Video Blogging

We've been seeing heaps more video content getting out there which is fantastic. However the one common mistake we see people making is having their camera placed below the eyeline. This is really common with people using their computers to record their vids. The problem with shooting below the eyeline is that it's really unflattering (we're talking double chins, nostril hair and dark rings under the eyes here). The simple fix - if you're using your laptop, chuck a couple yellow pages underneath (they're still good for something) and if you're using a tripod, lift it up so that when you're talking to camera you're lifting yours eyes ever so slightly up. This will make your eyes appear larger, lighter and more engaged.

Tips for a top presentation!

1 image per screen

1 large photo that everyone can fully see is better than 2 or more smaller photos that no one an see

1 word or short sentence per screen

Whole paragraphs do not belong in a presentation - hand out more information on a sheet of paper if you need to.

Use images wisely

Real images from your workplace or organization are always more powerful than stock images or photography.

If you do have to use stock choose wisely!

Mix it up!

Is it possible to start with a video of slideshow with music? This will captures the attention and focus of the room. Also if you're nervous, it gives you time to relax!

One thing that no small business should forget...

My father-in-law Llloyd is a farmer. He's a wealth of knowledge of all things country, but I certainly wasn't expecting a schooling in business from him last week.

We were back on the farm for the event of the year - the annual Cooyar bush dance. The talk that night began with the usual well-worn topics of blight and famine, before turning to the impressive turnout, then to the conspicuous absences of a few locals. In a town of less than 6 houses, it's pretty hard to be inconspicuous, and in this case it was a couple of well-known local business owners who'd pulled a no-show.

And that's when Lloyd dropped this nugget of wisdom:

"If you live and work in a community, you'd reckon you'd show up to the dance wouldn't you?"

As small businesses all of us are at the mercy of our community - be it on a street, suburb or city scale. In the daily hustle it's easy to get caught up in extracting as much from them as we can, and forget that the businesses around us need us as much as we need them.

Why should we expect anything from that community if we aren't giving back to it?

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Forget about SEO and just be awesome

Have you ever Googled yourself?...

Entered in a search term that relates to your business to see if you came up on the first page of search results?

I have, and the results were depressing. A few years back I was spending a lot of time worrying about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). If we were on page 6 for "Branding Gold Coast" how on earth would people find us?

I think the allure of SEO for many of us is that it feels like a free lunch. A silver bullet solution to our marketing and sales efforts (or lack thereof). As long as the traffic is magically flowing in from searches it absolves us the guilt of not picking up the phone and make those painful sales calls. It spares us the awkward coffee meetings where the stench of the Dreaded Sell hangs in the air. More traffic means more chance of winning - it's a game of numbers right?

Wrong.

Click to read more ...

Sunday, April 8, 2012 at 10:45 AM