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Trends to Watch in the final 365 days of the Decade by @SBSLEducSoltns

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by SJ Barakony | Featured Contributor

 

2019 awaits. How ready are you & your business for these 13 trends?

 

Can you believe it?! Yes, its true: we’re less than 2 weeks away from another New Years’ Day; so, let’s dedicate a toast to our businesses, our families, & friends!

Not only that … did you notice?  It’s also the last year of the first decade of the ‘new’ century.

 

Where were you on 01 Jan, 2010?

 

Was your business even open?

How did you communicate with your clientele?

Have you rebranded since then?

 

…  That’s NINE years ago, believe that!

 

The Mindset of the Futurist

 

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”  — Buckminster Fuller

 

#quotestoliveby #futurist 

( Click to Tweet the above )

 

Many thought leaders, chief amongst them the futurists, visionaries, and creative disrupters, know of Fuller. He laid this cornerstone of thought and its now part of his legacy, to be embraced by generations not yet born. It is from this core thesis that we’ll push ahead – unveiling a market basket of trends that your business will be impacted by in some manner in 2019 ( & beyond. )

 

 

A Bakers’ Dozen

 

Laying out 13 that I, as a futurist, am personally invested in tracking; each of these are invigorating and, in the hands of the benevolent & bold, will usher in as yet unknown amounts of potential energy to our nation(s), states/provinces, and localities:

 

Mobile revolution

Smart Cities

Blockchain / Crypto currencies

Gig Economy ( Conceptual Age )

Automation ( AI, Machine Learning, Robots )

Autonomous Vehicles \ Drones

Holistic Wellness ( > sickcare )

Decentralized [ social & news ] media

Self directed education & learning ( schooling & credential seeking )

Communities / tribes

Social enterprises ( modern mutual aid societies )

Principles > politics

Holocracy ( future of ‘work’/places )

 

 

In pursuit of a deeper understanding of the bright future which awaits

 

Even a rudimentary understanding of 1, some, or perhaps all of the 13 trends shared above won’t be embraced at deeper levels of awareness, acceptance, and consciousness without continually reading, listening ( podcasts, audio books ), & watching ( videos, webinars )

 

Two #mustread books in this space are linked below, to further illuminate your path.

I wholeheartedly suggest investing in them as a holiday/Christmas present for yourself & for those whom you hold most dear.

 

A Whole New Mind

The Code of the Extraordinary Mind

 

Suggested Follows out in the ‘Twitter’verse

 

Futurist Rankings by Ross Dawson

Generations Timeline – After the Millennials by Anne Boysen

Gold vs. Cryptos: Invest or divest … Here … from Gerald Celente

4 questions to test your intellectual humility via Daniel Pink

 

 

Don’t Argue, nor Debate

 

Instead, as we see, hear, and experience more & more creative disruption which impacts our professional sphere ( inc. our business’ cashflow, income streams, etc. ), shall we abandon the negativity, time loss, & win/lose (or worse, lose/lose) outcomes from arguing & debating?

I propose an equivalent swap of the above two non futurist, consumerist terms for those that produce & add value:   Discussion & rational discourse.

 

As 2019 dawns, I thoughtfully (channeling one of my many informal mentors, Mr. Dale Carnegie), throw down a challenge:

 

Whether with yourself ( self talk ), your staff, clientele/customers, or a prospect, engage in thought provoking win/win discussion or a structured rational discourse with him/her/them in the next several weeks

 

Word Play: Choices to make to embrace the transformation underway in our workplaces  

 

As we ascend the ladder from unconscious incompetence on up to unconscious competence, let’s fully embrace how exciting each of these trends will be in our ongoing entrepreneurial journeys & resolve to learn new words

Some which are becoming anchored to the past as these 13 futuristic trends continue to evolve, expand, & replicate:  ‘employee’ ; ‘hierarchy’ ; ‘college for all’ ; ‘health care’ ; ‘cash’.

Does this indicate that these (let alone others) will disappear forever? Not necessarily. Yet, the early adopters in our business networks will already grasp the above, and quite a number more will eventually ‘see’ as you have/will!

 

 

Websites, articles, blogs, & organizations: Learn More & Take Action

 

Define. Learn. (then) Do.

