Month: July 2009

Categories
Online Business

Ask the Online Video Guy!

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Recently, Lou Bortone, a.k.a. “The Online Video Guy,” was interviewed on Blog Talk Radio about the explosive growth of online video, and how entrepreneurs can use web video to promote and grow their business. Highlights of that interview are below:
Q: Tell us in one line what you do…
Lou: I help entrepreneurs build their brands and boost their businesses using online video.
Q: Why is video branding an important concept for solopreneurs to embrace?
Lou: Video branding is important because online video is becoming such a pervasive part of business. Right now, more people are watching online video than are watching traditional television. In fact, MediaPost recently reported that in typical week, online video viewing has overtaken TV viewership of all the networks combined! In addition, time spent watching video grew over 50% in 2008. Small business owners can capitalize on this trend by getting into online video now – while it’s still easy and inexpensive.
Q: You have helped many different small businesses start and expand their visibility on the web, so what are three of the most important factors in doing this effectively using video over the Internet?
Lou: Three of the keys to success in online video are:
1. Focus on the message – Be sure that you create compelling content.
2. Keep it short – The shorter your video is, the better. Under 2-3 minutes!
3. Don’t get bogged down by technical issues. “Done is better than perfect!”
Q: One of the things that you’re known for is your strategies that give professionals unique ways to marketing and promote their business. Can you talk a little about your video branding approach?
Lou: Video is very effective as a visibility and credibility tool for a few reasons:
First, video is visible. It’s up close and personal, so it makes you more familiar to your clients and customers, and it builds a strong connection.
Second, video is viral. Video has the ability to share and spread quickly over the Internet, so it’s viral by nature. You can create one video and blast it out to many sites at once. This leverages your time and effort. Your one video can serve many purposes in many different places. I explain the entire process in my Video Traffic Blast video tutorials. (http://www.VideoTrafficBlast.com)
Finally, video gives you a global online presence, 24/7. Your video can be working for you and promoting you all over the world, even while you sleep!
Q: What is the biggest mistake business owners make when they put a video on the web and expect people to find it?
Lou: The biggest mistake people make is not sharing and spreading their video across various platforms. You can get a lot of mileage from one video if you distribute it properly. For example, look at all the ways you can leverage one YouTube video: From YouTube, you can:
• Share the video to Facebook, MySpace and Twitter
• Email a link to your video to your clients or fans
• Use the “embed” code that YouTube provides to add the video to your blog
• Share the link to your video on Ping.fm
• Blast your video out to several video hosting sites from TubeMogul.com
Q: What is the most important thing that you recommend an entrepreneur does as they develop a video branding strategy?
Lou: I advise my video coaching clients to do three things starting out:
1. Begin with the end in mind. What are your online video branding goals?
• Increase your online visibility?
• Establish credibility?
• Extend your brand?
• Increase your search engine rankings?
2. Focus on content over quality. Online viewers are pretty forgiving of web video quality. Make sure that your message is compelling and relevant – You can worry about the Hollywood effects later!
3. Get it out there! Just get it done! Your video doesn’t need to be perfect. It’s more important that you get started and get some video online. You can learn and improve as you go!
LouBortonePhoto.jpgLou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

Categories
Entrepreneurs

Are You Throwing in the Towel Too Soon? More Musings from the Marathon

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When people realize I walk marathons, one of the questions I frequently get asked is “how did you do it? How did you finish the marathon once you hit the point of ‘nothing helps?'”

Well, I can tell you it’s not easy. Lots of demons come out to play and you have to push past them.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Why would knowing how to finish a marathon have to do with your business? Because you might be having the same problems in your business — demons coming out to play and you throwing in the towel too soon and not seeing the success you deserve.

Let me explain. It’s been documented that lots of business owners quit too soon. They either quit the business altogether or they lower their goals (i.e. “I don’t need to make 7-figures, I’ll be happy in the low 6-figures”) or they drop a product or service that’s not selling.

However, many times the turning point in their business is just up ahead. They’re right there, the finish line is a half mile away, but they stop. They stop and they use all sorts of excuses as to why it was a smart decision to stop.

This happens to me all the time after I get past mile 20 in the marathon. It gets even worse once I hit the point of “nothing helps” — the pain is awful, I’m exhausted (a deep, deep exhaustion, so deep it makes it difficult to fall asleep for several hours after you’re done) and I’m extremely grumpy.

