Tips for Writing Impressive Web Content

It's a common mistake.

Even experienced web writers make it.

When writing your web copy, who do you think of?

Do you picture a potential customer reading your text? And do you think about what makes him - or her - click?

That's what most web writers do.

They treat their web visitors like human beings who like to read.

They treat their web visitors just like readers of printed text.

But that's wrong. Completely wrong. Because web copy is totally different than print copy.

Web copy is scanned. Or glanced at. Not read.

Want to write better web content?

Your web visitors are hunting for information or products. They make quick decisions without thinking.

So how can you persuade web visitors to take action if they don't read your text?

Let me explain...

Below follow 9 tips to write persuasive copy for the web.

Ready?

1. Treat your web visitors like wild animals
Your website visitors behave like wild animals (source: Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox).

They're hunting for information or a product to buy - just like a hungry panther hunts for his next meal.

When a panther sniffs a scent trail he quickly decides: will the scent trail lead to a good meal? And will it be an easy catch?

Your web visitors consider the same two things: Does your website offer what they're looking for? And can they find it easily?

A hungry panther doesn't like wasting time to catch a meal. And your web visitors don't want to browse around your website for several long minutes to find the product they're after. They want to find it quickly.

Just like the panther makes a fast decision whether to follow a scent trail or not, your web visitor decides quickly whether your site is useful or not. So if your site looks complicated with a lot of options to choose from, they click away to check out another website.

Web visitors quickly glance at your web page before guessing whether they're in the right place or not. They don't need to know for sure. They just want to make a quick decision.

If your web visitors only glance at your website, how do you get your message across?

2. Put your most important information first
Writing for the web is completely different from writing an essay or a paper.

An essay might go like this: First, explain what you're going to discuss. Then, present an overview of the literature. Next, discuss; and finally draw your conclusion. The most important point you make is in the conclusion - at the end of your essay!

On web pages you have to do the opposite: your most important points always come first.

An example: you're looking for a new red three-seater sofa. When you arrive at a website you want to see it sells sofas. And secondly, you want a search box so you know you can quickly find out what the red three-seater sofas are like.

Or say you're looking for a copywriter for your website. Maybe you're looking for someone local, so you need to see a copywriter is based in Manchester which is nearby. Or maybe your copywriter needs to understand medical terminology, so you like to see a headline like copywriting for the medical industry.

Information that's most important to your web visitors is often a simple statement of what you do. Once they understand what you do, they might want to know some important details. And then - maybe they'd like to know some background information.

Journalists call this way of writing the inverted pyramid. In newspaper articles the most newsworthy information comes first before details and background information. Even if you only read the first paragraph of a newspaper story you still understand the big picture.

It's the same on your website. Your customers want to know the big picture first. Basically: What do you do? Or what can you do for them?

3. Don't try to be clever or creative
On the web it's rare that a reader hangs on to every word you write. He doesn't have time. He's in a hurry because he could check out several other scent trails - websites - instead of wasting time trying to figure out what you do.

Simple statements often work best.

[W]hen I look at a Web page it should be self-evident. Obvious. Self-explanatory. ~ Steve Krug.

Clever phrasing requires people to think. And asking people to think, doesn't work on the web because web visitors are hunting - they don't have time to think. So keep your web copy as simple as possible.

Write as if you're writing for a 12-year old because that makes your copy easy-to-follow. And be careful with jokes unless you're absolutely sure your target audience will get them.

4. Write for scanners
How many people read web pages?

Hardly anybody!

[What most web visitors do] is glance at each new page, scan some of the text, and click on the first link that catches their interest or vaguely resembles the thing they're looking for. - Steve Krug

Research suggests that only 16% of people read web pages word-for-word. Most people scan. (source: Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox).

How can you write for scanners? A check list:

Does your headline communicate what you're about?
Does your image caption communicate a sales message?
Do your sub headlines summarize your key points?
Do easy-to-scan bullet points reduce wordiness?
Your web visitor is hunting for information or products. Ensure he can understand your most important information by just glancing at your web page.

5. Use familiar words
As Web readers, we are hunter-gatherers once again - only this time, instead of scanning the horizon for prey, we scan pages for carewords. When we see these words, we click, we act. ~ Gerry McGovern

Imagine you want to fly to Bangkok for a holiday and you're looking for a cheap flight. What will you search for: a cost-effective flight, a low-fare, or a cheap flight to Bangkok?

Nobody searches for cost-effective flights. As Google's Keyword Tool shows cheap is what people are looking for:

Keyword search results showing cheap is far more popular than low fare and cost effective
Most people search for cheap flights
Carewords are the words people are looking for. We often like to make ourselves sound better than we are. We try to embellish what we do. We try to sound scientific, fancy or special. But your web visitor is looking for familiar words - carewords - because they're the scent trail that tells him he's in the right place.

