Posted by dscaringi on March 29, 2012
More and more law firms, businesses and other organizations are using video to show people how they are different. There are so many reasons to use video. To scratch the surface, it is a personal approach to instantly making an impression. There is so much emotion and information that can be portrayed in a 90 second video that can not be read in a 300 word document or on a website. Here are a few stats to consider:
- 48 hours of video are uploaded every minute on You Tube, resulting in nearly 8 years of content uploaded every day.
- You Tube reports to have hundreds of millions of users from around the world.
- Using video on a website improves its search engine results dramatically. Google, which owns YouTube, can detect the code for video online and favors websites with video.
These stats are staggering and grow every day. So, where do you start? Here are a few tips for using video on your website:
- Don’t be a talking head. Move when you speak, use moderate hand gestures and pleasant body language. Try standing up and walking slowly as you speak.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Steer clear of major distractions like other people moving close to you in the background. Be in a clean environment, but not too plain and sterile.
- Talk about a topic that is important to your audience. Be conversational about an important issue, but don’t be alarmist or blasé.
- Keep it brief– 90 seconds to 2 minutes is great. You risk losing people before you are done if it is too long.
- Use a professional. Don’t set yourself up in front of your webcam or iPhone. Yes, you can get video, but it will look homemade and not make a good impression. Professionals know how to use light, sound and props to your benefit.
- Edit your content and intersperse it with still images as well as “B” role that is related to the topic you are discussing.
Video can be a great way to show your personality to a prospective client. With the right approach, a video can be a very effective way to show your acumen while giving people a sneak peak at who you are and how you communicate. If they like what they see, it will increase your chance of being contacted and hired.
Posted by dscaringi on March 22, 2012
It is an incredibly delightful and unseasonably warm March day in New England (yes, it is really is a perfect 82 degrees!). As I attempt to work through my ‘to do’ list, I find my mind wandering to the outdoors. Knowing that I need to accomplish many things today, I began searching for a strategy that would keep me focused. Unwilling to sit in a closet so that I couldn’t see the outdoors, I decided to try a new strategy that I like to call my ‘dinner plate’ approach to getting things done.
What is the “dinner plate” approach? Think of your typical dinner plate… the main focus on your plate is the entree, which is surrounded with complimentary side dishes that round out the meal. So, what does this have to do with marketing and productivity? Lots…
Select one main project to focus on. You can pick that project in a variety of ways, but be sure it meets some important criteria.
- Choose something that furthers your marketing plan for the quarter.
- Choose something that allows you to see your progress.
- Choose an activity that gives you satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.
Once you have selected your main project, just start anywhere. Sometimes when I suffer from procrastination or writers block, I just start doing something related to that project. It usually is enough to get the juices flowing and get me in the right direction.
Once you have spent some significant time on this one project, decide on your ‘sides’. In other words, what smaller tasks can you take on that are easy to do but help you to feel productive? Perhaps it is reaching out to a couple of your contacts to make a connection. Perhaps it is reading up on news for your industry. Whatever those ‘sides’ are, just start doing something. Go with the flow. Once you have accomplished these few tasks, take inventory. If you still feel the pull of the outdoors, or whatever else may be distracting you, take 15 minutes to engage in that activity if possible. Sometimes by feeding a craving temporarily, you come back to your work refreshed and ready to take on more.
I have to admit that I wasn’t sure it would work, but I did this and the rest of my day was quite productive. So, I urge you to try the “dinner plate” approach when you feel less than productive… it may just work!
Posted by dscaringi on March 12, 2012
I have been coming across the term “personal brand” more and more these days. Most recently in a blog post by Jeff Bullas. His post focuses on developing your personal brand in social media. It is a great post that reminds me of some important criteria for developing a brand. Here are two of my personal favorite take-aways on building a personal brand.
- What makes you different? We all hear this message often, but sometimes it is easy to forget how important it is that you understand why you are different in a succinct way and then live that difference to its fullest capacity. Boil down the reasons you are different to about 20 words and then carry them with you as a constant reminder.
- How do you embody your brand? To truly deliver your brand, you must live it. I mean truly live it in all you do on a personal and business level. Always keep the standards high to deliver value and promote the character of your brand sincerely. We have lots of tools to leverage our brands, but living it consistently is the first step in bringing it to market. Once you live it in your inter-personal activities, promote it through Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, blogging, writing and other marketing activities.
