You've probably heard by now what video marketing can do for your site or business. Here are quick facts and tips to get you started creating your video content.
You probably didn’t see that coming did you? The simple fact is that so called “social media experts” learn by paying attention to the masses, picking up new ideas and tactics as they emerge. In a sense, the actions YOU take online, build up a social marketer’s arsenal. The most original ideas tend to stem from the people who are freshest into the social media scene.
The independent musicians, small local business owners, bootstrap entrepreneurs, these are the people I watch closely and learn the most from. It also means that for better or worse, there’s almost no set of rules, so you’re free to let your creativity take control.
Let me give you an example, it’s one I often talk about in the talks I give. A good friend of mine, who’s a lead singer and guitarist for a band, got on Twitter where he slowly started engaging with other indie musician. Over a short period of time, he build up an impressive following through sharing his music tracks for free, but it still wasn’t enough. He wanted to connect with potential “fans” on a wider level, here’s what he did. He invited Twitter users to email him a picture; it could have been of themselves, a location, scenery or anything else they wished to share, trust me some of the pictures can’t be mentioned even on this blog.
Next, he wrote and recorded short songs for a handful of people who participated based on how the pictures inspired him. Interestingly enough, some of those people who chose to participate by in his little experiment were also bloggers of highly visited indie musician related blogs and websites. Well, guess where his tracks got reposted? Needless to say, his direct connection with his newly found fans earned him very warm reviews, appreciation and exposure for his work.
The proof should inspire you to unleash a little creative energy of your own.
“About a month ago, I wrote some kind words about San Francisco one-man band Labrador Labratories. In that post, I mentioned that he was inviting fans to submit photographs of themselves; in return, he would write a piece of music inspired by that photograph.”
Give the Song a Listen – Man Near The Bathroom
“Did The Beatles ever write a song inspired by me? No, they were too busy writing about undeserving people named Eleanor and Jude. Did the Rolling Stones write a song inspired by me? No, although – since they refuse to go away – it could still happen. Did your pwecious, pwecious wittle Gwizzly Bear write a song about me? Hell no! But Labrador Labratories did. And because of that, Labrador Labratories is the greatest band in the history of music.”
Substance over Style
For those who've been freighted into believing that the whole social-plex will unleash it’s fury on you for not following their Unwritten rules, I have this to say; Go out and pave your own way. You don’t need approval to discuss, object, share, or rant.
There’s a reason it’s called the real time web, and like in the real time world, you’re completely free to act upon your current state of mind. The social landscape isn’t complicated; it demands determination, substance and passion. Remember that NOBODY knows your product, service or audience better than YOU so it’s your responsibility to convey it truthfully. Just to clarify, social media doesn’t work if you’re a lone wolf. So you’ll need to participate as much as possible. It’s YOUR time. Take action.
Have Your Say. Believe me when I say that I want to be proven wrong. But I want to be proven wrong by something that doesn’t involve more scare tactics. Post your thoughts.
You may have read the big news I posted yesterday, but in case you missed it, here it is!
For those in Tel-Aviv this coming March, I’m going to be hosting The Social Success Workshop, A hands-on 3 Session course, for entrepreneurs, individuals and organizations that will guide you from the initial phase of understanding the social media landscape to managing and benefiting from your involvement online.
This is where I’m going to be giving you the tools you need to build your brand utilizing new media marketing tactics such as Video, Social and SEO and Search Marketing.
The sessions will be taking place at Bar-Ilan University on March 10th, 17th and 24th from 19:00 – 22:00.
Highlights will include
- Introduction to Social Media Marketing
- Creating a Web Marketing Strategy
- Creating Video Content & Distribution
- Tools Of The Trade (SEO Toolbox)
- Maximizing Your Brand Online
- Google Adwords Overview
- Taking Your Social Profiles To The Next Level
- Tracking and Profiting
- So Much More!
Registration is now open: The Social Success Workshop
So I really put this post together to take you along for a day in my life.
I see it as an interesting way for you to get to know me a little better and for me to know more about you all. Pictures catch a moment that really can't be expressed in words. Whether you're video marketing it up, sharing pictures though the social scene or posting your passion with blog posts, it's really all about connecting with your audience, sharing your passion and taking them along for the ride. Let's Begin My Day!
7:30 AM - Sipping on a shot of wake-up juice. Stovetop Espresso.
Here's a little tip for those who are just starting out with the whole Espresso experience. Listen carefully to your moka pot. When you hear a gurgling sound, your coffee's done!
7:50 AM - Time to put on some threads, I swear, my closest usually isn't this messed up. I just had a tough time deciding. After all, it's an important day, you'll be along for the journey!
8:00 AM - Getting back to a couple consultation emails from OrenTodoros.com and catching up on the social chit chat with the awesome Seovice Fans on Facebook.
8:15 AM - Hitting up my Google Analytics account. Checking on the Adwords campaigns I manage and whatnot. Today was a good day.
8:30 AM - Time to get moving. Our new'ish 2004 Renault Scenic. She's been a pleasure so far. Let's go.
First stop, dropping off Lior at Daycare. She's all Giggly in the morning. Maybe I should spend the day with her instead?? Nah.. Next time! 
Welcome to Tel-Aviv. If you've never been here. You're missing one of the most unique experiences of your life. I'm headed to a client's office in Neve Tzedek, an area fashionable among the bohemian yuppie scene. All jokes aside, Tel-Aviv City holds it down like the best of them. In case you haven't noticed it's February and it was well over 20°C.
9:30 AM - We're at my second home, Mikumedia. One of my biggest clients, although at this point, we're more like family. 
14:00 PM - Back outside. Time for a quick business call.
Or two.