We’ve defined a vision for 2019 & beyond. With numerous resources are embedded in the post already, let’s expand your learning zone:, what if you want to self educate even more?!

 

Ever more important, investing time in additional concrete steps to ‘future’ prep your business venture would be wise. I’m applauding you proactively, if you choose to do so!

 

 

Trends Research

Future Frontiers

A-speakers

Mind Valley

 

Future Today

AdWeek.com

Visual Capitalist

Futurism Blogs

 

In short …

 

  • 9 years down, 1 to go in the decade #ThinkItOver
  • Suggested Twitterverse follows
  • A bakers’ dozen trends
  • The futurist rankings & further resources to dig into
  • Don’t argue, debate, or fight the existing; discuss & set time for rational discourse
  • Word swaps:  let’s ‘play’ on a 2020’s field
  • What’s coming is exciting & transformational; fear not!  Embrace. Encourage. Uplift.

 

Thank YOU for reading!

& …

Wherever the Camera Goes So Do Consumers by @ScotDuke

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video marketing

by Scot Duke | Featured Contributor 

Have you ever wondered why more videos are being produced?  

If you have, I can certainly confirm the answer being partly explained by this statement…

Wherever the camera goes, so do consumers.  

Yes, consumers are turning to the internet to find videos on subjects and products they are interested in learning more about.  YouTube now has become the Go-To site to check out a new product or service…or just about anything.

A video offers a consumer more than just the product information, it offers a view of the product they cannot get even from seeing it at a brick and mortar store.  Videos allow the consumer to see who is selling the product or services. Videos have become the go-to media for

The Social Video Factor

Add the Social Video factor and the impact of the message about a product or service multiplies.  

Social Videos are rapidly becoming the way to sell a product while building consumer trust.  If an e-commerce site does not have a video of the product they are selling it will more than likely be passed by for a site that does offer videos.

Social Videos are now starting to become the mainstay media used by many professionals and service business people.  Since 2008 the increase in the number of videos posted to the internet has increased nearly 400%.  Sales are bound to follow that popularity.

So how do you go about getting ahead of the movement businesses are making to produce Social Videos?

  • Consult with a professional social video producer
  • Focus only on producing quality videos
  • Develop a long-term digital marketing strategy

Make sure the camera is where the consumers want it.

Let me know how I can help.

How to Use Facebook Live to Grow Your Business by @donnaamos

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Facebook live for small business

by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

Since being launched in April 2016, Facebook Live rose to overtake YouTube as the #1 video streaming service on the Internet. Facebook also has 2 billion monthly users as of June 2017. That’s more than any other social network. So, using Facebook Live to grow your business seems like a no-brainer.

Most businesses recognize the importance of video. By 2019 it’s anticipated that 80% of the Facebook news feed will be video. Perhaps you thought about using video in the past, but the high costs and complexity turned you against it. True, storyboarding, writing, shooting, and editing a professional video can be extremely costly.

That’s the beauty of Facebook Live video. All you need is a smartphone and an idea. The online marketing world is praising live video like crazy because of its simplicity and versatility. Opportunity can meet innovation at any moment to produce a live video stream to promote your brand in any number of ways. All on the largest social media platform available. And FREE.

 

Video Storytelling

The essence of all good marketing is storytelling, and that is the prime focus of video. Storytelling applies to any business or industry, no matter how large or small. Anyone can tell a good story. We tell stories all the time as we talk about our product or service and the people with whom we interact.

Four primary types of storytelling:

  • Informational: Drop knowledge bombs and tell people what you know.
  • Inspirational: Speak to the heart, stir emotion, and motivate others.
  • Entertaining: Engage with people, make them laugh or cry.
  • Experiential: Show people who you are, where you are, and what you are doing.

 

As you tell your story, remember these important tips:

 

Always Be Authentic

The hook of live video streaming is the connection with a real person. This doesn’t mean you don’t want a clear idea of what you’re doing or want to say. It does mean you show authenticity. Be real. Speak to the camera as you would speak to an individual in front of you. Reflect real emotions. If what you’re talking about upsets you, it’s OK to appear a bit upset. If you fumble a word or two, keep going. It’s live, remember? It’s supposed to be real and not completely scripted.

