Webinars - A Mind-Blowing Traffic Generating List Building Tool You Can't Do Without!

This is a list building venue that isn't used by many marketers because usually, it requires planning, knowledge and a little bit of a technical set up.  This is usually enough to put most people off.  Just like video marketing, webinars require a little knowledge of equipment and software and it does take a little time to learn.

However, this shouldn't in any way stop someone from using these tools in marketing.  As a matter of fact, the benefits of using video and webinars should really encourage people to use them.  For one thing, they’ll help you get to the top of the search engines much faster.

 If you’ve ever made a video and posted it, you’ll be stunned at how quickly it can rise through all of the Internet clutter.

The same thing could be said for audio files from webinars.  The reason why videos and audio seem to rank faster, is because there is less competition.  People feel too intimidated to make them, so therefore there’s much less competition. 

There are other bennies that many people don’t think about too.  For one thing, if you are able to have a well done audio or video, it makes people look at you like an authority in your niche.  The other thing, these items can have incoming or outgoing links and can be shared through email and other online file sharing systems.

So, ignoring these methods of marketing online is not too swift.

Basics of a Webinar

If you are going to create your own webinar, you should get a webinar hosting account.  These are typically inexpensive, but well worth the money you put into them.  A good hosting system will give you a fast and easy way to invite people to your event and sign up, by allowing you to send out an email inviting people.

You can easily find good companies to handle this for you.

 For example, there’s an online service called GoToMeeting  that has a lot of great features on it.  You can set up a really pleasing interface for people that you've invited to the event, and you can even share pictures and streaming with them.

Here’s the Shameless Cheaper Way…

Another good company is AnyMeeting. 

The thing I like about this service is that it reminds me of MailChimp.  You don’t pay anything unless you have a certain number of people.  In the case of AnyMeeting, it’s free up to 200 people.

I like that idea, because you all know that my whole marketing ideal is to do everything as dirt cheap as you can, especially if you are trying to start your venture.  I’m sorry, that’s just the way I am. 

I figure once you’ve hit the same financial status as that guy that runs Virgin Records or that other guy that invented Facebook, THEN you can spend Mega-Bucks on advertising.

But until then, you’ll want to save some money in your marketing efforts.  Just sayin’!

Make Sure You Tell Your Audience All about It

Before the webinar, make sure that you’ve really spread the word about the webinar.  Use Facebook, Twitter, Google + and any other social media site that you can.  Also, make sure that your entire email list knows about it as well. 

TIP!  Go offline too!  Get some nice event note cards produced and send them to all of the clients and customers on your mailing list.  Make it like a real nice invitation that is handsomely made.  You can do this dirt cheap with a printer and some clip art or go on a site like Fiverr and hire someone inexpensively.

Considering all of the effort you’re putting into something like this, you may want to call people that you know as well.  

For example, if you do consulting it would be pretty beneficial for you to call them and invite them to your event.

Even if they don’t join you for the webinar, they will be happy to know that you are still thinking of them and that you value them enough to invite them.

Make Sure You Aren't BORING

I know this is kind of common sense, but try to make your webinar interesting.  If you and your guest are not enthusiastic about what you do, then it will come off that way.

Also it would be a good idea to organize and write down your questions before the seminar.  Give your guest a copy of the questions so he or she can think about a response.

Off the cuff comments can be OK as they arise.  You do want to have a logical structure to your webinar, but try to be natural too.  If a question you didn't happen to think about rears its head, go ahead and ask it.  It will sound natural and spontaneous because it is.

To Your Success

Mark “Elmo” Ellis

"When it Comes to High-Response Copy - I've Got Your Back!"

www.MarkEllisCopy.com

(859) 797-9560

elmo033057@gmail.com

How to Turn Your Zombie Facebook Presence into a Living Being!

If you are going to use Facebook to influence people and move them in a direction that you want them to go, you really need to pay attention to this post.  There is a distinct reason why so many companies actually hire people to run their social media marketing programs.  That reason is it takes time.

If you are going to use social media to influence people in a major way, it will take a lot of your time.  Continuous, daily, scheduled time.  You've got to show up…regularly and keep showing up.  This is a relationship game that requires a dedicated time investment.

So, just like all other forms of Internet marketing, the more they see, love, and trust you the better off you’ll be.  This leads me to my topic subject, transforming your zombie like Facebook presence into a persona that people can relate to.

I love meeting people.  Online, offline, I just love human interaction.  In my humble opinion, nothing is worse than talking to a piece of cardboard.  Actually, there is something worse: READING something that was written by a piece of cardboard!