All the demons come out. “I’ve done this before. Why do I have to make myself miserable now?” (The first year it was “I can try this again next year when I’m in better shape and know what to expect.”) “Boy that pain in my knee feels bad — maybe I’m permanently hurting myself. I should stop.” “Look at all those other people in the medical aid tent, they’ve stopped I can stop too.” “Why the heck (or something stronger) am I doing this to myself again?”

And on and on.

So along with walking on despite the physical pain, you’re also battling mental demons. And this becomes an even bigger issue the longer you walk because at the end it’s all mental. There’s nothing physically left — the only reason why you’re staying on your feet is because you’re forcing yourself too.

Does any of this sound familiar in your business? “Why should I bother marketing and/or selling? People aren’t buying anyway. And the economy is bad. And my industry is struggling.” “I haven’t sent out a newsletter in months, I’m just too busy.” “I know I have a stack of business cards on my desk I should follow up with, but I’m just so busy. And besides, do they really want to hear from me anyway? It’s probably too late.” “This product launch was a disaster. Only 2 people bought. I guess no one is interested in this after all.” (Never mind you only sent out a couple of emails and called that a launch not to mention never sending out a newsletter.) “I’m almost done with my first product. I just have a couple more things to add/change.” (And you’ve been saying THAT for 3 years.)

And the most insidious of them all “I’ve been doing everything so-and-so said for months and it’s still not working. Maybe I’m not cut out to run a business. I should just quit and find a job before I run up any more debt.”

All of these are just variations of the same theme. You’re throwing in the towel before you’ve reached the finish line. And chances are, if you DO quit, success is most likely right around the corner.

Now this isn’t to say there is never a time to quit. Sometimes you really do injure yourself and you can’t finish the marathon. And sometimes a product or a service you’ve launched really isn’t a good fit for your target market and should be dropped. And sometimes things have so radically changed in your market you need to change something or you’re going out of business.

But, a lot of times the reason why things aren’t working is because you aren’t marketing enough (or marketing smartly). Maybe that product really isn’t a good fit. But if you only send out 2 emails to your email list that only hears from you once in a blue moon and call that your launch, you don’t know enough to say it’s not a good fit. You haven’t given it a fair shot.

What can you do to push through? Even when you feel like you’re doing everything you’re supposed to and nothing is working? Just do what I do after mile 23. Put your head down and keep walking. Don’t listen to the chatter in your head, just keep walking. Focus on the cheerleaders on the sidelines telling you you’re almost there and keep walking. The finish line really is just around the corner, and eventually you’ll get to it, but only if you keep walking. The moment you stop, you’re done.

Categories
Success Attitude

Fear of Success: Are You Really Saying YES?

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What is there to fear if you really say YES to success?

1. Fearing your own power. If you truly stepped into our potential, who would you become? Would you abuse your power? What might you actually accomplish? When you come to the end of your days on earth and look back over your life, what do you want to see as your legacy?

Remember the Marianne Williams quote from A Return To Love? “…Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of the Universe. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.

There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others…”

2. More commitments and responsibilities. A few years ago I was taking a spiritually-based class on money and success. In one of the exercises we were asked to imagine that we were standing with our arms open to receive all the money we could ever want or need. As the money came pouring in, we were then asked to notice what we were thinking, feeling, and experiencing. I fully expected to feel joyfull with my arms open wide with excitement for myself and all the good I might do in the world. Instead, my arms went up to block some of the flow. What a surprise!

I realized that success and money meant more responsibilities and commitments and I already had plenty to do! Working more deeply with my beliefs around money, and success helped me to shift my thinking so that I could attract more abundance into my life with having to add more stress by hiring people to help! Some worthiness issues popped up to show me I had some further inner healing to do.

3. Success is life changing, personally and professionally. Success brings losses and gains such as saying goodbye to friends, making new ones, changing your lifestyle, becoming more visible and well known. Great success can go to your head and have a negative impact. Look at some of the struggles celebrities have had with their successes. Success can also be isolating and lonely when people feel they need to look and show up a certain way for others because of the roles we take on in our personal and professional life as parent, father, wife, mother, boss, CEO ….. You know the old saying “It’s lonely at the top.”

Success calls us to grow up, be a mature adult and might suggest that we must also suppress the spirit and playfulness of our inner child, which is untrue unless we willingly choose to abandon that part of ourselves Fear of success can feel scarier to many people more than fear of failure. Having to maintain a high level of success can be daunting. And once you’re at the top, the belief might be that the only place to go next is down. We can easily forget that we are always at choice and can mean whatever we want.