 

Engage with Your Audience

Another great hook with live video streaming is the ability to engage with your audience, and for them to engage with you. This is more than acknowledging when participants join the broadcast or comment. Ask questions for your audience to answer and interact with them as the video continues. The unscripted nature of live video is one of its huge drawing points, so capitalize on that and have fun.

The engagement doesn’t have to end when the video ends. Leave an offer at the end of the broadcast and include an engagement button on the post so viewers can get more information or simply connect with you. Leave the live post available on your Facebook feed for more users to view and engage with later.

 

Promote Live Events in Advance

Covering a live event for your brand is huge, and you want as many people watching as possible, so advertise the live video in advance. Set a time and location when you will be streaming live and promote it on every social media channel and your website. Invite local fans to come and be included in the live video audience.

Consider giving away some freebies to the live audience and allow one of them to choose a remote viewer to win as well. Encourage interaction from your streaming audience and share that with the live audience. This is especially helpful if you have regular online events, like auctions or product showings.

 

Brand Your Content

Always have a purpose in going live on video, and tie that purpose to promoting your brand. You can produce a moving live video session about the homeless in your city that engages thousands of viewers without benefitting your brand in any way. Always tie your video to your brand. What are you showing? Why? How does your brand connect to that event, project, or need?

As you tell your story, include the why. Why is your brand showing this? What makes it important? Why should viewers care? How can they connect your video to your brand? Live videos don’t always have to be about promoting your business; but they should always promote your brand values and showcase your brand.

Do you currently use Facebook Live in your business marketing efforts? What are some of your best tips for using it successfully? Share your suggestions and stories with our readers in the comment section below.

 

YouTube Entrepreneurs. Make Millions Without Leaving Your House [Infographic]

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Zoe Sugg and Michelle Phan

Over the past few years social media stars have made a fortune online, using YouTube to create their own brand. Take a look at how they’ve made their careers and the money that they’re making. From top YouTubers to the celebs you’d forgotten started their careers online, here we take a look at the secrets to online fame and fortune.

”Youtube
Youtube Entrepreuners? by Moneypod.

5 Essential Ingredients for Filming a Great Video by Angela Moore of @SixDegreesDM

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great video

by Angela Moore | Featured Contributor 

I’ve been working with video for a pretty long time now, actually since we launched our company back in 2010.

We make video much different now than we did at the beginning and I’m thankful we hired another video manager in 2013.

When we first started with video we used a Kodak zi8 and a set of softbox lights and a muslin background that was the biggest pain to iron to keep the wrinkles at bay.

Now we have a much better camera and honestly even smartphones can take awesome video nowadays.

While we’ve certainly come a long way since our first days of video, there are things that remain consistent.

If you are comfortable being on camera, here are five essential ingredients you’ll want to keep in mind as you go through the stages of your production. And honestly, three of these points are applicable any video, whether you are on camera or not.

Here are the elements to consider if you want to have a great video:

Script – It all starts off with your script. It needs to be engaging. It needs to be the appropriate length for the message and the medium in which it is being shared.

For instance, a video ad would be a different length than a how-to video.  And both of these may be different than the welcome message on your website. There is no one size fits all but remember you don’t need marketing videos that are ten minutes long.

Audio – This is one of the most important pieces of your video. And a lot of time it’s overlooked. Remember we said how smartphones can take great video these days? Well even if you do use your smartphone for filming I recommend an external mic for your audio. Your audio has to be sharp and you don’t want a lot of other noise picked up. Have you ever watched a video and clicked away because it was just too hard to hear? Yeah, me too. Audio Technica is a great brand and that’s been what we’ve used since day one for live filming. Just make sure you have a quality mic when you film.

Lighting – Ok so similar to having great sound quality, you also need to be seen. If there are a lot of shadows in the video, it makes it difficult to watch. Unless your video is about shadow puppets, stay away from shadows. To do this you need a good set of lights. Most videographers will tell you to use three to four lights to get your subject lit properly. We’ve gotten by with two or three many times. It really depends on how you have your studio set up or where you are filming. Sometimes you can leverage existing light from a room as well. Investing in a good set of lights is a must.

