Are you finding it difficult to get people to like you on your Facebook page?
There’s a way you can increase your following quickly . . . if you do it the right way. Yes, there is a right way to get people to like you and it is very much the same as making friends. This right way is where so many people go wrong because they treat it differently than they do when they make a friend in the “real world.”

Guess what? The Internet is the “real world” because it consists of the same people. Are you treating them differently? 

Get Likes on Facebook: Give People a Reason to “Like” You
People aren’t just going to randomly “like” your page.

First, you need to know who your ideal market is, you can do this by knowing their interests, likes, professional where they live and more. Introduce yourself. The best way to do that is to “like” them first and tell them you look forward to connecting with them or to seeing more from them.

Also, compliments go a long way. Show them you are paying attention to what they have to say and it is a two-way street.

Interact with the people who have “liked” the same page. An excellent way to say, “Hey, notice me” is to pay attention to the comments on the posts of the page you have liked and “like” their comment. This will show up in their notifications and it’s a way of introducing yourself to people outside of “pages.” It’s a way to expand your exposure to your target market.

It’s Not All About You (Hard to believe huh?)
The best way to get likes on Facebook is to realize that it is not all about you and what you can do for them or what you have done. It’s about giving to others first and helping others succeed. If you do that, people will have no option but to stop an notice you, and like your page!

Others that share the same niche are not necessarily your competition. In fact they may actually be your future business partners, cross promotion opportunities, or collaboration partners. The key here is to identify some excellent people, teams, or businesses that stand out to you and you truly believe are doing an excellent job. Remember everybody has a different niche or specialty.

Interact with these people, promote their relevant products or services. Promote them without any expectation of anything in return. Do it because you are establishing relationships with other people you respect in your area of expertise. You’re providing value to your readers and you’ll give yourself the opportunity to learn from other experts.

Get Likes on Facebook by Being Likable
A way to get likes on Facebook is to be yourself. People will sense it if you’re not being yourself and they’ll probably run in the opposite direction as fast as they possibly can. Be authentic and creative. Show your personality.

Allow for people to actually get to know YOU, not your business necessarily. People want to do business with people they know, like, and trust. If you are not well liked, it doesn’t matter if you have the best deal in the world. People will hide when they see you coming to avoid you and they’ll find what you offer from someone they like.

Ask yourself, “Would you do business with someone that introduced themself with a sales pitch? Facebook is NOT a place to sell, it truly is a place to build relationships and find people all over the world! Your reputation is created by the way you present yourself. You can present yourself as likable or as that person who keeps trying to sell something to somebody blatantly. Remember what goes up on Facebook represent who you are as a person, so if there are inappropriate pictures on your personal page, people can find them and may not want to do business with you or like your page. Regardless if you own your own business or work for a fortune 500 company, your reputation is all you have.

You will be amazed at how you’ll get likes on Facebook because of your personality and the way you present yourself. And if you can master that, you will then be able to introduce your business.

What’s your experience? Do you get likes on Facebook?

This article I found at http://onemarketmedia.com/blog/2010/08/7-habits-of-highly-effective-video-marketing/ Great information!

7 Habits of Highly Effective Video MarketingVideo is now on every marketer’s to do list. Why? Because web video and rich media engages, persuades and motivates like no other marketing tool. In deference to Mr. Covey I present seven ideas that if done well will help make your next video successful:

1. Tell a good story.
Sure it sounds simple, even trite, but good storytelling is just as important to video marketing and advertising as it is to film making. Stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. They make us think. They make us feel. If told well, they inspire us.

At the heart of any good story is an emotional appeal – it may be subtle or it may be dramatic, but without that emotional connection, the story is quickly forgotten.

A good story has some or all of the following attributes:
Good stories don’t appeal to everyone
– your story should be targeted to the people that you are most interested in communicating with. (These are also the people most likely to socialize your story) if you try to appeal to everyone, you might end up appealing to no one. (B2N)
Good stories resonate
– they are familiar and strike a chord with the audience because they can relate to the story being told. Have you tested your video idea with selected members of  your target  audience before you start production? If not, why not?
Good stories are credible – the story teller, the content and the outcome of the story have to work together and all have to be believable, trusted – your audience can see through the lies (the hype and the exaggeration).
Good stories are usually simple – they can be grand tales or ripping yarns but in the end the best stories have a simple outcome and a simple message. Keep the razzle to a minimum and forget the dazzle.

The goal should always be to create engaging presentations that tell a good story. What’s your story?

