Creating an Irresistible Presence Starts with an Irresistible Brand

This is Day 9 of 30 Days to Creating Irresistible Presence. On Wednesday, Elizabeth Marshall gave us four ways to STAND OUT as a messenger/author w/ a powerful message. Today, Lou Bortone rounds out our week beautifully as he gives us some great ways to build an Irresistible Brand (what we all want, right?!) and some AWESOME action steps for maximizing online video branding. Great stuff!!

Creating an Irresistible Presence Starts with an Irresistible Brand!

By Lou Bortone @loubortone

“Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.” – Robert Frost

Today’s theme song: “What’s love got to do with it?” – Tina Turner

Ah, to be irresistible… To have that certain something that makes you impossible to resist. Call it charisma, call it personality, call it attraction, allure, appeal… By any name it’s something we all long for. Yet, when it comes to creating an irresistible presence in business, it’s something that can be elusive.

To develop an irresistible presence, you first must build an irresistible brand. I know, easier said than done, right? But the rewards of having an irresistible brand are well worth the effort. A strong brand makes you unique and memorable, and helps you stand out and be heard in a sea of wanna-be’s and copycats.

So where do you begin your quest to build an irresistible brand? A catchy slogan? A kick-ass website? A cool logo? A fabulous Facebook fan page? Sure, those are all necessary ingredients, but they are only building blocks to developing a compelling brand.

Many small businesses have it backwards. They rush to put up a website and have a logo designed, only to realize later that they have left out a crucial step: How to distinguish themselves from their competition with a strong brand.

Oftentimes, entrepreneurs will contact me about creating a video to market their business, when they have yet to even define their brand. While online video is an excellent tool for building a brand, you’ve got to have your foundation already in place.

Fortunately, as a “Book Yourself Solid” Certified Coach, I use some of Michael Port’s tried and true principles to help entrepreneurs create breakthrough brands that help them stand out from the crowd. Here is the five step system I use when helping clients to create an irresistible brand:

Develop a “who & do what” statement – The “who” is your target market and the “what” is the primary benefit they get from you. For example, my “who and do what” is: “I help entrepreneurs build breakthrough brands on the Internet so that they can get more clients!”Whereas, my Uncle Vito’s might be “I help deadbeat debtors find their checkbooks so nobody gets hurt.” You get the idea…
Define your “why you do it” statement – The “why” is the reason you do what you do. It’s what you stand for. It’s important because it’s what will attract the right clients to you. My “why” is: “Turning struggling entrepreneurs into Online Rock Stars!” Uncle Vito’s why is to make sure his boss gets paid by any means necessary. To each his own!
Focus on building relationships – Social networking and video are similar in that they are tools to help build relationships on the web. You gotta give before you get! Engage, contribute, share… Build your social capital and work on developing trust and credibility. When you put relationships first, social media can become a great resource for developing your online brand.
Maximize social media and online video – Entrepreneurs can rapidly accelerate the branding process by using social media and online video strategically. Make every tweet count. And don’t stop with Twitter and Facebook. Video is social, too! For example, YouTube has become an enormously powerful business tool for creating connections, demonstrating your expertise and enhancing your online visibility.
Use Online Video to stand out and be noticed – As a long-time “video guy,” I’m especially partial to video as a resource to break out of the pack and be noticed. Online Video builds an immediate connection and makes you memorable. It enhances your online visibility and it works for you world-wide, 24/7. Online Video is quickly becoming the ultimate brand-builder.

In fact, video is my favorite tool for creating and irresistible brand. So, to help encourage you to take action and get started, I’ve listed five simple ways to tackle video marketing today:

5 Easy Ways to Take Action Now with Online Video Branding:

Pick the Low Hanging Fruit – Start with the easiest way to record a quick video. Fire up your webcam and record a brief, 30-second welcome message for your website visitors. Tell them who you are and how you can help them. Keep it short and simple. Done is better than perfect! Repeat as necessary.

Got 12 seconds? – Good. Then go to 12Seconds.tv and open a free account. Turn on your webcam and talk for 12 seconds – no more, because that’s all they give you! 12Seconds.tv is like Twitter for video. Brevity is a must; so just record a quick hello or a brief tip. Congratulations, you’ve done a video! You can even share your 12 second video masterpiece to YouTube or social media sites.