What to Wear – This may sound sort of funny but then again maybe not. Even if you were going out to have professional pictures taken, you probably spend more time that you wished thinking about what you were going to wear. Now here’s how this works with video. There are a couple of things to think about. One is you don’t want to wear the same color as the background you are filming against. Next is you don’t want a busy pattern. Have you ever watched a TV show or seen a video where the person’s clothing looks like it’s moving, you know all those squiggly lines? Yeah that. Ok so that can happen with certain prints. To play it safe, try to wear a solid color.

One other thing, is if you are going to have a lapel mic for your audio, you want to be sure that you aren’t wearing any necklace that would disrupt the mic.

Call to Action – Ok so the call to action pretty much ties in with your script. You’ve got to tell the viewer what you want them to do next. So if this video is an ad, perhaps you want them to click on your link. If it’s a welcome video on your website, you may want them to fill out a form.  If it’s a video where you are trying to build your brand and get engaged, you may want to tell the viewer to leave comments, or like and share your video. Whatever it is, just let the viewer know what you want.

And that’s it. Now you have 5 essential ingredients for filming a great video! So what are you waiting for, take a leap today and see what you can create.

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Angela MooreAh the Bio section. Let’s change this up and start with a quote. “Don’t adjust your dreams to accommodate your reality, adjust your reality to accommodate your dreams.” Yep I wrote that. I’m Angela Moore, Founder and President of Six Degrees Digital Media. We launched the company in May of 2010 and have the good fortune to still be helping others. We love creating awesome video over at Six Degrees as well as e-Courses and websites. If you need help telling your story, we’re here for you.

Also, I’m a mom of two awesome kids, which I believe is my real legacy. And if you’re still reading this, I’ll throw in that I’m a huge fan of Disney (movies and the park), as well as superheroes. I’d love to save the world but right now I’ll settle for saving the Internet one byte at a time.

Connect with me anywhere you like.

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5 Ways to Work Thought Leadership into your Content Marketing Strategy by @BBorowicz

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600px-Content-marketing-cycleby Brittney Borowicz | Featured Contributor

The intent of thought leadership is to become a trusted source of information for your audience so that they view you and your company as an authority in your industry. Not only does thought leadership position you and your company as the go-to for specific information in your industry, but it also helps to build trust with your audience in both you and your products/services. It is therefore one of the most (if not, the most) important element of your content marketing strategy.

Here are five simple and effective ways to work thought leadership into your content marketing strategy.

1. Be Specific

When I first introduce the concept of “thought leadership” to a client or company, they often run into the problem of trying to tackle a very broad topic. Although you want your audience to know you have a wealth of knowledge, broad topics such as customer service, technology, marketing, etc. are very crowded and make it hard to stand out in your industry.

Breaking that broad topic down into one, two, or ever three smaller topics is a much more effective method of working thought leadership into your content marketing strategy. To do this, you must know and understand your customer. What is valuable to them? What matters to them? What are their pain points? Once you know these things about your audience and can prioritize them, you can create content on specific topics that will build their trust in you as well as make you an authority in your industry.

2. Stand Out from the Crowd

It’s one thing to be able to pick a few topics that will really resonate with your audience. It is another thing to be able to be unique and stand out from all of the other people and companies who are talking about the same topics.

For each topic you choose to focus on, find your own unique angle. What are others saying about this topic? Don’t repeat what everyone else is saying. Find some part of that topic that hasn’t been talked about yet and don’t be afraid to disagree with everyone else as long as you have something valuable to say. Some things to think about are what makes you different and what is something that only your company can say? Maybe your company offers something in your product/service that nobody else does that can help alleviate some of your customers’ pain points or maybe you have some statistics that nobody else can share that will bring more insight to your topic.

3. Thought Leadership is a Team Sport

Being a thought leader doesn’t have to be an individual effort and in fact, having a team of supporting players can bring even more success to you and your business. The more people that can support your position on a topic, the stronger your position becomes.

