Tag Archive | "Youtube"

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The Misconceptions of Video Content and How It Affects Traffic

Posted on 16 November 2012 by Guest Author

Internet video is changing the way that many marketers drive traffic to their websites. From the elusive viral clip to product information and infotainment videos, this format offers an engaging and enriched experience for visitors of any website. However, there are a number of misconceptions about video content and video SEO. These five misconceptions are not only common but easy to debunk as well.

Video is the Magic Method for SEO Domination

While web videos are a great way to drive traffic and boost website statistics, they are just part of the answer. Though video is great at grabbing the attention of visitors, it is difficult for search engines and indexing sites to process. If you are using video to boost SEO results on your site, proper metadata, summaries and transcripts are essential. With the constant changes to many search engine algorithms, it can be difficult to know exactly how to use video within your site design. While there is not always a guaranteed formula for success, it is often best to keep the video between two blocks of text to avoid penalties for aggressive advertising.

Self-Hosted Video is Too Expensive

While video is certainly more bandwidth intensive than most other website content, utilizing proper video compression and encoding can go a long way toward keeping your bandwidth in check. Flash or HTML5 supported video and other web-optimized formats allow resolutions that will look crisp and detailed without the need for gigabytes of space. Unless you are creating a web series or performing a major product launch, there is often little need for 1080P video or many of the high-end encoding formats. Providing a lower resolution video file also ensures that mobile devices and older hardware can render the video smoothly.

Keeping Videos Short is Best

The ideal video length is usually a matter of your target market. If you intend to focus on mobile devices, shorter videos are typically easier to view while on the move. They will also load faster over slower data connections for easy mobile viewing. However, this is one of the only markets where shorter videos are encouraged. When choosing a length for your video, it is important to consider engagement. While a 20-minute description or informational video might be very thorough, will it keep the viewer interested for the entire duration? Much like text and images, video should be concise yet entertaining. A great way to test the impact of a video on your site is using split tests.

Video Distribution is Better than Self-Hosted Video

While both options provide traffic for your site, they typically serve different means. Self-hosted video generally helps to build your brand and drive conversions. Video distribution is similar to article syndication. It increases exposure, provides incoming links and serves to start the traffic funnel towards your main site. Using both options is typically the ideal solution. When posting a video to an external site, such as YouTube or MetaCafe, always be sure to include links back to your hosted site. If possible, creating a branded video profile for your distribution sites can help to improve results as well.

Creating Quality Video is Costly and Complicated

Video production and encoding once required expensive software and equipment. These days, a newer smartphone and the editing software included with your computer’s operating system will often suffice. These tools provide easy ways to include image or text overlays, create credits and transition between scenes without having to spend hours learning a new piece of software. Best of all, many of them will integrate with your existing site storage or video distribution sites for effortless uploading once the video is complete.

Video content is not a magic panacea for driving traffic to your website. Instead, you should consider it is another toll in your SEO kit to make your website a valuable destination for visitors who will then be more likely to drive organic traffic your way through word-of-mouth social media shares.

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About The Author: Steven Chalmers has written for the tech industry for many years. When he’s not busy writing poignant articles, you can find him covering web conferencing companies such as Intercall or playing on his extensive collection of vintage guitars.




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How To Use YouTube Videos To Increase Website Traffic

Posted on 13 February 2012 by Guest Author

Using YouTube to get traffic to your website is one of the best ways to try out multimedia skills and to reach a new audience. YouTube videos allow you to become “real” to your audience in a way that you aren’t just when they are simply reading your words.

To make the most of the YouTube video, you will need to make sure that you select the title and keywords properly; use the screen properly; provide legitimate information; and produce a network of videos, you should begin to see a traffic spike from your YouTube account to your website.

Title and Keywords

YouTube’s search uses keywords just as search engines do. While it may be tempting to name your video something catchy or clever, make sure that you add the most relevant keywords. A video about “cooking gluten-free food” should have that phrase in the title. When you choose keywords, try to imagine what people will search for that would be in your video. Making sure that the people watching your video are the intended audience is necessary to use this method of traffic generation.