I Stream, You Stream – We all stream at Ustream! Video streaming, that is – also known as live webcasting. Ustream.tv, another free web resource, makes it possible for you to have your own web TV channel in a matter of minutes. Open an account, grab your trusty webcam, and you can shoot video live and on the fly. When you’re ready for viewers, Ustream lets you tweet your broadcast link to Twitter faster than you can say “Action!”

Flip Out – If you’re out and about or on the go, portable pocket cameras like the popular Flip Video camera make video a snap. The Flip camera couldn’t possibly be any easier to use, and they’re fun, convenient and affordable. For an even easier mobile solution, check your phone! Many mobile phones have a video function, with Apple’s iPhone to be leading the way. On my iPhone, I can now shoot, edit and upload video to YouTube in a flash. Amazing!

Camera shy? Not quite ready for your close-up? That’s fine, because you can still create your own video message with little more than text and photos at Animoto.com. Animoto makes video quick and painless. Just upload a few photos, add a bit of text, select some music from Animoto’s diverse collection, and you’re good to go! Animoto does all the techie stuff, so you can have your own video montage in moments.

Now you’ve got no excuse not to revitalize your brand with online video! Remember, with an irresistible brand, you’ve got the foundation for an irresistible presence. And you gotta love that!

Lou Bortone is an Online Branding Specialist and video pro who helps entrepreneurs and coaches build breakthrough brands on the Internet, so they can have more visibility, credibility and profitability. Lou’s clients get more business and make more money, because Lou assists them with innovative online branding strategies, including social media marketing and online video consulting.

Lou is a former television executive who worked for E! Entertainment Television and Fox in Los Angeles. He is also an author and ghostwriter of six business books, a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and a Book Yourself Solid Certified Coach.

Lou’s signature programs include “Online Branding Blueprint,” and “Video in a Day!” His website is at www.LouBortone.com.

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P.S. If you aren’t already signed up and don’t want to miss out on 30 Days to Creating Irresistible Presence, please sign up here.

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To learn more, please visit http://www.irresistiblepresence.com

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Tags: 30 Days to Creating Irresistible Presence, Lou Burtone

This entry was posted on Friday, July 9th, 2010 at 8:00 am and is filed under 30 Days to Irresistible Presence. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Anonymous
Notes to the Tribe for Friday:
(I used this space for communicating with the tribe during 30 Days to Changing Your Game and it worked really well. so I’m bringing it back for this series!)
1. If you like this post or any other post, please share it via twitter and facebook using the buttons in the top right corner of each post.
2. Be sure to follow the CIP twitter lists I’ve built. Participant list (get on it by tweeting using the #CIP hashtag): http://twitter.com/#/list/SarahRobinson/thirtydayscip and the Guest Blogger List: http://twitter.com/#/list/SarahRobinson/thirtydaycipbloggers
3. Don’t forget our Summer Fun & Games Contest: http://bit.ly/CIPContest
4. As hard as it is for those of us who are coaches, try to rest those muscles while here at the 30 Days. Get yourself filled up. I know there is a fine line between offering feedback and actually coaching, but I can tell you from personal experience that taking off my coaching hat allows the real magic to happen for me.
5. You all are AMAZING!
3. If you like a post please RT it to share it with your Twitter community. Thank you!!
Love,
Sarah
sarahrobinson
Notes to the Tribe for Friday:
(I used this space for communicating with the tribe during 30 Days to Changing Your Game and it worked really well. so I'm bringing it back for this series!)
1. If you like this post or any other post, please share it via twitter and facebook using the buttons in the top right corner of each post.
2. Be sure to follow the CIP twitter lists I've built. Participant list (get on it by tweeting using the #CIP hashtag): http://twitter.com/#/list/SarahRobinson/thirtyd… and the Guest Blogger List: http://twitter.com/#/list/SarahRobinson/thirtyd…
3. Don't forget our Summer Fun & Games Contest: http://bit.ly/CIPContest
4. As hard as it is for those of us who are coaches, try to rest those muscles while here at the 30 Days. Get yourself filled up. I know there is a fine line between offering feedback and actually coaching, but I can tell you from personal experience that taking off my coaching hat allows the real magic to happen for me.
5. You all are AMAZING!
3. If you like a post please RT it to share it with your Twitter community. Thank you!!
Love,
Sarah
http://www.callmekristin.com Kristin Call
Oh thank you for the step by step process and the video resources! and thank you to everybody who’s offered their ideas to me in the other articles. I’m thinking about doing a video series/e-course on learning HOW to digital scrapbook. I’m asked all the time how I do what I do and what software to use/where to get materials/where to print/etc. So, I’m thinking a video course would be very well received.
Does anyone know the software you use to make videos of your computer screen? Like so viewers can follow right along with you? I’ve seen it a few times before, I just don’t know how to do that. . .

