The Guru Hub

I am trying to tie in the previous article and start with a question. Are you using video to market your products? If the answer is no then please give it another look.

Video used to be difficult and cumbersome. Heck, I still have an old VHS camcorder that sits in my office and collects dust. I could never get the proper cords or jacks to connect to the computer and download the video. And when I finally did, it cost me an arm and a leg. OLD, old, old!

Last year I bought a Flip Mino from Sam’s Club. It is a great little camera (they even make it in High Def……wooooo) and so easy to use I can even do it. No cables required, in fact, “flip” open the USB port from the side of the camera and start your upload. It is as simple as that. The software is contained in the camera and your video is on your computer ready to edit or upload to YouTube in minutes!

Now you have no excuse to not use video, plus, you can get one of these little buggers for $150 and maybe even less. I worthwhile investment for sure.

Now lets discuss how to make a video to sell your product or service. After hanging around this internet bizz awhile and getting on a bazillion mailing lists I learned one thing for sure……if your want to learn video….learn from the best! And the best is Andy Jenkins.

Andy is formerly from Stompernet fame and they all are worth over another bazillion dollars so they must know something. Andy is the video guys and he is into something really cool called The Video Boss. To introduce it he is giving away some great info on how to make a video “the right way”. When Andy talks about video, we all listen….lol

If you aren’t using video yet, you will be after you see this so give it a look and please drop me a note and tell me what is your biggest fear about video. I might be able to help you, and that is what it is all about, isn’t it?

***this article may contain affiliate links. If you click on them and buy something I could make a bazillion dollars.

Have you ever been entertained by a one sided conversation? Me either. So how do you think your readers feel when you are just barking out lifeless information?

One sided conversations are boring and so is text that does not encourage reader interaction. I have been as guilty as anyone, putting out information that does not ask for interaction.

That is until I saw this video blog post at Problogger.com. It really made me rethink the way I was posting information.

The old adage that you should have more ” you’s” and “yours” in your text than “me” and I’s” is absolutely true. Try it. After completing your next article go back and add up all the ‘you’s” and “I’s” and see which one wins. Reader engagement will improve your traffic and your income.

It is difficult to do, specially if you are telling a story, but the more you do it the more engaged your readers will become. Interactivity is the way successful companies become successful, by listening to their customers.

Are you going to give it a try? I am. Tell me what you think by leaving a comment below.

Are  you just getting started in the internet marketing business? The most difficult step is the one you are thinking about making right now, getting started.

You see, there are many people who would love to have a thriving internet business and so they read, investigate, read some more, buy some e books, maybe some training videos, and never get started.

Can I tell you a personal story? When I created my first e book and someone actually BOUGHT it from me….I was hooked! Even though I had to issue a refund because the person felt it wasn’t worth the price. It didn’t matter. Want to know why? Because I knew I could sell SOMETHING online and make a profit.

As a matter of fact, the refund and feedback was invaluable because it made me go back and make the product better. It confirmed in my mind that there was a market out there wanting the information, I just had to come up with the right information at the right price. And I did.

Imagine for a moment if I would have waited until I thought everything was perfect. I would still be working on the original draft and would never had made my first sale. And without the first sale I probably would have quit or lost interest.

If you are looking to create a product, e book or information product, dont delay…get on it now. Open a word document, create an outline, and start typing. Set a goal to have something out inside a week or ten days at most. Don’t try and write “War and Peace” the first time out, make it a 15 page e book on something simple and get it on the web to see if it will sell. The first sale that comes in will give you the juice you need to keep going.

Start fast, don’t worry if it is perfect at first. Give it your best shot and get it out there. You will be surprised what your first taste of success will do for you.

Do you think this will help you? Please leave your opinion below. I would love to here it.

When I first started to market online everything was trial and error. I didn’t know where to start but I did know that I was going to jump right in and figure it out. That seems to be the best way for me, don’t procrastinate, just jump right in. So that is what I did. Little did I know how complicated things could be.

Talk about being overwhelmed! Everything was an hour or two to learn or a day or two to set up. Nothing was simple but that was OK because I was determined to learn how to do this.

About two weeks into it I came across a site called Site Build It. It looked really simple to follow and I didn’t have to be an expert at HTML. It was a bit more expensive than GoDaddy or other sites but offered much more in tutorials and step by step SEO information. This really cut my learning curve in half.

Now I no longer use SBI because I don’t need too. I have become proficient enough at SEO and HTML, Wordpress, Joomla and the like to not need all the tutorials and step by step help. This enables me to save some money by going through GoDaddy and Host Gator. But I would have never got to that point without SBI.

The reason I am saying this is because using information that others have put out there is a great way to save you time and money! Don’t reinvent the wheel when getting started. Use what is already out there. I liken it to my golf game. I fought a slice for 15 years and was embarrassed to go to a pro for help. When I finally did he had me straighten out in 30 minutes. Now, it took a lot of practice on my part afterward, but the point is, I could have save myself 15 years of aggravation and had a lot more fun if I would have just sucked it up and went to a pro early on.

If you are just starting out on line, take a look through the video’s and articles I have posted in this blog  as they should give you a pretty good head start to your online marketing.

Have you had a simlar experience? Leave me a comment below or if you have a specific question please post it below and hit the submit button and I will do my best to answer it.

****some of the links on this page are affiliate links and if you purchase something I could make a small fortune -:)

Part of promoting your website business is getting in front of as many people as possible. While you are there, give them something interesting the read, listen to or watch that will direct them to your website through a link. One of the ways that people like to hear about new sites is through podcasts.

What is a Podcast?

A podcast is a multimedia tool that people can follow. Think of it as audio or video information that you can listen to or view on your computer, your iPod or any other multimedia enabled device. It’s like having your own radio show on your website.

Podcasts can be syndicated using RSS (really simple syndication). This is the same process that people use to keep up with blogs and websites. The RSS feed allows them to receive updates when changes are made on the site so they don’t have to visit every day.

Creating your Podcast

There is software available to help you create your audio and video files. You can embed code for them on your website so others can view them. Beyond the technical aspects, the purpose of the podcast is to present interesting information to your readers in a new and unique way. People browse the Internet to find useful items. They like to read, but would admittedly like to watch or listen as it is a more convenient way to get the same information.

So what will make your podcast stand out? Use engaging dialogue, present relevant topics and use visually appealing props and sets for video casts.

Going Viral

For one, don’t forget the keywords. You want people to be able to find your podcasts when they use their search engines. Even if you are using mainly audio, include keyword optimized titles, tags and links in your podcasts.

Submit your podcasts to directories. Use every avenue to get yourself in front of the public. That includes creating press releases to announce your podcasts if you are introducing them for the first time. Optimizing your press releases and submitting them to free press release sites keeps people finding them even after you are through using them.

Let your existing customers in on the new podcast. Use your email list to keep them in the loop as you unroll your podcast project. Give them links directly to the podcast so they can view it and hopefully pass the link on to others.

Your podcast can be turned into a radio show with regular guest spots. Interview other business owners in your niche and notable online personalities who would be of interest to your readers. A recurring show can increase your traffic and your following.

Want to get people to your website? Create a podcast. Turn it into a radio show or recurring video cast to create a following and gain more traffic to your business.