There is no doubt whatsoever that when it comes to the various different types of media online, video has become the undoubted favourite. Maybe it shouldn’t come as a complete shock to us as almost everyone prefers to watch a moving image rather than read something else in order to pick up the same information. Both video and audio represent dynamic media options as they are now available and accessible to every small-business owner online. There is quite a lot to appreciate, technically. Last year I decided I will start my YouTube channel and had to learn how to put all the parts together. How to create a video, how to edit, post and many more. Because I do it I can say I am Virtual Assistant that knows exactly what to do. For those interested my YouTube Channel is all about ketogenic diet (I follow for over 3 years now) and is in Polish. So, lets talk about what I can help you with in terms of Your Multimedia Projects.
1. Video Creation.
Based on the fact that as a small business owner you have a story to tell – or rather a multitude of stories to tell – you can repurpose the content and promote it in the form of a video. I as a virtual assistant can help you create a video, thumbnail, audio overlay based on voice or music. These videos can be based on a slideshow format or they can be a lot more sophisticated. Today, due to technology, there are many options available when it comes to displaying the video, so that is not an issue anymore. Outsource the design work associated with creating the video to me and I can will make sure you start the right way and will help you do it all.
2. Video Imagery.
No longer does the small-business owner have to play second fiddle to any larger organisation when it comes to the sheer impact of the video imagery associated with the company. I can create for you a truly professional, dynamic and hard-hitting “intro” that can in turn be used whenever an informational video of yours is displayed to a prospect online. Never underestimate the importance of portraying your organisation, no matter how small, in a very powerful light using a variety of special effects and audio.
3. Video Hosting.
Not too long ago video files used to represent quite a problem for webmasters as they were very large and would use a lot of bandwidth. This could represent issues in terms of the cost associated with bandwidth but also limitations imposed by some web hosting companies. Now, there are options available “in the cloud” and many different ways now available when it comes to rendering the actual video file itself. I ensure that there are no hurdles associated with the display of your video, without interruption, buffering and so on, to whoever wants to see it.
4. Video Marketing.
Just as it is important to distribute articles to top-line directories and other authority sites online, it is important to market the videos that your VA produces so that they are seen and can be found through various dedicated search engines. You will often notice that videos are displayed as an option in the Google search engine whenever you’re looking for information about a particular topic. When you outsource your video marketing to me as your Virtual Assistant it will give you added flexibility in terms of your overall business exposure. I can for example develop and manage your own YouTube business channel.
It should come as no surprise that YouTube is the third most popular site in the world according to the Alexa rankings. You may not know however that YouTube is owned by the company that owns the number one ranking, Google. Putting two and two together it also should come as no surprise that YouTube videos show up quite often in relatively prominent positions within search engine result pages. People love to view a moving image and it has been proven time and again that people would much rather watch a video online than read a lengthy article that essentially says the same thing. This is why video promotion has become so popular online and why we should look at integrating video whenever we have an opportunity.
Embedding videos is only part of the plan however. You can make even more of the potential associated with video by creating a branded “channel.” This can become a repository for videos produced and you can establish a concerted plan, building a logical database of video archives surrounding your particular products or services. The bywords here are creativity and standards.
Whenever you establish a YouTube channel it is possible to focus a little bit on branding, at least as far as the background is concerned. It is certainly possible to work some SEO magic into all of this and your virtual assistant will help to ensure that the appropriate keywords are positioned correctly.
Clickable links can also be inserted into videos to help with direct traffic potential. Underneath each video is a place for comments to be made. This is where you can get responses from visitors or customers and with some creative effort you can establish some kind of feedback generating project such as a review or even a contest.
Many organisations choose to use YouTube as a platform for hosting their videos – the material that appears on their individual Web pages. This can get around the problem of having to host potentially large files on your own server, although yet again in most cases the videos viewed through the YouTube portal may well show advertising generated by Google.
