Why Do Most Marketing Videos Suck?

One of the most potent forms of punishment I ever inflicted on myself involved a time when I intentionally sought out and searched for all the marketing videos on YouTube. Believe me, it was an endurance. I was basically whipping myself going through all that stuff.

 

I don't mean this as a joke, and I'm not exaggerating here. A lot of that stuff is really, really bad. If you think some Hollywood movies are all too forgettable cinematic disasters, well, check out a lot of the marketing videos on YouTube.

 

It is no surprise that they only have less than ten views. It's no surprise that a lot of these materials have basically been buried in the guts of YouTube. Some of these were actually uploaded as long as the founding of YouTube.

 

What's going on? Why do most of these marketing videos suck? Why do they have to suck? How can they drop the ball that badly?

 

Well, after I went through video after video, certain patterns started to emerge.

 

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a rocket scientist, nor am I a brain surgeon, but it's very easy to spot these patterns. It's very easy to trace these patterns back to the failure of these videos.

 

I'm not speculating on their failures because video has failed when it only has less than 100 views. You can't escape from that conclusion. You can't dance around it. I mean, even if your video converts on a one-to-one level, a hundred views for an 8-year-old video is failure.

 

Why do they suck? Here are some clues based on my very painful personal research.

 

Mass Quantity

 

It's obvious that a lot of the videos that I was going through and viewing were mass uploaded. In fact, it looked like they came off the same template. It's as if somebody took the same script, created video after video using the same script.

 

The results were really sloppy. It's as if this person didn't even bother to actually watch the video produced. They probably just used some sort of software to crank out one video after another. Totally weak. Totally worthless.

 

There they are, lying in the gutter of YouTube. No views. Not even digital rats to chew at them.

 

No Presence

 

Another common feature that I observed among these sucky videos is the fact that they did not create presence.

 

Now, please understand that a lot of these videos don't look like they suck. Some have clever discussions. Some even look like they spent a tremendous amount of money on high level animation.

 

But regardless of how slick certain elements are, and despite the fact that sometimes these elements came together to produce a really nice effect, at the end of the day, there was no presence. It felt like the video wasn't speaking to my needs.

 

The video didn't really go a long way in making the brand behind the video come to life. It wasn't doing any of that. It was just lying there. It was flat.

 

Remember, they had cute parts. Some parts may even look like it's working. But in the big scheme of things, it had no presence.

 

Doesn't Fit a Niche

 

One of the most annoying class of videos that I ran into during my painful research on YouTube involves videos that try to be all things to all people at all times. As you can already tell by my description of it, these videos are doomed to fail.

 

As the old saying goes, you can please all the people some of the time, but you cannot please all people all the time. That's just not going to happen. It would be foolish of you to even try.

 

And unfortunately, a lot of videos produced out there that are supposed to be marketing a particular product and trying to make money, don't even bother to create a tight fit between their product's niche and their video. They don't even go through the motions. It's as if they have forgotten the whole concept of niche.

 

Let me remind you, if you select the wrong niche, you're probably going to lose money. If you no idea what a niche is, then you're probably just taking shots in the dark and are wondering why you're not achieving any kind of success selling stuff online.

 

Niche is everything. And these videos just committed the cardinal sin of being clueless regarding their niche, or failing to address their niche adequately. Whatever the case may be, they missed the mark.

 

They Don't Build Brands

 

Finally, a lot of marketing videos out there suck because they don't even bother to create brands. They really don't. They just drop video after video, hoping against hope that somehow, some way, somebody would load the URL mentioned in the video.

 

Nobody does it. That's why there are only ten views.

 

You have to build a brand, otherwise, your business is a commodity. It's just another face in the crowd. It's just another cog in the machine. Totally replaceable and, unfortunately, totally forgettable.

 

Make no mistake, if you are serious about taking your video marketing results to the next level, you cannot take any of the factors I raised above lying down. You have to roll up your sleeves and do some hard planning and some hard work to make sure that your videos deliver the brand-building niche presence they need to truly make an impact.

 

The Best Way to Earn a Passive Income

There are many ways to generate income online and a passive income is one of those ways. Being able to generate a passive income takes a special skill. Your audience can be fickle. If they feel you are more concerned about the money than them, you will fail. Your intent needs to be about helping others. 