The best people to have on your team are those who have a grasp of what your stance is on a specific topic and then can effectively communicate it. Start by getting the CEO and executives in your company involved. Make sure you all have a consistent message when writing about a specific topic or speaking about it at conferences. Next, make sure your marketing team is putting the word out there about your areas of expertise. Finally, get the rest of your company involved in that messaging! Start by having employees share your content and then have them create content of their own that supports your stance. Another route to consider is outsourcing some of your content. As with your other teammates, be careful with this and make sure any outsourced content that is being created supports your position.

4. Variety is the Spice of Life

If you are ONLY blogging, you are doing content marketing wrong. Mix things up! From the type of content to distribution channels, thought leadership knows no bounds.

All people digest information differently. Some people just need text, while others are more visual or need an auditory element to truly understand your information. Obviously, blogging is one of the most well-known types of content out there. Some other types of content that thought leaders should invest their time in include social media, infographics, public speaking, videos and more. While your company’s blog may be a great start to get your content distributed, don’t be afraid to venture out into conducting webinars, writing ebooks, or even writing guest posts for OTHER peoples’ blogs.

5. Connect with Other Thought Leaders in Your Industry

Engaging with other thought leaders in your industry and building a relationship with them is mutually beneficial. This goes back to the point about thought leadership being a team sport. Having someone else in your industry supporting your stance further builds trust with your audience. In addition, when they share your information, it is being disseminated to a different audience and platform than the one you already have established. Work together with these thought leaders to exchange information and ideas, share each other’s thoughts with your audiences, and even contribute to each other’s content!

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Brittney BorowiczBrittney Borowicz is an integrated marketing professional with a strong communications background specializing in journalism, public relations and social media. Originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Brittney has spent the past few years working with entrepreneurs and start-ups in the Chicagoland area to enhance their marketing and social media efforts.

Prior to her current role as the Marketing Manager for an embedded networking company, Brittney realized her affinity for all things media and marketing while working in radio and television and as a professional presenter. Later, she began working at a couple of small marketing agencies in Chicago as a Public Relations and Sales Director and Account Manager, which required her to be well-versed in coordinating specialized public and media relations strategies, creative marketing initiatives and cohesive sales process implementations.

As a strong believer in intimate consumer/brand involvement, Brittney helps her clients create content that engages and educates brand audiences while establishing each individual or company as a thought leader in their industry.

Twitter | LinkedIn | Personal Website


Terrified To Negotiate? Change That, Fast. {video} via @DevonMSmiley

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How To Embrace Negotiation

 

by Devon Smiley | Featured Contributor

Are you a big fan of negotiation? Or does it kinda make you cringe? You know you should be doing it…but ugh – the though of actually taking action gives you the heebie jeebies.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

In today’s video, I’ll share with you the 3 key things you need to do to shake off those negative reactions and embrace negotiation.

http://youtu.be/vMU4d_3Mjwc

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and out of your element when tackling a negotiation, and in this video we learned that:

  • We don’t have to call it negotiation. Changing that word can change our mindset.
  • Negotiation isn’t really about what we think it’s about. Recognize this, and you’re on the fast track to Pro status.
  • You can’t be great at everything. But what you are great at can help you create fantastic results.

 

I’d love to know your thoughts on this. How can you reframe? How do you build great business relationships? What are your business superpowers? Let me know in the comments below.

——————————————————————————————

Devon Smiley – Negotiation Consultant

Devon Smiley - Negotiation CoachWith over a decade of corporate experience, Devon has negotiated $1000 product returns, multi-million dollar procurement deals -and everything in between. Her experience is distilled into spot-on analysis and actionable advice for companies of all sizes, bringing them the benefit of her laser focus on results and strong strategy development skills.

Devon is a firm believer that no business is ever too small to negotiate, and she gets a kick out of helping entrepreneurs uncover ways to bump their results up a notch (or two!), and build the skills and confidence they need to ask for – and get – what they need to achieve their best yet results. Knowing that many entrepreneurs struggle with figuring out how negotiation can help them move their business forward, Devon created the ‘3 Must Do Business Boosters’ guide to jumpstart the process.

3 Reasons Why You Are Never Too Big to Say “No” by @BBorowicz

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by Brittney Borowicz | Featured Contributor 

Working in marketing and public relations has introduced me to many people. These people have operated different businesses, worked in different industries and had different personalities.

