He’s a man of inspiring principle, determination and composed appearance… John Mahfood is a certified public accountant and an experienced business leader who was introduced to the mechanics of the field from as early as he could remember. Most of his early years were spent cultivating his leadership skills by working in the family business; guided by his dad Adeeb Mahfood.

Before taking over as CEO of Jamaica Teas, John had already developed a track record of high performance and professionalism, with companies such as Grace and Price Waterhouse cooper and HiLo supermarkets. At the helm of JTL, John has been instrumental in the company’s listing on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and expansion to become the largest producer of teas in the Caribbean with almost one-half of its products exported.

His ability to sustain such ambitious business models over the decades no doubt has influenced his selection as president of the Jamaica Manufacturers and exporters Association for the term 2021/2022. We talk business affairs and so much more today on the entrepreneurial you, with John Mahfood.

 

Short Form Videos

Short-form videos… are ruling supreme among digital marketing strategies and facilitators, advertisers and consumers alike, all want to capitalize on its reign…at least while it’s a hot topic.

Video marketing isn’t that new, it became mainstream around 2010, offering biteable content used to drive sales, create engagement and raise awareness among other things. Shorts on the other hand, in particular those influenced by social media usage, emerged fairly recent, around 2020. Whether they are created to publicize a big business campaign or promote a Do It Yourself home video, the value of shorts is undeniable. In many cases it’s a free app feature that’s easily accessible, it gives people quick and easy ways to consume information and since people tend to share the video at twice the rate of any other media, it’s one of the sure ways to get good returns on investments.

So what are the top short-form video platforms available for free and what are some benefits of using them…asking for a friend you say? Well, we’ve got you and your friend covered. If you’re not leading a large budget marketing activity that requires professional video production, you might want to consider using a few of these…

Tik Tok-the trendsetter of short-form videos on social media. Not only are users enabled by features that allow the use of graphics, music, and imported media, packed in an easy to edit the recording, but also brands have access to a creative space filled with an audience of millions around the world, eager to explore and express creativity like never before…all most brands have to do is start a challenge that is highly likely to create a buzz around a product or service.

Instagram Reel. The Instagram reel was launched in August 2020 as a challenge to tik tok but ascended in popularity when India and the USA banned the use of tik tok in their countries. Which left former users turning to Instagram for a substitution that gave them the opportunity to churn out 15-30 seconds videos, highlighting pretty much anything. Like tik tok, reels on Instagram auto-play one after another and is giving dreamers and celebrities both a massive opportunity to earn from the creative showcase of talent and rotation of music on the platform.

Snapchat spotlight was also created to rival tik tok. It features short videos in a continuous loop that users can use to advertise as well as get monetary incentives for videos with a high number of views. In February 2021 alone, over 124 million Snapchat users watched spotlight videos, so the chances of being seen are quite decent.

So the next time you think about short-form videos, think about taking advantage of any one of these to help widen your audience reach and maximise profits.