http://www.jessilicious.com Jess Webb
Kristin – I use CamStudio for doing screen casts – videos of the computer screen. It’s free software, and it works great for me!
Here’s the URL:
http://camstudio.org/

http://www.callmekristin.com Kristin Call
Thanks for the link! This is exactly what I’m looking for. Free only makes it better!

http://www.jessilicious.com Jess Webb
You’re welcome – glad I could help!

http://www.LouBortone.com Lou Bortone
Hi Jess and Kristen – CamStudio is great, and I also use Jing at JingProject.com. You can record a 5 minute video screencast with their pro version, which is really inexpensive. Thanks! -Lou

Anonymous
Thanks for an educational and enlightening post! I appreciate the step by step process. I know very little about online video other than watching things on YouTube. I look forward to checking out the websites mentioned and getting a video clip up on my own website.
http://twitter.com/mckra1g mckra1g
This is my Achilles Heel. As someone w/a print/journalism pedigree, understanding how to leverage video is a challenge. These nuts and bolts tips are gold. Thank you so much.
BTW, as someone who writes SEO content for sites on behalf of our agency’s clients, a content tip for YouTube: since it functions as a search engine, all of the content within a video is transcribed, adding to search terms. This function is above and beyond the metatagging and titling of your video. So to boost your effectiveness even more, be aware of the terms you use when recording content for YouTube.
This is some good stuff.Wow! Best, M.

http://www.ginaparris.com GinaParris
WHOA!!
“all of the content within a video is transcribed, adding to search terms. This function is above and beyond the metatagging and titling of your video. So to boost your effectiveness even more, be aware of the terms you use when recording content for YouTube.”
Are you saying they have people transcribe all the millions of videos that are uploaded every day at youtube for their own purposes somewhere, somehow?

http://twitter.com/mckra1g mckra1g
I’ve been googling for the original blog where I read that, but am only finding these, so it’s possible that I misspoke or misunderstood. Here’s what I found:
Enabling autocaptioning on YouTube: http://www.reelseo.com/youtube-enables-autocaptioning-videos/
Video optimization: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/seo-for-video-content
Again, my apologies if I mislead anyone.

http://www.ginaparris.com GinaParris
Wow that is totally fascinating. Thank you for digging around to find the
links. I can only imagine how in the world the voice to text would work on
my videos when I am talking fast and laughing! What a cool concept though.

http://www.jessilicious.com Jess Webb
This is good stuff (of course)!
I’m playing with the first two steps right now, so thought I’d post what I have so far.
My “Who & Do What” Statement: I help entrepreneurs with an adventurous spirit design a website that reflects their own uniqueness and attracts their Right People
My “Why You Do It” Statement: Turning hidden entrepreneurs into sparkling diamonds
Not sure if this is quite where it’s going to stay, but I’m playing… And I welcome ideas on how to refine this even more!
http://twitter.com/TalktoDiane Diane Brooks
I wanted to contribute a tool that I really like. It is TubeMogul. I believe the service is still free for the basic services. TubeMogul is a video sharing site that will submit your video to a wide variety of video hosting sites. You upload your video once, and TubeMogul does the rest. It also tracks the number of views your video has received. I use it for my video tours of homes. I am a Realtor. Their website is http://www.TubeMogul.com.

http://www.jessilicious.com Jess Webb
TubeMogul is indeed awesome! I use it fairly frequently – and yes, it’s free!