2. Show them, don’t tell them.
A video of someone using your product and extolling it’s virtues is far more powerful (and credible) than animated text or a series of photos.  Educators and trainers have long known that the true benefit of video is that it generates much higher retention rates because it engages more than one of the senses at the same time. Retention rates can triple when what you hear is being reinforced by what you see. That doesn’t mean a talking head is necessarily more engaging than an audio podcast or a brochure ‐ you still have to present compelling content that engages your audience.
The ability to show your customers how your product works, how it solves their problems and how it is used by others is where video marketing is unsurpassed as a vehicle to engage and persuade your audience. A page by page walk-through of your software interface may be helpful – but it doesn’t demonstrate to prospects the benefits of your product or how it fits into their processes or business cycles. It’s not about you or your product or service – it’s about how your product or service can help solve your customers problem. Show your customers exactly how your product or service  solves their problem! (this is especially important in the early stages of the buying cycle.)
Video, animation and interactive flash programming can build compelling visual examples of exactly how your products work and why they solve your customers’ problems.
• Testimonials are more compelling when you see and hear a customer talk about their experience with your product.
• Case studies are more engaging when you can actually see how a customer integrates your product in to their process and how your product measurably improves your customer’s bottom line.
• Product demos are far more powerful when you illustrate (i.e. using video or  information graphics ) exactly how your patented process works and benefits your customers.
The power of video and rich media is in its ability to demonstrate the tangible benefits that a product or service can offer.

3. Choose your words very carefully.
There are many important components that go into creating an effective video: Using the right equipment, the proper location, 0n-screen presenters, motion graphics, and music are all critical components to the creation of engaging communications tools. None of these however, are more important than the script (either a formal script or at least speaking points that summarize what should be mentioned in the video.)

Some things to consider when developing a script or on-screen talking points outline:
•Do you understand the key issues affecting your industry?
•What are the top three messages that you have to communicate?
• Are you clearly outlining the benefits that will best resonate with your target audience?
•Are you speaking your customer’s language?

The script is the ‘what’ in the video development process. Everything else is the ‘how’. Far too many corporate videos simply focus on the ‘how’. It is critical that the video development company you engage has expertise in marketing writing and positioning. Style won’t count for much if your message doesn’t resonate with your audience. Deciding on the right thing to say is always more important than how that information is ultimately presented.

Unscripted doesn’t mean unstructured.‘ Spontaneous’,  unscripted videos are becoming more commonplace on the internet as this type of presentation provides a natural tone and authenticity that resonates well with viewers. This doesn’t mean a lot of effort and planning doesn’t go into what questions are asked, how people on-camera respond and how the final product is edited. Even if a formal script is not developed, the business objective, structure and desired outcome of the video should all be considered and coordinated during the pre‐ and post‐production stages. You should never start a video project without knowing EXACTLY what you want the video to communicate.

4. Build‐in Interaction (and ultimately, conversion).
The more interaction you can build into the experience the more engaged the viewer is with your brand. Interest, engagement and interaction should be the goals of web-based video . “Click here to…” is a good start. What do you want the viewer to do when they have finished watching your web video? How deep do you want to take your viewer in
an interactive presentation? Here is a short list of options to include when building your online presentations:
•Click here to find out more about this service
• Click here to read a white paper on this topic
• Click here to watch a related presentation
• Fill out a quick survey to discover if you are qualified for this promotion
• Take a quick poll to see how you stack up in the market
• Click here to have a technical expert answer your questions
• Please help us improve our communications by rating this presentation
• Sign up now for our weekly industry update
Conversion is the goal. Whatever your conversion mechanism is you want your customers and prospects to take the next step.

5. Chose the right format, structure  and style of video.
Abraham Maslow’s quote, ‘If the only tool you have is a hammer – every problem looks like a nail’ applies well to video marketing. The number of web marketing service providers is growing. Many of these specialize in one specific format: ”business animation and information graphics” or ”only photo–based flash presentations.” Some proclaim that their presentation time limit (2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, etc.) is “the right one for the web” or that “their platform is the only way to be truly effective”. Of course none of them are necessarily right… or wrong. Every business problem is unique and there is a multitude of rich media tools and methods to solve your important communications problems. Consider alternative approaches and formats before committing.

The term ‘corporate video’ made sense ten years ago when most corporate videos were the same. Today there are  many different ways (here are 42 examples) you can use video to promote your brand.