 

Initially you are going to need to put in a lot of time. It’s hard work to get a passive income flow going and to build that success. It doesn’t come overnight, although many would like you to believe this. Just because you have your product it doesn’t mean you can sit back and relax. There really isn’t a 100% passive income, because you always have to be managing what you are doing. You need to build automation, but to do that you first have to create trust with your followers or audience. That’s where initially you have a lot of time invested, which will decrease, but you will always be involved.

 

You will need to find a market that works for you. You will need to find a niche market that you can help based on your experience and passion. How well you serve your audience will dictate what your earnings are. Don’t just pick a niche because it’s currently ‘hot.’ You are going to need to continue to build, write articles, and market that product and new products that fit under that initial niche for years to come, so make sure it’s a niche you can handle, otherwise you will not enjoy success. Instead, try to fill a gap in the market in the niche that interests you.

 

You will need to build a platform so that you can start to share your product. This could be YouTube, it could be a blog or whatever other market interests you. You don’t have to reach everyone. That’s a waste of effort. Instead, focus on reaching the audience that would be interested in what you have to offer. 

 

Determine which products are going to serve you best and then offer your audience value. In fact, offering them something of value for free helps to establish trust and interest so that they are far more likely to buy whatever else it is you have to offer. They now know you have expertise in your niche and something that’s worth listening to so they are ready to pay.

 

As your passive income builds and you become comfortable in your business, make sure that the profit never becomes your main motivation, because when it does you set yourself up for failure. 

How to Generate a Real Income Online

Every time we jump onto the internet you hear all the get rich schemes, calling to you. “Make a million your first year.” “Work an hour a day and earn $30,000 a month.” Trouble is people are still falling for these schemes. Yes, you can make a good solid living online and yes, you can be an e-preneur, but you must be willing to work hard and put in the time. There is no free ride to making money online. Let’s look at some legit ways to make a real income online. 

 

#1 Sell on Ebay or Etsy

 

There are many people that make a full time income selling stuff on e-Bay or Etsy. Whether you want to sell your vintage clothing, cool new jewelry or anything else, one of these venues could be right for you. 

 

#2 Teach Online

 

If you like to teach but would rather do it from your home, you could think about teaching for one of the online schools. There are a number of opportunities online. Take the time to explore the online schools and find a good fit for you. There are books and reports available to help you get setup to teach online.

 

#3 Videos and Webinars

 

The internet provides a terrific opportunity to teach viewers about all kinds of things from how to knit to how to train your dog, and everything in between. You can create a video or webinar to help those interested and you can charge for these. It’s a far more lucrative service than print material is and it's also still very untapped so the opportunity is there.

 

#4 Create/Sell Products Online 

 

This ties in with #1. Look at your own creative talents and what you can do and then take advantage of them creating a product you can sell. You can sell crafts, jewelry and vintage items on Etsy. You can use other sites to handle printing needs or to sell your photos. There are plenty of options for selling depending on the product you have for sale. 

 

#5 Provide Writing or Content Services 

 

If you like to write and you feel you are good at it, you can offer those writing skills to others. You can find work as a technical writer, content writer, editor, proofreader, and the list goes on. Sign up at one of the many sites that provide a way for writers and clients to connect and start selling your services.

 

There are 5 ways for you to make a real income online. Pick one and start becoming an e-preneur.

 

7 Ways to Make Money Online

Making money online is a reality for thousands upon thousands of individuals. Now you too can make money online. Here are 7 ways you can do just that.

 

1. Social networking - Social networking has become very popular and many businesses are recognizing the value of making sure they have a solid social networking program in place. They will pay people to manage their social media and make regular posts. 

 

2. CPA marketing - Cost Per Action or CPA marketing is much easier to make money on than affiliate marketing. As long as the person clicks the link and goes to the merchant’s site and carries out the action required, such as signing up for the newsletter, you will earn your commission. Most times there is no need to generate a sale in order to earn commission. What makes CPA marketing so lucrative is the at no money has to be spent for you to earn money and that makes it very attractive. 

 

3. Sell your art or craft online - If you create stunning works of art or you love to craft you can sell your wares on sites like Etsy where you set your price, or Ebay where you auction off your items or set a fixed price. There are tons of other sites so find the niche for your product.

 

4. Dropship - There are tons of online sites that allow you to create a free storefront and be a dropshipper. You don’t have to do anything but get the customer. The rest is taken care of by the provider.

 

5. Money exchangers - Convert online money through money exchangers. They take a fairly big cut when converting currencies. You need to have a store front, you get to invest money, and you can do it all online with little hassle. A simple website, and you can start making money making conversions.

