Content Sharing and Repurposing – Video

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Magalog Guy

Not unlike our discussion last week about podcasting, content marketing with video may peak your discomfort meter. I understand completely.

But we can’t discount the popularity of video in marketing, nor can we ignore that YouTube has become a very popular search site in its own right.

You might think of YouTube, and video sites in general, as nothing more than a collection of videos featuring cats doing screwy things and people sharing their personal oddities with the world, but it’s so much more than that.

As a quick test, go to YouTube and search for videos related to your business niche. If you find videos that match and they don’t belong to you, you’re already behind the curve. If you can’t find any videos related to your niche, you have a chance to be the first.

Like I mentioned with podcasting, I keep things simple when I do videos. Don’t feel you have to go out and buy expensive video equipment. A basic webcam and some good lighting from the sun coming in through your window may be a good enough start.

I say “may be” because I do want you to present yourself in the best possible light. (Pardon the pun.) My first couple of videos, which are still out there, are not great. In fact, you’re better off watching the cat videos.

But I kept it at, and you know what? They’re still not that great… but they’re better, and I have a presence where some of my prospects are likely spending their time looking for information.

If nothing else, seeing and hearing me allows prospects to feel a closer connection before reaching out to contact me. Sometimes it’s your personality that will be the difference in you getting a call and not your competitors.

If you’re like me an not comfortable in front of the camera, you can work around that.

Here’s a link to a Connect with Your Connections video I did that used slides and my voice. So I still have a video on one of the most popular sites on the Internet, but I don’t have to be in front of the camera. (By the way, I used Camtasia to put that video together. There are other less expensive programs like Jing you could consider if you don’t already have something.)

And what about content for your videos? If you’ve followed this series, you’re probably already tired of the Connect with Your Connections article. And yet it’s a perfect example of taking one article and finding a number of different homes for it.  Again, keep it simple to start and repurpose some of that blog content you have.

Another place for video is your website. As you can see on my Klassen Communications Consulting page, I used a video to tell a quick story. I use text on the rest of the page to give the core facts about my consulting services.

I’ll be honest… I had to be dragged kicking and screaming into video and it’s not something I do often. But I understand how valuable it is, so I continue to take steps to be where millions of others are every day.

In fact, in some Google search engine results, you may actually see YouTube videos in the list of results. When videos are mingling with the more traditional text-based search results, it’s something you need to be aware of as you decide where to place your content.

I’d like you to consider whether your product or service is one that lends itself to video. If so, start making some inroads into that channel.

Don’t worry too much if you stink at first. If it’s a new skill-set for you, your first couple of videos may be rough. But if you keep at it, you will get better.

If you plan to use slides and need help with layout, be sure to contact me.

Other articles in this series:

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Your Starting Point

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Twitter

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Facebook

Content Sharing and Repurposing – LinkedIn

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Google Plus

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Guides & Reports

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Books & eBooks

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Guest Blogging

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Article Banks

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Blog Hubs

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Magazines & Newsletters

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Print Marketing

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Podcasting

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Content Sharing and Repurposing – Podcasting

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Magalog Guy

When you stop and think about it, how amazing is it that there are so many free ways to share and repurpose your content?

Let me rephrase that… how amazing is it that there are so many free ways to be seen by prospects and customers, and to give them valuable information that helps you stand out from competitors?

Did you know you could start a podcast on iTunes for free? In addition to iTunes, there are many services that will add your podcast to their directory… for free.

What you want to appreciate is that not everyone has time to read, and that includes reading your blog. Or, your prospect’s preferred method of learning new information may be through video or audio which is where podcasting comes in.

We’ll talk about video later in this series. For now, I want to just focus on audio podcasting.

Benefits of Podcasting

I wrote about the benefits of podcasting in a free guide called 10 Reasons Your Business Should Have a Podcast. You can download the guide to get the details on each point, but let me quickly list them here:

  1. New life for great content
  2. Being in a different channel engages people in a different way
  3. Millions of potential listeners/viewers
  4. Stronger perception of your business
  5. Your personality shines through
  6. Improved search engine results
  7. Connecting with experts in your field
  8. A sense of stability
  9. It’s free
  10. You’re contributing value to your listeners

(And this guide is, of course, another example of taking a blog article and repackaging it in a different format.)

The Technical Side of Podcasting

I’m not going to sugarcoat it. While getting your podcast on iTunes and other podcasting sites is free, you do have some minimal equipment expenses plus the time it takes to get your podcast recorded, properly formatted and submitted.