Despite all their initial differences, these people all had one thing in common: As soon as they hired me they asked, “so, how are you going to get me on *insert major news network/website here*?”

Valid question.3 Reasons Why You Are Never Too Big to Say "No" - Brittney Borowicz

I am a huge proponent of establishing each of my clients as a thought-leader in their industry. To do this, I start by helping each client create cohesive and educational content that engages their audiences. Upon explaining this to clients, I find that many of them have something else in common: they want to be viewed as a thought-leader and featured in these major media sources but don’t want to do the work to get there.

Many times their reasoning lies in not having the time or bandwidth to create content. Other times, their reasoning lies in the mentality that they are too good, or even the best, and they shouldn’t have to start small just to get big.

While some people are lucky and thrust immediately into the spotlight, it very rarely happens that way. So for those of you who have not quite had your 15-minutes of fame yet, and even for those of you who have, here are 3 reasons you are never too big to say “no” to those smaller media opportunities:

  1. “Started from the Bottom Now I’m Here” – You might know this lyric from Drake… And it may seem funny to you that I am quoting Drake in this blog post. Trust me, I have a reason. Many times, the people you see on Conan or the Today Show were not just put there for no reason. The people you see on TV or in articles online typically started their career in a much smaller way… at the bottom, let’s say. For example, Gary Vaynerchuk, marketing expert, started his career by writing blog posts that had only 6 readers and by recording video interviews that only had 19 viewers. Over time, Gary gained a following and as his influence grew, so did his audiences. Because Gary never said “no” to these small audiences, he was able to get his name out there to the people who mattered and to the people who would eventually feature him in major media outlets.
  2. Depth vs. Width – Another important aspect of never saying “no” involves going deeper with your audience versus wider. This means that rather than speaking to thousands of people who may or may not care about what you have to say, take the time to nurture the relationship you have with your current community. As with all marketing, building trust and likability with your followers largely lies in fostering that partnership you have with them. The best way to do this is by strongly focusing on them and their needs rather than on the people who weren’t engaging with you in the first place. Understand that even though this is a smaller audience, they will hang on to your every word because you already have their like and trust and those are the people you want to give your all to. Opportunities with big networks may only come once in awhile, but you will always have your community to support you.
  3. Having Humility – Let me repeat part of the title of this blog post: You are never too big to say “no.” You may have already done thousands of videos to less than 100 people or written guest blog posts to audiences of 6, but there is always value in doing more. You may have already made a name for yourself, but that doesn’t mean somebody won’t find new information in what you have to say. Each small opportunity has the potential to lead to a greater one… whether it is with a bigger audience or even a business transaction that you didn’t expect.

So, even when it seems like a ten minute interview won’t be worth it or a guest post to a less-traveled blog won’t make a difference, think again. Take those opportunities to nurture the relationship you have with your advocates and use them to perfect your message to future, larger audiences.

————————————————————-

Brittney BorowiczBrittney Borowicz is an integrated marketing professional with a strong communications background specializing in journalism, public relations and social media. Originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Brittney has spent the past few years working with entrepreneurs and start-ups in the Chicagoland area to enhance their marketing and social media efforts.

Prior to her current role as the Marketing Manager for an embedded networking company, Brittney realized her affinity for all things media and marketing while working in radio and television and as a professional presenter. Later, she began working at a couple of small marketing agencies in Chicago as a Public Relations and Sales Director and Account Manager, which required her to be well-versed in coordinating specialized public and media relations strategies, creative marketing initiatives and cohesive sales process implementations.

As a strong believer in intimate consumer/brand involvement, Brittney helps her clients create content that engages and educates brand audiences while establishing each individual or company as a thought leader in their industry.

Twitter – LinkedIn – Personal Website

Want to Improve Your Marketing Strategy? Try Video by @eMakeitHappen

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Vintage camera userby Emily Worden | Featured Contributor

Hardly anyone uses video as a marketing tool, which is a shame because it’s effective for many reasons. First of all, the video site YouTube (www.youtube.com) is the second most popular search engine. It’s listed right behind Google, which purchased YouTube in 2006 and has heavily promoted the site since. Second, videos are great for SEO – they help get you to the front page of Google. Third, videos make excellent sharable content for your customers. Finally, videos establish your expertise and authority.