4. Feeling like a fraud. Ouch. That’s a common fear of “being found out” or exposed to NOT be the person people want, expect, or think you really are. The fear is that if people find out the truth, they will judge you, leave you, stop loving you, throw you away……
Being discovered can feel like a terrifying threat and yet, I believe that we all just want to be loved and accepted unconditionally. The truth is that when we dare to expose the things about us we feel are unlovable to others and they still love us and want to hang out with us, we experience deeper intimacy, trust, and safety in our relationships.

5. You won’t have a life. Many people feel that if they reach a high level of success they will lose themselves in their work. They’ll be so busy having a prosperous business or career that they will have to sacrifice a fulfilling personal and family life. The key is getting really clear on your values, priorities, boundaries, and life vision so that you are making choices that honor what matters most to you. With the limitless opportunities life offers, continuing to check in with yourself regularly when making decisions will help you to make the right choices to enjoy your life.

Gail has a highly successful business staging people’s homes to be sold on the market. A go-getter, she built a thriving business from scratch in two short years. She worked long hours during the day and often on weekends. When she came to me she was exhausted and stressed complaining she had no life and was losing her passion for work she loved. Once she got clear on what she valued, established stronger boundaries, hired some help, and narrowed her services, she began to feel relief. Within a year she making radical changes to her business she got married and began enjoying success in her business and personal life.

Does this sound like you? To learn more about what may be holding you back from stepping into the next and highest version of who you are, consider the following twelve questions:

Have you been resisting or denying who you are meant to be?

1. What is your definition of success? What does success mean to you? Be specific. (Psst is this your definition or one you think it should be?)
2. What fears, concerns, beliefs, expectations, or assumptions do you have associated with success? Is it possible that they are false?
3. What inspires you and gives you courage?
4. Make a list of past successes, both big and small. Which ones are you most proud of?
5. What specific qualities, strengths, gifts, talents, passions, or skills that empowered you to succeed?
6. What made them successes for you?
7. How have you benefited and grown from your past successes? What were the gifts and blessings?
8. What are you resisting or denying that now that is keeping you small?
9. If you let go and said YES, how would you and your life change?
10. What would you have to give up? What would you gain?
11. Who would you become? (happier, self-confident, authentic, stronger???)
12. To feel more successful, fulfilled, prosperous… what would need to change so you could turn your no into a YES?

Whatever definition you have for success, you are always at choice as to what you say yes or no to.

Many people feel success is dependent on a good result. It’s a failure if it doesn’t go the way they want. I challenge that belief saying, “We can celebrate success for any action we take regardless of the result because we are willing to try something new”. Every experience offers a healing and growth opportunity. Being open to recognize the gifts and blessings, even if they feel undesired, can help you shift from a victim of circumstances to the hero of your own life story.”

