I interviewed a number of entrepreneurs for this podcast whose companies depend on video advertising and marketing. Examples embody Ridge Pockets, PetPlate, Stryx, and even Beardbrand, my firm. However none of us equal Mini Katana, Isaac Medeiros’ firm. He produces six movies per day.
Medeiros launched the model, a direct vendor of Japanese-style swords and equipment, simply two years in the past. It has revealed 3,000 movies to this point from a tremendous crew of creators, writers, and editors. Gross sales soared.
He and I not too long ago chatted in regards to the firm, the video manufacturing course of, and extra. The complete audio of our dialog is embedded under. The transcript is edited for readability and size.
Eric Bandholz: What are you doing?
Isaac Medeiros: I began a enterprise in 2021 referred to as Mini Katana, “katana” being Japanese for a curved sword. We promote samurai themed letter openers, swords and associated equipment on-line.
We’ve got grown dramatically. We now promote swords in all sizes and shapes. We market primarily by way of natural movies and have in depth followings on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
The movies concentrate on our merchandise and observe a sample. They’re all related – quick paced with the identical appear and feel. We use the identical narrators in all of the movies.
As a model of swords, we should not be as massive as we’re. We convey large consciousness to the area of interest. Our producers cannot sustain, which suggests frequent provide disruptions. We’re migrating to different classes, equivalent to pens and attire, the place there aren’t any boundaries to manufacturing.
Bandholz: Discuss your video manufacturing course of.
Media: We usually put up six movies a day throughout all three channels.
We shoot two varieties of movies. The primary is generic B-rolls, which we mass-produce and fix to scripts. Most B-roll variations are 15-30 seconds lengthy.
Then we have now what we name creator-driven content material, which is area of interest and high-end. That is what goes viral. For instance, we made a creator-led video that lower a ball within the air.
Our firm is concentrated on supporting creators. They generate concepts with scripts and submit them to our inner approval course of. If authorised, we allocate a price range. It’s then handed on to editors educated in our fashion. We’re a viral model with related video content material for our model swords. The important thing parts are the environment, the sensation, the rhythm and the modifying.
The lengthy video is 10 occasions tougher than the brief video. It is simpler to inform a narrative in 15-30 seconds. My model exists as a result of brief video opened up a tidal wave of potential attain. Earlier than, you needed to be a creator, and that is all you would concentrate on.
We’ve got 16 contract writers for B-rolls, 4 full-time in-house creators, and two in-house editors.
We even have a content material supervisor. She meets weekly with the inventive crew to maintain everybody on observe. It is also a training session as a result of creators typically miss analytics – which works. Then we have now month-to-month conferences for the entire content material crew.
Our high performing content material on YouTube is normally instructional, equivalent to “The way to Use Your Katana”. It is normally excessive changing stuff.
However many movies don’t convert. Extra views don’t essentially result in conversions. However we all know that broad model consciousness at all times reduces acquisition prices on the promoting facet.
We imagine in promoting. I hope to generate $1 million or extra in promoting income this 12 months. We’re seeing exceptional returns on advert spend on Meta.
Individuals ask, “How do you get shoppers?” I inform them to be good at commercials. Meta is the primary strategy to scale a model reliably and predictably. We created our katana pens and began operating adverts two weeks in the past. We preserve a ROAS of 5 to eight.
Bandholz: Do you will have many common prospects?
Media: About 35% of gross sales come from repeat consumers. I do not imagine in distinctive merchandise. We’ve got 10 new variations within the works with our katana pen. Every turns into a collector’s merchandise. Individuals love to gather.
Bandholz: The place can individuals discover and assist you?
Media: On Twitter I’m @theisaacmed. Our web site is MiniKatana.com. Our YouTube channels are @MiniKatanaStore And @MeeneeKatana.
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