6. Write for lazy people
Just like the lazy panther looks for an easy catch for his dinner, your web visitor doesn't want to make an effort to read your text.

Make your copy easy to read:

Use short paragraphs - four sentences max
Use short sentences - twelve on average
Skip unnecessary words
Avoid jargon and gobbledygook
Avoid the passive tense
Avoid needless repetition
Address your web visitors directly-use the word you
Shorten your text
How short should your text be? Steve Krug recommends you get rid of half the words on each page, and then get rid of half of what's left. That maybe an overly demanding target, but give it a go. Set yourself a challenge and make your text as short as possible.

7. Expect people to arrive anywhere on your website
People usually read a book from chapter one, via chapter two to three and four etc.

Now, imagine people pick up a book and start reading somewhere completely at random. Possibly at the beginning of the last chapter, maybe in the middle of chapter three, or at the last page of chapter one.

That's what the web is like. Most web visitors will not start reading at your home page. They may arrive on any of your web pages.

If you don't know where people arrive on your website, go to Google Analytics >> Site Content >> Landing Pages. You can see exactly how many web visitors arrived on each web page.
If each web page can be an entry page what does that mean?

Each page should be easy to scan
Each page should clarify to people where they are; and what your site is about
Each page should have a call to action telling people where to go next-to read another blog post, sign up for your email newsletter, check out a detailed product description or testimonial, request a quote or add a product to a shopping cart
Don't rely on your navigation bar to tell people what to do next. Include a button or link to guide people to take the next step. On each page.

8. Make it easy for hunters to find you
Potential customers are hunting for information or products.

How can you help them find you?

Lure potential customers to your website by providing useful information. That's how writing for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) basically works:

Answer the questions potential customers are asking
Discuss one key topic for each page
Include links to relevant pages on your own website or to other websites
Use phrases and words your potential customers are looking for
Above all: Be helpful.

9. Make a visual impression
Web copy and web design should work together.

You can't write your words, you can't compose your sentences, you can create your bullet points, without considering how your web page will look.

The visual appeal of your website impacts the readability of your text; and influences whether web visitors can quickly get what you're about.

How to increase the visual appeal of your web copy:

Replace text by photographs or videos
Consider different font sizes - think about people scanning large text first
Emphasize quotes of customers (or experts) to add credibility
Play around with highlights, bold text, CAPS, or italics
Break a long headline into a headline with a sub headline
Change paragraphs into bullet points
Most importantly: de-clutter. Reduce noise and add white space. Not only will it make your website easier to read, it will also increase your perceived trust (source: Social Triggers).

The truth about writing persuasive web copy
I'd love to tell you that writing persuasive web copy is easy.

But the truth is that writing simple, useful copy is hard.

Don't treat your web visitors like academics who love reading challenging and complicated texts. Don't treat your web visitors like lawyers poring over small print. Don't be wordy. And don't show off your extensive vocabulary.

Instead make your text as simple as possible.

Don't try to be everything to everybody. Know who you are and what you do.

If your positioning is clear, it's much easier to stand out on the web and be found. If your message is clear, it's much easier to create persuasive web copy.

Be clear. Be specific. Be bold.

Want to improve your writing skills further?
Join the 16-Part Snackable Writing Course (it's free!):

Discover the Power of the Subtle Nod and other persuasive tricks
Learn how to cure sentence bloat and avoid irritating your readers
Receive 16 simple tips to write more seductive content and win more business

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10000442

How to Launch a Product

Video Marketing Mistakes That Every Marketer Should Avoid

In today's digital era, a marketer should not underestimate the power of video, as it solidifies your presence over the internet or intranet. It's no real surprise that it has now become the need of the time, without which your digital marketing strategy is incomplete. To hit the head like a pro, you need to get out of your comfort zone and jump on the bandwagon that gives you the results. Customers or visitors find videos more interesting and easier to communicate than the content itself. It clarifies and conveys the thoughts better than the written text. While indulging in the strategy, here are some mistakes that you need to avoid, have a look to know them.

• Creating Never-Ending Videos: Just because videos have now become an integral part of digital marketing strategy, doesn't mean you make it lengthy or never-ending. If you did so, it'll only ruin your impression and break your images in front of the clients. Thus, you should keep in mind the duration of the video and try to make it as short, simple and knowledgeable, as possible.
• Try Not To Push Sale: While creating a video for your company, you need to keep in mind the point that it is to attract people and advertise your products or services to them in a smarter way. If you are not doing so, it'll break your impression and deliver the wrong results. Make sure the video you create convenience them to try out your products and services, rather than trying to foist it on them forcefully.
• No Title And Description: Video makes it easier for a viewer to understand your offerings, similarly, title and descriptions help the Google to index it for better ranking. Thus, you should create SEO-friendly title and description that justify your video and make it easier for search engines to index it.
• No Call-To-Action: Be it content or video content, a call-to-action phrase is very much important to attract the audience and, to increase the chances of conversion. If you are not adding it to your videos, so, it'll zero your efforts of generating the leads.

