Tactical Execution

Google and the other search engines have all updated their algorithyms to increase the value attributed to video content.  Already, an estimated 40% of internet bandwidth is used to accommodate video content and that’s expected to grow over the coming years.  And although many of us probably believe that YouTube is already overrun with competition, the fact is that there just aren’t that many people doing it right yet.

There’s a huge opportunity for people to use video as a way to build their following and push value to their audience.  You can use the medium to demonstrate your expertise and give people a sample of your approach.  Heck, they’ll even know what you look like!  People don’t trust governments.  People don’t trust companies.  People often don’t even trust websites.  What do they trust?  People trust other people, and video is a great way to put a human face on your business.

Let’s start with some groundwork.  First, don’t think your video has to be super slick.  Absolutely not.  In fact, studies have shows that super slick videos are trusted far less than lower quality amateur-looking clips.  The more “real”, the better.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money on this.  Just get yourself a video camera with a microphone jack and then get a directional microphone that will deliver good voice quality.  Between the two, you’re probably looking at about $350 worth of equipment.

Another thing: people love lists.  The top 10 of this.  The bottom 10 of that.  The 7 biggest mistakes people make.  The 5 things you need to remember.  Whatever it is, structure your content into a list.  It injects automatic structure to your presentation and makes your content easier to understand.

When uploading your video, make sure to include your URL and/or business name in the description.  That will help your business name get indexed higher on the search engines.  Also make sure you include your keywords in the description as well as the tags.  Both will help your video come up higher and faster on the search engines.

Don’t make just ONE video.  A single video will quickly get buried amongst thousands of other videos, never to be seen again.  Instead, make a series.  Make these videos on a regular basis.  YouTube and all the other video platforms allow you to create a profile and then attach all your videos to that profile.  When someone finishes the video they’re watching, the platform will display thumbnails of all the other videos you’ve produced.

That’s where the opportunity lies.  If you have a series of videos up on YouTube, people will find one or another depending on what they’re searching for.  But after that, they’ll quickly see the breadth of topics you cover and will likely browse a while longer, getting to know you and your expertise.  Before long, their trust level has grown dramatically and they’re ready to do business.

You might be reading this and thinking that this is just one more thing you’re supposed to be doing.  One more thing piled on top of all the other things sitting on your desk.  You’re too busy already!  How could you possibly do this also?  Well, if you’re blogging, your job is done.  Every single blog post is perfect content for a video and you won’t get knocked for duplicate content because one is in text format while the other is in video format.

I recommend writing your blog post first.  Write it out, structure it into a list and publish it on your website.  Then turn on your video camera with your computer right beside you and relay the same information into the camera.  Don’t even worry about memorizing it.  You can reference back and forth.  Nobody will mind.  It will be mor casual and more “real”, making your audience feel at ease.

Every day, there are more and more video platforms on the internet.  Rather than uploading your video a dozen times, each at different platforms, I recommend using a distribution service like TubeMogul.  There, you can upload your video once and automatically distribute it to all the major platforms in one step.  And it’s well worth the effort because different platforms feed different communities.  Also, some get indexed quicker than others and the search engines LOVE fresh new content.

Most people think YouTube has nothing more than rock bands in concert, Britney Spears getting out of a car, amateur fights and people falling off bicycles.  It’s true that these topics are well covered on YouTube but there’s far more out there than you might think.  You can learn how to play guitar on YouTube.  You can learn how to speak German.  You can learn how to install WordPress or record a podcast.  You can learn just about anything on YouTube.

That represents an enormous opportunity for all of us.  Think about your expertise.  Think about the value you could push to your audience.  Think about the lists of juicy nuggets you could deliver on video to a waiting and appreciative audience.  Take some time to write down the different topics you could cover and if you find that you have a lot, go out and buy a video camera.  It might be the best investment you’ll ever make!

Last night, I spoke at the May PATCA dinner in Santa Clara.  There I was, demonstrating my expertise to a group of self-employed consultants, ranging from independent software developers to human resources specialists to factory layout engineers.  All of these people spend their days adding value to their various customers and getting paid on a 1099 basis.  Refreshing.  That’s exactly what I do!

But there’s more to it then that.  All of these people can use my expertise to build their respective businesses but they can also resell my expertise to their clients.  So that means my presentation last night could lead to some immediate business but it might also lead to some partnership arrangements down the road.  In fact, a few of them already spoke to me about projects they’re working on that would benefit from some of the strategies I laid out.  Point is; my presentation helped me build credibility, gain exposure and grow my business.

Public speaking is one of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise.  It’s a highly leveraged activity.  You speak once but are heard by multiple people.  In the case of last night, I was probably heard by more people than were actually at the event!  And you always get some automatic credibility for being the person at front of the room.  All in all, it’s an ideal way to build your business quickly.

So let’s talk about how to get some of these speaking engagements.  Well, as it turns out, there are plenty of organizations that are looking for speakers all the time.  Think about community organizations like Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions.  And then there are all the associations like the one I spoke at last night.  You can also look at the tradeshows and conventions in your industry.  All of them have education days where speakers have an opportunity to share their expertise.

It all begins with a workshop proposal and you can browse a number of mine right here on this website.  You can follow the same basic format.  Think about a catchy title.  Think about a topic everyone’s talking about in your area of expertise.  Answer the top 10 questions or address the top 10 myths.  People love lists.  So think about a topic you could present and then develop a proposal around that topic.  Once you have that complete, it’s only a matter of contacting the organizations you’re interested in and emailing your proposal through.  You might be surprised how quickly you can start booking engagements.

Before I sign off, I’d like to address the common issue of being afraid of public speaking.  Some studies have found that public speaking is one of the most-feared activities most people have.  It’s true.  You have to get used to it.  But it all boils down to practice and I joined a Toastmasters club back in October 2006 and it was one of the best things I’ve done in years.  We have a great club and it’s a wonderful and supportive place to hone your speaking skills without risking a business project.