Author: Lisa Chapman

The Top 5 for Variety and Depth

Need to add punch to your website? Need a video clip for an email campaign? Need it free? We’ve got the answer. Just do a little searching on these free stock video sites and you’re bound to find what you’re looking for. But be sure to check their Terms and Licensing – small print is still legally binding! Have fun surfing these:

WorldClips.TV

Claiming to be “The largest online video library on earth”, WorldClips.TV free video footage can be used in all types of productions including broadcast. The company was founded 11 years ago and continues to grow. Choose from 5000 broadcast quality QuickTime clips from 50 world locations. Use as much free stock video as you like, all the time. No subscriptions or fees ever.

Internet Archive

The Internet Archive is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that was founded to build an Internet library. Its purposes include offering permanent access for researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities, and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital format. Founded in 1996 and located in San Francisco, the Archive has been receiving data donations from Alexa Internet and others. In late 1999, the organization started to grow to include more well-rounded collections. Now the Internet Archive includes texts, audio, moving images, and software as well as archived web pages in their collections, and provides specialized services for adaptive reading and information access for the blind and other persons with disabilities.

Free Stock Footage

With Free Stock Footage, you can add stock footage to your video, website or your Powerpoint presentations. Low resolution versions of video on the site are free to use…however medium and hi-res footage requires payment. This stock footage is great for using in either Final Cut Pro, iMovie, Premier, Media 100, Avid or any non-linear editing system. The preview is a free, non-watermarked download (see terms). The video clips are available for immediate download in multiple resolutions: Streaming Quicktime, MPEG1, Sorenson Quicktime, or (selected) PAL Quicktime.

Movie Tools

Movie Tools number-one source for completely free animated 2D and 3D background animations, lower thirds and more: it’s a great resource for background and graphic video elements. From technical to fantasy, these backgrounds would be great for use under titles, to use in a VJ set or in video reports. Here you can find all the tools for making better online-videos. Just create a user account to download all their free video content – over 50,000 clips.

Wikimedia Videos
Similar to Archive.org, Wikimedia Commons is an online library of open source sounds, videos, photos and other media. Wikimedia Commons is a media file repository making available public domain and freely-licensed educational media content (images, sound and video clips) to everyone, in their own language. Wikimedia Videos has a large selection of video clips covering a wide range of subject matter.

(Thanks to PremiumBeat.com for the source and inspiration. And to MyFreeDigitalPhotos.com for the photo.)

Do you have experience with free stock video sites to share?

——————

For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

.. _____ ..

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

Ms. Chapman’s new book, The WebPowered Entrepreneur – A Step-by-Step Guide is now available at Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/MyaQmp and at Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/M5T0KO . Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. She helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com

Direct Marketing Association

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) released their 2012 Response Rate Report on June 14. Bottom line: the report concludes that direct mail response rates are slipping, but they’re still higher than most other media.

Also included are marketing benchmarks that all marketers will find meaningful – cost and performance benchmarks – and help them assess the efficiency of their own direct marketing campaigns.

Transactional Data Aggregated – 29 Billion emails

For the first time in its eight consecutive annual publications, it includes Transactional Data from Epsilon and Bizo. Quite significantly, the data aggregates more than 29 billion emails and more than two billion online display ads.

“With transactional data, we have sample sizes in the millions, even billions of impressions and emails,” said Yory Wurmser, DMA’s director of marketing and media insights. “Transactional data has an edge on survey data for two reasons: First, sample sizes are big enough that it’s possible to break the data down into more industries, with more significant findings. Second, transactional data tends to be more accurate, since it takes the human element out of the assessment and shows exactly what happened.”

Direct Mail Response Rates Over Time

The 2012 report compares direct mail response rates over time, another new addition. This revealed that over the past nine years, response rates have declined almost 25%.

Even with this drop, the DMA clarifies that mail campaigns produce a better overall response than digital channels. While direct mail to an existing customer results in a 3.4% response rate, the same size email campaign to existing customers results in a 0.12% response rate – close to a 30-fold increase!