Screen Use

Some people who make YouTube videos for their sites are blatant about the sales pitch. Don’t be one of those video producers. Putting your URL or company name at the bottom of the screen or putting your name and title under your photo will give you a marketing boost without intruding on the viewing. Use the 10 seconds after the video ends asking viewers to go to your site, like you on Facebook, or do something else quick and easy as a follow-up.

Quality Information

Videos on YouTube should be no longer than 10 minutes. Though the site currently allows users to post videos that are longer, you generally should avoid it. Most people who are browsing videos online are looking for something short and sweet. They want quick information. Get to the point of the video quickly and then end it; drawing it out only means that people will click another video before you are done.

Give viewers solid information but leave them with enough questions that they want to seek you out. The best way to accomplish this task is to have each video address a small question. For the aforementioned “cooking gluten-free food” video, address a simple question. Explaining what gluten is, the affects of eating gluten on people with celiac, or what gluten-free breads are best allow you to answer the needs of the viewer but leave them wanting to know more.

Video Network

Providing a 2-minute video on youth soccer drills can provide a bit of helpful information. A viewer will watch your video, consider the drill you recommend, and move on to other videos. With 10 or 15 videos of soccer drills, though, you begin to build a reputation as someone who knows a significant amount about youth soccer. As people watch more of your videos, they begin to trust what you have to say. Though a member page, you can begin to get subscribers and encourage people to visit your website.

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Heather Green is a freelance writer for several regional magazines in North Carolina as well as a resident blogger for onlinenursingdegrees.org. Her writing experience includes fashion, business, health, agriculture and a wide range of other topics. Heather has just completed research on online schools for nursing and online nursing schools.


*Photo by Frerieke

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Going Crazy With Social Media During The Holidays…And Why It Will Land You Business!

Posted on 30 November 2010 by Eric Alpin

The busiest shopping season of the year is upon us. Many of you have finally completed your holiday shopping and others are just beginning. Heck, if you’re like me, you haven’t even started yet. No matter your current holiday shopping status, there is no denying that companies are going to make a boatload of money this month.

What’s stopping you from getting in on some of that cash?

Sure, this article is a little sudden; it gives you no planning time and forces you to be quick on your feet. However, in the end, YOU are responsible for YOUR business and its revenue. If you decide to embrace the holiday madness, you might see that it works out well for you, even at the last minute.

So, let’s make you some cold hard cash in four easy steps.

Customer Targeting

Not every customer is going to buy from you this year, but some will and we have to target those “some.” Is that going to be one person or 900 people, I don’t know, but I’m sure that there is a least one person who will be interested in your products or services as we wrap up the year. We need to focus on getting that person/those people. Let’s call them the “targeted crowd.”

What does the targeted crowd look like?

There are two kinds of people who do shopping and deal hunting during the month of December, those who are interested in getting the best gifts at the lowest prices for others and the individuals who want to find the coolest things for themselves. Your marketing strategy needs to appeal to one or both of these motivations.

Even still, not every person in that target crowd is going to spend money with your company but they’re willing to listen. When they ask questions, you MUST answer; when they are on the fence about buying new gutters at a ridiculously low price, you NEED to sell them on it.

The spenders will be the people in the targeted crowd that really want it but need a little extra convincing.

Your Proposal

Now that you know the group of people you’re targeting, how are you going to get them to buy your stuff?

Just like in The Godfather, you need to make him an offer he can’t refuse.

The company with the best offers win on Black Friday and beyond. Period. Do you see hundreds of people lining up at the store which offers the hottest new toy at regular price? No, and that’s because holiday bargainers want the lowest prices around or their trip is a bust.

Go low and stay low…but don’t go into the hole.

Obviously, you have certain prices you need to match in order to come out in the black, so don’t sell yourself, or your customers, too short.

Make reasonable offers that catch the attention of your targeted crowd. Marketing concrete services? Run and all-day special advertising that your normal $1,000 consultation fee will be waived for all contracts beginning today or the next week. Selling organic fruit and veggies? Make all of your products buy one, get two free AND at a reduced rate.