6. Consider the only perspective that matters: Your Customer’s.
It’s not about you or your product. There are lots of  companies just like yours and frankly, it’s getting tougher to tell them apart. Posting canned videos of your executives or beauty shots of your facilities to your website won’t move the dial. And unless you are Apple or Victoria’s Secret no one is really that interested in your product. They are only interested in the comfort, status, utility or pleasure that your product conveys. These are the things that you need to be promoting. Like any purpose-built marketing material, your web video  should be developed with a single goal in mind: How do I communicate my companies understanding of, and solutions to, my customers’ problems.

7. Define business objectives (and outcomes) first.
As the use of web‐based video grows in popularity it’s important to remember that video marketing is a means to end, not an end in itself. There are far too many marketing articles that discuss how to get video up on your website without ever mentioning why.
Indeed, a well produced video is one of the most persuasive marketing tools available and building interactive presentations is a great way to engage your audience. But putting an unprepared executive in front of a camera, re-purposing old corporate presentations or having some guys from the mail-room put together a ‘viral’ video won’t bear fruit. Worse yet, bad video is even harder to ignore than bad print material.
Consider the following when planning to implement video on your website:
• At what stage of the buying cycle are you targeting your prospects? I.e. Product presentations (that highlight benefits – the customer’s perspective) are more appropriate during the consideration phase. Product demos (that highlight features – your perspective) are more helpful during the comparison phase.
• Who is your audience? If your answer is “…well, everyone really” you’re probably wasting your money. The vast majority of YouTube viewers are not your audience. There is a considerable difference between ‘views’ and ‘targeted views.’ Creating one broadly focused web video might add value but you should also consider breaking your web video into discreet pieces that speak to specific audiences. Successful marketing always starts with targeting.
• What are the measurable business outcomes? How do you measure success? You should be able to quantify the business value by measuring click‐thru’s, registrations, time spent watching the presentation or some other objective business metric.

This was a great article I came across and wanted to share with you . . .

social media toolsThere’s no doubt that online video marketing is on the rise.  Numerous studies and statistics prove that video works.  In fact, Forrester Research found that videos were 50 times more likely to receive an organic first page ranking than traditional text pages.  That’s a pretty impressive stat!

Online video marketing is attractive to many businesses today for numerous reasons.  Making videos and posting them online is fairly inexpensive.  Plus, online videos stay online forever.  If you spend the money to record once, your video could still be getting views a year from now.

In addition, social media sites and video go hand in hand and most sites encourage video posting and sharing. The viral video opportunities are endless when you use the right strategies to create and post your videos online.

If you’re new to video, or have been thinking about flipping on your camera for the first time, here are some tips and strategies to get you going.

Six Quick Tips to Optimize Your Videos

Once you record your video, follow these tips to make sure it reaches your core audience and gets the views it deserves.

#1: Make your title count

Just like a headline to a blog post, video titles can pull powerful traffic.  There are two main reasons why the title is so important.  One, a great title can instantly grab a viewer’s attention.  Two, when you use the appropriate keywords in your title, you are more likely to show up on search engines when people are searching for your topic.  And remember Google owns YouTube, so there’s a story connection between video and searching.

#2: Provide excellent content

Take some time to think about your ideal viewer.  What do you know that they’ll find valuable?  What can you teach them?  “How-to” videos are extremely successful because not only do they offer great value to your viewer, but also you’re able to showcase your knowledge and skill, thus positioning yourself as an expert.  This is key as you continue to grow your brand.

Also, no matter how good your content is, it won’t matter if your video is too long and you lose your viewer’s attention.  Try to keep them short.

In late 2009, ComScore reported that the average video was 3.8 minutes in length.

#3: Include your URL in your video

When you edit your video, take advantage of the different editing features.  One easy feature is to add a text box to your video.  This is where you can display your website address and it’s a great way to get exposure.

Here’s a screen shot of Mari Smith’s YouTube channel.  Notice how she used a text box in her video to display key information, including her website URL at the end of her video.  Smart move!

#4: Take advantage of video’s branding opportunities

For branding purposes, have your company logo displayed prominently somewhere on the screen.  You can do this at all times, or during key times in your video.

In the image below, notice how the company logo is displayed in the upper-left corner.  You can display your logo throughout your video or only at key times.

#5: Always provide an HTML link

When you post on YouTube, you have the option to write a short description of your video.  Always start with the link you want to drive your viewers to so you don’t miss this key opportunity.

Here’s a snapshot of the description boxes from one of my YouTube videos.  Notice the placement of my website URL (it’s the first thing you want to put in the box!) and the keywords I used in my title as well as the description.

