Tag: Lou Bortone

Categories
Branding

Your Personal Brand is More Public Than Ever!

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One of the very first things you learn in the Guerrilla Marketing Coaching Program is that EVERY contact with your customers and prospects is marketing. Each and every point of contact – from the way you answer your phone to your e-mail signature to your website to those goofy photos you posted on Facebook – makes up your personal brand. All of it! If you don’t believe me, just Google yourself and see what you’ve put “out there.” (You can be sure that everyone else who is considering working with you is already Googling you!)
Okay, now as soon as you pull those not-so-flattering New Year’s Eve party photos down off of Facebook or Flickr, take inventory of your personal brand to ensure that you’re sending the right marketing message. How are you putting yourself out there? Is your marketing consistent? Is it intentional? Is it professional? Is there continuity in all of your marketing materials?
If you’re a copywriter and your e-mails are riddled with typos because you were just “zipping off a casual note,” what kind of message does that send? If you’re starting up a business but your e-mail address is still “Schmoopie102,” who’s going to take you seriously as an entrepreneur?
In the age of viral videos and social marketing, we’ve got to be more vigilant than ever about how we brand ourselves and how we present ourselves to the world. Obviously, this applies to our print materials, business cards, products and packaging. But it also goes for the way we act, communicate and conduct ourselves. (Jamie Lynn Spears, are you listening? So much for your “Britney’s sweet, squeaky-clean little sister” brand!)
You’ve got to guard your personal brand like you’re in a casino with hundreds of cameras trained on you. Think back to that scene in the remake of “Oceans 11” with Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia. Casino mogul Terry Benedict gets caught on camera betraying Tess and he loses her, because – in the casino – “someone’s always watching.” Same is true on the wonderful world wide web, so mind your brand!
Oh, and please don’t visit my Facebook page until I have a chance to pull those photos!

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
Branding

Marketing Rehab

amy%20winehouse%20pix.jpgBritish singing sensation Amy Winehouse may be the best musical marketing story since Madonna. In case you weren’t paying attention to the music scene – or to the tabloids – over the last year or so, Amy Winehouse is the 24-year old singer, songwriter, (and the latest celebrity train wreck) who sings the hit “Rehab.”
If you’ve heard her sing, you’d know her distinctive style in an instant. And if you’ve ever seen the singer, I guarantee you’ll never forget her. Covered in tattoos, with heavy eye-makeup and her trademark beehive hairdo, Winehouse is impossible to miss.
Sadly, her enormous critical acclaim and six Grammy nominations have been overshadowed by her public self-destruction and reckless drug and alcohol abuse. She’s a favorite target of the tabloids and is right up there with Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan when it comes to personal train wrecks. In fact, People magazine calls her “a perfect storm of sex kitten, raw talent and poor impulse control.” Amy Winehouse makes Janis Joplin look like a saint. Let’s just hope she doesn’t share Joplin’s fate.
What’s any of this got to do with marketing, you ask? Consider the fact that in the cutthroat music industry, the chances of stardom are one in a gazillion. And when someone bursts on to the music scene like Amy Winehouse, you have to sit up and take notice. Her unique, soulful singing style, her distinctive looks and, yes, even her wacky behavior, create a remarkable brand identity. In “Sethspeak,” Winehouse is a purple cow in a huge herd of me-too musical cattle.
Sure, she’s immensely talented, but so are thousands of other performers. What makes Amy Winehouse stand out is that she’s so… Amy Winehouse! She’s carved out an unforgettable image and an unmistakable identity. Unfortunately, her personal turmoil is now part of that image but, if it doesn’t kill her, it definitely keeps her in the news.
Minus the drama, marketers should learn from Amy Winehouse. I’m not suggesting that you don a beehive wig or run out and make a drunken spectacle of yourself. But you do need to develop a brand. You need to be distinctive. And you need to decide what you stand for. Does Amy Winehouse stand out in a crowd? There’s little doubt about that. But do you? If not, what can you do to grab your share of the spotlight? (Preferably, without breaking any laws!) What can you do to make sure that you’re not singing the same tune as your competitors? Think about it, then go forth and build your brand!

