Today, we are going to talk about how video marketing is not the way to reach your community.

Now when I say that video marketing is not the way to go, what I’m talking about is the mindset that comes with video marketing.

When you think video marketing you think commercials, SEO, corporate cliches, and manipulating your people into buying from you.

I don’t know about you but that just doesn’t feel good to me. It feels intimidating and like it just doesn’t align with my message and who I am. And I’m sure that as a purpose driven entrepreneur you have felt the same thing.

That’s the reason I don’t tell people that my business is video marketing. I’m in the business of community filmmaking for purpose, cause driven women entrepreneurs. It might sound silly to call it something different but it really creates a different mindset and reaction and keeps me in line with how I want to connect with people in a very real meaningful way.

So what I challenge you to do is when you are thinking about how video can work for you ask yourself “How will this video help to create relationships with the people I serve?”

Use video to be yourself, show how you work, answer questions that you got from a follower. Think like a documentary filmmaker: what are the small moments that you can share? that can connect people or peak their interest. Tell stories, not a carefully scripted story to sell something, but instead an interesting story that you heard or from your childhood, or something that happened to you this morning.

If you hate dressing up and putting on makeup then don’t. Put on your favorite t-shirt and sit indian style on a chair. Get comfortable.

Don’t just create a video because somebody said it’ll get you more leads. Alway make sure that your videos will create connections between people and thoughts.

That it will spark real conversations that people can get excited about.  And by doing this you will truly attract and work with people that need your help.

So again, we aren’t video marketing we are telling stories and connecting with our communities through imagery and moments caught on tape.

 
If you want more tips to creating online video, download your guide to the Top 5 Video Tools that will help you make beautiful online videos for your business Or if you really ready to dive in join my free course to Amp Up You Online Video Presence. By signing up you’ll also get exclusive Tips, Tricks, How-to’s and my personal insights about editing and using Online Videomaking in your business that I only share with my VIP storytellers.

If you liked this post please comment and share. I’d love to hear from you.

Today, we are going to be talking about how you can and should be reusing your video footage.

Yes, creating videos takes a lot of time and effort and sometimes even money, so you need to be thinking of ways that you can use what you already have.

I keep a harddrive with all of my footage for each project that I’ve ever worked on, so that I can easily pull a clip here or a clip there, for a new project. So please don’t delete anything even if its the first video you ever made and you really hate it. Because you know what, you might want to create a before and after video showing your progress from your first video to where you are now.

So here are some quick ideas for what you can do with all of that footage that’s just laying around.

1. A Youtube channel trailer with snippets from each of your videos. If you are really into it you can string together lines from each video so that they create a message. Here’s an example I created for a client. 
2. A year in review where you sum up what your business has been up to. Here’s an example from Google and Fine Bros Entertainment 
3. Take videos that were once public, package them into a series and use them as an optin. An example is my Amp Up You Online Video Presence training.
4. Update an old video with a new development instead of creating an entirely new one. This mostly applies to tutorials. For example, a tutorial about facebook ads which is constantly changing.
5. Create a promotional video for your homepage. Here’s an example I created for a client. 

Those are just scraping at the long list of things you can do. Remember, you can create totally different stories with the same footage through editing. Don’t be afraid to chop things up and try them out. You’d be surprised at how two clips that originally had nothing to do with each other now tell a great story.

 
If you want more tips to creating online video, download your guide to the Top 5 Video Tools that will help you make beautiful online videos for your business Or if you really ready to dive in join my free course to Amp Up You Online Video Presence. By signing up you’ll also get exclusive Tips, Tricks, How-to’s and my personal insights about editing and using Online Videomaking in your business that I only share with my VIP storytellers.

If you liked this post please comment and share. I’d love to hear from you.

On a typical weekday, I sat in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, waiting, waiting and waiting some more. I usually glue myself to my phone while I sit there, but a magazine on the table next to me caught my eye; The “Pocono Flair”. How typically charming of you, small town Pennsylvania. As I flipped through the pages, I saw a profile of a local photographer. Having recently come back to my hometown I was itching to connect with local visual artists. As I read on, I saw that she graduated from the same undergraduate program at the same school! Was it fate? I had only heard of two other people from my area going to Ithaca College and I happened upon someone from the same program that was running her own business here in the Poconos, Smile Peace Love Photography (She’s amazing. Please check her out). I knew I had to reach out to her, and wouldn’t you know she was looking for someone to run the video side of her business. And we’ve been working together ever since. Now I think that was meant to be (Yes, I’m one of those weirdos that believe in signs from the universe and definitely doesn’t take them lightly).

From our meetings to our first wedding shoot together, I paid close attention to how she interacted with clients, talked about her work, and over delivered on literally everything. She exposed me to the 4 ways every photographer should be aspiring to use video in their business:

1. Behind the scenes footage

As a photographer your clients are trusting you with capturing their biggest moments; their wedding, family portraits, or Sweet 16. Developing your know, like, and trust factor is incredibly important because of this. Showing them “Your How” builds that trust; your process for making your clients comfortable, how you communicate before and after shoots, how they order prints, how you design books. If transparency is important to you and your brand, video is a clear and concise way to deliver this to your clients.