 

6. Job referrer - Unemployment numbers are staggering and it has never been more difficult to find a job. So here’s a job opportunity for a few that want to make their living online. Sites like Referearns or WiseStepp will pay you for referring new employees. Refer the right person and earn up to $1000. Wow!

 

7. Blog commenting - For a blog to rank well there needs to be comments and interaction. Bloggers are busy creating blogs so they will often hire a person to comment on their blog and generate good conversation that leads to sales.

 

Out of 7 different ways to earn money online, one is bound to catch your interest.

 

How to Make Money With Online Content

Online content offers a great way to make money, to earn an income online. Let’s look at a few of the top ways to do that. 

 

#1 Freelance Designing

 

As a freelance designer your income potential is good. Create a website for yourself that showcases your portfolio. Find work online in the classifieds and begin to build your profile. It will take you some time to get established, but it is well worth it as there is a lucrative income awaiting you.

 

#2 Sell Your Music

 

You can sell your music directly from your own website. Radiohead did it a few years ago and raked in tons of money just by asking for donations. It made news headlines. As an independent you can do this. Many are now. You don’t need a middleman and you don’t need a big label to sell your music. 

 

#3 Sell Stock Photos

 

If photography is your hobby this is an excellent way to make money from it. People constantly are searching for stock photos by keyword, so find your best photos, upload them to a site like ShutterStock or Fotolia and start making money. It isn’t a lot per sale, but if you have enough photos up there you can build a nice side income that will surely come in handy.

 

#4 Sell Your Articles

 

Websites, marketers, small businesses - they all need top notch content that integrates their keywords so that they can drive traffic to their site. Initially you won’t make much, but as you build a reputation you can start to charge more for your services. You can even submit your work to a few formal publications. 

 

#5 Sell an App

 

The apps marketplace includes millions upon millions of users and so $1 or so per sale can generate a lot of money, if it’s an app that there is demand for. If you have a really good idea, but you aren’t a programmer it might pay to hire a programmer. Just make sure that you retain all rights. Also make sure the idea isn’t already out there or it could make it much harder for you to make money. A good app can make you rich, pretty darn quick, so if you think you can fill a niche and you don’t see a solution on the market that fills that niche the way your app would, then go with it and don’t miss your opportunity. 

 

How You Can Make Money With Online Sales

Are you ready to generate some extra income, perhaps even give up your day job and become an e-preneur. If you answered yes, chances are you are hunting for ways to make money online. There’s tons of scams so you need to be careful. There’s also tons of legitimate ideas that are either already flooded in the market or just don’t generate enough revenue to make it worth your time, so make sure you do your research. One thing that always seems to work is online sales. With the right product you can make money, with a really good product you can make tons of money and of course, with the wrong product you’ll make very little money, so make sure you do your groundwork before you jump in. 

 

It starts by finding the product or service you are going to sell. Do your market research. Learn what’s in demand right now, see if the market has room for a new competitor and then consider how you can make yourself stand out from your competition.

 

Some entrepreneurs set up an online store to help expand a business that has a physical location. This way you can generate an increase in revenue. If you aren’t website design savvy, you can always hire someone to do it for you, or choose the services of one of the sites that is designed to allow anyone to design a website with absolutely no experience needed. However, you don’t have to have a physical store, you can run your online store as its own entity and have no physical location at all. Your stock can be stored in your home or if you are offering a digital service your stock is on your computer. You can make a full time living selling the right product online.

 

You can also create a virtual store. An online store and a virtual store are different. A virtual store sells virtual items, often from within online games and they make ‘cold hard cash.’ You create an avatar, set up shop and do business with other players. You can even advertise your real business if you like. It begins by finding a game that allows this type of store and then pay the fee to set it up. Once you are in, you have a lot of people within your reach from different locations and age groups. MMORPGS or massive, multiplayer online role playing games are a great place to set up this type of store. 

 

If you are good at sales, like the environment related to selling, why not try your hand with an online store or virtual store.

 

How Do Search Engines Work - Web Crawlers

It is the search engines that finally bring your website to the notice of the prospective customers. Hence it is better to know how these search engines actually work and how they present information to the customer initiating a search.    

 

There are basically two types of search engines. The first is by robots called crawlers or spiders. 