#6: Go beyond YouTube

Most people post their videos on YouTube.  In addition to this, make sure to always embed your video on your own website.  This will increase the amount of time people spend on your website and help grow a captive audience.

Also, Google’s algorithms consider how many times a video is viewed, and embedded video views you receive get added to the ‘views’ tally on YouTube.  This is important for showing up in Google search results!

How to Supercharge Your Videos

To make sure your video stands out above all the clutter on the web, here are a few strategies that will give your videos an extra boost.

  1. Create a Campaign: To get noticed, think beyond stand-alone videos.  For greater reach and exposure, create a series of content-rich videos that you publish regularly.  Not only will this create a great synergy around your content, but it will also allow you to build upon your brand identity as each video is released.
  2. Always Include a Call to Action: Never miss the opportunity to ask your viewers to take some type of action at the end of your video.  You can ask them to sign up for your newsletter, go to a specific website, leave a comment about your video or visit your blog.  If your video is good, you’ll likely have their full attention; make sure to take advantage of it!
  3. Don’t Make a Sales Pitch: There is a lot of sales clutter on the web and you want to make sure you come out above this.  There is nothing wrong with selling your products or services, but use your video to define a problem, discuss solutions and support others—when you combine the three, your video will attract the right following.

Basic Keyword Strategies

There’s no shortage of information online for keyword strategies.  Here are some of the basics you will want to pay attention to as you create your videos:

  • To optimize your YouTube videos, make sure to use keywords in your videos’ titles, descriptions, and tags.
  • Use your website’s text pages as a kind of “map” for Google. To help the search engines figure out what your videos are about, embed videos into text pages on your site that are relevant to your video.
  • Target specific search phrases, not just search words.  For example, instead of using “cupcakes” as a keyword for an organic bakery, use “cupcakes with organic frosting” for a better chance of showing up on the front of search results.

Ten Ideas to Spark Your Video Creativity

#1: Educate

Tell people about your product or services.  Give the details on features and benefits.  Tell them everything they’ll receive once they make the purchase.

#2: Answer questions

What do you get asked most about your product or services?  Most of us can think of a list of at least 5 to 10 questions we get asked often.  Make short 2- to 3-minute videos clips where you state the question and then the answer.  These are easy to make and extremely valuable to your prospects.

#3: Do a product review

 Find a product or service that would be of interest to your niche and your audience and do a review on its benefits and features.

#4: Grow your list

If you have a business, you need a list of potential clients.  Make a video to encourage your prospects to give you their name and email in exchange for something you will give them.  You can give away an ebook, an article (tips, strategies and how-tos are always popular), a tutorial video, a free consultation, a type of assessment, etc.  Figure out what your prospects would find most valuable and create a giveaway around that. (Here’s a hint:  give away your best stuff.  Don’t hold back.)

#5: Talk about your case studies and results

Make a video about the results you were able to achieve while working with a client or talk about a case study and show what you did for them and how you can do the same for the viewer.  You can also show a case study of someone who did not follow your guidance or use the method you teach and failed. Another similar idea is to read testimonials from your most satisfied customers while weaving in key examples.

#6: Tell a story

People can relate to you when you tell a compelling story.  Weave a lesson into your story as a takeaway.  You can also tell about an event from your past that has shaped who you are or how you do business today.

#7: Debunk myths

Talk about the top three myths in your industry and give real examples to show why they are truly myths.

#8: Take your viewers behind the scenes

Take your viewers outside of your office and show yourself in your “natural surroundings.”  If appropriate, introduce your family and show things that are meaningful to you.  Tie in some of your business secrets—how you organize your business, what type of setup you use to get things done, etc.  Pull back the curtains and give tips on how you do business.

#9: Ask questions and answer them

Ask your viewers some key questions that will spark conversation about their wants and needs as they relate to your niche.  Personally answer the question yourself and then ask your viewers to leave their answers below in the comments section.  This will start discussion.

#10: Additional video opportunities

There is so much you can do with video.  Besides filming yourself, you can also do screen captures (ScreenFlow for Macs and Camtasia for PCs are great options), slideshows, and use Keynote or PowerPoint slides to tell your story.

Here’s a short video to show you how ScreenFlow works:

One more piece of advice:  Don’t try to be perfect! I can guarantee that you will not like your first take of any video you record.  And it is of course fine to redo it a few times.  But don’t let multiple video takes slow you down.  Make a promise to yourself that you will do your best, and then move on.  With each video you publish, your confidence will increase and you will get better with time.