If a customer is on the fence about it, make an exception that won’t be too unreasonable. Obviously, you can’t give too much away for free or you’ll go broke. Make offers that customers can’t, or wouldn’t be sane to, refuse.

Tying In Social Media

Everything up to this point may have been basic but here’s the real question: how do you use social media to do all of this? Easy!

Check out a few ways you can utilize Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and your blog to make out like a bandit this holiday season:

  • Facebook – Post PDFs or pictures of your sales and ads.
  • Facebook – Give Facebook only customers an additional discount on your products.
  • Facebook – Tell customers that if they buy a product and then write a review on the “Review” tab on Facebook, they get a special mail in rebate form.
  • Twitter – Send various tweets throughout the weeks with short specials (only and hour or two long) so customers are kept wondering what great deals are coming.
  • Twitter – Solicit your followers to send you Direct Messages with the price they’re willing to pay for an item and give that price to the first five followers who Direct Message.
  • Twitter – If your followers answer a certain question or do a certain task, they’ll get a certain amount off of your already low prices.
  • YouTube – Post videos of your products with a narration of how much you’re selling it for during the month of December.
  • YouTube – Post a video detailing that if someone subscribes to your channel, they’ll get a special free gift.
  • Blog – If a person subscribes to your email list today or throughout this next week, they’ll be entered to win a free product or service.
  • Blog – Whoever comments on your blog on that day will get a certain amount of money off of your products or will get something for free.

Honestly, the possibilities are endless. You can offer SO MUCH to your customers through social media.

If you implement the information given in this article, you’re practically guaranteeing some success on during the holiday season and beyond. Remember–customers want deals that are ridiculously appealing so give them. If you don’t, you will never have the opportunity to build rapport and nab future sales and recommended clients.

Happy holidays to you!


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Eric-Alpin-Photo
Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by chrisschoenbohm

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Lights, Camera, Action: Secrets to Making Great YouTube Videos the First Time

Posted on 15 November 2010 by Guest Author

This post was written by guest author Anne Cauley. You can find out more about Anne below.

You know YouTube is the second most used search engine.

You know adding a video clip to your content will help your Google (search) rankings soar.

You know your content will be more appealing to more people if you include video.

YET you avoid YouTube.

Here are some hints and tips that will take you from stage fright into the star light: all you need is a web camera enabled computer.

First of all, you need to consider that you are going to be the writer, the actor, the director, the producer and the editor BEFORE you engage YouTube, like a film studio, to publish and distribute your work. So here are some steps that take you through the basics to ‘get it right the first time’.

Screenplay Considerations:

A good screenplay writer will consider his/her audience, because it will impact:

  • What is said and how it is said. Just like a screenplay writer will watch the language depending on the audience: so must you. Don’t use techno-language and abbreviations unless your audience is familiar with (and understands fully) that language.  (Otherwise, it will be similar to shooting a foreign film: in which case you better use sub-titles.)
  • The location. Be sensitive to the location of where you shoot your video. Your office may not be appropriate for a cooking tutorial; however, your kitchen may be.
  • The wardrobe. What you wear should depend on your intent and your audience. Don’t wear your workout attire if you are targeting a corporate audience and asking them to hire you; however, if you are talking about the secrets of pilates…. then go ahead and wear those yoga pants.

Think of your video as a short story and script it accordingly: keep it short & to the point. (Enough said about that!)

Location, Location, Location!

Carefully, consider the set and all the lighting: your location setup is very important.

  • Set the mood (and increase the video quality) with proper lighting. Watch the overhead lights they can wash you out and make your red hair look blond. Instead, use softer incandescent light. Then set up your camera properties and select the appropriate lighting conditions.  (You may want to play around a bit with this. I found that the indoor/outdoor settings were pretty accurate if you had a cloudy day or whether you were in the kitchen or office.)
  • De-clutter. As a general rule of thumb, de-clutter your set. (Unless you are trying to brand yourself as a professor-like genius.) Tons of material has been written about the negative impacts of clutter: Stephanie Roberts from the FastFungShui.com cautions, “The more clutter you have, the more sluggish the energy becomes.” And we don’t want a sluggish video!
  • Stage your space. If you are shooting a cooking show: get in the kitchen, get your mise en place ready and ensure cookbooks are in the background. You need to look the part!