http://www.sundaynightsuccess.com Jeremie
Funny how the thinking posts in this 30 day event allowed my brain to respond almost instantly, but an actual do it post gave me pause until now.
I get really stuck on the #1 of your process the “who and do what”. I think I get stuck because my who and what are still evolving on a daily basis so I am resistant to defining myself by a who and what that could change moments after I proclaim it because a new client pops up that changes everything.
Recently my who and what has been shifting, twisting, and morphing so quickly that I kind of set it aside to work on the projects already on my plate. I figure, maybe once I get these projects done I will have a better idea of my who and what. Of course putting this off isn’t overly helpful, as having nothing out there in the world means nobody new can find me, which sucks because I know there are people who need my help!
Lots of great sharing going on here and a wonderful group to share with, so I will take up the challenge of number one and post a recent draft of my who and what (I actually use Mark Silver’s who, who, what, but same idea):
“I help frustrated entrepreneurs save time and make money by creating and leveraging the valuable content they didn’t even know they had”
Even as I type it out my back contorts into all sorts of interesting shapes as my brain says: that’s not what you do dummy, explain it clearly. Clearly is the problem, clearly would mean it sounded something crazy like:
“I use my education background and coaching skills to help busy entrepreneurs organize their content, create their content, further develop their content, write support material for their content, produce their content into webinars, provide support for live events, build online communities for live events, and sometimes even give a bit of life coaching here and there.”
A horrid, horrid mouthful. Even as I look at it I wonder, “do I know what I do?”
So, I usually scrap it, push it to the back of my brain, and wait on it, hoping that something clear will come along.
Why I do it is a bit clearer for me and includes a personal why and a related client why. I do what I do so I can have the money to maximize the time I spend with my wife and son having the adventures we are constantly dreaming up.
For my clients I want to free up their time and help them make money so they can do whatever it is that they have dreamed of and are currently dreaming up.
As I write this maybe my who and what comes down to the fact that I will use any of my various skills to help my clients reach their dreams and create new ones. A bit too general maybe, but another step in the right direction perhaps.
The important part for me right now is that, I may not know what I do yet, but I know why I am doing it, and at the moment my business is satisfying the why. How to define the what will just have to be patient while I am busy supporting my family and my clients.
Well, that went in a direction I was not suspecting. Thanks for turning my brain on and helping me think Lou!
Jeremie
http://www.accessabundance.com/ Teresa Romain
Hey Lou and tribe!
I’m going to come back and spend more time with this… but I’m in MN about to give a workshop so I’m going to be preoccupied for the better part of today and tomorrow. I’ll miss being with you all.
First thing that struck me about your post, Lou… is the sense of “been there, done that” I had when you talked about businesses doing it backwards – or should I say “sdrawkcab”? Cuz that’s pretty much how I did it and have wasted thousands and thousands of dollars in the process. So I’m working on my “brand” now… so like I said, I’ll be back!
Nazima Ali
Thanks for this post, Lou. Some great questions to consider and define. Thanks also for the great online resources.
http://www.refreshcommunications.ca Kim
I would add to this list “a great online experience with a highly usable website and great content.” If you frustrate your users with a poor experience on your site, you’ll only detract from your brand and promises as a brand.
http://www.randomshelly.com/blog/ Shelly
Those are some great tips for video! and since I have never really done video – I hadn’t heard of many of them… I learned a lot today! Gonna file this info away because I’m thinking of doing some videos
I also am struggling with the branding thing – but I’m working on it
http://www.callmekristin.com Kristin Call
Oh thank you for the step by step process and the video resources! and thank you to everybody who's offered their ideas to me in the other articles. I'm thinking about doing a video series/e-course on learning HOW to digital scrapbook. I'm asked all the time how I do what I do and what software to use/where to get materials/where to print/etc. So, I'm thinking a video course would be very well received.
Does anyone know the software you use to make videos of your computer screen? Like so viewers can follow right along with you? I've seen it a few times before, I just don't know how to do that. . .
StephanieCorum
Thanks for an educational and enlightening post! I appreciate the step by step process. I know very little about online video other than watching things on YouTube. I look forward to checking out the websites mentioned and getting a video clip up on my own website.
Anonymous
I use Animoto paid version. I really like how easy it is to use. I also have Camtasia for doing screen casts. Camtasia for me is easier to use than Windows Movie Maker. I also recently acquired Pinnacle Studio 12 it is similar to Camtasia.
For a video sharing site I use Vimeo due to the fact it takes the file format 3gpp which is a smart phone file format. You are also not restricted to how long your videos are like you are with YouTube.
For a look at how to do this if you have an Android phone like I do just visit my site
http://wildheartsweb20.com and search for the post How to Upload Video from Your Android Phone.
Now onto the other part of today’s lesson.
I am like Jeremie I am always evolving and changing and learning to keep on top of trends to help those who are still struggling along to find their way easier. I am more of a Jill of All Trades.
For instance when it comes to SEO it isn’t something I specialize in, however I have seemed to master quite by accident. When I had my digital art works blog I became good at naturally exploiting-if you will-the Paint Shop Pro market.
Now I have inadvertently done the same thing with the Android market. The post mentioned in this reply has gained me front page for the search phrase how to upload video from your android phone.
When I first decided to re-brand myself from a Paint Shop Pro enthusiast to a web 2.0 user in regards to blogging I didn’t take into account the emerging facet of Web 3.0. Now I am trying to figure out how to tailor my message to reflect both the web 2.0 and web 3.0 worlds.