It is however possible to set up a partner agreement with YouTube through what can be unfortunately a little bit of a lengthy process. However, by doing so you retain the rights and copyrights to all the content that you place within your partner channel and you can make a certain amount of money associated with the AdSense ads placed on your channel page.
We are not likely to see any slowdown in the popularity of online video content and as such video generation and placement should become part of a concerted effort for you and your virtual assistant. It is of course vitally important to ensure that the content is of the highest quality possible and always remember that the primary goal is to supply useful information, rather than creating an out and out sales pitch. Today, it’s remarkably cost-effective to outsource the creation of the videos, as well.
How a Virtual Assistant Can Help You Build A LinkedIn Strategy.
Do you have a specific strategy in place when it comes to dealing with LinkedIn? It may be correct to say that a lot of small business owners bypass this social platform altogether, but this is increasingly a mistake due to the amount of work that the network itself has put in over recent years. Now it makes a great deal of sense to spend time on building up your LinkedIn profile and company pages, to say nothing of getting involved with their Groups feature. Maybe you need to have a detailed discussion with your virtual assistant who can operate your LinkedIn profile daily.
Even if you have a LinkedIn presence, how “fresh” is it? Just take a look at your profile for example. How up-to-date is that photograph? It’s incredible how many people use a relatively low-quality picture that they just happened to have in a folder somewhere. It shouldn’t be understated how important that first impression is and in this case your photograph needs to be professionally composed and produced and show you in the best light possible. If you are going to use LinkedIn to its fullest extent and are the type of person to attend industry conferences, meetings or events then you want to be instantly recognisable. Of course, you don’t have the time to talk to every single person at such an event, but what if that potentially lucrative contact happens to recognise you from the far corner of the room? Now you will see just how important it was to update that photograph, after all.
Nothing stands still in life in general or in your business world. Why is it, therefore, that people tend to leave their profile “as is” for an extended period of time? LinkedIn itself has made some changes to the makeup of the personal and company pages, and you should work with your virtual assistant to ensure that your profile is adequately optimised today.
You may well find that you can use some good industry buzzwords within the body of your profile to make yourself appear more relevant within your industry. Don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet here and remember that your updates will be shared with the networks you belong to, so long as your virtual assistant has enabled the appropriate setting within your profile details.
We all know how important keywords are in our online world. Do you have the right keyword phrases in your profile summary? Have a good look at your skill set as itemised in LinkedIn. Are you missing out on search exposure because you have less than a comprehensive set of skills listed? Keep updating your profile headline often, and you will find that you have more and more visitors to your profile; this can only be potentially lucrative in the long run.
LinkedIn is part of a network of sites that your virtual assistant must maintain for you including of course your blog and your website. By keeping up to date, fresh and relevant within LinkedIn, you will be able to grow your network, enhance your visibility and drive traffic to your commercial sites.
How The VA Can Help You With A Technological Minefield
These are exciting times for any business owner. In the space of only half a dozen years, the face of marketing has changed almost beyond all recognition. Conventional methods of marketing, while still in existence, are being increasingly overtaken by the new methodology. This new approach was until fairly recent times known as “Web 2.0,” but such is the pace of development and technological advancement that many are now starting to refer to a completely new era in Internet marketing, even a “Web 3.0.” (more…)
Is Your Tree Falling And Nobody’s Hearing It? So, how to share your content and get noticed on social media?
You’ve got some really smart things to say. You make sure that you understand your niche and keep on top of any developments. You’ve got a position of intelligence whenever a new story breaks related to your niche, and people really want to listen to you. Do you like communicating with others? How do you do so – do you pick up the phone, do you send an e-mail or do you understand the value of leveraging? You have to understand leveraging if you’re going to become successful at any online initiative. (more…)
Most small business owners today understand that they should have a presence on social media, even if they don’t really understand why. They may be confused by the name itself. How does “social media” have anything to do with the world of business – isn’t it something that people do in their spare time, just to keep in touch with their friends? (more…)
