Tampa Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Darin Blatt discusses family matters with Battalion Soldier & Family Assistance Program Manager Alexandria Camareno during an episode of Gator Talk.
Tampa Battalion Talk Show has Recruiters Talking
By Rodney Weibley, USAREC, Tampa Battalion
March 31, 2015
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Hootsuite, Google Plus, smart phones, and tablets.
Recruiters navigate a sea of social media combat multipliers. Do they really know which medium works best for them?
The Tampa Recruiting Battalion commander developed a method for sharing information.
Using A&PA video equipment, Lt. Col. Darrin Blatt created "Gator Talk" - a series of informative prerecorded interviews with subject matter experts covering topics vital to recruiters.
"Like TED Talks, or the local news, Gator Talk makes events interesting because we select a catchy lead in themes to complement topics of discussion where the audience has a vested interest in watching,” said Blatt. "The commanding general has provided us with the most current communication devices, and we need to maximize the use of this technology.”
As the host of Gator Talk, Blatt said the goal is to feed viewers small amounts of information at a time, in what he describes as Gator bites that can be easily understood and retained.
Videos range between 5-18 minutes in length. Like Twitter, Gator Talk forces people to get their point across in a short amount of time.
“With a goal of 18 minutes, you get the interviewee to really think about what they want to say,” said Blatt. “What is the key point they want to communicate? It has a clarifying effect. Restricting the time makes each presentation clean, understandable, and straightforward.”
As videos are produced, they are posted on the battalion’s Google plus drive and shared with followers.
The first two videos posted in November received roughly 100 views. Viewership is increasing daily. Videos posted during the last several weeks have generated more than 2,300 views.
“With only 24 followers, that’s an enormous viewership,” said Blatt.
Market analysis, professional development, the importance of leadership and personal responsibility, and anticipated changes to the new NCOER are among Gator Talk topics.
“At first I was apprehensive about being interviewed on video,” said Alexandria Camareno, Tampa Battalion Soldier & Family Assistance Program Manager. “But after completing my interview, I am excited about the possibilities of this concept. I can record information important and relevant to families, and reach out to family members on a regular basis. Not only am I giving them information, but they get to see who their SFA representative is. All I have to do is email them the link, or direct them to the battalion Google Plus feed.”
Blatt said it was important to keep the videos short.
“You cannot inspire people if you put them to sleep. Eighteen minutes is long enough to be serious, yet short enough to hold people's attention,” he said. “The length also works incredibly well online, because it's the length of a coffee break. So, you watch a great talk, and forward the link to two or three people.”
Blatt said recruiters have embraced this mechanism and companies are expanding its use to capture TTPs and lessons learned.
The videos can be viewed on any device.
By Rodney Weibley, USAREC, Tampa Battalion
March 31, 2015
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Hootsuite, Google Plus, smart phones, and tablets.
Recruiters navigate a sea of social media combat multipliers. Do they really know which medium works best for them?
The Tampa Recruiting Battalion commander developed a method for sharing information.
Using A&PA video equipment, Lt. Col. Darrin Blatt created "Gator Talk" - a series of informative prerecorded interviews with subject matter experts covering topics vital to recruiters.
"Like TED Talks, or the local news, Gator Talk makes events interesting because we select a catchy lead in themes to complement topics of discussion where the audience has a vested interest in watching,” said Blatt. "The commanding general has provided us with the most current communication devices, and we need to maximize the use of this technology.”
As the host of Gator Talk, Blatt said the goal is to feed viewers small amounts of information at a time, in what he describes as Gator bites that can be easily understood and retained.
Videos range between 5-18 minutes in length. Like Twitter, Gator Talk forces people to get their point across in a short amount of time.
“With a goal of 18 minutes, you get the interviewee to really think about what they want to say,” said Blatt. “What is the key point they want to communicate? It has a clarifying effect. Restricting the time makes each presentation clean, understandable, and straightforward.”
As videos are produced, they are posted on the battalion’s Google plus drive and shared with followers.
The first two videos posted in November received roughly 100 views. Viewership is increasing daily. Videos posted during the last several weeks have generated more than 2,300 views.
“With only 24 followers, that’s an enormous viewership,” said Blatt.
Market analysis, professional development, the importance of leadership and personal responsibility, and anticipated changes to the new NCOER are among Gator Talk topics.
“At first I was apprehensive about being interviewed on video,” said Alexandria Camareno, Tampa Battalion Soldier & Family Assistance Program Manager. “But after completing my interview, I am excited about the possibilities of this concept. I can record information important and relevant to families, and reach out to family members on a regular basis. Not only am I giving them information, but they get to see who their SFA representative is. All I have to do is email them the link, or direct them to the battalion Google Plus feed.”
Blatt said it was important to keep the videos short.
“You cannot inspire people if you put them to sleep. Eighteen minutes is long enough to be serious, yet short enough to hold people's attention,” he said. “The length also works incredibly well online, because it's the length of a coffee break. So, you watch a great talk, and forward the link to two or three people.”
Blatt said recruiters have embraced this mechanism and companies are expanding its use to capture TTPs and lessons learned.
The videos can be viewed on any device.