Here’s my challenge to you. If you are new at video, make the commitment that you will record a video in the next 24 hours.  Just dive in and try it!  The longer you wait, the faster your competition will claim their video space and run with it.

Give it a try and report back to let us know about your successes.

What’s been your experience with video? Share your video making tips and experiences in the comment box below.

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Social media marketing like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube is a

tricky beast. It can be time consuming and if done wrong, super spammy.

That having been said, social media can produce REAL results for your small business!

We do social media marketing for small business owners and oftentimes during

the sales process they ask us what kind of results they can expect

from our efforts.

 I THINK that they are asking what kind of SALES can they expect to receive

within a couple of days of starting, but that is just conjecture on my part!

Social media marketing is not a direct line kind of thing. It is more like grabbing

a tigers tail and hoping that he is going where you want to go!

 I read the best post the other day about why Facebook marketing does not work,

it is worth a read for sure. The nice thing about this article is that it

comes from an agency who has really deep pocket clients who have made the mistakes that our

small biz marketing peeps cannot afford to make.

Social Media Marketing Results and Goals

I was talking to a client the other day and he was VERY focused on growing his database so that he

could send them marketing messages. With that in mind he had developed a series of four different

 autoresponders with GREAT content. The problem was his front-end pitching of it. Basically by reading

what he was saying, you could tell immediately that his goal was to get you in his database which

would turn anyone off. With social media marketing (actually with all marketing) we have to know

that there are humans at the other end of line. Our goals for using social media have to be REALLY clear so

that we know what we are trying to accomplish with our efforts. Here are a couple of goals that

you could have in social media:

To Get Them Into Your Database

Social media marketing results

If you are talking  A LOT with someone on social media,

 check out their information. Often they will have their email or phone number on there,

add them to your database. Additionally, you can have a

 great teaser and a link that you can post judiciously that will allow people to opt into your

database but don’t be a spammer about it! Here is a link

to one of my clients FREE ebooks about “How To Buy USA Real Estate” that could be a good carrot!

The photo shows how you can add it to your Facebook

 profile without looking like a spammer.

To Sign Up People To Work With You

Social Media Marketing Results

One of my favorite online MLM marketers is Kirsten McKay Smith

 of Passion Parties. She REALLY knows how to engage her clients, team members and

prospects on Facebook. THIS Is the kind of thing that can happen when you are out there.

She had a prospect who she “friended” on Facebook. Now that could have gone nowhere as

 many of our leads do BUT through communicating on the Facebook, Kirsten stayed in touch and

when her prospect was ready was there to sign her up immediately. Kirsten is also an author

of the What It Takes To Make A Million Dollars In Direct Sales books, unsurprisingly, this same thing works for sales of her

books. In fact, I saw on there the other day someone asking about when her forth volume was set to come out!

 Gotta think that will lead to some sales.

To Stay In Front Of Prospects Without Spamming Them

Social media marketing social media real results

The picture is a lead that I got yesterday from a prospect. The content basically

said that she had met me at a talk that I gave over a year ago and had implemented some of the

 suggestions that I gave and had great results for her company. NOW, she is at another company

and is interested in finding out about the services that I offer. YAY! So how did this happen? Was it because

I set up a Facebook profile a year ago, ignored it and then magically someone wanted to buy something?

Nope! This is the process that this prospect went through:

  • She attended a class that I gave
  • I put her into my database AND asked her to be my Facebook friend
  • She did not need my product or service right then BUT we saw each other on the Facebook, I liked some of her stuff off and on, generally she
  • still knew I was out there in the business
  • She sent me a message through Facebook asking about my services

Now, will she turn into a client, maybe. BUT the whole point is to fill up your pipeline with people

who are curious about what you do and make sure

to pay attention to them. Have to say that having them as Facebook friends is a super easy way to do that!

– – – –

I do not know if you know this or not, but we have a Small Business Marketing and Social Media membership site

will all kinds of great information about how to actually DO some of the things that we talk about over here!

In fact, I am going to be adding so me new videos TODAY

that cover how to do these kinds of posts that get results for your social media efforts!!!

Found on http://www.Marketingartfully.com

A news update with features, case studies, tips and a social media white paper
HootSuite has gathered up a variety of tools and tips which will help your social media campaigns
We see social media in action from organizing political revolutions to hobby meet-ups along with businesses which are embracing the social web in creative ways to outreach to brand fans.Well, the industrious owls at HootSuite HQ enjoy seeing the remarkable things people do with our beloved social media dashboard, so we’ve gathered up research and tips to help you along. Plus, we’ve made a few noteworthy additions to the dashboard which we think you’ll enjoy.