http://twitter.com/TalktoDiane Diane Brooks
Thanks for sharing your site with info on how to upload video from Androids. I am eager to try that. Congrats on reaching first page status!

Anonymous
Thank you I was wondering if I was invisible on this whole challenge LOL. Seriously tho do go there and try it out I am interested to find out whether or not it works for you. What DROID phone do you have?

http://twitter.com/mckra1g mckra1g
This is my Achilles Heel. As someone w/a print/journalism pedigree, understanding how to leverage video is a challenge. These nuts and bolts tips are gold. Thank you so much.
BTW, as someone who writes SEO content for sites on behalf of our agency's clients, a content tip for YouTube: since it functions as a search engine, all of the content within a video is transcribed, adding to search terms. This function is above and beyond the metatagging and titling of your video. So to boost your effectiveness even more, be aware of the terms you use when recording content for YouTube.
This is some good stuff.Wow! Best, M.
CyndeC
Lou, thank you for the helpful websites. 12Seconds TV sounds like something I want to explore. These are all great tips that I can use on current branding work I am doing. Thank you!
http://www.jessilicious.com Jess Webb
Kristin – I use CamStudio for doing screen casts – videos of the computer screen. It's free software, and it works great for me!
Here's the URL:
http://camstudio.org/
http://www.callmekristin.com Kristin Call
Thanks for the link! This is exactly what I'm looking for. Free only makes it better!
http://www.jessilicious.com Jess Webb
This is good stuff (of course)!
I'm playing with the first two steps right now, so thought I'd post what I have so far.
My “Who & Do What” Statement: I help entrepreneurs with an adventurous spirit design a website that reflects their own uniqueness and attracts their Right People
My “Why You Do It” Statement: Turning hidden entrepreneurs into sparkling diamonds
Not sure if this is quite where it's going to stay, but I'm playing… And I welcome ideas on how to refine this even more!
http://www.jessilicious.com Jess Webb
You're welcome – glad I could help!
http://twitter.com/TalktoDiane Diane Brooks
I wanted to contribute a tool that I really like. It is TubeMogul. I believe the service is still free for the basic services. TubeMogul is a video sharing site that will submit your video to a wide variety of video hosting sites. You upload your video once, and TubeMogul does the rest. It also tracks the number of views your video has received. I use it for my video tours of homes. I am a Realtor. Their website is http://www.TubeMogul.com.
http://www.sundaynightsuccess.com Jeremie
Funny how the thinking posts in this 30 day event allowed my brain to respond almost instantly, but an actual do it post gave me pause until now.
I get really stuck on the #1 of your process the “who and do what”. I think I get stuck because my who and what are still evolving on a daily basis so I am resistant to defining myself by a who and what that could change moments after I proclaim it because a new client pops up that changes everything.
Recently my who and what has been shifting, twisting, and morphing so quickly that I kind of set it aside to work on the projects already on my plate. I figure, maybe once I get these projects done I will have a better idea of my who and what. Of course putting this off isn't overly helpful, as having nothing out there in the world means nobody new can find me, which sucks because I know there are people who need my help!
Lots of great sharing going on here and a wonderful group to share with, so I will take up the challenge of number one and post a recent draft of my who and what (I actually use Mark Silver's who, who, what, but same idea):
“I help frustrated entrepreneurs save time and make money by creating and leveraging the valuable content they didn't even know they had”
Even as I type it out my back contorts into all sorts of interesting shapes as my brain says: that's not what you do dummy, explain it clearly. Clearly is the problem, clearly would mean it sounded something crazy like:
“I use my education background and coaching skills to help busy entrepreneurs organize their content, create their content, further develop their content, write support material for their content, produce their content into webinars, provide support for live events, build online communities for live events, and sometimes even give a bit of life coaching here and there.”
A horrid, horrid mouthful. Even as I look at it I wonder, “do I know what I do?”
So, I usually scrap it, push it to the back of my brain, and wait on it, hoping that something clear will come along.
Why I do it is a bit clearer for me and includes a personal why and a related client why. I do what I do so I can have the money to maximize the time I spend with my wife and son having the adventures we are constantly dreaming up.
For my clients I want to free up their time and help them make money so they can do whatever it is that they have dreamed of and are currently dreaming up.
As I write this maybe my who and what comes down to the fact that I will use any of my various skills to help my clients reach their dreams and create new ones. A bit too general maybe, but another step in the right direction perhaps.
The important part for me right now is that, I may not know what I do yet, but I know why I am doing it, and at the moment my business is satisfying the why. How to define the what will just have to be patient while I am busy supporting my family and my clients.
Well, that went in a direction I was not suspecting. Thanks for turning my brain on and helping me think Lou!
Jeremie
Anonymous
Awesome, Lou! I actually just bought myself a portable pocket camera today. I went with the Kodak Play Sport. I think video is such a great and fun way to connect with your audience, especially being they are 18-25 yo college girls (or young women, if they prefer that title.)
I have an idea for a vlog series with my big girl yellow lab, Lucy, as my sidekick, which will take us around to different college campuses. The hope is that the vlog will intrigue college girls and get them to start looking for us on their campus and asking “Where are Shannon & Lucy going to pop up next? Will it be my campus?”
Now, I just have to get started and remember that ever so mindful message “Done is better than perfect!”
Thanks for sharing all the great video resources. Guess it’s time to get busy. Yikes!! Oh, I mean YEA!
Shannon
P.S. Though now I wonder if I should just take the camera back and switch to iPhone where I can have it all in one place. Ugh, there’s always something to make me question…