Cost-Per-Lead And Cost-Per-Sale

Interestingly, the DMA report claims that because direct mail costs are higher than email costs, a campaign nets roughly the same financial cost-per-lead and cost-per-sale for direct mail, email and paid search.

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

-_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

–

According to the report – other important findings include:

• Transactional data show that only six percent of the actions following an online display advertisement occur immediately following a click, which indicates that click-through rate greatly underestimates the impact of online display.
• Transactional data show that financial services emails had open rates above 30 percent, which ranked the highest among industries. Retail (Apparel) had open rates averaging 14.7 percent, which narrowly was lower than Publishing & Media (14.9 percent). In contrast, data showed Publishing & Media as having the highest action rates per impression (0.013 percent).
• For emails, the highest click rate to open rate is for CPG (46.5 percent).
• Cost per order or lead for acquisition campaigns were roughly equivalent for direct mail ($51.40), post card ($54.10), email ($55.24), and paid search ($52.58).
• Email had the highest ROI (28.5), compared with 7.00 for direct mail.
• Email performance went up slightly from the 2010 Edition of the Report.
• The highest response rates—nearly 13 percent to a house list—was produced by telephone marketing. Telephone marketing also had the highest costs: nearly $78 per order or lead for a house list, and $190 for a prospect list.
• Costs were generally higher for B-to-B campaigns than for B-to-C campaigns.

DMA’s 2012 Response Rate Trends Report is available for purchase through DMA’s online bookstore. The cost is $249 for DMA members and $499 for non-members. To purchase, click here.

——————

For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

.. _____ ..

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

Ms. Chapman’s new book, The WebPowered Entrepreneur – A Step-by-Step Guide will be available on July 10, 2012 at Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/MyaQmp and on July 12, 2012 at Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/M5T0KO . Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. She helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com

Lay the Groundwork

In the last post, we discussed the importance of updating your marketing strategy and marketing plan. Today, we’ll walk through an excellent example of a typical plan.

Each and every business is unique, so this is not a one-size-fits-all. But is a terrific place to start if you’re on a shoestring and you want to do as much of the groundwork as possible before taking it to an agency for refinement.

Outline As Much As Possible

I. Executive Summary:

Write this last. Briefly include the most salient points from each section.

II. Intro:

Clarify your vision and mission statement. Condense your company history.

III. Product/Service Description:

Summarize your company’s offerings, both current and future.

IV. Problem/Solution:

Describe the Opportunity. How does what you offer solve a problem or fill a need? How do you know? Include:

• market and customer demographics
• market size/share
• growth rates
• market projections – growth and share

V. Competitive Summary:

‘Inventory’ your competitors, their strengths and weaknesses as well as their target audience(s). A visual mapping is often helpful.

VI. Competitive Advantage:

What is your company’s unique value proposition? That is, what sets you apart from your competitors, considering their target customers and their strengths and weaknesses? What makes you unique? Why is this valuable? Are you sure?

VII. The Challenge

Write a brief description of product to be marketed and associated goals, such as sales figures and strategic goals.

VIII. Situation Analysis

Briefly, cover these points, concentrating on your ideal customers’ viewpoint:

• Customer Analysis – Number, Type, Profile
• Value drivers
• Decision process
• Concentration of customer base for particular products

IX. Selected Marketing Strategy

Discuss why the strategy was selected, then the marketing mix decisions (4 P’s) of product, price, place (distribution), and promotion.

Product

The product decisions should consider the product’s advantages and how they will be leveraged. Product decisions should include:

· Brand name

· Quality

· Scope of product line

· Warranty

· Packaging

Price

Discuss pricing strategy, expected volume, and decisions for the following pricing variables:

· List price

· Discounts

· Bundling

· Payment terms and financing options

· Leasing options

Distribution (Place)

Decision variables include:

· Distribution channels, such as direct, retail, distributors & intermediates

· Motivating the channel – for example, distributor margins

· Criteria for evaluating distributors

Promotion

· Advertising, including how much and which media.

· Public relations

· Promotional programs

· Budget; determine break-even point for any additional spending

· Projected results of the promotional programs

If you can’t fill in all these blanks, then you know it’s time to start discussions with professionals. But you’ll be much more prepared and the outsourcing will ultimately cost less.