Think Before You Shoot!

Most PCs these days include a web camera. (My Toshiba laptop includes Camera Assist.) So there is no excuse, you too can get into the film industry!  But before you shoot, just watch your camera settings:

  • Adjust your frame rate appropriately as it impacts the quality and size of a video file. (The frame rate is the number of frames or images that are projected or displayed per second. Typically, in the US, 30 frames per second is used for TV.) The higher the frame rate, the better the quality, the larger the file. In my camera settings, I have found the maximum rate of 30 frames per second is adequate, (just be patient when uploading your file).
  • Compress your video files into a smaller file size. Luckily, in my camera settings I didn’t have any fancy options: only ‘no compress’ or ‘DV (digital video) video encoder’. Selecting the encoder compresses my video which speeds the upload process.  You may have other encoder options which may require some research: the net has lots of techno-babble on AVI files and type 1 and type 2. The important thing to remember is to compress your video file.
  • Setup your lense to flatter whatever you are shooting. Think like a photographer: Don’t be afraid to move around. Ok, I know you are using your PC, so don’t be afraid to move it around from it’s usual spot:  you may have to angle or elevate it.

Now it is Show Time!

Your set is ready and your camera is all set… You are ready for the actor in you to shine on the screen. Just a few reminders:

  • Smile.
  • Don’t rush. Plan enough time upfront. You may need multiple takes.
  • Don’t think about talking to 1000 people: talk to 1 person and your personality will shine through.

Personally, I find it is easier to be videotaped in the traditional manner, using a video camera, rather than using the built-in video camera from a PC. I don’t like to see myself as I am being taped.  What helps me is covering up my computer screen with a hardcopy print out of my script (or my general outline of my script). You may want to try that so you don`t feel uncomfortable or obsess with a hair that is out of place.

“That’s a Wrap!”- Next Steps

Take your time on your first video.

  • Test out the video and audio settings, especially the lighting and the volume settings.
  • Reshoot as necessary. Just remember you may only get one chance to impress a potential follower.

Open up a YouTube account if you don’t have one. Then start to upload your video: this could take some time depending on fps (frames per second) and compression.

Don’t forget to set up and customize your YouTube Channel to reflect your personal or company Brand. If you need help with that, see Customers While you SLEEP

Then all you have to do is to promote your YouTube video… but that is a whole subject onto itself.

The Quick Review

You may not get nominated for an Academy Award®, but your secret to fast success will be to:

  • Think like a screenplay writer,
  • Consider your set,
  • Set-up your camera settings and location,
  • Be yourself and talk to ONE person just like a documentary,
  • Initially (and continually) try out new settings and techniques.

Now  you can create videos and leverage YouTube.

Your content will be more appealing to more people.

Your Google (search) ranking will soar.

Your content will be found in the second most used search engine.

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Anne-Cauley-Photo
Anne Cauley is an accomplished trainer known for ‘training that sticks’. She combines her sales, training, process re-engineering background with a passion to be an agent of change. Experienced as a technology advocate, it is no surprise that she is embracing social media. Her blog is filled with pragmatic advice on how to develop, deliver, analyze and improve training efforts. Find out more about Anne on her blog, Facebook or Twitter.

*Photo by Alejandro Peters

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This Week in Social Media – 8/3 Edition

Posted on 03 August 2010 by Eric Alpin

There have been quite a few interesting developments in the social media world this past week. Let’s recap a few of them:

Citizen Use Facebook for Justice – According to the New York Times, citizens in Delhi, India are using Facebook to submit images of drivers who break the rules. The Delhi Traffic Police Facebook page is being used as a bulletin board for unlawful drivers and the low staffed department is taking advantage of the shared images.

Is this type of justice “right?” To an extent, yes. It’s nice for citizens to know that they can count on justice when they do their part and report reckless driving. However, what’s to say that some of the images aren’t authentic? What if someone isn’t committing a traffic crime and they get fined anyway?