Useful White PaperWhite Paper with HootSuite

Whether you use social media tools for business or personal purposes, the rapid rise of these communication tactics is a fascinating topic. With this quick emergence though comes challenging questions about how social fits into business settings.

For this reason, we’ve partnered with Useful Social Media to produce a white paper examining the role of social media for enterprise businesses. This report – titled The State of Corporate Social Media 2011 – includes a foreword written by HootSuite CEO Ryan Holmes, and identifies evolving trends and tactics in the corporate space.

Even non-business-minded users will enjoy seeing the difference between how businesses in Europe and North America use social media. So head on over to Useful Social Media to download your free copy and tell us what you think via @HootBusiness.

Download the White Paper

Filed Under Win

The New York Public Library is the largest public library on Twitter and a star in movies like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Sex and the City. We were pleased to create a case study exploring how @NYPL used HootSuite to efficiency serve their audience. They even won an award for their unique Tweeting efforts – Congrats!

Read the NYPL Case Study in media library, or download it from Slideshare to share with your friends and colleagues. Next up: A case study showing how a transit authority raised awareness and improved emergency service using HootSuite.

#HootTips about Re-Tweets and Lists

We launched a series of short how-to articles starting with ReTweets and Lists.
Hoot Tip from HootSuite
Learn how to choose your Re-Tweet style on-the-fly from each Tweet. See a quick lesson on how to create and manage Twitter lists in the HootSuite dashboard.

We call these handy nuggets #HootTips – Tweet your #HootTip (and follow the tag) and you may earn a #HootKit full of limited-edition Owly swag for sharing your wisdom.

‘Berry New Updates

HootSuite for BlackBerry HootSuite for BlackBerry is now even more loaded up with networks with LinkedIn, Foursquare, Facebook (Profiles and Pages), and of course Twitter. Schedule updates, “check-in,” manage lists and track stats on your ‘berry. Performance updates make posting even breezier.

Get started by downloading HootSuite BlackBerry and remember to do a hard reset after install – and it’s free!

Updated Facebook Pages

Going along with Facebook’s recent updates, we’ve also added more functionality to Facebook Pages:

Delete a Comment from HootSuitePost as your Facebook Page: Post comments as your brand rather than from your personal profile – particularly handy to retain brand consistency for premium users with multiple team members posting on your profile

Delete Facebook Page comments: Quickly remove inappropriate comments from your Facebook Pages without having to leave the HootSuite dashboard – great for getting ahead of potential problems and unsavoury remarks

Up Next

We’re heading to SXSW for panels and meet-ups. Keep an eye on the HootSuite blog for more information about our SXSW plans, but before we head to Austin, we have another (big) release planned. We’ll be sure to let you know.

HootSuite is a Trademark of HootSuite Media, Inc. More: HootSuite Online Media Kit.

Have you been holding off including videos in your marketing mix?

If you want to generate more visitors to your web site don’t just rely on written content. Not all people like to read content online. Many are attracted by learning visually. This is why video marketing is so powerful. You now see Google video ads, video newsletters, video sales letters and so on.

Top 7 benefits of video marketing

1. Attract a large audience

Video enables you to capture people who like to watch rather than read. This extends the reach of your content because you can appeal to visual learners.

2. Engages the senses

If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then video does even more because you can create live movies with sound. This engages more senses than written text which only uses one medium.

3. Access at any time

You can view videos with all kinds of devices these days eg ipods, cell phones, laptops, etc. allowing you to access video content anywhere at any time.

4. Achieve top rankings in the search engines

Google recently introduced Universal Search. This means videos now appear in the search results pages. For example if you Google “Mustang” you’ll see video listings of mustang cars on the first page of Google.

5. Become known as an expert in your field

If you consistently create high quality video content that your visitors want and need you will soon become recognized as the expert in your niche.

6. Repurpose content

Convert your written content to video by talking about it in a video clip or creating a slide show then upload it to video sharing sites like YouTube. The beauty of this method is that you don’t have to create fresh content and there’s no need to worry about duplicate written content.

7. Easy to create and publish

All you need is a video camera (or just use a digital camera), windows movie maker software (already on all windows’ computers) and a YouTube account.

Now you have no excuse for not creating your first video then marketing it on YouTube and other video sharing sites. It will take some time to get it right the first time, but with practice you’ll soon be generating more traffic to your web site.

http://www.drostdesigns.com/video-marketing-top-7-benefits/

I can help you with creating videos also, if you do not have a good camera. I do 4 videos for $125, email me if  you are interested yourmarketingvoice@yahoo.com

This is a great article I wanted to share with you . . .