These are a few video marketing mistakes that being a marketer, you must avoid. To add a professional touch to your videos, you shouldn't hesitate to take the assistance of the experts. Do remember, video marketing has the power to make or break your company's impression and, you should use this tool ideally to make it work for your goals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9957671

The Mindset You Need To SUCCEED In LIFE

Increasing the Number of Subscribers to Your Blog

In your effort to continually share valuable, educational, exciting content, one of the motivating factors is that other people will read what you are sharing and benefit from your expertise. Once you get people to read your blog (and, hopefully, continue to read your blog), your next goal is to start to develop a relationship with them and eventually convert them to clients and get them to share your content with other people.

Understanding the value of your target audience members
When it comes to your business, there are many things that you shouldn't take for granted. One of those things is the importance of other people not only reading your blog but sharing it as well. With blog writing (or writing any content), your blog subscribers are extremely important. In fact, it is safe to say that they are critical to the success of your business. Without them, you wouldn't get anywhere at all.

If your content is what it should be and it engages your target audience, the people will read many blogs and you will know about it. A positive result of that is the increase in traffic.

Of course, when you think about traffic, you don't just want random people to read your blog, you want qualified, appropriate people to read it and share it. The key is to get the people who start reading your blog to continue to read all of the blogs that you share and to tell other people about your blog as well. The question that you may be asking right now is, "How do I do that?" Well, there are some different ways that you can accomplish that.

• Make sure that your blogs are optimized: If your blogs are optimized, they will appear at the top of the page when a person is searching for what you are offering. It will not require a great deal of effort for you to optimize your blogs and it will be well worth any effort that you make. Another important thing that you will definitely want to include is an effective call-to-action (CTA). You will soon notice that the CTA makes a big difference in how people respond to you and interact with you.
• Make sure that you give your target audience members the opportunity to opt-in: If you put a box in your website's landing page, you may be surprised at how much you can increase the number of subscribers you get (or increase). If people like what they are reading, it is not a big leap for them to opt-in to receiving other information that you have to offer on a continuing basis. Many people will be willing to give you a way to contact them. If you happen to have multiple landing pages, you should add the box to each one of them.
• Offer an incentive for new people: There are many possible incentives that you can offer, such as an eBook, white paper, discount of some sort on your offerings, etc. In general, people love to feel that they are getting something for nothing. It makes them feel special and everyone loves that.
• Your blog is a stepping stone for the rest of your content: If you do it right, people will be excited about your blog, and they will want to keep reading. The next, logical step after that is that they will want to read other content that you have shared. That is exactly what you want to happen. The more they read, the more they will understand how much valuable knowledge you possess. That is also another wonderful thing to be able to share with other people whom they know and trust.
• Allow them to subscribe to your blog through your homepage: Since increasing your list of subscribers is so important and website visitors are also vitally important, why not make it really easy and combine the two? If you give your website visitors (and potential subscribers) the opportunity to subscribe to your blog right on your homepage, the chances are that a large number of those visitors will be willing to do just that.

Conclusion
The truth is that you want to increase the number of subscribers of your blog because that benefits your brand/business. Ask your target audience members to give you what you need; however, ask in a very polite way. It is also effective to share other content and offer valuable comments on that content. People will appreciate your insight. As always, it is all in the approach. You should never assume that other people have a responsibility to sign up. They certainly do not. It is their choice, not their obligation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10159389

Storytelling and B2B Marketing

5 Top Video Marketing Tips You Cannot Afford To Ignore

Are you deploying online video for marketing purposes? If not, then you should know that visual clips trump all other forms of online communication. Let us explore 5 top tips that you need to follow in order to succeed in this ever-growing online marketing segment.

1 - Visuals and Animated Clips Are Simply More Effective

If you have heard that the use of video clips for SEO and promotional purposes is the latest trend, than you have heard correctly! Streaming and general animated content is the most effective marketing strategy when it comes to reaching your potential customers and creating an unforgettable impression.

A question might arise as to how a video marketing strategy can really increase organisational visibility and draw in more customers. If you are already in business, you most likely have the initial tools right at your fingertips.

2 - Video Is Far More Effective Than Pictures

We have all heard the expression, "a picture speaks a thousand words". So why use a photograph when we can now use video? Creating an online video clip for advertising purposes will always be a more dramatic marketing strategy when compared to articles and pictures.

The likelihood is that your video will leave a memorable image in your potential customer's mind. At the same time it also sets yourself apart from your competition. Research has shown that short clips that are created for marketing purposes are more likely to be retained in one's memory. In addition, they are remembered far longer than descriptive writing or audio segments.

3 - They Convey More Information Than Articles

As opposed to merely reading about the benefits of your products or services, your visuals will be able to dramatically communicate this information. Customers will also be able to hear the enthusiasm in your commentary. To make this point, you probably have heard the following expression associated with this particular advertisement even though it was ten years ago.