There are still kinks in the system but I think that this is a good starting point for a more accountable justice department. If small to medium sized towns in America would adopt a similar system, the rate of traffic violations in the United States might slow. It’s time that social media applications and systems proved that they’re useful for something other than hookups and games; taking justice to a new level might be a new focus.

Video Blogger Hands His Life Over for a Year – Dan Brown, a 20-year-old video blogger from Lincoln, Nebraska, is launching a project called Dan 3.0. during this project, he will upload a vlog (video blog) of himself each day doing different user-submitted tasks. Basically, Dan’s life will be controlled by his community for the next 365 days.

Personally, I think this project is great and I don’t know why I didn’t think of it. Although it’s not the first time that something like this has been done, it seems like this project is going to be a success. Dan already has a YouTube subscriber list that is near 250,000 so ideas for daily tasks won’t be scarce. Also, Dan’s energy is great. He is passionate about this project and if he didn’t have that passion, it wouldn’t be a success.

It’s somewhat scary to think that he has basically turned into a puppet of the Internet community. However, Dan has said that he won’t do anything too drastic, like dump his girlfriend, or a task that breaks the law. He also holds veto power but hopes he won’t have to use it.

We should all be passionate about what we do. Dan is a great example of someone who loves his job and is willing to do anything (literally) to foster community and connection.

Twitter’s “Planned Maintenance” Proves to be a Burden – Early Sunday morning, the hosting company for Twitter, NTT America, planned to do some server maintenance and was expected to have the site down for close to five hours. Although I didn’t personally see any tweets about the down time, I’m sure that some users, especially those outside of the U.S., were not happy.

Has Twitter become too active in our lives? I’m just as much a Twitter fan as the next guy but I think that the site, and the concept of sharing every move we make, is beginning to get the best of some people. Some people can’t function without tweeting where they are, what they’re doing, or who they are with. It’s good to create community but when emotions change because of routine maintenance to a website, something might be wrong.

I think that as an Internet community, we should take a step back every now and then to appreciate the non-technological parts of our lives. If you don’t unplug every now and then, what makes you any different than the next guy or a robot?

Our lives should not be controlled by Twitter or a lack thereof. We should control them.


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Eric-Alpin-Photo
Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by dleafy

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Social Media One-Liners – 7/27 Edition

Posted on 27 July 2010 by Eric Alpin

Ford breaks the mold and debuts its new Explorer via Facebook, not an auto show.

Do you think that Twitter will be around forever? After reading about its flaws, you may not be so sure of its stability.

Some would say that social media addiction is a disease. Well, some stats will help you prove that.

If you’re looking for a social media expert, you might want to make sure that they meet a few qualifications before you commit to them.

Checking your social media strategy is something that companies often neglect to do. Make sure that you don’t fall off the self check-up wagon.

Twitter could be stepping up their game by including photos and videos directly in the Twitter stream.

Interested in sending some voice text via Twitter? Check out Mashable’s article on sending voice tweets to satisfy your need to tweet speak.

YouTube Viral Video Alert: Guy Walks Across America

Tip: If you have an iPhone and you have Bump, now you can connect with others on Facebook and Twitter just by fist pounding.


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Eric-Alpin-Photo
Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by CDJensen

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Social Media One-Liners – 7/20 Edition

Posted on 20 July 2010 by Eric Alpin

It’s a new week and it’s time for a new set of social media one-liners.

As always, these one-liners are created to give you the scoop on what is happening and tending in social media this week.

Here goes…

Are you a Facebook junkie? If so, you should learn how to do some pretty sweet things with your profile.

If you have a social media plan for your business, it may be time to evaluate your status and progress.

With Facebook approaching 500 million users this week, it will be celebrating by allowing users to share their own Facebook stories.

Some businesses see angry customers as a sign of weakness or flaws but they can actually be quite valuable.

It’s no secret that a social media catch-22 exists in many companies. How can you avoid it and deal with it if it happens?

Gearing up to begin a social media campaign? Check out one approach to creating a social media press release.

Giving props and saying thanks via social media is still very underrated. How can you show love for your fellow online users?