Before making a video, there are three questions to ask:
(1) What are your goals? What do you want to accomplish with this video? You might want to increase sales, promote brand awareness, create valuable content, improve SEO, attract a new audience, target a niche, or highlight new products.
(2) Who is your target audience? Are you creating content for your everyday customers or for a niche customer? Consider the target audience when creating content – it helps focus the material.
(3) What action do you want the audience to take? Think about your “call to action.” Do you want the viewers to give you their email address, go to your website, or view other videos? You can choose more than one call to action, but don’t make it so overwhelming people do nothing instead.

Guidelines for making a video
First, keep it short. Promotional videos should be 30 seconds or less. Informational videos should range 1-2 minutes and DIY or “how to” videos are usually 3-5 minutes. Don’t go over five minutes on a video because most people won’t even bother watching it.
Film several segments in one day then schedule them to publish later. You want to publish content consistently so always have several videos queued up. Study other popular videos about your topic on YouTube. Find ones with high viewings and positive ratings. What are they doing well? Can you learn anything from them?
If you post videos to YouTube, create a “channel.” Why? Channels collect all your videos in one spot, making it easy for others to see all the videos you’ve created. Anyone can “subscribe” to your channel and be alerted when you post new videos. Name the channel and choose a username that describes the business and what you do (e.g., “GreenRibbonDesigns.”) You could even say, “GreenRibbonDesignsdotcom” to lead people directly to your website.

Types of video content
Your videos don’t have to be slick and filled with graphics. The most powerful, sharable videos are often the simplest ones. Just be your authentic, creative self and make content that’s valuable to your audience. Not all videos have to be about your products either. Entertain people with funny messages, cute animals, beautiful quotes, delicious recipes, and compelling stories.
Consider the potential purposes of your video. Can you make one for your About page so people get to know you and why you’re in business? How about videos that feature your products or services used in real life? Interview other people who inspire you. Film it if you can, or just make a video with audio and some pictures.
“How-to” or DIY videos are really popular, even if it’s not related to your products. Share a delicious recipe or easy car detailing tips. Remember, the video doesn’t have to be about your business, it just has to be relevant or interesting to your audience.
Finally, take your frequently asked questions and answer them in videos. My business makes custom bags, and our customers frequently ask about the features of our bags, the durability of our materials, and if our bags are machine washable. Each of these questions can be answered in a short video for easy and compelling marketing content.

Video making tools
First, you’ll want a decent video recorder and a good audio source. Audio quality is just as important as video quality, so think about the microphone. Lots of digital cameras have perfectly adequate video recorders and microphones. You could also record on your computer with a webcam and microphone, most laptops have these built in. Test a short video first to see how you like it. I bought a lapel (a.k.a. “lavalier”) microphone for $60 and it’s been a great investment for quality audio.
If you’re making informational videos, you could just talk over a PowerPoint. Try CamStudio (www.camstudio.org) or Jing (www.techsmith.com/download/jing) for free screen capture software. If you’re making DIY videos, film at an angle that’s useful for your viewers, like over your shoulder or in front of your hands.
Edit content with free video editing software. Try Windows Movie Maker or the super easy Kate’s Video Toolkit (search online for “Windows Movie Maker” or “Kate’s Video Toolkit” to find a free download button, they’re everywhere).
When the video is finished, upload it to YouTube (www.youtube.com) and/or the popular video site Vimeo (www.vimeo.com). Include it on your website and in marketing materials too.

Video SEO
Videos make effective SEO tools. Here’s some tips:
(1) Put keywords in your video description. Ideally have a set of keywords in mind while making the video. Also think about the words or phrases people would use to find your video.
(2) Embed the video on your blog, website, and anywhere else that will accept your content. For example, if you make a “How to” video, turn it into an article for a popular website.
(3) Make a transcript of your video. This is awesome for SEO and not a lot of people know about it. Create a transcript of your video and post it on your blog – not only for quality content, but Google will read it and rank your site higher in search results.