This refers to the phrase "set it and forget it". It was used in a marketing clip created a good few years ago, but still relevant in modern-day marketing. The commentator continuously repeated the expression at various points during the presentation. This is an excellent example of how effective video marketing can be.

4 - Video Engages Your Site Visitors

As indicated, if you are already in business, no doubt you have an email contact list. Therefore, one of your daily functions revolves around emailing various individuals. With regards to your customers, you are most likely providing them with information pertaining to special deals, new products or services. What this means is that you now have the ability to send video emails as opposed to written ones.

Traditional platforms such as Outlook Express do not have the ability to fully accommodate online video. However, there are other relatively new business and advertising platforms that can and offers a phenomenal capability to interact with your customers and prospects.

5 - It Can Directly Increase Your Sales

Using active online imagery as part of your overall marketing strategy dramatically enhances the possibility of increased sales and your general success. Your product brand and promotional communication is far more likely to remain in your potential customer's mind's eye through clips or video streaming.

In addition, using visual imagery on your website and sending out video emails will prove to be the most direct and cost efficient method to reach your market when compared to other marketing strategies.

Video marketing as a promotional platform is rapidly gaining momentum in the business arena and you now have the opportunity to implement your very own effective online campaign.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10016093

The Future of SEO is on the SERP

6 WordPress Tips and Tricks That You Can Try

If you want to stay competitive in the world of business, you may want to manage your business website. For building professional sites, WordPress is one of the most common platforms. This content management platform is designed with a lot of useful features. Even if you are a beginner, you can set up your own website in minutes. Given below are a few tips and tricks from professionals for WordPress users.

1. Use the Yoast SEO Plug-in

Yoast SEO, as the name suggests, is an ideal plugin for SEO. With this tool, you can analyze your web pages and posts for search engine optimization. This plugin can grade your content for many elements such as keyword density, sentence length, and meta description, just to name a few. So, it's a good idea to use this WordPress tool.

2. Compress Your Images

Using large-sized images is not a good idea. They will make your webpages take much longer to load. Therefore, it's better that you compress the images before uploading them on your site. To make the process faster, you can use another great plug-in called Smush. This tool will compress the images automatically as you upload them. So, this can save you a lot of time.

3. Use a Mobile-Friendly Theme

If you want to get the most out of WordPress, make sure your site is optimized for mobile devices. In other words, your site should be opened properly on all types of devices like mobile phones, laptops, and desktop computers.

According to most developers and designers, today's websites must be mobile-friendly as 6 out of 10 users browse the web on their mobile devices.

4. Opt for the Best Hosting Plan

Take your time when looking for a hosting company. Although it seems tempting to choose a cheap provider, it may create problems for you down the road. Cheap servers host too many sites making the load times much slower. Therefore, it's better to work with a reliable and reasonably priced hosting package.

5. Create Internal Links

Another important SEO technique is to link pages of your site with each other. This is a great technique to interlink your web pages for better ranking. Make sure your link relevant pages.

6. Backup Your Site Regularly

Security is the most important aspect of any website. Unfortunately, it's one of the most overlooked aspects as well. As far as security is concerned, make sure you backup your website on a regular basis.

All you need to do is run the backup plug-in on a monthly basis. Based on your budget and preferences, you can choose a free or paid version of the backup plug-in. If you want to enjoy more features, you will have to invest in a premium plug-in of course.

In short, if you are looking for some great WordPress tips and tricks, you can check out the ones given in this article. These tips will help you get the most out of your WordPress website or blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10197274

Chatbots by Larry Kim

4 Ways Write Your Online Content Faster

Content is the currency of any online business. Content attracts new clients, helps get you noticed on search engine results pages, and helps build a loyal following.

But content takes time to create! Although you should never rush your online content, there are some ways to ensure you create it as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality.

1. Don't Constantly Edit

The first time you draft a new piece of content, let the words flow without editing as you go. Write your entire first draft before you look for any spelling mistakes or potential changes. Most people tend to edit as they go along, and again at the end. This is a waste of time and will often halt the creative "flow".

2. Eliminate Distractions

When you know it's time to write your content, make a point to eliminate distractions. This might seem obvious, but are you really doing it? Many people tend to keep their Facebook, Twitter, email, and so on open on their browser while they're writing.

Even if you don't check them, notification sounds affect our concentration. Find a quiet place where you can concentrate, and only have sites that are relevant to your post's research open on your internet browser when you write. If necessary, install a browser plugin that blocks distracting sites (there are many free options available).

3. Make A Plan

Do some basic planning before you begin writing. While some writers are talented enough to write fluently as they go along, others may get stuck halfway and have a hard time continuing. Before you write your content, type out a basic outline listing each basic point from beginning to end. Use this draft as your guide, and improvise if you need to along the way.

