Add Video to Your Business Web Life: Tools, Content, Publish

Tools

The mantra~

it's really, really, really important to develop and generate interest in your product or services by adding video content to your website or blog. 

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It seems as if I've been repeating this quite often lately (especially to myself) and the best part is, thanks to technology, there's relatively little to stop us from taking on the challenge: it's incredibly inexpensive, less time consuming and easier to produce than five or ten years ago. With incredibly perfect timing, I stumbled upon Sylvia Browder's short gem of a post which lists useful tools to get you started such as screen recording and screen shot software, online teleprompters, and video hosting sites. 

Unfortunately, for those of us who are camera shy, technology can't and won't reduce our discomfort with being in front of the camera. However, the benefits derived from the results are definitely worth the effort. In the following post I'll discuss content.

Cheers!

Wrenching life from the cyber social mad scientist

Lately there has been a spate of Facebook friends putting their page on hiatus and quite honestly it's unwittingly planted seeds of doubt, wonder and possibilities. They've all seemed to come to the conclusion that Facebook comparable to an all consuming fatal disease- one that saps your energy and life force, eats at you, little by little, and leaves you with very little time to live. Or better yet, I could liken the progressively addictive qualities of Facebook to the lobotomized victim of foul play. There must be some mad science performing a global experiment: how to enslave formally productive people to a cyber social program that eventually induces anti-social behaviors towards real-life family and friends.

I admit, I'm a tad bit alarmed by the discovery of the trail of thoughts whispering in my head; those pesky dissenters. I know exactly why those cyber buddies left Facebook, but how did they find the courage? Facebook consumes such a large part of one's day but we reason that it's 'productive' time well spent; we have countless 'a ha' moments from reading so many wonderful quotes, we pass along ingenious recipes and links to a gazillion articles, we share thought provoking photos, we catch up with others' cyber lives... and, and, and... I also take note of the piles of unorganized real life 'stuff' growing around me cluttering my mental space, projects left undone, to-do lists unwritten, house cleaning relegated to a level previously unacceptable, but since there is very little real life socializing taking place, no one will ever see it but family (those folks I spend little time with). Actually, I spend very little time with myself... I'm so connected, I'm quite disconnected from myself. I am indeed addicted.

So begins the detox - the vital journey back to me, the 'Me before Facebook took over 80% of the productive hours of my life outside of work'. I look forward to gaining perspective and checking off those to-do lists. Am I closing my Facebook account? No. Am I logging off indefinitely? No. I'm simply logging in less.

Strategy for Brand Positioning

As I mull over the finer points of the business model I'm developing in my head, I'm finding the most interesting bloggers and blogs on a variety of interrelated subjects. My current fascination is centered around the subject of brands, branding, brand essence, brand building and positioning. While burrowing myself deeper into the archives of some excellent resources, I find myself having flashbacks to the marketing class required for the Masters' program I was enrolled in, once upon a time. I did not finish the program and owe thousands of dollars, so at least I can begin to feel I received SOME benefit from that strangely cumbersome experience: I actually understand what the heck these bloggers are talking about!! I admit I had a 'high-five' moment.

So I'm considering brand positioning, how will this business endeavor fit itself into the market place, how will it differentiate itself from its' competitors, what value will it bring to the end users' life and how will I go about informing those users of these benefits. After reading this excellent article, I am reminded of a couple of critical questions that any business person will want to ask themselves when thinking about brand positioning:

1. Who is the target for brand use?
2. Why should the brand be considered (i.e., to what category does the brand belong and what goal does it allow the target to achieve)?
3. Why should the brand be chosen over other alternatives in the competitive set?
4. How will choosing the brand help the target members accomplish their goal(s)?

If you or I can positively answer the above questions, we'll know we have the ingredients of a winning formula for providing and maintaining a consistent message to our customers about our product/services, as well as a road map to keep us on the straight and narrow.

A Controlled Demise

I'm watching the slow demise of a would-be stellar business and it's not the easiest downhill slide to watch. Especially since, by all appearances, the company seems to be on an upward trend. Sales have increased, in general, with occasional plateaus. Growth has necessitated the hiring of more staff. There's been expansion in product line and physical space; including the opening of a new storefront. The Facebook fan page is growing. I'm sure you're wondering, so what's the problem?

Well, the owner has no idea how to maintain momentum and prepare for increased growth. I can't possibly put you through the painful experience of hearing some of the stories I could share that would make you cringe and itch. But I will say the loss in income, market share, social presence and opportunity is astounding. Once again, it all boils down to inability to give free reign to qualified individuals/employees who have the drive, ideas and energy to pursue success. Trusting no one and micromanaging everyone in your visual range is a recipe for resentment, missed opportunities, choked expansion and ultimately, the demise of all that is worthwhile; both personally and professionally.