18:00 PM - Final stretch at my work environment for the day. Can you say minimalist? I've become accustomed to not being attached to any one spot for to long. I tend to move around a lot.
18:30 PM - Back at home base where I was surprised by a mystirious envelop from Australia, filled with stickers and other goodies sent to me by the always awesome DJSteen and the good folks at Viddler.com! - Here's the fun back-story.
By 20:00 PM - I was out once again at focus group with friends & family for a mobile app that's in the works. That's just how I roll.
We’re at a time where the opportunities that social media offer greatly outweigh the time you could ever fully invest in them. If you think your lacking time, I assure you that you’re audience’s time is even sparser. Information is being delivered to them at a pace faster than they can ever consume. Want to be heard? You better have something damn valuable to say!
Just as you wouldn’t walk into a meeting, pitch a client or present to a crowd unprepared, you can’t afford to “wing it” engaging in social media. The question I’m about to answer in this post is; How do you prepare for something as dynamic as social interactions? Right off the bat, know this. You’re not going to connect with everyone. That’s the reality human interaction. That being said, Be ready to roll with it.
The good news is that there’s an increased eagerness to participate. All you’ll really have to do is initiate.
Step 1. Begin by understanding the social media landscape. More importantly realize that you don’t need to utilize every social service online. Invest your time where your audience is, not where your competitors are. The more you know about the network you’re active on, the bigger your advantage. There are over 350 established and emerging social networks ranging from business, entertainment, health, music, news, tech and dozens of other categories.
Set up shop on the networks most relevant to your brand or niche.
Go straight to Knowem.com and click on the Networks tab. They’ve already categorized the leading social based services. Search and Secure your name on the networks you’re not a part of yet. Even if you’re not active on them yet, you’ll want to make sure you own them.
Tip: Most of social networks offer lists, groups and sub-groups that match the industry you’re in so you’ll want to make sure you in on those as well.
Step 2. Understand where your content will live. The fact is that social media channels are constantly expanding. Our social profiles are scatted. Let’s use my content as a prime example.
I currently publish the Seovice videos on Youtube, Viddler, Vimeo and Metacafe. I share my images on Twitpic and Facebook (when I want to share them with my closest network of friends) I also have a Dailybooth account and use Photobucket to store pictures I embed on my sites and blogs. That’s at least 4 different services that I use to publish pictures and videos, not to mention the handful of social sites and micro blogs I’m active on such as Twitter, Facebook, Posterous and most recently on Google Buzz. This leads me to the biggest challenges I hear from companies and individuals during the workshops I present. What content should I post and where should I post it?
I’m the type of person that loves getting a behind-the-scenes look at the brands I love. That’s exactly what I ask you to keep in mind when creating social content. Invite your audience to participate in your organization’s creative process by giving them a glimpse of what they normally wouldn’t see anywhere else. The inevitable result of being active online is your content being duplicated across dozens of social networks.
Your goal needs to be; create content once and publish it once in the right place giving your intended audience a unique experience. Maintaining this strategy will help you participate exactly where your content lands.
Now it’s time to bring it all together, your blog should act as your content’s anchor or in a sense your home base. It’s your audience’s premier source of destination for the information you’ve shared that they may have missed. The Conversation Prism is a perfect visual representation of this strategy.
Step 3. Invest time in branding your social profiles. This step is really about commitment and consistency. Your audience expects your branding to follow through from your site and blog to your video, picture and social profiles. Luckily for those who need a little creative support there are services that will give your profiles that visual edge.
FreeTwitterDesigner is a super intuitive and free Twitter background editor. No reason to stick to the generic Twitter supplied backgrounds.
Publishing video content? “Which you absolutely should be at this point”, Viddler.com allows you to not only customize your player to match you site's color palette, but brand your videos by slapping your logo on your videos and link them up back to your site, perfectly suited for business class content with a touch of fun.
Step 4. It’s game day! You’re creating content, connecting with others and branding like it’s no bodies business. The first thing your boss is going to ask for are stats to make sure it’s working. Trust me, they all do. You’ll need to decide what you’re going to measure. The answer wildly depends of the business you’re in. Comments, Views, Followers, Fans, Reviews, Feedback, these are all worthy metrics to track. If you’re selling products or services, you’ll probably be asked to drill down to a conversion per follower level.
I’ve made it a habit to track all URLs I share using Bit.ly’s URL shortening service. It's beauty lies in the Click Summery view that breaks down click stats on the links you've shared by dates, referrals and locations.
And that my friends, is how you track the worth of your conversations!
As always, I ask you to weigh in share anything you feel needs to be added.
It’s Friday. It’s Link Love Roundup Time! This week’s links are dedicated to one of the biggest marketing plays of the year. Super Bowl!
Pepsi know what time it is: Redirecting the millions it has spent annually to the Internet. Pepsi has chosen to give away over $20 million in a social media play it is calling The Pepsi Refresh Project, debuting in 2010. ABCNews
Coca-Cola Drafts 'The Simpsons' for Game Day: Through Coke's Facebook fan page, members can send friends virtual gifts of Coke -- a bottle image that appears on their profile pages and newsfeeds. In return, senders get 20-second previews of the new commercials the beverage giant plans to air during the Super Bowl. AdWeek
Audi adds social media to Super Bowl 'Green Police' spot: Audi produced a series of videos for its Green Police YouTube channel, as well as a Twitter page. DMNews
Brand names are going straight to the crowds this Super Bowl seasons in an effort to directly account for ROI. As social marketing matures and progresses big businesses are starting to understand the effects of inviting customers to become active participants in their brand's marketing strategy.
Love it or hate it, The iPad has burst into our lives and has paved the way for endless imitations. Although in my opinion, the real beauty of the iPad is the social marketing aspect of it.
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