does that!” or “I totally do that!” The Man/Woman dichotomy in the video had little to do with age or nationality or era so it was accessible to a lot of people.

Jay: Oh man… I wish i knew. The potential of seeing a nipple?

Any lessons you can share as people make the leap into web video?
Leah: Just start making stuff. Then put it out there and listen to what your viewers think of it. Of course you must have thick skin because will get comments like “this sucks” and “I just wasted 2 minutes of my life I’ll never get back” because people are cruel, but you’ll also have people write what they genuinely think so its instant feedback.

Jay: Just make stuff. We started making stuff… and then people started watching it. It was a complete surprise and, frankly, embarrassing. But then we thought to ourselves, “Hey, this is fun. Maybe we could charge money for this.” Anyone can have their own channel now and the best/funniest/most interesting content always rises to the top.

You can see Leah and Jay at Gnomedex on August 22th. Online, you can find them at their company giantantmedia.com. You can also find Leah on twitter or working on www.bongothefilm.com.  Jay is also on twitter, or on his website.

In advance of his talk at Gnomedex, he talked to Jennifer Cabala about influencing people online, networking for the non-people person and how he created #followfriday.

When did you first start using social media and why?
I’ve been involved with social media (BBSes and other forms of “interaction” media since the mid-80s (yes, I am old). I dove deep into blogging, twitter, etc in mid-2007. I had just sold my interactive agency, and was interested in exploring what was available online, and where social media had grown. It started with a blog (http://learntoduck.com) and quickly expanded into Facebook (I was on facebook from 2003ish, but never really did anything), Twitter, etc.

Which tools do you use most and why?
My comedic answer is always the same: my fingers. I have a strong belief that the tool is always secondary to the connection and relationships, and any reliance on tools just muddies that reality.
I spend most of my time with Twitter and Facebook. Trying to learn how to do video, so I am beginning to spend more time on Youtube.

How did you come up with the idea for #followfriday?
I had two friends, @jeffrey and @dannynewman, who decided to have a bet as to who could get to 1,000 followers the fastest. They kept asking me to tweet out that my followers should follow them, but when I finally did, they lost followers. I jokingly called myself the “anti-christ” of twitter.

During that time, I began to think about what it was like when I started using twitter. I followed a ton of people on the public timeline, and then began to follow a ton of people that they followed. Over time, I realized that the recommendations of people I trusted went a long way towards whether I followed someone or not. (I’ve always kept my following number low. I don’t want a lot of noise and I wanted it to be people that I liked to, and would communicate with often.)
So, I figured why not have a day, where people could recommend a couple of people to their followers that were worthy of a follow.
Who knew it would become what it is: more than 250,000 #followfriday tweets are sent every Friday.

What are some ways you can increase your influence online?
Well, you are just going to have to come to Gnomedex to find out!
I have always expressed influence as a combination of audience, trust and expertise. In essence, if you are trusted and considered an expert, you can exert influence. Audience or reach allows you to extend that influence in terms of audience size, and dissemination of message.

We have a lot of non-profit members, are their some techniques you could share about online fundraising?
Wow, that brings me back to the beginning of my career. Online fundraising really is not much different than offline. Its all about the right offer to the right person at the right time. I think most non-profits view online fundraising as a question of numbers (If I send more email, I will get back a better response). A better course of action is finding better ways to target messaging and the ask so it gets in front of the right people.
I am a big fan of DonorsChoose.org, and I think they do a great job of allowing the potential funders to self-select the right offer and the right time.

You’ve said that you aren’t much of a people person, but isn’t social networking about people?  How do you manage that?  Is there something different about the online experience?
Well, not sure I have the answers. My therapist and I have been trying to work that one out for the last 3 years! Social networking is about the people, but its in a safe environment. You can walk away at any time. Its relatively easy to manage.

Any tips for people who don’t like networking in person?
In terms of events, the only advice I have is come armed with a couple of stories. Ask people more questions. People love to talk about themselves or their projects. Keep moving. There is really something about spending a few moments with many people vs. a lot of time with a single person. Less likelihood of saying something dumb!

Anything else you want to share?
I’m excited to speak at Gnomedex. Its one of my favorite conferences, and Chris is one of my favorite people.

You can see Micah at Gnomedex starting August 20th.  Online, you can find him on his blog “Learn To Duck”, on twitter, or at work at Lijit.

SMC is excited to be a Gnomedex 9.0 partner and SMC members get a 10% discount!!

Here’s where you register: http://gnomedex.eventbrite.com/?discount=smcseattle10

That’s just the first paragraph of a great post by Ethan Yarbrough. He talks about his three biggest takeaways from the “Social Media for Social Good” Education session, plus adds in analysis and examples of his own. A terrific read even if you were there! Read more:

In this interview with SMC’s Jennifer Cabala, Horvath describes how he manages to grow Invisiblepeople.tv and raise awareness about poverty using social media, by himself, with zero budget.   He also explains how fans can come from some very unexpected places, and his key to using social media successfully.

When did you first start using social media and why?
In 2003, I accepted a job in Ohio and drove by myself from Los Angeles to Ohio. I said I would never drive cross-country ever again. I also said I would never twitter. Last year I was living in St. Louis, and I was interviewing for a job in Los Angeles. My prospective new boss twittered, and was twittering about the interview process, so of course, I looked, and looked, and looked! Yup, I started an account! I also drove to back Los Angeles!

Being a TV producer by trade, I started a twitter experiment. As I drove to Los Angeles, I told the story and used a few tricks to engage people. To my shock it worked. People started to email me, “where you going?” The light bulb started to glow and I saw the worth of twitter as a storytelling tool. Good marketing is simply telling a good story.