4. Write Shorter Content

If possible, keep your content shorter! This doesn't mean deliberately writing short posts that don't provide any value. Instead, it means saying what you need to say but in as few words as possible. As long as your readers can get what they need to your post, and feel as though you are delivering value, then there's no difference between a 500 or 1000-word post! Many readers will lose interest anyway when you don't keep to the point!

Lastly, remember that you will simply get faster with practice, and especially when you "batch" your content creation process to create many posts at once. So keep on writing and creating content!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10209409

Branding made easy with .ONLINE domains

Best Video Marketing Tips You Should Know About

If you're responsible for marketing a business, you need to get involved with making videos for your company. No two ways about it; video marketing is an effective and evolving tool for marketing that nearly every marketing manager can benefit from. Check out the tips in the following article to get started on your video marketing campaign today.

Don't be afraid of complex video marketing strategies. It is simple to make a good video with basic equipment. You can show customers your workplace, manufacturing centre or just discuss your expertise.

Videos can easily be used to explain your products or services to potential customers. Seeing how a product works will help your customers understand how to use your product and why buying from you is preferable to other sellers. So, learning to make videos to explain what you are selling will easily help build your customer base.

After you have published your video, include your web address in the video description. You will also want to include several keywords that describe your video in the description. This will help users find your information and search engines effectively rank your video. Your web address can also be included in your video.

When shooting a video it is okay to keep things simple with your equipment. In most cases, it's not the technical brilliance of the clip that achieves the desired results. Some of the most basic video marketing has been done by large corporations like Dell or Apple.

Remember how important a catchy title is to the success of your video. More viewers will be interested in your videos if the titles make sense and attract their attention. This is what makes them more interested in the topic you're discussing. Take some time to brainstorm titles that are creative if you want your video marketing to be successful.

If you are thinking of using video marketing to increase your sales and website traffic, then look to your competition for some clues. See what is working for them and try to capitalize off of this information. You do not have to copy them, but see what is working for them and try to make it work for you.

Don't only rely on videos in your marketing campaign. They are great marketing tools, however, they should not replace your other marketing tactics. Videos should not replace content creation like article writing or blogging. Videos should simply be used to enhance the content in your marketing campaign and to build up your link portfolio.

The content you use needs to be interesting. Make your video really pack a punch. Popular video hosting sites such as YouTube can expose you to many potential customers, but there is no way to attract them with boring videos. A lot of people want to watch videos that are relevant. Interesting videos ultimately increase traffic.

Maybe you aren't going to be the star of your show, but you do need to find a good spokesperson or mascot to help market your videos. Try to find somebody that is natural when speaking and generally makes people around them feel comfortable. People want to watch somebody they feel that they can trust.

If you have a product that is quite difficult to use, you should create a video that will give step-by-step directions to users. They will appreciate the time you took to explain your products to them. This will make it more likely they will come to you when looking for additional products.

Keep in mind that some people surf the Internet using large screen televisions for their monitors. YouTube accepts large video files now. So, do not turn your nose up at high-definition content. Someone looking at your content on a fifty-inch plasma will not buy from you if they just see pixels.

Make sure each video contains a clear call to action. Inform your viewers of where your products and services are located and insist that they act immediately. Make it easy for your visitors to follow through by making your instructions simple and clear. Specific, bold calls to action are smart ways to conclude your videos.

Perfection is not your goal! You do not need professional equipment to create quality videos. A webcam or a basic camera will be enough. Also, if you have a cell phone with a video camera on it, you can utilize it for your work. So long as you have solid information and remain professional, people are going to watch your videos.

Try to let your unique personality come through in your videos. Your audience is predominantly interested in seeing exactly what you have to offer. The more viewers feel that they know you, the more likely they are to develop a relationship with your brand and not with your competitors! Many customers appreciate the chance to link a friendly face to a company and its products and services.

Don't think in terms of a single video. Think of an entire series of videos, which can become a marketing campaign. If you create a show which appears every week on a specific topic, for example, people will come back to see what's new, and you'll grow a loyal viewer base.

Once you begin with video marketing, you'll probably find it impossible to stop. It's effective, easy, cost-effective and really fast to produce! It can also put your business on the Internet map, boosting your customer base right along with the bottom line. Get started soon and realize your potential in video marketing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10072351

The Fastest Wordpress Hosting [Incredible Case Study]

Marketing Your Book Using Videos

Once you have written a book, no matter which genre you have written in, you will need to publish that book and you will need to promote that book. Of course, there are several different ways in which you can accomplish this; however, you may want to think outside of the box a little and choose an approach that is not so traditional (or conventional).

Using visual stimuli to promote your book
One really effective approach to promoting your book is by creating a book trailer (just like you see trailers for new movies that have either just been released or that are about to be released). Considering that what you are trying to promote is the written word, a trailer can be a profound, stunning contrast to the book and it will capture the hearts and the interest of so many people, including people who respond so well to visual stimuli.