I’ve recently made the switch to Google’s Chrome as my default web browser, almost out of necessity. Firefox had gotten to be a bit of a memory hog on my machine, and I began using Chrome  to try and ease the pain. What I found was a browser experience I greatly enjoyed. Being a video junkie, I’ve recently discovered a few awesome Chrome extensions that most of you will find incredibly useful, whether you use YouTube for business or pleasure.

1) Chrome Extension to Force YouTube Videos in HD Automatically

I’m a huge fan of YouTube’s HD capabilities, and choose to view their videos that way whenever possible. In fact, I prefer YouTube in HD to YouTube in standard definition so much… I could use a browser extension that makes it happen automatically.

Enter Auto HD. Auto HD is a Chrome extension that plays every video you watch in HD automatically, whenever the video has that capability. I’ve been using it for several weeks now, and I simply couldn’t go back if I had to.

2) Download YouTube Videos With Chrome Extensions

There is a tremendous demand out there for the ability to download videos from YouTube. Traditionally, Google has been quick to squash downloading sites–their terms of service still states that videos are for streaming only. A year ago, I rounded up some of the best YouTube downloaders I could find (along with some legitimate reasons why one might wish to download a YouTube video), and some of those have since become unreliable.

But a new contender has arrived, in the form of a Chrome extension–one you can download right on the Chrome website. It’s called YouTube Downloader, which definitely has a nice “obvious” ring to it. It places a “download” button down below the video player next to the standard “Share” button.

It’s entirely possible that this extension will have a short life, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Google shuts it down. But it’s been out for several months without an issue, and there are several more like it currently available.

3) Smart Video Enlarger Chrome Extension for YouTube

Another new Chrome extension that should enhance your YouTube experience is the Smart Video Enlarger. The extension automatically enlarges YouTube videos to full-screen resolution. There’s also an “Intelligent Scrolling” feature that allows for the maximum video size while the user explores the comments. Smart Video Enlarger is also compatible with the AutoHD extension.

Chrome users: did I miss any? What are your favorite Chrome extensions (or Firefox extensions) for enhancing the way you create, view, and market online videos?

More Web Video Industry Analysis –> YouTube Chrome Extensions: 3 Great Chrome Extensions for YouTube Video
(via ReelSEO Video Marketing) 

http://www.reelseo.com/youtube-chrome-extensions/

Late last week Facebook announced changes to Facebook Pages. The latest overhaul will streamline the look of the site to match Places and personal profiles. Plus, added features expand the options for brands to engage on Facebook.

Here are the highlights:
New Look Mimics New Personal Profiles and Places
Last month Facebook revealed it updated looks for personal profiles. Just as users are growing accustomed to the new look, Facebook announced similar updates for Facebook Pages – plus an array of other useful features for page admins.

What’s Changing: The addition of a photostrip at the top of the Page that mimics the personal profiles. This displays the latest photos the Page has tagged itself in, according to Inside Facebook.

What It Means: Users have done creative things with this section (view examples at Mashable), but because these photos display randomly, there’s not ways to work strategically with these images. Regardless, this will immediately put an increased focus on images.

What’s Changing: Tab navigation is now on the left, instead of the top. Six tabs are displayed by default, and tab names support more characters.

What It Means: The question of whether this move from top to left will reduce the traffic to tabs remains to be seen. As visitors grow more accustomed to the layout, checking that space on Facebook Pages could become commonplace. Plus, the added character space for descriptions might aid in piquing interest. This could make strategic use of default landing tabs more important than ever.

What’s Changing: Info blurb moves from Wall to Info tab

What It Means: For brands that aren’t highly recognizable, this could hinder their ability to give their “elevator pitch” to new visitors. Welcome tabs as default landing tabs can help raise awareness and could come in handy for this issue.

The profile pictures shrink from 200 x 600 pixels to 180 x 540 pixels. Shortly after the announcement, a Facebook bug led many to believe that tab width was changing from 520 pixels to 492 pixels. The tab width will remain at 520 pixels.

Administrators Have More Freedom to Speak on Brand’s Behalf

What’s Changing: Page admins can now “be” the brand on Facebook. This includes:

  • Browsing Facebook as the brand. Facebook will allow admins to jump between browsing the site as themselves or as the administrator. Along with this comes the ability for a brand to read a newsfeed of its own.
  • Posting comments on other Pages.
  • Liking other brands’ Pages.