Starting out, that can be scary.

The technical aspect is beyond what I can cover in a relatively short article like this, especially considering all the options. Instead, let me point you to Dave Thackeray, the Podcast Guy. He’s an expert and his site is a wonderful resource on the topic of podcasting.

I will touch briefly on cost. I’m an example of doing it as quickly and for as little money as possible.

My only expense was an inexpensive headset. That’s it… that was the extent of my expenses. I already had software on my computer to record my voice. Mac users can use Garageband that comes on every Apple computer, while PC users can use the free program Audacity.

I use a WordPress plug-in called BluBrry Powerpress that handles what is needed to get my Increase Sales & Build Deeper Connections podcast on iTunes and other services.

But if you wanted to go completely low-tech, you could just as easily record an MP3 of your podcast with your computer’s built-in microphone, upload it to your site and add a link to it without dealing with iTunes or other services. It’s better to start low-tech and build from there rather than let technical concerns scare you off.

Podcasting Content

In terms of content, I’m primarily providing audio versions of my blog articles. You certainly don’t have to go that route. Maybe your podcast will have completely different content from your blog. Or maybe it will be a mixture.

In my case, I do throw in some interviews with experts in other fields from time to time. I’m actually going to talk about interviews in a future article for this series. Here’s an interview I did with Dave on podcasting.

As we move further into this series, some of my suggestions for repackaging your content might stretch you and be a bit uncomfortable. Podcasting might fall into that category for you.

But I want to remind you that I’m not suggesting you do everything I talk about in this series. My intent is to share where you can put your content. Depending on your business and even your personality, some of these channels won’t be a good fit. That’s OK.

You should at least be aware of what’s available to you and consider which would really benefit your business. In some cases you won’t know until you try. In other cases you’ll know right from the start that some channels for sharing and repurposing your content just aren’t right for you.

By the way, if you have a podcast and looking for guests, I’d be happy to share what I know with your listeners. Contact me so we can set something up.

Other articles in this series:

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Your Starting Point

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Twitter

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Facebook

Content Sharing and Repurposing – LinkedIn

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Google Plus

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Guides & Reports

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Books & eBooks

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Guest Blogging

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Article Banks

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Blog Hubs

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Magazines & Newsletters

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Print Marketing

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Content Sharing and Repurposing – Print Marketing

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Magalog Guy

Since most of my layout work for clients is in print, I’m always interested in the discussion over whether or not print is dead.

I know print is far from dead, but it has certainly taken a bit of a backseat to online marketing.

At this moment, though, print is still very much alive. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t include print marketing as part of this series on content sharing and repurposing.

For certain products or services, it’s best to reach out to people where they live or work right through their mailbox.

I recall one business that called me and said they were having good success marketing online. But they realized that some of their ideal prospects had no idea to be looking for their services. These were upper-level prospects who probably didn’t have time to be online for their own pleasure much less looking online for a service they didn’t even know existed.

So, they knew they needed to go the print route. There are obvious choices you can use here if you have a lot of information to share. Magalogs, newsletters, bookalogs, slim jims, special reports, sales letters, brochures… they can all can carry great content that you’ve already created.

And that’s the key… great content. We’re so used to only focusing on a sales message that we sometimes forget that compelling content is just as important in print as it is online.

While larger pieces like magalogs and reports can carry lots of custom content, don’t overlook something as simple as a postcard.

Let me give you an example. You sell dark chocolate and you’ve written an article on your blog about the 12 health benefits of dark chocolate.

Each month, you send a postcard to a prospecting list outlining one of the benefits. Somewhere on the postcard, label it “1 of 12”, “2 of 12”, etc. Labeling it like this gets people to be on the lookout for the next in the series if it contains information they find useful or interesting.

Because you want to encourage people to visit you online whether they want to order your chocolate right now or not, you give them a reason to get more of your content on your site. Maybe it’s a video showing how your chocolate is made, or a free, longer guide on the benefits of dark chocolate. There are many possibilities.

The point is, whether you’re using a magalog, a postcard, or something inbetween for your print marketing, you can leverage content that you’ve already created so it’s working extra duty on your behalf.

Other articles in this series:

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Your Starting Point

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Twitter

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Facebook

Content Sharing and Repurposing – LinkedIn

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Google Plus

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Guides & Reports

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Books & eBooks

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Guest Blogging

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Article Banks

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Blog Hubs

Content Sharing and Repurposing – Magazines & Newsletters

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