 

Search Engines use spiders to index websites. When you submit your website pages to a search engine by completing their required submission page, the search engine spider will index your entire site. A ‘spider’ is an automated program that is run by the search engine system. Spider visits a web site, read the content on the actual site, the site's Meta tags and also follow the links that the site connects. The spider then returns all that information back to a central depository, where the data is indexed. It will visit each link you have on your website and index those sites as well. Some spiders will only index a certain number of pages on your site, so don’t create a site with 500 pages!

 

The spider will periodically return to the sites to check for any information that has changed. The frequency with which this happens is determined by the moderators of the search engine.

 

A spider is almost like a book where it contains the table of contents, the actual content and the links and references for all the websites it finds during its search, and it may index up to a million pages a day.

 

Example:  Excite, Lycos, AltaVista and Google.

 

When you ask a search engine to locate information, it is actually searching through the index which it has created and not actually searching the Web. Different search engines produce different rankings because not every search engine uses the same algorithm to search through the indices. 

 

One of the things that a search engine algorithm scans for is the frequency and location of keywords on a web page, but it can also detect artificial keyword stuffing or spamdexing. Then the algorithms analyze the way that pages link to other pages in the Web. By checking how pages link to each other, an engine can both determine what a page is about, if the keywords of the linked pages are similar to the keywords on the original page.

 

Keyword Density

Keyword density is an indicator of the number of times the selected keyword appears in the web page. But mind you, keywords shouldn’t be over used, but should be just sufficient enough to appear at important places.

 

If you repeat your keywords with every other word on every line, then your site will probably be rejected as an artificial site or spam site.

 

Keyword density is always expressed as a percentage of the total word content on a given web page.

 

Suppose you have 100 words on your webpage (not including HMTL code used for writing the web page), and you use a certain keyword for five times in the content. The keyword density on that page is got by simply dividing the total number of keywords, by the total number of words that appear on your web page. So here it is 5 divided by 100 = .05. Because keyword density is a percentage of the total word count on the page, multiply the above by 100, that is 0.05 x 100 = 5%

 

The accepted standard for a keyword density is between 3% and 5%, to get recognized by the search engines and you should never exceed it.

 

Remember, that this rule applies to every page on your site. It also applies to not just to one keyword but also a set of keywords that relates to a different product or service. The keyword density should always be between 3% and 5%.

 

Simple steps to check the density:

 

• Copy and paste the content from an individual web page into a word-processing software program like Word or Word Perfect.

• Go to the ‘Edit’ menu and click ‘Select All’. Now go to the ‘Tools’ menu and select ‘Word Count’. Write down the total number of words in the page.

• Now select the ‘Find’ function on the ‘Edit’ menu. Go to the ‘Replace’ tab and type in the keyword you want to find. ‘Replace’ that word with the same word, so you don’t change the text.

• When you complete the replace function, the system will provide a count of the words you replaced. That gives the number of times you have used the keyword in that page.

• Using the total word count for the page and the total number of keywords you can now calculate the keyword density.

 

Must Have Features Your Web Site

Just don’t focus on the home page, keywords and titles.

 

The first step to sales when customers visit your site to see the products they were looking for. Of course, search engine optimization and better rankings can’t keep your customer on your site or make them buy. The customer having visited your site, now ensure that he gets interested in your products or services and stays around. Motivate him to buy the product by providing clear and unambiguous information. Thus, if you happen to sell more than one product or service, provide all necessary information about this, may be by keeping the information at a different page. By providing suitable and easily visible links, the customer can navigate to these pages and get the details. 

 

Understanding Your Target Customer.

 

If you design a website, you think will attract clients, but you don’t really know who your customers are and what they want to buy, it is unlikely you make much money. Website business is an extension or replacement for a standard storefront. You can send email to your existing clients and ask them to complete a survey or even while they are browsing on your website. Ask them about their choices. Why do they like your products? Do you discount prices or offer coupons? Are your prices consistently lower than others? Is your shipping price cheaper? Do you respond faster to client questions? Are your product descriptions better? Your return policies and guarantees better than your competitor’s? To know your customer, you can check credit card records or ask your customer to complete a simple contact form with name, address, age, gender, etc. when they purchase a product.

 

Does your website give enough contact information? 

 

When you sell from a website, your customer can buy your products 24 hrs a day and also your customers may be from other states that are thousands of miles away. Always provide contact information, preferably on every page of your website, complete with mailing address, telephone number and an email address that reaches you. People may need to contact you about sales, general information or technical problems on your site. Also have your email forwarded to another email address if you do not check your website mailbox often. When customer wants to buy online provide enough options like credit card, PayPal or other online payment service.