When it comes to promoting your book with a trailer, if you don't have the expertise or experience to do it yourself, you will want to make sure that whoever you ask to work on it is the right fit for you and for the book that you want to promote. You will want to connect (or hire) with someone who has a significant amount of relevant, good-quality experience. After all, you certainly do not want to be a Guinea pig in that sort of situation. If at all possible, you will want to choose someone who has experience with shooting, producing (and directing, if possible), editing, and, finally, optimizing the content so that you get the biggest bang for your buck.

The reasons why creating a trailer is so smart
At this point, you may be wondering why video is such a good idea when it comes to promoting your book.

Well, there are several reasons why it is a really good idea to create a trailer for your book.

• Exposure: Because videos are so popular, effective, and relevant nowadays, it will enable you to gain exposure to a great extent and numerous other people will be able to hear and see what you have to say and tell their friends and relatives about your book as well.
• Sharability: You definitely want to create a buzz about your book whenever possible. It is entirely possible (and most likely probable) that you will be able to do just that with a video trailer because it is a type of content that can be shared easily. If your trailer goes viral, you will be golden. The more people see the trailer, the more they will have a desire to read the book.
• Connectivity: Your trailer can help you to establish meaningful connections, which also means that you can build trust, credibility, and the perception that you are the subject matter expert to whom they should turn. In fact, with some effort and a little luck, you will be the first (and hopefully, only) person they will need.
• Good for the wallet: Trailers (and videos in general) are really cost-effective. Also, they are not on any sort of a delivery schedule. They are being delivered to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Do trailers really have a positive effect?
If you have made a video that positively promotes and matches your book, there is a great likelihood that other people will want to read the book. Your trailer can really promote your book and your brand as well. However, it isn't enough to simply post your trailer on one or two sites. You need to be strategic in the way that you go about promoting your book. You need to determine exactly where the people who will potentially buy your book are hanging out and you need to make it as easy as possible for them to become aware of what you are offering. Once you have done that, hopefully, the rest will happen. The chances are that the interest is already there. Now, all you need to do is to make them aware of how great your book is and how they will benefit from reading it.

Good versus bad
There are trailers and then there are trailers. First of all, if you want to create a good-quality trailer, you will need a good-quality script. Also, it must be visually appealing and it must demonstrate a clever, creative connection between the book and the trailer. That connection is critical to your book's success. Of course, the music selection is just as critical to the trailer's success. The more professional your trailer appears, the better off you will be. Finally, the trailer must be well edited so that the finished product flows and is confluent. When it comes to the script, make sure that you write it specifically for the trailer. It probably won't work well if you have a script that was intended for something else and then you adapt it for your trailer. Make sure that your music choice is as perfect as possible (and appropriate, at the very least). The music and the story should have a solid synergy.

Conclusion
A trailer is a great tool when it comes to promoting your book but it is really important to remember that all of the different stages and aspects of the trailer are important and all of them contribute to you successfully promoting your book. It is also a great idea because so many people are connected online to all sorts of great things. As much as content is king, video is definitely queen and it would serve you well to keep that in mind.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10017026

The Anatomy Of A High Converting Landing Page

How To Monetize A Training Video

Most everybody has a specific area of experience in a specialized field that will be good for other people to learn. Whether you are a worker, entrepreneur, or entertainer, there is good money to be made from educating others on how to possess precisely the very same successes you've got. Only displaying video precisely the very same actions to achievement you have taken, it is possible to make thousands of additional dollars by imitating your experience.

1. Determine your field of experience. What are you good at for your entire life? What are the hobbies, pastimes, or occupation skills which you've been perfecting? Perhaps you've been capable of parenting, creating crafts, casting parties, devising, or the way to enjoy a night out on the town. If it's something as straightforward as winning board games, then odds are there are individuals out there that might want to know from you. Perhaps you have been an administrative assistant for many years and have been praised by how valuable you are to your provider. Then you've got a foundation of coaching others how to become elite administrative helper, contemplating just how much job earnings some businesses might have. Firms enjoy training with videos since it saves precious time from supervisors and convey everything necessary at precisely the same manner every time.

2. Plan your strategy. Once you've decided your marketplace for coaching others, you have to gather an outline of the articles. Outlining the material is where you're going to invest most of the time since the content is always king. Begin with bullet points, moving from general to particular. Sketch from the scenes you will be taping to exemplify the message. Make sure you talk about what does not get the job is done, and everything does, by discussing the errors you have made on the way. Give them tools and suggestions to begin and how to multitask.