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Eric-Alpin-Photo
Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by sue_r_b

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Uncle Rico’s Guide to Social Media Success: Diversify Your Assets

Posted on 08 June 2010 by Eric Alpin

If you’ve ever watched Napoleon Dynamite, you know that Uncle Rico is famous for his ideas.  In 1982, Uncle Rico planned to play pro football (and he would have had the coach put him in during the fourth quarter of the state championship) but he also thinks he can sell nylon polymer and female enhancement drugs for some hefty profits.  Without a doubt, Uncle Rico doesn’t put all of his eggs in one basket.  Well, neither should you.

[If you've never had a chance to check out the movie, watch the clip below to get a taste of Uncle Rico.]

Some companies take only one approach to social media, whether it’s blogging, Facebook, or Twitter.  Sure, having a Twitter or Facebook account is better than nothing but it’s not the desired plan.  It’s important to diversify your strategy.  If you want to have a solid plan for the future, be sure to invest your time into a diverse social media strategy, including blogs, social networking sites, and email marketing.

Why Diversify?

Good question and the quick answer is that it will meet the needs of your potential customers.  Normally I’m not the type of person to recommend doing many things at once but when it comes to managing social media profiles, it’s good to have a few.

Not every potential customer is going to be on Twitter or Facebook.  If you have a profile on each site, you can theoretically reach double the amount of customers.  Who doesn’t want to do that?

Instead of attempting to have a client create a Twitter account just to follow your updates, why don’t you meet them on Facebook?

Meet your customers where they are and they will listen to what you have to say.

Do It Well

Although he had a good idea to diversify, one of Uncle Rico’s many faults was the fact that he didn’t do anything well.  Take note; this is not what you want to do with your social media profiles.  Don’t become complacent with your Facebook or Twitter account.  If you’re going to be present on Facebook, make it known that you’re there.  If you’re going to tweet, distribute content that is worth following.

No one wants to know an Uncle Rico so make sure that you “do” social networking like the best of ‘em.

Displacing Your Doubt

If you’re about to jump into social media or only have one active profile, you’re probably thinking that I’m crazy.  And you have every right to think that.  In all honesty, I don’t have any solid proof or numbers to show you.  I can’t convince you with tangible data that says, “You need to have multiple social media profiles to be successful.”  And, to tell you the truth, I would think I’m crazy, too.

Fortunately for you, I’m not crazy.

The doubt that you’re feeling is natural.  You’ve been ingrained to resist change and new ideas.  You’re constantly bombarded with messages telling you that change is bad, safety is the way to go, and risks should be minimal.  However, that’s not the case and in life and it’s not the case with social media.

In order to keep up with today’s shifting culture – a culture that is focused on individuals and not corporations – you need to make an impact with your clients and customers.  Where are your clients and customers?  The Internet.  How do you capture their attention and make them lifelong consumers of your goods?  Meet them where they are and do it well.  That’s it.  If you meet a need, they’ll come back for more and right now, there are millions of people on Twitter and Facebook and YouTube that need your product.  You just need to find them.

My challenge to you is to subside your doubt and implement multiple social media profiles and to do them well.  If you aren’t effective with your profiles, take a step back, re-order, and try again.

Don’t be like Uncle Rico.  Don’t be a living-in-the-past, doubtful, and selfish social media manager.  Serve your customers and meet them where they are.  If you try it, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.


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Eric-Alpin-Photo
Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by scifisuzi

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Get Connected: Connect Your Social Media Accounts Teleseminar

Posted on 10 May 2010 by Joel Mark Witt

We’ll show you how to connect all your social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and your blog and cut your time in half.

Join us for a free teleseminar to learn the exact steps you can take to connect all your social media accounts.

[The live teleseminar is over - register below to download the slides and audio]

Have you ever felt frustrated trying to manage multiple social media accounts? Would you like to get more results from your social media activity without having to put in more time?

If you are like me, there are never enough hours in the day.  When you are faced with managing multiple social media accounts, there are days when it can all seem overwhelming.  But, it doesn’t have to be like this.  In fact, social media should HELP you achieve your personal and business goals, not eat up your valuable time that should be reserved for working on your business and enjoying your time with family and friends!