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Emily Worden – Entrepreneur, Business Strategist, Impossible Optimist – Cambridge, MA

headshot1sheownsitEmily Worden is a Boston-based entrepreneur, consultant, and writer. She started her custom handbag business eThreads.com in 2006 while pursuing an MBA and working 3 jobs. After a particularly awful shift at her weekend catering gig, Emily threw down the apron and said, “Screw it, I’m going to do something I love!” She graduated in 2008 and quit everything to pursue eThreads full time. Emily started the cat lifestyle business Ferocious Friends in 2012 with her husband Case to satisfy the needs of their cats Lulu, Smoke and every feline around. She started her consulting business emilyworden.com in 2013 to assist other businesses with persuasive writing, strategic vision, and customer satisfaction.

Emily is an avid DIYer and loves making things with her hands. Her happy place is the library where she walks once a week; she’s always excited to learn something new. Her extra happy place is a great view of sunset with music pumping in her ears. Emily is grateful everyday for following her dreams and hopes to inspire others to do the same.

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3 Content Marketing Tactics To Build Organic SEO by @JenniferFrezza

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ORGANIC-SEOby Jennifer Frezza | Featured Contributor

There are currently over 1.8 billion webpages out there in the World Wide Web.  That number is staggering when you sit down and contemplate ways of how to get your own website to stand out and shine.

There  is a multitude of techniques, and as many varied opinions, about what is the best way to drive traffic to your site.  My experience has shown that using the following formula works almost magically, to organically boost your search engine rankings and increase traffic to your site.

Content Campaign + Social Media Strategy/Marketing = Organic SEO 

Develop a content campaign using original, thoughtful and educational material for your website and social networks with the purpose of generating a specific outcome. This not only organically raises your search engine rankings, but it works to build relationships with both your clients and prospects that are built on trust.

  “If people like you they will listen to you, but if they trust you they’ll do business with you.” – Zig Ziglar

The content that you have created can now be used in a social media strategy and marketing campaign that uses your originally crafted works in a variety of ways, and across all of the social platforms, that you are using to market your business.

3 Content Marketing Tactics That Will Help Build Organic SEO

1 – Blog

This is where you can let your talent shine. Show off what you know by creating blog content that your target market will be searching for and ensure that it is rich in keywords – and remember to have a title that is both catchy and keyword dense.

2 – Photo / Video

 The average user will spend less than 4 seconds on a website – but are willing to watch a video that is approximately 2.5 minutes long.  This is your opportunity to make an impression… fast.  Remember, all videos and photos should have your metadata embedded in them.

3 – Social Media Management

Great content is just that if it can’t be found.   Proper social media management creates opportunities for your content to be found and shared.  This is one area that we most often see small business owners fail.  Proper social management takes time and dedication.  To date, 95% of all social media pages that we have audited have not been set-up to leverage visibility.

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Jennifer Frezza – Social Media Strategist and Marketing Consultant – Montreal (Qc) Canada

Jennifer Frezza - Social Media Fairy GodmotherWhat if you really  could  have a fairy godmother to make your dreams come true? What would you wish for? If you answered,  “a successful online presence”, you’re in the right place, in the right millennium!

As the founder of SocialMediaFairyGodmother.com boutique multimedia agency,  Jennifer Frezza  has one primary role: to develop customized and cross platform social media marketing strategies that get her clients noticed.

Driven by both her passion and in-depth understanding of the varied social media networking platforms – their differences  and  their advantages, Jennifer has created a powerful and effective program for businesses looking to get set-up in social media.  This program is based on Jennifer’s belief in the power behind leveraging strengths and optimizing time.  The social set-up media program is a proven and effective solution for business owners looking to become visible online.

Always at the frontline of social media changes and trends, Jennifer makes it her business to ensure that the ever-changing information and opportunities behind social media marketing strategies trickle down into every aspect of her clients’ business goals.

Jennifer is also the creator and strategist behind  The Social Media Round Table  where she leads groups of entrepreneurs towards the successful development of profitable relationships. Her innovative and proven approach has helped small- to mid-sized business owners from diverse industries.

Practicing what she preaches, Jennifer has a strong online presence herself:

Facebook – Twitter – LinkedIn – Instagram – Google+

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