2. Be invisible on the shoot, but Show your personality before and after

Most professional photographers would agree that being invisible on a shoot is integral to allowing your client to be in their moment, completely natural. The last thing you want to hear is that your couple wanted to go enjoy the party but felt that the photography session was a time burden. Or that you were in the way while the bridesmaids tried to walk down the aisle. BUT don’t hesitate to show who you are before, after and in all your communication with your clients, whether that’s through a blog, your photos, or even a promotional video that describes your business.

3. Get in front of the camera

Don’t let the camera be the barrier between you and your clients. Don’t let them wonder how someone who has never been in front of the camera can make them feel comfortable or understand how they feel on the other side of the lens. Shoot a video as an example of how you also had to work up the courage to be on camera. Share how you felt and be honest.

4. Educate others

As entrepreneurs, we have a natural tendency towards giving back to the communities that helped build us up. The desire to teach others our skills is natural whether that’s through a blog, emails, workshops, events, or video courses. Creating your own video course for young photographers in your area to invest in, is not only a resource that was previously not available, but another stream of income for you. Why not even create a scholarship program?

Even if you’re not a photographer, you can introduce videos in similar ways into your business. You’ll build trust, connect with clients, and build relationships with your community. All you need is a plan and the motivation.

Your first step is to sign up for my free course all about amping up your business’ online presence with video. Then, connect with me on facebook and twitter. I’d love to learn more about you and your business. And if you liked this post, feel free to share with friends and family. Until next time!

I pride myself in being a creative entrepreneur and artist, but the trap we often fall into is hoping that our art will speak for itself and magically grow into a profitable business. The sooner we can recognize that business principles work with us and not against us, the sooner we can live to do our art. So today I’m going to pull out my video marketers hat and give you three secrets to getting your videos featured on online TV platforms, in blog posts, on social media or on influential sites.

I’ve been an associate producer for online video content for a while now. I know the title sounds vague, but basically what it means is that I search the web, primarily YouTube and Vimeo for great videos to be shown as part of episodes featured on the online TV platform I work with.

There are 3 things I look for when searching for the next video to feature:

 1. Quality, Engaging Thumbnails and a Video that Matches

Thumbnails are your chance to lure us in. Do not overlook this and just let YouTube or Vimeo choose a frame from your video. The best option for entrepreneurs is to have an image of a person, specifically a person in action, and the title or shortened title of your video. This way we can clearly and quickly see what your video is about. Also please, please, please DO NOT put more effort into taking photos for your thumbnails than to producing great looking video. I feel duped when the quality of the video does not match the great thumbnail you posed for and designed. Here’s an example. (create my own thumbnail for this video to use as an example here)

2. Reliability and Consistency

Not only is this great for SEO and boosting your rankings, but it’s also great to make people come back for more. As a curator, I have a running list of channels that have great content that is consistently updated so i can check back when i need more of their videos. Once, you get on our radar, you have to keep giving awesome content to keep us.

3. Production Value/Variety

It’s pretty obvious that the same content presented in a poorly produced video as opposed to high quality beautiful image is less appealing. Now, that doesn’t mean that you need a full blown video studio with lights, 2 4K cameras, and an entire video crew. All you need is a simple setup and being conscious of giving your audience variety. If you are uncomfortable on camera or dont have a great camera, show other things! In the industry we call this B-Roll. Your main video (you speaking) is A-Roll and any other images shown while you speak is B-Roll. For example, let’s say you are talking about how to create a budget using a spreadsheet or how to start a google hangout on air. Instead of just speaking out each step, show them your computer screen as you fill out the budget or start the google hangout. This keeps your audience engaged. If your video isn’t a tutorial for something tangible, like “How to find your ideal client” find points in your speech that can be translated to short text that you can put on screen. If you still just want to have you on camera throughout your whole video, without B-Roll, make sure to be engaging in the way you speak and carry yourself and think very hard about your backdrop.

If you want more tips to creating online video, download your guide to the Top 5 Video Tools that will help you make beautiful online videos for your businessby clicking the button below. By signing up you’ll also get exclusive Tips, Tricks, How-to’s and my personal insights about Online Videomaking that I only share in email.   If you liked this post please comment and share. I’d love to hear from you.  

Today, I want to talk about the 3 best ways to incorporate video into your business. Of course, the possibilities are endless, but how do you wrap your mind around a video content strategy of your own when there are just too many options on the menu. So, I’m going to give you just three and even just choosing one will be HUGE for your business.

To Introduce:

Think trailer for your business, product, or service. This is the video that goes on your landing page to describe who you are, what your message is and how you work. This is important because your audience can see you and what you do in motion. They can connect with you past your photos, copy and blog posts and onto an even deeper level. And if you are the face of your business this is essential.

To Educate:

For entrepreneurs this usually takes the form of a weekly blog show or video training course. Education is really important. People want and need to learn. And you’re an expert in your field. It would be a disservice to your target audience if you didn’t share the value that you can provide with them. You can use this to fill in the gaps in your audience’s knowledge that are keeping them from becoming clients. Not to mention if you are giving great value week after week in the form of courses or blog shows your potential clients will be so grateful and hungry for more of your knowledge that they will be dying to buy over and over again.