http://www.sundaynightsuccess.com Jeremie
Shannon, keep us updated on how your camera choice works, it is a decision I need to make as well. I am also considering using my new iPhone (when they come to Canada) to shoot my video to keep everything in one place.
I also love your idea about recording on different campuses. I wonder if there is a way to offer people that video when they walk near the area you filmed it? “There is a video about X. Would you like to watch it?” sort of idea to really attach your work to their location.
I will also join your “Done is better than perfect” remembering club!
Jeremie

Anonymous
Hey, Jeremie!
Glad to have you as a part of the “club!” Not waiting for (or needing or expecting) perfect is something that will help us all succeed in our life and work! So far, theh Kodak Play Sport is doing an okay job. The one thing I realized it doesn’t have is the built-in flip out USB, but it did come with a cord. I’ll try to remember to give more of a review after I’ve used it a little more and get more used to it!
Have a great day and let me know if there is any way I can support you!
Shannon

http://www.lemonoffice.com susanmdonegan
Shannon, I too, need to remember Lou’s mindful message “Done is better than perfect!” I am working on my website for my business and need to live by this message, if not, I’ll be tweaking and adding things forever!

Anonymous
Hey, Susan, Yes, you must be willing to take the leap before things feel “perfect” or you feel absolutely ready. We tend to have much higher (and unrealistic and unnecessary) expectations of ourselves than any potential client ever will! Great luck and let me know if you’d like for me to take a look at your website before you go live! Shannon

http://www.lemonoffice.com susanmdonegan
Shannon – I might just take you up on that offer!! Thank you and thanks for the advice, I do set pretty high expectations for myself. Looking to have a very productive day today and get this thing wrapped up…or close to it…!