I must confess, this is a facet of writing Blog posts that I need to be more conscious of, myself.  If you can somehow inject some of your REAL personality into your social media efforts, you’ll find that you will have success at a much faster rate. 

On the local news that I watch every morning before starting work, I watch the local news, mostly to see how bad the weather is going to be for the day.  Most of the newscasters or warm and friendly, even when they are reporting accidents and crime in the area (Some of them almost report the death and destruction with glee…but I digress.) 

There is one reporter that is usually at the site of the crime and just about every morning and when she reports the news like a bored zombie.  She looks like she just came from a funeral; her face is sullen and emotionless.  Every time we see her my says the same thing, “Is she really alive?”

So, you need to insert your personality in to your posts whenever you can.  

Talk About Other Things, Even if it’s “World War Z”!

Make sure you talk about off-topic issues once in a while.  Usually, if you do nothing but talk about your niche, no matter how great the information is, you’ll

be perceived as boring.  However, that’s not to say it can’t be related to your core topic in some way.

I used to get Dan Kennedy’s marketing newsletter on a regular basis, and I was always amazed at how easily and seamlessly he could shift to a subject that did not appear to be on the subject of marketing, but was.  He would talk about subjects that were related to his niche like: time management, celebrity issues, TV shows he liked or disliked, etc.  However, these issues did relate to his overall marketing message.

Current Events – Staying Sensitive to Things Around You

If there has been a horrible event caused by natural disasters, terrorism or even a Zombie apocalypse, you will be perceived as unthinking and uncaring if you continue talking about your business.  

So, be very careful when dealing with important social issues.  You can really damage all of the work, time and branding of your business if you ignore other people’s pain and anguish during trying times.

To Your Success!

Mark “Elmo” Ellis

"When it Comes to High-Response Copy - I've Got Your Back!"

www.MarkEllisCopy.com

(859) 797-9560

elmo033057@gmail.com

What Type of Software and Hardware Should I Use to Make YouTube Videos With?

If you haven’t been following my posts this week, you should probably go back and check out the other posts I made on the subject of marketing on the Internet using videos. 

You can read them here:

Use Web Savvy YouTube Traffic Generation to Get Prospects to Your Site 

How NOT toCreate YouTube Videos That Will Get Traffic to Your Site 

This post I’m going to cover what types of software that you should buy in order to create high quality videos for your Internet marketing efforts.  In my last post I hit on the idea of teaching your prospects something of real value in your videos, rather than using your videos to merely sell them something. 

Personally, I think that’s the way to go, and that’s what I've been doing. 

Here’s the Good News…

The great news is you don’t need real high-end video software or equipment to create a good video quality video.  Most of the small video cameras on the market today mounted on a sturdy tripod is all you need in a camera. 

I used to do wedding videography, and what I was told at the onset of starting my business is that the main reason to have a huge camera with all the bells and whistles on it was so that the client would see it and think you were professional.

I’m not saying that there aren't really great wedding videographers out there that don’t really need that type of equipment.  There are some truly incredible videographers that Hollywood sized projects.  They are also very expensive to hire too. 

But for creating an instructional or marketing video, a decent video camera that you can buy at Best Buy, Amazon or Costco will easily fill the bill.  You can very easily get a great camera for this for under $500 if you so desire.

The other recommendation I would make (if you can afford it) is to pick up some cheap clip on microphones that’ll hook up to your camera.  Now, once again, you can still make great videos without that stuff.  I made one once without a pickup mic and it came out OK. 

Another recommendation I would make is to get some cheap tele-prompting software.  This is software that you can use to have your script scroll up your computer screen so you can read it while looking directly at your camera. 

I usually mount my camera right behind my laptop so that when I face the camera my scripts scrolls upward and I can read it while looking at the camera.

Here is a clip I made without using a clip on mic and using the software I just told you about.  

I’m reading from a computer screen while looking directly at the camera:

InstructionalVideo on Blogging   

The Type of Software That You’ll Need

I usually use two software programs: Sony Vegas Pro and Camtasia.  Sony Vegas is great because it gives you excellent production quality editing at a relatively inexpensive price.  There are also other Sony Vegas editing products for around $100, but Vegas is still a good deal for around $300. 

There is a learning curve using Vegas, and there are one or two books that I’ve used as a reference for it.  Actually, what I usually do is surf around YouTube to find videos on what I’m trying to specifically learn on Vegas.  There’s tons of videos on YouTube about Vegas however, you’ll have to go through a bunch of poorly made videos in order to find a good one that gets to the point and explains things clearly.

The other software program that I mentioned was Camtasia.  Camtasia is screen capturing software and it records what you are doing on your computer screen for instructional purposes. 