What It Means: Brands have a bigger voice and greater reach. Not only will brand-to-brand relationships be seen (what if Coke and Pepsi Like each other? Packers and Steelers?), but this will also impact consumer discussions with brands on other Pages. There are co-branding opportunities in terms of cross-commenting on partner Pages. While there are opportunities for spam to increase or consumer fatigue to swell at seeing more brand posts in new places, if used wisely the increased freedom to engage in different parts of Facebook could be somewhat of a game-changer.

What’s Changing: Users will see friends who also like the Page, as well as Liked Pages that the user and the Page have in common.

What It Means: AllFacebook reports this is one of the most requested features. And rightly so – these connections mean more opportunity for organic discovery for brands. This is a good sign, especially with recent discussions around the need to break through the noise of users’ newsfeeds. The importance of having an internal process for commenting as a cohesive Page among team members will become more important to ensure there’s one voice among many admins.

Management Options Updated and How They Work with Shoutlet

What’s Changing: Admins can receive email notifications from Facebook when users post to the Facebook Page. These can be turned on or off by administrators.

What It Means: For small Pages, this will be a lifesaver. For large brands with a significant number of Likes, it will be overwhelming. For Shoutlet users, this feature currently exists. Unlike Facebook notifications that only notify of posts and comments, Page activity notifications from Shoutlet can be tailored and include more notification possibilities. For instance, users can turn off notifications for new comments and only receive email when new Likes are added.

What’s Changing: The order of Wall posts move from most recent to most relevant. If admins choose to display user posts (the other option is Page-only wall posts), Facebook determines the most relevant posts based on factors like friend comments, country, and more.

What It Means: For Page admins managing their Pages within the Facebook interface, this can make moderation tricky. Although there are email notifications, some have complained that without chronological ordering of posts, moderation will suffer. Having a social media management system can help your team catch everything and respond quickly – without being buried in email notifications from Facebook or wading through the Wall to find what’s new.

For current Shoutlet users, all changes are supported and are ready to roll when admins make the switch manually or Facebook converts all Pages to the new layout on March 1.

We’re interested in what you think about the new Pages. How do you think it is going to change the impact of Pages?

http://socialmediatoday.com/jason-weaver/270419/new-facebook-pages-mean-new-look-greater-reach-and-more

As a Social Media Manager I get asked the question a lot, “What does Social Media mean to you and how do you think of it differently?”

Well to me Social Media means a connection source. If you think about it Social Media connects people all over the world. People have found long lost family and friends; people have done business with each other, even though have never met.

In my environment, the people I am around the most are what I like to call “Light Workers” and these are people that are very authentic, bring spirituality into their business and talk about rising up to a new level of vibration for 2012. I always tell them by using social media the right way we can accomplish that. They give me a funny face most of the time.

Social Media is a tool we can use in the right way to find people nationwide that have things in common with us. We then build those relationships. We have videos we create to teach people what we do and who we are, we put those up on our Social Media profiles and that builds relationships. Sometimes people think that everything is going on the internet and we are getting away from face to face connections and growing part from each other. That is one way to think about it, OR you can think about it like this: there are thousands more people on the Internet that you can connect to. Yes people are using Internet more than going to meeting and events to find people. At the same time there are tools like Skype and GoToMeeting where we can still see that other person face to face.

I just want you to remember that Social Media is about building relationships with people from all over, it is NOT about selling.

Social Media can be our connection source to the world!

This Denver Boulder Small Business Marketing Seminar is going to be a HIGHLY interactive, goal oriented session on how to get a laser focused vision for your small business!

The Three Squares are a way to look at what you are trying to achieve for your small business and what you should put your attention on to succeed. We will be going through YOUR business goals, strengths and helping define concrete tasks to do for the coming year!

Small Business Marketing Benefits:

  • Laser focus your tasks so that you know what to do to grow your business
  • Find out to how to (gracefully) tell people what you can and cannot commit to so that your time is your own
  • KNOW, without a doubt, what your company goals are
  • Figure out what your product offerings should be and learn how to sell them effectively

Small Business Marketing Features:

  • Get a 10 page, laminated workbook that you can use to help define your business and stay on track
  • Cost is just $47 (including the workbook!)
  • Learn which marketing ideas will help you grow, and which you are throwing away your money on


please make sure to use your billing address when signing up

When:
February 18, 2011

Where:
Egg & I
8025 Sheridan Blvd
Arvada, CO 80003

Cost:
$47

because of the interactive nature of this class, seating is limited to the first 20 signups