3. Take the movie. To begin with, you're going to want to select a professional manufacturing company to make your movie if you're not experienced or equipped. Don't use your house camcorder thinking you may earn a professional movie acceptable for selling at a top cost. For tips about the best way best to pick a video production business, do an internet search for"the best way to select a video production firm" or hunt with this writer's name. As soon as you've selected a manufacturing company that satisfies your budget, then make sure you produce scenes that show your points and the way they could replicate it. Nobody would like to obtain a movie of a talking head, so help keep it more interesting. For information on producing compelling video articles, make sure you perform an internet search on this subject with this same writer. Decide if you're acceptable to be on-camera speaker and talent. You have to depict yourself as a professional, or at least an expert writer of this content. If you are bad at conveying a camera or not able to talk naturally, you might have to employ a celebrity to operate off a teleprompter. The manufacturing company can allow you to make that choice.

4. Market the movie. When the film is taken and replicated and prepared to be marketed, decide the areas of supply to publicize your video into your intended audience. Getting your search engine website is essential, with the ideal key terms your audience will probably be searching for. Amazon.com and other movie traders will happily stock or drop send your movie to get a cut of your selling price and therefore are well worthwhile. Trade displays, school campuses, swap meets, magazine advertisements, local newspaper classifieds, and anyplace your viewer's eyes will be appearing is where you want to be boosting your video. With determination and perseverance, you may create a one-time movie investment, get you lots of additional cash, and perhaps even stop the job which you're educating people how to perform!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10189201

Don't Have Money? You Have Hustle!

Autoresponders - The Perfect Business Partners

Communication with customers and subscribers is vital if you are to successfully build an internet business. Trying to keep up with the non-stop flow of business-related emails into your inbox can make you feel a bit like the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike trying to stem the floodwaters. Unfortunately, people (not surprisingly) expect prompt replies to their emails. Unless you can find a way to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 52 weeks in the year, you will find yourself swamped and going down for the third time. An autoresponder can be your lifeboat, appearing over the horizon in answer to your distress call.

Emails are an essential part of a modern internet business for a whole range of reasons. Emails give a vital reciprocal link with your customer database. It simply isn't possible to keep a hands-on approach to all your email communication or you will never have the time to actually run your business properly. There is always the option of employing someone to deal purely with emails but that would be a very expensive solution.

An email autoresponder is the answer. That answer immediately poses the question: "What is an autoresponder?" As the name suggests, autoresponders are set up to respond automatically with messages, reports, e-books, etc. which you have programmed into them. They will, to all intents and purposes, run part of your business for you on automatic pilot. There are many excellent examples of autoresponder software available, most are inexpensive, - some even free. This software will instantly reply to incoming mail sending out pre-prepared messages or even digital products. They can send out a sequence of follow-up emails to new customers to build that all important relationship as well as presenting a backend offer at the appropriate time.

So let us look at exactly how to use autoresponder capabilities. Autoresponders give you very easy access to your customer database. If you wish to send out a special offer or bonus to all your customers, an autoresponder can do this for you, regardless of the size of your list. By keeping your subscribers up-to-date with newsletters, new offers and so on, autoresponders can help forge a close relationship with your customers. Indeed, modern autoresponders can be programmed to perform many, many different tasks both in collecting information and disseminating it.

Autoresponders are a powerful, highly effective and indispensable marketing tool used by almost all internet marketers today. They allow us to make, and maintain contact with thousands of customers and potential customers. By constructive use of an autoresponder we can automate a major part of our business. Considering the large numbers of people that internet marketers need to communicate with on a regular basis, an autoresponder can be looked on as a personal assistant; - needing no sleep, no lunch breaks, no trips to the bathroom and no holidays. They don't have 'bad days' or turn up for work worse for wear after sitting in a traffic jam for 3 hours. They are not hindered by the effects of either a cold or a hangover. They are essential in the successful running of any online business. Autoresponders are, indeed, the perfect business partners.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9645927

Rethink Your Content Experience

The Big Picture of CRO

A Beginner's Guide To The Autoresponder

It's generally true that the lifeblood of any online business is your email list. Therefore building an email list is something you need to be doing from the outset. List building can be a very simple process, if you have a few tools in place before you get started. One of the most important tools you are going to need is an autoresponder. Without an autoresponder building your list is going to be much harder if not impossible.

Fortunately, there are a few different autoresponders out there and they are generally easy and inexpensive to obtain, Some are even free. And most are extremely simple to use. You won't need to outlay too much money to get started, nor will you need any specialised skills.

What Is An Autoresponder?

Autoresponders are messages set by you to go out automatically to your email list. They help you by automatically sending out emails and newsletters to recipients who have signed up to your list.

You can schedule each individual set of messages, (known as a campaign) to go out to your list in a sequence set out by you. You can decide what messages are sent by which campaign and even control the rate at which they are sent. For example you may want to send emails out to a new subscriber on days 1,2,3,4,5 then slow down the rate of emails to say day 7,10,14 etc. Autoresponders are invaluable because they enable you to write your messages in advance and they keep track of who they have sent them to and when.