Categories
Online Business

Achieving Top Search Rankings in Microsoft New Decision Engine Bing DEO/SEO

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Can Microsoft compete with the search engine giant, Google? It may have looked doubtful before when looking at Microsoft’s Live Search, but things are looking good with the new release of Bing, Microsoft’s new search engine, aka “decision engine”. It was released on June 3, 2009 and has an extensive marketing campaign in place, estimated to be at nearly $100 million. Major television ads are running promoting Bing.
Bing’s simple interface with a colorful background mimics that of Google, but with a more ambiance t it. The background is always changing with hot spots that are clickable. Luckily, you can always go back to a past image and find the hot spots, in case you saw something important there. It does not make much sense to have these hot spots and they can be quite confusing, especially since they are constantly changing. There is no warning of when and where these hot spots are until you scroll over them. Then a question related to the image appears with a link to click on, usually answering the question proposed.
When comparing Bing to Google there are more similarities than dissimilarities. For starters they both have a simple interface with a large search bar in the middle of the page. They both display Images, Videos, Shopping, News, and Maps on the homepage. The difference is Google also has Gmail and Bing has travel. The big difference is that Bing has changing images, where as Google has a changing logo against a blank interface.
Bing has decided to market itself as a decision engine, rather than a search engine. \ What this means is that Bing incorporates ecommerce websites search bar into a fully functional search engine. Microsoft believes that searchers are ready to move beyond the search stage and Bing will help them make better decisions. The search engine results are categorized to make it easier to find results.
The decision engine has been creating tons of search engines ranking for many of my clients with a lower bounce rate than the other major search engines. Does this mean that Microsoft has succeeded with an advanced algorithm that is superior to the major three’s? Or is it a fluke that the bounce rate is visibly lower than the other search engines.
The big question is how do we optimize our websites for Bing? We all want to be ranked at the top of a new search engine, which has the potential to take on the other major search engines. It is simple, do what you do for the other major search engines. From my observations domain age plays a big role. Bing wants to see websites that are established and have been around for a long period of time.
The decision engine, Bing, seems to like websites with tons of original content on the landing pages. Make sure your page titles are keyword rich and appropriate for the subject matter. Bing loves titles with keywords searchers are using. Make sure to have a good, unique title for all your websites pages. Unlike other search engines, linking out seems to be favored. This means linking to other sites from your own site is good for ranking. This may show to Bing that your site shares useful information with its users. This is not to say reciprocal linking is good, but linking to sites that your users may deem valuable is a good idea.
Sign up for an account with Bing and manage your analytics and start a pay per click campaign with them. Their PPC rates are significantly lower than other PPC campaigns because there is not as much competition and keyword dilution occurring. In a few months to a year PPC costs will begin to mimic those of the other search engines, but for now the prices are superb.
SUMMARY: The new decision engine from Microsoft, Bing, is sure to be a major competitor with Google and the other search engines. Since it is brand new many of you are wondering how their algorithm works and how to get to the top organic search results. It seems like Bing looks at back links more than it does at a pages actual content. Read other observations and advice here.
About the Author:
Brandon Leibowitz is a professional search engine optimization and search engine marketing consultant with over five years of industry knowledge. Read news, tips, tricks, and anything else related to search engines in his SEO and SEM Blog.

Categories
Entrepreneurs

3 Quick and Easy Ways to Add Multiple Streams of Income to Your Business

It’s never a good thing when you rely on one stream of income. That stream dries up and you’re, ahem, up that creek without a paddle.

That’s why having multiple streams of income is so valuable. One stream dries up, you’ve got a few other ones to depend on.

(On another note, have you noticed how money is often referred to in water terms? Cash FLOW, multiple STREAMS of income or just income STREAMS. Just something to think about.)

But talking about getting multiple income streams and actually implementing them in your business are two entirely different things. That’s why today I’m going to share 3 quick and easy ways you can start adding more streams right now.

1. Information products. Creating a product based on your expertise is a fabulous way to start diversifying your income. This is especially good if you’re a service provider — now you’re providing other ways for your customers to work with you rather than them paying you to work with them one on one.

But information products doesn’t mean you have to sit down and write a book. You can do a teleclass or a series of teleclasses. Or maybe you do a video. Just make it easy for you to create. (The idea here is NOT to spend months or, worse, years crafting your product — the faster you get it done the faster you’ll make money on it.)

Still feeling stuck? Try this. What’s the biggest problem your customers come to you to solve for them? Can you do a teleclass or write a special report walking them through how to solve it themselves? Granted working with you would probably get the faster, better results, but remember not everyone has the money nor even the inclination (there are a lot of do-it-yourselfers out there, and you don’t want to exclude them.)

2. Licensing or certification programs. Do you have a special process you take your clients through? Why not package it up and sell it to other consultants like you? Lots of people are looking for proven methods and systems they can add to their business income streams. So in essence helping other people add income streams to their business while you’re also adding income streams to your business.

Now this one may not be all that quick to do, but I wanted to include it so you weren’t just thinking “info products” as your only option. Open yourself up to other options to making more income.

3. Offer advertising or sell other people’s products. With this one, you’re capitalizing on an asset you’ve built — your list. You have people who follow you, right? They’re on your list, they’re following you on social networking sites, they listen to your podcasts and/or teleclasses. Well, with this one you make money either by promoting someone else’s products and getting a commission, or you charge for advertising.

For advertising, think bigger then just selling spaces in your newsletter or web site or blog. What about offering sponsorships?

Sponsorships aren’t just for corporate — they can also be your colleagues who want to reach your target market.

Of all the options, this one is definitely the fastest to pull together and takes the least amount of time for you to manage. However, if you don’t think it through, it does have the potential of diluting the impact you have with your list. If you’re interested in this option, do your homework. Find one or two people who have successfully offered this and ask them about it.