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
Branding

Putting the YOU in YouTube

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With the advent of broadband Internet access and the proliferation of free video hosting sites like YouTube, Blip.tv, Revver and Veoh.com, today anyone with a camcorder and an Internet connection can produce a video and share it with the world. Producing video for the Web can be a powerful marketing tool for your business. Some benefits include:
1. Free or low-cost publicity and exposure for your company
2. Instant access to a worldwide audience on the Web, 24/7
3. The ability to use your video hosting site’s HTML code to add the video to your own Web site
Here’s a step-by-step guide for getting started:
1. Produce a short video
“Short” is the key word here, for several reasons: First, online viewers have a much shorter attention span when watching video on the Web. Second, longer videos mean larger file sizes. Most free video hosting sites have a 100MB limit; some even less.
Additional resources: For great, do-it-yourself, online video tools, visit Serious Magic and look at their inexpensive “Vlog It” software. Videomaker magazine also features tips for creating online video.
2. Output your video for online viewing
Once you’ve got your video, it still needs to be encoded and compressed to make it “Internet-friendly.” Video files can be enormous, but compression software shrinks the video file size so it plays more smoothly on the Web. Remember to save or export your file to an online-compatible size, which is 320 X 240 resolution; and compress it so it’s under 20MB, if possible. Be sure to save your video file in a format that most video sites accept, such as a Quicktime movie (.mov), a Windows movie (.wmv) or Flash (.flv) file.
Additional resources: QuickTime Pro (for Windows or Mac) is ideal for compressing your video and transferring it to whatever file format you prefer (Windows, Flash, MPEG). The software is about $30 (US) and is worth its weight in gold when it comes to converting files for online video.
3. Upload to several free video hosting sites
Now comes the fun part – You get to upload your video and share it with the world! Most of the popular video sites have relatively easy upload instructions: First, you’ll have to create an account for each site. The video hosting sites usually have a two or three step process that allows you to browse for your video file on your computer; add a title and description; and then click “upload” to post your video file. Most sites will also give you options for adding a thumbnail photo, selecting your genre or category or, in some cases, signing up for revenue sharing. (Don’t expect the money to start pouring in unless you’ve got a wildly popular “viral” video!)
Additional resources: Go beyond the obvious sites like YouTube and Yahoo, and upload your video to some of the newer, more feature-rich sites such as Veoh, Revver, VideoEgg and Stickam. Visit the individual sites for easy upload instructions.
4. Promote and share your new “online TV channel”
After you’ve uploaded your video, these free video hosting sites provide the option of “sharing” your video by giving you a link/URL that you can e-mail to your contacts. Most sites also include a great feature that allows you to copy the HTML code and “embed” the video into your own website or blog. Simply cut and paste the code provided into your own site. Finally, use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) to offer “subscriptions” to your online videos.
Additional resources: I find the most “user-friendly” sites to be Blip.tv and VideoEgg. Sites like these and Brightcove.com tend to be geared toward businesses and a bit more professional. Popular (and free) RSS feed providers include Feedburner and Mefeedia.
Finally, keep in mind these special considerations for web video:
• Since your screen is typically much smaller on the web, avoid wide shots with a lot of people in them. It just doesn’t translate well on the Internet.
• Avoid pans and zooms. Rapid movement is harder to watch on a smaller screen.
• Keep it simple. Don’t go crazy with a lot of titles and graphics. They may be too small to be effective.
• Keep it short – Less is more on the “short-attention-span” Internet!

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
Business Ideas

Get On TV with Your Own Public Access Show

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Local public access TV stations may be the best kept secret in America. Where else can you get free access to training, equipment, support and the local airwaves all in one location? For small businesses, local access TV is an opportunity to produce your own TV show, become known in the community and build your reputation as an expert in your field. Local access or community media, is also known as “PEG” access, as in:
1. Public – Stations open to the community for local programming
2. Educational – Stations dedicated to educational or school-related programming
3. Government – Government access channels for town meetings and city business
It’s the “public” channel that offers the most potential, and here’s how to maximize it:
Check your local listings
Not every town has all three “PEG” outlets, but with over 3,000 community media centers across the country, chances are there’s one near you. Check your town’s Web site or contact your town hall. Another misconception: You do not necessarily have to live in the town to utilize their community access station. Most access centers are eager for new producers and new programs. FYI: The Alliance for Community Media is a national, non-profit organization that promotes and supports public access TV. They maintain an extensive database and links to local access centers. Look for your town there.
Get free training
Most community media access centers provide frequent producer orientations, equipment training and studio instruction. The focus is typically on getting you up and running in one or two sessions. Volunteers and producers are the life blood of public access, so you’ll find plenty of accommodating help.
Go make TV!
As long as you’re armed with an idea, you’re ready to produce a show. If you’re not quite ready for your close up, start by assisting with another show, or by being a guest on another’s producer’s program. There’s no shortage of opportunities in front or behind the camera, so just dive in. The Alliance for Community Media’s online bookstore also features books and videos for additional training or inspiration.
Fix it in post
You can produce your program “live to tape,” if you’re doing a talk show or just want to do your show “on the fly.” In most cases, you’re probably going to want to edit your tape. Post production is where you can make your program look more professional by editing mistakes, inserting graphics or adding music. Most home computers now include basic editing or movie-making software, and those starter programs are relatively easy to master. iMovie is ideal if you’re on a Mac; Windows Movie Maker is adequate if you’re on a PC platform. When you’re ready for more professional editing, bump up to Final Cut Pro for the Mac or Adobe Premiere for the PC.
Promote and distribute
Once your show is complete, find out from your public access station when it’s going to air so you can promote your premiere! You may find that they run it several time per week. In addition to the local airing, you should definitely consider expanding your distribution. One way to extend your reach is to ask your channel to “bicycle,” or share your show with other access centers. A more direct approach is to upload your show to free video hosting sites such as YouTube or VideoEgg.com. Most video sites restrict uploads by file size (100MB) or length. Yo go beyond the obvious sites like YouTube and Google Video, and upload your video (or shorter clips) to Blip.tv and Veoh.com. These are very-user friendly, free video hosting sites with lots of great features.
Here are a few more suggestions to keep in mind:
• Public Access TV need not be cheesy. The technology and equipment have come a long way – so take advantage of the resources available.
• Expand your video from local public access to the Internet. Web users are downloading 7 billion videos per month!
• Be sure to save your video as an electronic file for the web, such as a Quicktime movie (.mov), or a Windows movie (.wmv). After you upload your video, many video sites will provide the HTML code so you can embed your video on your own website.
• A study by the Wharton School of Business reports that video can be 600% more effective in communicating a message than print. Tap into that power!
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.