However, everyone uses Camtasia even marketers use it to get their message out.  You can get a copy of Camtasia for about $200 and I recommend that if you start making videos and you can only afford one of these programs, Camtasia is the one I would buy. 

Here is an example of what Camtasia can do:

Instructional Photoshop Video

In my next Blog Post, I’m going to show you the proper way to structure your videos so that your customers and clients can really get some value out of what you have to offer and come to know you as a source of information they can know and trust.

Until then…

To Your Success!

Mark “Elmo” Ellis

"When it Comes to High-Response Copy - I've Got Your Back!"

www.MarkEllisCopy.com

 (859) 797-9560

elmo033057@gmail.com

How NOT to Create YouTube Videos That Will Get Traffic to Your Site

In my last post, I told you it was very true that getting noticed on the Internet was relatively easy using YouTube.  That you could use YouTube and other video channels to get to the top of the Search Engine Results Pages and I even had an example of how I did it. 

If you want to go back and read that article, you can access it here: Using YouTube to GenerateTraffic to Your Site

Let’s Talk About How Not To Make YouTube Videos

The thing that will separate the men from the boys in video creation is QUALITY!

It’s just like any other information source on the Internet, 85 to 90% of what is out there is done half-way, (if you know what I mean.). Very few people put out quality information that's even coherent, and very, very few do it on a long-term, consistent basis.

So, don’t make videos that are not well thought out.

Pet Peeve Time:   I don’t know how it all started in the Internet Marketing arena, but videos of IM gurus and IM wannabe gurus driving their cars, while talking about how slick they are is rampant on the Internet.  Usually, they are leaning back talking like they have all the time in the world, while driving along the beach. 

To me, it wreaks of snake oil salesmen.

What they are saying in their videos is:  Here I am driving my Jaguar in my Hawaiian shirt, along a beach where beautiful women are walking around in bikinis and I’m making bazillions of dollars while doing it.  

---And if you listen to me and follow a few basic steps, you too can be just like me.  Click on this link and I’ll put you in my slick sales funnel.

Here's what I think ...And don't ever forget I'm never wrong! 

For one thing, THERE ARE VERY FEW NEW INTERNET MARKETING TECHNIQUES OUT THERE, AND JUST BECAUSE THEY DID IT, DOES NOT MEAN FOR A SECOND THAT YOU’LL HAVE THE SAME SUCCESS.  

By the way, you can go to just about any Internet marketing forum, ask for help, and people (victims) that have already followed these gurus will tell you the same thing for free.

Instructional Videos Are Best

Let’s define something here for a second.  I’m not talking about cat videos, viral videos that go viral just to be viral or junk like that. I’m talking about videos that add value to your business and give your prospects something that will help them.  Oh, and being genuine helps too.

The best type of videos to create are those that teach something that people can actually learn.  A well thought out, coherent and high quality video will say volumes about your business.  This fulfills at least two missions of your marketing efforts:

1.  If you post your Web address to your video, you may get some traffic to your site.

2.  It will create familiarity with your audience.  Familiarity is very important because people will buy from sources they know.  And it’s not just in the product and services arena that this works.  Have you ever noticed how much easier it is for people to get hired at a company or business because they knew the people that were hiring?  So, becoming a recognized face in your niche is very important.

3.  If you really know what you’re doing, and your video is well made, then you will gain some “authority status” and thereby be the go-to-guy in your niche.

Not only all that, but you’ll want a video that is relevant to your niche as well.  It won’t make much sense to create a real good video about gerbils when your website and business is built around bicycle parts.

One other thing.  Have you ever watched a video created by some hotshot marketing guru, and you just knew that the video was created for the sole purpose of selling you something?  It really made you doubt in your mind the sincerity of the individual promoting it.  As a matter of fact, whenever I watch free videos anymore, there are some people I know from the past that I immediately smell a major league sale coming on. 

Do you think that kind of a reputation is the one you want?  

I’m not saying that your marketing efforts aren't there to make money, but just be aware of the fact that as time goes on, the masses of people that jump onto the Internet will become more sensitive and aware of the game afoot.

Tomorrow's post, I will show you the actual nuts and bolts of creating videos.  What type of software to use, how to write your script, and other important facets of video marketing that will help you on your way to video marketing heaven.

Until then…

Mark “Elmo” Ellis

"When it Comes to High-Response Copy - I've Got Your Back!"

www.MarkEllisCopy.com

 (859) 797-9560

elmo033057@gmail.com

P.S.  Here's an interesting video on creating videos I think you'll enjoy!