http://www.LouBortone.com Lou Bortone
Hi Jess and Kristen – CamStudio is great, and I also use Jing at JingProject.com. You can record a 5 minute video screencast with their pro version, which is really inexpensive. Thanks! -Lou
http://www.accessabundance.com/ Teresa Romain
Hey Lou and tribe!
I'm going to come back and spend more time with this… but I'm in MN about to give a workshop so I'm going to be preoccupied for the better part of today and tomorrow. I'll miss being with you all.
First thing that struck me about your post, Lou… is the sense of “been there, done that” I had when you talked about businesses doing it backwards – or should I say “sdrawkcab”? Cuz that's pretty much how I did it and have wasted thousands and thousands of dollars in the process. So I'm working on my “brand” now… so like I said, I'll be back!
http://www.jessilicious.com Jess Webb
TubeMogul is indeed awesome! I use it fairly frequently – and yes, it's free!
Nazima Ali
Thanks for this post, Lou. Some great questions to consider and define. Thanks also for the great online resources.
http://www.refreshcommunications.ca Kim
I would add to this list “a great online experience with a highly usable website and great content.” If you frustrate your users with a poor experience on your site, you'll only detract from your brand and promises as a brand.
http://www.randomshelly.com Shelly
Those are some great tips for video! and since I have never really done video – I hadn't heard of many of them… I learned a lot today! Gonna file this info away because I'm thinking of doing some videos
I also am struggling with the branding thing – but I'm working on it
Guest
Thank you for such valuable information…I will have to use this when I am feeling a bit better. I have to say, I was very skiddish about joining this group, but I think it was the best thing I have ever done for myself. I am learning so much about myself and how I want to live as a person in my professional and private life. It is awesome to see how everyone else is using this greater knowledge about themselves as well. What an awesome group of people and I can’t wait to get to know every one of you on a deeper level
joecheray
I use Animoto paid version. I really like how easy it is to use. I also have Camtasia for doing screen casts. Camtasia for me is easier to use than Windows Movie Maker. I also recently acquired Pinnacle Studio 12 it is similar to Camtasia.
For a video sharing site I use Vimeo due to the fact it takes the file format 3gpp which is a smart phone file format. You are also not restricted to how long your videos are like you are with YouTube.
For a look at how to do this if you have an Android phone like I do just visit my site
http://wildheartsweb20.com and search for the post How to Upload Video from Your Android Phone.
Now onto the other part of today's lesson.
I am like Jeremie I am always evolving and changing and learning to keep on top of trends to help those who are still struggling along to find their way easier. I am more of a Jill of All Trades.
For instance when it comes to SEO it isn't something I specialize in, however I have seemed to master quite by accident. When I had my digital art works blog I became good at naturally exploiting-if you will-the Paint Shop Pro market.
Now I have inadvertently done the same thing with the Android market. The post mentioned in this reply has gained me front page for the search phrase how to upload video from your android phone.
When I first decided to re-brand myself from a Paint Shop Pro enthusiast to a web 2.0 user in regards to blogging I didn't take into account the emerging facet of Web 3.0. Now I am trying to figure out how to tailor my message to reflect both the web 2.0 and web 3.0 worlds.
CyndeC
Lou, thank you for the helpful websites. 12Seconds TV sounds like something I want to explore. These are all great tips that I can use on current branding work I am doing. Thank you!
http://twitter.com/TalktoDiane Diane Brooks
Thanks for sharing your site with info on how to upload video from Androids. I am eager to try that. Congrats on reaching first page status!
shannonshort
Awesome, Lou! I actually just bought myself a portable pocket camera today. I went with the Kodak Play Sport. I think video is such a great and fun way to connect with your audience, especially being they are 18-25 yo college girls (or young women, if they prefer that title.)
I have an idea for a vlog series with my big girl yellow lab, Lucy, as my sidekick, which will take us around to different college campuses. The hope is that the vlog will intrigue college girls and get them to start looking for us on their campus and asking “Where are Shannon & Lucy going to pop up next? Will it be my campus?”
Now, I just have to get started and remember that ever so mindful message “Done is better than perfect!”
Thanks for sharing all the great video resources. Guess it's time to get busy. Yikes!! Oh, I mean YEA!
Shannon
P.S. Though now I wonder if I should just take the camera back and switch to iPhone where I can have it all in one place. Ugh, there's always something to make me question…
http://www.sundaynightsuccess.com Jeremie