When I started Invisiblepeople.tv, I never ever said, “I’m going to use social media because….” I used twitter because – IT’S FREE! I’m your typical front page USA Today recession story. I’ve lost everything. Layoff, after layoff, after layoff, house lost to foreclosure. I did not, and still do not, have an operating budget. I use what I can afford and will give me real-time storytelling ability.

Which social media tools do you use?
I’m a twitter addict. @hardlynormal is my primary. I call @invisiblepeople “hardly normal light” if @hardlynormal is too whacked for you just follow @invisiblepeople.

Of course, the nature of social media demands I be where YOU are. I wish I could pick where I am. Unlike a normal brand who has a specific demographic to reach I am after everyone’s perceptions of homelessness and poverty. I said I would never be on Myspace. MySpace Impact Channel approached me so next thing you know I’m creating a profile. I like Vimeo over YouTube but ignoring Youtube would be dumb. I fought uploading the videos to the Facebook page as long as I could. Last thing I needed was more video upload time. But people want it their way, so if I am going to have any real affect I need to not do it my way! I’m everywhere I can be, which is not easy for a one man band!

Which social media tools are most effective for you and why?
Hard to measure for what I do.  One day, I looked at the stats and I was getting serious traffic from America’s Next Top Model forum. You don’t have to be an SEO expert to know models and homelessness don’t usually connect. I followed the link to this post – I don’t know how she connected with Invisiblepeople.tv. But I can tell you this is exactly why I do what I do, and why I need to be everywhere!

I use twitter the most. It fits my storytelling style. When I am actually on the front lines of poverty doing my thing I have a bag of socks, a camera and iPhone all working hard while keeping an eye on my surroundings for safety. I still don’t know how I do what I do! So much all going down all at once in a very unpredictable and often volatile environment. Yes, I question my sanity often

Twitter is great at helping to engage new connections! The InvisiblePeople.tv Road Trip is almost 100% the result of connections made via twitter.

What social media lessons have you learned that you could share?
Tell a good story and the rest will take care of itself.
Be yourself – always!
No twitter drama! NONE! EVER!

If a non-profit or advocacy group came to you about the best way to get their message out there what would you recommend?
A complete marketing and media strategy. Social media without strategy is a toy, not a tool. I may differ with many opinions, but some brands may not benefit from social media, so they should not buy into the hype. It all depends on who you are, your story, your audience and desired result!

Mark will be presenting “A Conversation about Social Change through Social Media” at Gnomedex 9.0- Beginning July 15th, 2009, Mark is taking the show on the road using social media and bringing us along for the ride as he visits the homeless throughout the nation. Formerly homeless himself, Mark brings personal experience and compassion as he aims to bring understanding and knowledge to the growing homeless crisis. He will visit 25 cities across the nation including rural areas, larger cities, shelters and youth facilities.

SMC is excited to be a Gnomedex 9.0 partner and SMC members get a 10% discount!!

Here’s where you register: http://gnomedex.eventbrite.com/?discount=smcseattle10

This event is limited to just 35 people, so register soon!

Did you know non-profit organizations are the fastest adopting market segment for social media? Do you know about how non-profits in the Puget Sound Region have been using social media? Do you want to learn about how you can take these lessons and apply them to your organization?

Come and  learn from a great set of people who have been immersed in the world of non-profits and social media.

We are excited to present an introductory talk by Jeris JC Miller (aka @dakini_3).  She’ll cover the latest study on social media usage by charities and talk about best practices from NPO social media thought leaders.  The talk will be followed by a panel of interesting and very experienced people from various backgrounds in Social Media and non-profit work. In keeping with the Seattle social media community’s “Summer of Love and Social Good” theme, the education program on August 10th will focus on social media for social good.  It will showcase Commerce-Cojoining-Compassion initiatives (#3Cs), NPO foundations, and businesses that actively incorporate new media, Web 2.0, and social media channels into their organizations.

Special thanks to The EDGE Group for sponsoring the space for the event!

Here is a quick introduction to the experts that will lead the discussion and the panel on August 10th.

Jeris JC Miller’s background includes working with Dr. Jerome Kagan, a developmental psychology pioneer and Principal Investigator of the Harvard Infant Study & Director of the New England Node of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Network on Human Development. Her technology background includes work at Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN Technologies; BBN Communications Group) which installed the first network node between UCLA , UC Santa Cruz and the University of Utah (DARPA, ARPANET project); acting as a Program Manager for Rapid Deployment Web Development projects at Intel, and as a Business Analyst for Microsoft.  She writes the Heart of Matter Blog for Seattle Social Media Profiles which focuses on NPO initiatives with ties to the Seattle and Puget Sound Region.

Shauna Causey Shauna Causey is as the Communications Director for Social Media Club Seattle (SMC Seattle) and Comcast. She also serves on four non-profit boards and started Voluntweetup events where social media enthusiasts organize events to train non-profits on effective uses of social media. In her spare time, she interviews Seattle-area startups for Seattle 2.0 TV and is helping to plan Gnomedex and Twestival Seattle.

Adnan Azfar Mahmud is the founder of Jolkona Foundation. Jolkona Foundation uses social media to effectively reach out to its supporters and to keep them abreast of what’s happening in the organization. As a non-profit startup, Jolkona Foundation has scarce “advertising” dollars. Instead they extensively use social media to engage their user base.

We will also have a number of non-profits and consultants from companies represented at the event. Come prepared with your thoughts and questions!

If you want to send questions for the panel in advance, please do so in the comments section below or email them to education@smcseattle.com

Register early, this event is limited to just 35 people.

Please park on the street. The facility closes before the event ends!