They also give you a breakdown of how many of your recipients opened the messages, clicked on links etc.

The best autoresponders also give you the ability to create and manage newsletters, even providing you with hundreds of templates.

As you can see, an autoresponder service is really an essential part of your list building arsenal. Without it, you would find it almost impossible to collect and manage email addresses. It would also be a nightmare trying to keep track of what messages you have sent to each individual address.

There are two types of autoresponder services...

Self-Hosted Autoresponders

Self-hosted Autoresponders won't normally cost you a monthly fee. They will usually have an upfront charge for the autoresponder itself. However, what you save initially may cost you later down the line because of problems that can arise when using this method.

First, with self-hosted autoresponders, you have a very real chance of all your messages getting delivered to your recipients spam folder. This is because a self-hosted autoresponder does not usually contain the ability to stop messages being filtered as spam.

Second, you will have to deal with any spam complaints you get by yourself. When you use a hosted service, they will usually handle any spam complaints you may get on your behalf. Also with a hosted service, you have the option to use double-opt. This ensures you will have extra protection in the event of any spam complaints.

Third, hosted services usually provide you with the ability to back up your lists should anything go wrong. With a self-hosted autoresponder this will be solely down to you to attend to. Add to that any maintenance you may need to carry out and all of a sudden the money you are saving may not seem such good value after all.

Hosted Autoresponder Services

Hosted autoresponder services are much less of a headache to use. Not only are they generally white-listed with most of the major ISP's, but they also ensure you are protected in the event of any spam complaints you may get. They also have lots of extra useful features that you would not get with a self-hosted autoresponder.

There are numerous hosted services for you to choose from and each comes with their own pros and cons. If you have never used an autoresponder service before, it can be very difficult to decide which one is best suited to your own personal needs.

With this in mind, I'm going to give you a brief summery of the five most popular autoresponder services available today. You can then better decide which is the right one for you. Remember, once chosen you will usually have to stay with the same service for as long as you are running your business. If you decide six months down the line that you want to change your autoresponder, you will have the unenviable and somewhat complicated task of transferring your list to your new service.

Transferring your list to a new service can be a very time consuming and awkward job. Your new autoresponder service may even require you to ask all of your list to reconfirm their subscription. Best case scenario, this could take a long time, worst case you could lose a large chunk of your email list in the process.

Obviously, if you have spent the past six months building your list, this would be a major setback. So as you can see, it is important to choose the right autoresponder service from the start.

Popular Hosted Services

Aweber.com

Aweber has been the most popular autoresponder service for a very long time now. The reason is they are a very reliable service, with some great features and a price plan that will grow with your list. Therefor its not too expensive at the outset, in fact at the time of writing it's free for 30 days then just $19 a month. As your list grows your monthly fee will increase. Aweber is also fairly easy to use and with access to over 700 templates and 6000 stock photos it is well worth considering. It also has a great has a great customer support system.

GetResponse.com

GetResponse is second only to Aweber in terms of popularity. They also boast some great features including a fairly substantial image library as well as over 500 templates. As with Aweber, Getresponse is simple to use and also has plans that will grow with your business. Starting at $10 a month they are cheaper than Aweber, and also offer the option of getting an 18% discount if you pay for 12 months in advance. Again at the time of writing they are offering a 30 day free trial.

iContact.com

Just like Aweber and Getresponse, iContact is offering a 30 day free trial. With packages starting at $14 a month they are competitively priced and with a 15% discount if you pay annually are well worth a look. They provide a very reliable service and although not as user friendly as Aweber and Getresponse their autoresponders are still very good. Add to this the fact that you can manage a list of up to 15,000 subscribers they offer a very enticing autoresponder service. Another great point to take into account is the ability to import your existing list and add contacts manually.

ConstantContact.com

Constant Contact also offers a free trial period, but unlike the others this is a 60 day trial. Like Aweber and Getresponse they offer a service that grows with your list, with packages starting at $20 a month. They also offer a good size image library, templates and a phone app. They are a little let down by the lack of features compared to Aweber and Getrsponse. But with a really good support network they certainly offer a a service worth considering.

MailChimp.com

Finally we have Mail Chimp. Mail Chimp is somewhat different to the other autoresponder services, because they offer a free service aimed at startups. If your list remains below 2000 you will not have to pay anything. After 2000 names on your list then you can go onto the paid plan which starts at $10 a month. However, with the free version you are limited to the features you have access to so you may want to start on the paid plan earlier in order to access the extra features.

Bottom Line

The autoresponders I have listed all have really good integration features and work really well with WordPress. As WordPress is used to build around 28% of all the websites on the internet, being able to integrate into this platform is an important feature.

Although I have listed what are probably the five most popular autoresponder services out there, that's not to say you should disregard the others. By all means have a look at a few of these and decide for yourself. We all have different wants and needs and maybe you will find a service more suited to what you require.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9799560