Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve heard Carly Rae Jepsen’s summertime hit “Call Me Maybe.” This saccharine pop song about (what else) young lovers has blown up on the airwaves and “iPod waves.” It currently sits at the #1 spot on Billboard Hot 100.
The song, like most likable pop culture, spawned an Internet meme of people lip-synching the catchy tune—including a side-splitting rendition by the Harvard baseball team, and the not-so hilarious take by the Miami Dolphins cheerleaders.
It should come as no surprise then that the 3:15 minute song made its way to the housing industry. Recently, Jessica Edwards, a Wilmington, NC realtor, pulled together a group of friends to reenact the song—with a real estate slant, of course.
The video shows a group of women (and one baby bump) singing and dancing to the teenybopper anthem. At the refrain (Here’s my number/ So call me maybe) Edwards’ number is shown in various creative ways, mostly through pastel placards.
If you’re still not convinced, take our word for it. It’s great.
In the real estate world, Edwards’ video went viral. As of Monday afternoon, her video had clocked more than 33,000 views (and just as many laughs). After watching her video, Movoto Real Estate did exactly what she wanted us to do. We called her (forget about maybe) and asked her to spill the beans on the role of video blogging in her life.
Call or ‘Like’ Her, Maybe
In January 2009, Edwards gave herself a lofty task. She was going to start a video blog. It’s been three and a half years since, so it’s safe to say she succeeded. But that doesn’t mean it was all cake. Back in the aughts social media wasn’t the juggernaut it is today.
“I saw the social media aspect growing,” she said. “I wanted to get involved in video somewhere.”
Edwards, who comes across on the phone as energetic as you’d guess, said she began thinking about blogging in 2008 when she realized the power of social media. She saw it as a way to connect with people.
“When (people) think of real estate I want them to think of me,” she said. “It’s been a great way for people to get to know me before we sit down and meet face to face.”
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Realtor Jessica Edwards. Photo courtsey of Jessica Edwards.
Edwards’ way to do this was to do a video blog twice a week about anything that was real estate related and could be interesting to people.
When she started her video blog, there were plenty of other realtors trying the same thing. Of course, they were data heavy. This is another way of saying they were boring. Edwards—who loves real estate (we mean really loves real estate)—didn’t want to watch the videos.
“I wanted to do something that was fun, that was about real estate, and that people wanted to see,” she said.
What this translated to were short videos on numerous topics from the front seat of her car, about the only place she said she felt comfortable enough to be herself.
As for the “Call Me, Maybe” video, this came about as something of a whim. Just like everyone in the states who’s listened to the radio, Edwards and her friends heard the song. One friend suggested she do a video and post it on her blog. The idea snowballed from there.
Soon after Edwards had called several of her girlfriends. The women practiced their dance routine separately and on a Monday evening in a five hour period they went about making real estate genius (without ever practicing the dance number together).
It’s pretty good for limited rehearsal time, huh?
To help you get started in the blogosphere, we asked Edwards for tips and tricks.
Tips from a Pro
- Be Yourself: When Edwards first started video blogging, she filmed herself in various locations. The outcomes were disastrous. In her own words, she didn’t seem natural. Instead, she was still as a mannequin—not so great when you’re looking to entertain a variable legion of Interneters. Her solution became one of her key styles. Edwards films her videos in her car because it’s a place she felt comfortable.
- Make it a Habit: Once you wrangle in a place to film your wild thoughts, you have to actually do it. As Edwards put it, “It’s got to be consistent; it’s got to be real.” This means cutting out things that keep you from shooting the video. In her case it was checking her hair. “No one is looking at your hair as much as you do,” she said, laughing.
- Don’t script: Okay, don’t script it unless you’re doing a big production such as a multi-scene music video. Other than this, think about what you’re going to say and then flip on the camera and say it. As Edwards put it, “You can’t over think it.”
- Keep it short:You aren’t trying to film an epic a la “Lord of the Rings.” Keep it short and to the point. “If you see a video that’s seven minutes long versus two minutes long, which one are you more likely to watch?” Edwards asked.
Just remember, you don’t have to start off with a song and dance number. Of course, we aren’t telling you not to.
