I’ve 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 agency. However none of us match Mini Katana, Isaac Medeiros’s firm. It produces six movies per day.
Medeiros launched the model, a direct-to-consumer vendor of Japanese-style swords and equipment, simply two years in the past. It has posted 3,000 movies to this point from a formidable crew of creators, writers, and editors. Gross sales have soared.
He and I lately mentioned the corporate, the video manufacturing course of, and extra. Your complete audio of our dialog is embedded under. The transcript is edited for readability and size.
Eric Bandholz: What do you do?
Isaac Medeiros: I began a enterprise in 2021 known as Mini Katana, “katana” being Japanese for a curved sword. We promote Samurai-themed letter openers, swords, and associated equipment on-line.
We’ve grown dramatically. We now promote swords of all sizes and shapes. We primarily market via natural movies and have large followings on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
The movies deal with our merchandise and observe a template. They’re all comparable — fast-paced with the identical feel and appear. We use the identical narrators throughout all movies.
As a sword model, we shouldn’t be as large as we’re. We deliver large consciousness to the area of interest. Our producers can not sustain, which implies frequent provide shortages. We’re migrating to different classes, akin to pens and attire, the place there aren’t any manufacturing hurdles.
Bandholz: Discuss your video manufacturing course of.
Medeiros: We usually put up six movies day by day throughout the three channels.
We shoot two varieties of movies. The primary is generic B-rolls, which we mass-produce and fasten to scripts. Most B-roll variations are 15 to 30 seconds.
Then we have now what we name creator-led content material, which is specialised and high-end. It’s what goes viral. For instance, we did a creator-led video that sliced a bullet in midair.
Our firm focuses on supporting the creators. They generate the concepts with scripts and submit them to our inner approval course of. If authorised, we assign a price range to it. It then will get handed on to editors skilled in our fashion. We’re a viral model with video content material related to our branded swords. The important thing components are the vibe, feeling, pacing, and modifying.
Lengthy-form video is 10 instances more durable than short-form. It’s simpler to inform a narrative in 15 to 30 seconds. My model exists as a result of short-form video has opened up a tidal wave of potential attain. Earlier than, you needed to be a creator, and that’s all you can deal with.
We’ve 16 contract script writers for the B-rolls, 4 full-time in-house creators, and two in-house editors.
We even have a head of content material. She meets weekly with the creator crew to maintain everybody on observe. It’s additionally a training session as a result of the creators typically miss out on analytics — what’s working. Then we have now month-to-month conferences for all the content material crew.
Our top-performing content material on YouTube is normally academic, akin to “How you can use your katana.” That’s usually high-converting stuff.
However a number of the movies don’t convert. Extra views don’t essentially drive conversions. However we all know that broad model consciousness all the time reduces acquisition prices on the promoting aspect.
We’re believers in promoting. I hope to generate $1 million or extra in ad-generated income this yr. We’re seeing exceptional returns on advert spend on Meta.
Of us ask, “How do you purchase clients?” I inform them to get good at adverts. Meta’s the primary strategy to scale a model reliably and predictably. We created our katana pens and began working adverts two weeks in the past. We’re sustaining a 5 to eight ROAS.
Bandholz: Do you get a number of repeat clients?
Medeiros: About 35% of gross sales are from repeat consumers. I don’t imagine in one-off merchandise. We’ve 10 new variants within the pipeline with our katana pen. Every turns into a collectible. Of us love accumulating.
Bandholz: The place can individuals discover and assist you?
Medeiros: On Twitter I’m @theisaacmed. Our web site is MiniKatana.com. Our YouTube channels are @MiniKatanaStore and @MeeneeKatana.