Tip: If you already have a blog, look at your analytics and comments, find the most popular and turn that content into a video.

To Sell or Gain:

Whether you want to gain clients, email subscribers, or sales, this is the video that you use as an opt in offer, as part of your launch, or/and to advertise your product or service. It’s also the video that goes on your sales page to introduce your new course, service package, or interview series. These are extremely effective because it gives your audience a taste of what it’s like to work with you or use your product. These videos are also very shareable via social media or email and engage your audience on a level that copy just can’t engage on.

If you don’t already use video in one of these three ways, choose one now and make that your focus. Challenge yourself to start brainstorming ideas and planning the videos you’d like to create.

If you want more tips to creating online video, download your guide to the Top 5 Video Tools that will help you make beautiful online videos for your business by clicking the button below. By signing up you’ll also get exclusive Tips, Tricks, How-to’s and my personal insights about Online Videomaking that I only share in email.

If you liked this post please comment and share. I’d love to hear from you.

Sitting at the flea market with my family, I realized that walking down the entrepreneurial path is not something that I discovered on my own. It never occurred to me that the days spent helping Dad pack electronics into postal service boxes or setting up the tables filled with car speakers, phone cases, and headphones was part of being an entrepreneur. My Dad has had his own electronics wholesale business for as long as I can remember, but I had never thought of him as an entrepreneur. I dont know if it’s because he still has a full time job or because I just never thought about the word.

I guess I never tell people that its always been in my blood, like some who have had family members that are business owners, because this hasn’t always been my dream. It started as a necessity.

I graduated from college with $50,000 in debt and the excitement of getting my first job wore off pretty quickly.  I became so obsessed with checking my loan balances that I felt the walls building up around me and before I knew it I was looking up from the bottom of the pit not able to see the way out. I spent hours googling “how to pay off loans fast”, doing online surveys, and searching through my closet for things I could sell on ebay. I looked and sounded like a crazy person.

Then I came across blogs about personal finance, freelancing, and Odesk. The thought of freelance video production always seemed so intimidating to me, but this didn’t seem so bad: I could apply for a job online, Odesk takes care of the contract, I can do the work it quickly in my spare time and get some extra money for my monthly payment.

So I dove in and when I finally remembered to look at my loans again 1 year later I had brought down the total to less than $30,000 and built up my savings. I was ecstatic!

Not just because I had paid off so much, but because I was having so much fun. It was so exciting that it made my full time job seem like a trap. I had read so much about the freedom of online businesses and listened to podcasts on my hour and a half commute each way. At that point there was no turning back.

But I was conflicted. I work full time as a Video Production Manager at a nonprofit that provides legal aid to people in poverty. I always knew my purpose and there is nothing like working with people that care so much. In school, I always dreamt of using video to help others and how lucky am I to have found a job where I was doing that right off the bat. But I also want to travel, and live in a city, and take time off at the spur of the moment. I spent so long feeling guilty and not sure how to build my own business while helping those that are marginalized.

I sort of fell into the answer: Video editing and consulting for entrepreneurs and small business owners that were driven by a cause or a mission centered around helping others.

I’ve been on the path towards my own full time business ever since and i’ve never been happier. I started blogging, being active in online communities filled with such supportive and talented people, and putting myself out there more than I ever had before.

I stumbled upon the CBCG Festival when I was hanging out in NYC a couple weekends ago. The first thing I saw was this incredibly colorful food truck. I thought it was so cool!

When I got closer I couldn’t believe what it was: an Art truck that was sharing art with the public and had tables setup for people to paint right in the heart of the city, all for FREE!

How incredible is that?! When people share art and their time just for the sake of community. How cool would it be if it was normal to stop on the way home from work and paint in the park?

I want my little piece of the web to be just like that: a home for entrepreneurs that are extremely passionate, have a story to tell, want to educate others above all else, and want to learn how do it using video.

I want you to know that video doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does take time, just like anything that’s worth creating. Video can inspire change and action, move others to support the cause you are passionate about and grow your profits and business along the way. But, I also believe that when we put service and story above profits, marketing, and social media followers, we’ll build meaningful communities and lives. Profits and growth will follow.

So if you get anything from my blog and my story, I hope it’s that YOU can influence someone else’s dreams. You can be the reason that the college graduate having trouble finding a job decides to build their own business or why the young high school student living in poverty was able to attend the college of their dreams. The bloggers I read when I first started freelancing changed my life and inspired me to take action. I hope to do that and I know you can do that too.

I know this post is a little more motivational than actionable, but I was inspired by a great group called #fireworkpeople to dig deep and share who I am, what my dream is and what I believe you can do. The community is filled with “creatives, dreamers and entrepreneurs who want to change the world”. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour! You can also follow along on my Instagram.

PS. I finally launched my new free video training course: Amp Up Your Online Video Presence! I’m so excited to get it to you. It’s the best video training I’ve released so far, so don’t wait to check it out. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.  

Happy Videomaking!