The key is implementing a system to easily manage your social media marketing.  And, there are plenty of tools out there to help you with this.

Here are just a few things we’ll be covering on the call:

  • Understand why every individual and business needs to own their online identity and that there are a few key social platforms you must be on.
  • Discover that there is a process to setting up your social accounts to ensure your longterm success.
  • Learn how to “Connect” all of your social accounts to ensure you are consistent with your messaging across multiple platforms.
  • Learn how to syndicate your content across multiple platforms to maximize your reach with the least amount of effort.
  • Manage your time efficiently with social media management tools to ensure you are working smarter, not harder.

In this teleconference, Trevor Turnbull is my special guest. He’s a social media consultant and founder of Social Connect Blueprint.

Trevor is an online entrepreneur with extensive experience as a business owner, business development professional and social media consultant. He’s the founder of Social Connect Blueprint, a social media training website that provides live, interactive training and educational webinars with thought leaders in the social media world.

Trevor is also an avid sports fan and the co-founder of Sport Fan Connect, a consulting company that works with sports teams, brands and events to help improve the connection between and add value for clients, their fans and sponsors.

I’m excited to have him on the call as our guest.

What we’re going to focus on is a fast-start version of connecting your social media accounts to make your time more efficient.

On this call we have only 100 spots and expect to fill up fast. It is critical that you register for this free teleseminar now



After you register, leave your most important questions in the comments section below. We’ll answer them right here on the post.


*Photo By canvascanoe

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5 Things to Remember about YouTube and Your Content

Posted on 25 March 2010 by Eric Alpin

The ways of text-based blogging are slowly becoming ancient and the era of video blogging is upon us.  Video content is easy to create and online video websites, such as YouTube, make it simple to upload and share content.  But, like most social media practices, it’s not always that easy.  There are a lot of things that can (and should) be done to maximize the views, comments, and “share factor” of your videos.  So, what are they?

1.  Create a channel.

YouTube channels allow a user to have a dedicated place to upload their videos and to easily share them with others.  When someone accesses your channel, instead of just seeing one video, they will be able to see all of the videos you have uploaded in an easy-to-use format.  A YouTube channel is a great way to organize your content and distribute it in a simple manner.

2.  Keep the same format.

When you’re editing your video, make sure to keep the same general format as other videos.  If you have a title appear in your first video, have a title in your other videos.  If you always have credits at the end, keep the credits constant.  Viewers don’t like change when it comes to the organizational qualities of videos.  They want to be able to recognize your content within the first 10 or 20 seconds of your clip.  (You want this too!)  If you change how your videos are edited, you’ll be throwing off your viewers.

3.  Respond to comments.

It’s highly probable that video watchers will comment on your content.  When they do, make sure that you respond to engage them in conversation.  Remember, as humans, we crave conversation and connection.  If you can provide those two things to someone video YouTube, they’ll think you’re the greatest – and they’ll keep coming back for more.  It’s about creating communities, not about individuals.

The only instance you wouldn’t want to respond back to someone is if they’re comment is rude or inappropriate.  If this is the case, be sure to flag their comment as spam or report them to the YouTube police.

4.  Tag appropriately.

When you upload a video, you have the ability to tag, or label, your content with keywords.  As you tag your content, you want to ensure you’re tagging accurately with terms that people might search.  If you’re video is about dogs, don’t tag “dog eats a dead rabbit in the park.”  Chances are that very few people will be searching solely for that.  Instead, tag with “dogs” and “dog eating.”  The more general, the better.  Also, if you have a YouTube channel, make sure to tag your channel name in case people search for your content that way.

5.  Encourage contact.

Most people take a hands-off approach when it comes to their YouTube accounts.  No comments, no messages, just content.  That’s fine and dandy but it won’t get you anywhere.  If you’d like to continue building a community, encourage your viewers to contact you with suggestions, questions, or compliments.  When viewers see that someone is encouraging contact, they will be more likely to leave it.  Be sure to check you account often if you’re encouraging contact because you don’t want to only log in once a month and have 80 new messages you need to handle.

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Eric-Alpin-Photo
Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

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