Delany Giannoble – How To Build Your Brand Through Storytelling, to Connect & Expand Your Reach

We bring you the latest interviews with marketing leaders around the world/the US who provide us with insights on how and what has helped their businesses to perform well during the pandemic. This week's episode/blog for Rediscover Marketing brings you a simple yet insightful discussion with Delany Giannoble.
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Before we get into the details of our interaction, let's get to know Delany Giannoble a little more.

Who is Delany Giannoble?

Delany Giannoble is the founder of Made For More Productions, LLC  based in Orlando, Florida. She started the company in February 2020.
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Delany is skilled in content creation… from writing and social media marketing to video editing and video production. She has a strong storytelling background having received her Telecommunications degree from the University of Florida and then serving as video leader at the Florida Chamber of Commerce. After working with leaders throughout the state, and helping her team with storytelling and video strategy on vital statewide issues, she decided to start a business, and 'Made For More Productions' was born. 

A Little About 'Made For More Productions' History:

Delany says the experience she gained at the Florida Chamber is the backbone behind Made For More Productions. She shared that the company mission statement is to "help you tell your story by creating compelling video content to build the brand, grow the audience and expand the reach." Business leaders need to understand the importance of branding, and need to know how vital it is to understand audience needs in order to grow that audience. At the core of storytelling marketing is the understanding that competition for a client's attention is higher than it ever has been before, and businesses need to break through the noise. 
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In our interview, Delany wholeheartedly shared her thoughts on connecting to people not by simply throwing ads at them, but genuinely nudging them with stories so that they can relate to the content. This is the strategy used at Made For More Productions.
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“As you can probably guess, 2020 took a very different turn than expected,” she shared. The year began with video events lined up for the company, and a promising start to the first year of business. It all changed due to the pandemic. So she adapted. Pivoting into different types of marketing, just like everybody else. The growing production company continues to adjust, learn and identify the best spaces for specific businesses to share their stories, as all the channels remain overloaded. 

Starting a Business Amidst a Pandemic:

We asked Delany about what she learned personally during this challenging phase. A very excited Delany says that she learned “how to run a business”. She expressed that she had technical and marketing backgrounds, but had to learn how to do things like create a business plan and file taxes. 

She also told us that marketing her own business was a learning lesson. In a year like 2020, having a conversation with a client could be difficult. Most clients thought the idea of video marketing was crazy. As a marketer, she learned the value of saying, "Hey, we're in this together." A lot of research went into figuring out what is the right thing for businesses to be saying at this time, and the message ended up being rather simple. “Togetherness.” 
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“The past year taught us the struggle that small business owners have” - to operate a business while also telling your audience about the business. This spurred her to develop a guide that helps businesses create a video strategy that can be used throughout their client’s entire journey. 

What Must Marketing & Growth Leaders Pay Attention To?

When we asked her what she recommends the marketing and growth leaders should pay attention to, Delany shared the perfect answer that we too think is the ongoing trend – video. She says that it's an incredibly important tool to tell a story, and it's becoming one of the best tools to make your story reach a faster and broader audience. Adding a touch of your culture to the video will help it gain attention; otherwise, the brand will not be seen digitally as she says there is a lot of competition for client attention. Particular in light of the last year, there are a few essential types of video for businesses, proven to grow your audience:
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• Explainer or issue videos - short and powerful, used to attract and educate
• Event and promo videos - designed to promote something and share a brand
• Webinars and how-to videos - popular videos that highlight expertise
• Personalized videos - scalable, a great tool for email marketing

She reminds us that clients pick the most visually impressive piece of content when they're scrolling through social media or emails. And businesses need to catch their eye during that scroll. She adds that a video on the website adds a level of professionalism, increases the chances of the audience reaching out to the business, and leaves that potential client with an idea about how the business will benefit them.

How Data is a Valuable Asset & is Being Used to Steer Marketing?

Delany enlightened us on how she is utilizing the data that she collects. Her company is passionate about providing affordable, effective marketing for clients. They are constantly reviewing data, not only for themselves – to know where their audience is from, where they need to be reached, etc., – but also to review the landscape to make sure that what they offer is in line with that passion. Businesses within Made For More Productions’ audience need solutions that are affordable and effective. Through data review, Delany makes sure marketing strategies are effective and relevant.
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As for plans to use data to steer marketing: Delany shared she will continue to listen to metrics to guide her strategy and build her message, both for herself and for clients. 

How a Shift In Focus Helps Achieve Goals?

Delany shares that she had a plan and desire to work with local chambers of commerce after she started the business. As part of the team at the Florida Chamber, she was able to assist in the creation of the first state chamber strategic video plan. Her goal when starting her own company was to chalk out a video strategy for local chambers. As 2021 picks up, this goal is beginning to be met in communities around Florida… though in some cases in different ways than expected. 
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Delany shares that some of her bigger clients have been successful in educational webinars and seminars. This tool has exponentially grown since the start of 2020. It’s unique particularly because it can be used across industries, and can be repurposed in endless ways.

What are the plans for Made For More Productions moving forward, and how does the shift in focus impact the future? Delany says the “how” might have changed, but not the “why.” She continues her drive to work with small businesses and local chambers. Video is an affordable way to put your face in front of customers and her video creation will only continue to grow.

Thoughts & Advice For the Marketing Leaders:

As we came to the end of our interview, we asked Delany about her thoughts on data sharing and if major advertising platforms are still effective. Delany feels that these days, some platforms may be losing their shine.
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So she gave advice for marketing leaders around the world, saying they need to focus on who they are and what they want their ideal client to know. The platform comes later. Goals might differ this year from the last, marketing isn’t a one-and-done, and businesses need to continually take content off the shelf, dust it off and refresh it… but your story needs to drive the message.
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She added that you can't target everybody. A company has to look at its values and stay clear about whom they want to work with. From there the business can determine how they can target that person to let them know how the company can help them. She concluded the interview by saying that, "What makes someone successful is realizing that they're not going to talk to everybody, but understanding who their person is, and how to reach them well."