Shannon, keep us updated on how your camera choice works, it is a decision I need to make as well. I am also considering using my new iPhone (when they come to Canada) to shoot my video to keep everything in one place.
I also love your idea about recording on different campuses. I wonder if there is a way to offer people that video when they walk near the area you filmed it? “There is a video about X. Would you like to watch it?” sort of idea to really attach your work to their location.
I will also join your “Done is better than perfect” remembering club!
Jeremie
http://www.ginaparris.com GinaParris
WHOA!!
“all of the content within a video is transcribed, adding to search terms. This function is above and beyond the metatagging and titling of your video. So to boost your effectiveness even more, be aware of the terms you use when recording content for YouTube.”
Are you saying they have people transcribe all the millions of videos that are uploaded every day at youtube for their own purposes somewhere, somehow?
http://www.madebymegs.blogspot.com madebymegs
Thank you for such valuable information…I will have to use this when I am feeling a bit better. I have to say, I was very skiddish about joining this group, but I think it was the best thing I have ever done for myself. I am learning so much about myself and how I want to live as a person in my professional and private life. It is awesome to see how everyone else is using this greater knowledge about themselves as well. What an awesome group of people and I can't wait to get to know every one of you on a deeper level
http://twitter.com/mckra1g mckra1g
I've been googling for the original blog where I read that, but am only finding these, so it's possible that I misspoke or misunderstood. Here's what I found:
Enabling autocaptioning on YouTube: http://www.reelseo.com/youtube-enables-autocapt…
Video optimization: http://www.seomoz.org/blog/seo-for-video-content
Again, my apologies if I mislead anyone.
http://www.ginaparris.com GinaParris
Wow that is totally fascinating. Thank you for digging around to find the
links. I can only imagine how in the world the voice to text would work on
my videos when I am talking fast and laughing! What a cool concept though.
joecheray
Thank you I was wondering if I was invisible on this whole challenge LOL. Seriously tho do go there and try it out I am interested to find out whether or not it works for you. What DROID phone do you have?
http://www.lemonoffice.com susanmdonegan
Shannon, I too, need to remember Lou's mindful message “Done is better than perfect!” I am working on my website for my business and need to live by this message, if not, I'll be tweaking and adding things forever!
Anonymous
Thanks so much for all the wonderful tips and resources on video! It’s something I’ve been thinking about (ahem, with a little help from my coach), but one of those things that makes me want to throw up thinking about it. But… I’m working on a new program and am seriously considering having a short video on the sign up page. Since I’m just starting out in my business and the people who I’m targeting don’t know me, I think it would be a lot better to have a video so it has a more personal feel to it.
It’s also one of those “I need to get out of my comfort zone” things I need to just tackle!
So yes, your tips and resources are very timely and much appreciated!
shannonshort
Hey, Susan, Yes, you must be willing to take the leap before things feel “perfect” or you feel absolutely ready. We tend to have much higher (and unrealistic and unnecessary) expectations of ourselves than any potential client ever will! Great luck and let me know if you'd like for me to take a look at your website before you go live! Shannon
shannonshort
Hey, Jeremie!
Glad to have you as a part of the “club!” Not waiting for (or needing or expecting) perfect is something that will help us all succeed in our life and work! So far, theh Kodak Play Sport is doing an okay job. The one thing I realized it doesn't have is the built-in flip out USB, but it did come with a cord. I'll try to remember to give more of a review after I've used it a little more and get more used to it!
Have a great day and let me know if there is any way I can support you!
Shannon
lorilatimer
Thanks so much for all the wonderful tips and resources on video! It's something I've been thinking about (ahem, with a little help from my coach), but one of those things that makes me want to throw up thinking about it. But… I'm working on a new program and am seriously considering having a short video on the sign up page. Since I'm just starting out in my business and the people who I'm targeting don't know me, I think it would be a lot better to have a video so it has a more personal feel to it.
It's also one of those “I need to get out of my comfort zone” things I need to just tackle!
So yes, your tips and resources are very timely and much appreciated!
http://www.lemonoffice.com susanmdonegan
Shannon – I might just take you up on that offer!! Thank you and thanks for the advice, I do set pretty high expectations for myself. Looking to have a very productive day today and get this thing wrapped up…or close to it…!

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