What would you add to this that’s helped your business?

——————

For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

.. _____ ..

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

Ms. Chapman’s new book, The WebPowered Entrepreneur – A Step-by-Step Guide will be available in July 12, 2012 at Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/MyaQmp and Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/M5T0KO . Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. She helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com

Simple Ways to Solve Small Business Struggles

Talk to just about any entrepreneur. They’ll tell you pretty much the same things. They all seem to struggle with:

• Working long hours, but with no marketing plan in place
• Worrying about how to attract new customers
• Losing market share and not understanding why
• Losing sight of marketing trends
• Stress about their company’s future

How to Approach Positioning Your Business

Yes, you work hard. That’s not one of the reasons businesses fail. Generally, they fail for lack of strategy. That especially applies to marketing strategy. It’s a simple concept, really. Not complex or confusing. But the truth is that most business leaders are just plainly too busy to take time out, sit down with the team, and dedicate focused time to developing a solid, up-to-date marketing strategy and marketing plan.

Ponder these three simple steps to get started:

1. Explore the marketplace. Which of your competitors are successful? Why?
2. Clearly define your goals. Make them measurable and achievable.
3. Assign responsibilities for action steps toward those goals.

Fundamentals of a Solid Plan

Be sure to include these elements in your discussions and incorporate them into the final plan:

• How to reach new customers – brainstorm a list, then narrow it down
• How to promote your business – include traditional and digital platforms
• Build your reputation – positive word of mouth is super-important
• Help new potential customers say, “Yes, I’ve heard of you!”
• Put together a Public Relations Plan
• Develop a Public Relations strategy
• Create a Media Kit and Press Release Campaign
• Develop a distribution list
• Persuade the media, your customers and potential customers
• Use the power of social media to enhance your image
• Create a Crisis Communication plan

Want to build your brand equity, but aren’t sure how? Need to build awareness with potential customers?

Positive Word of Mouth – A Must-Have

Stop for a moment to think about this: 90% of customers trust referrals from people they know, 70% trust credible reviews posted on the internet, and a measly 14% trust traditional advertising.

Brands need to encourage a dialog around their products if they wish to compete. Interactive Marketing channels — from social media platforms (like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Yelp and YouTube among others) to the exploding array of mobile applications (like FourSquare) — facilitate communication between users and therefore host these brand-related conversations.

Have you updated your marketing strategy and marketing plan?

——————

For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

——————

Guest Post By Steve Olsher

Mike Koenigs is one of the internet’s best marketers. He is the creator of several of the world’s most popular and game-changing products, including Instant Customer and Traffic Geyser. A huge proponent of the power of video, let’s take a closer look at his core strategies which you can leverage to propel your business forward.

The “10 x 10 x 4 Formula”

Mike has created a streamlined model for achieving success with video. It’s called the 10x10x4 formula. The first 10 represents the top 10 questions customers typically ask about your product or topic. To address them, you’ll create 10 separate videos, each typically running two to three minutes. To illustrate, assume you’re doing a video promoting your yoga studio. Questions your videos might cover include:

What are the benefits of yoga?

How can yoga help me lose weight?

Am I too old to practice yoga?

Will yoga help relieve my lower back pain?

Is it difficult to do most of the poses?

Once you’ve selected the top 10 questions and have articulated clear, concise answers, set up the camera, attach the microphone, and press record. Again, each video should be no more than two to three minutes long. After the footage is recorded, transfer it to your computer, edit and polish each segment, and add text (a headline) to each video reflecting the question covered. You can then upload your videos to the various distribution sites. This entire process can be done in under a day and is a key first step in establishing your position as an industry expert.

Holy Cow Questions

The next 10 in the 10x10x4 formula answers questions your audience should be asking. Mike refers to these as “holy cow questions,” because they allow customers to view the topic in ways they hadn’t previously considered. These are significantly different from frequently asked questions. “Holy cow questions” clarify exactly how your product will benefit your audience. Examples for a yoga studio include:

• Can yoga help me live longer?
• Does yoga provide better results than other forms of exercise?
• How does yogic breathing enhance my quality of life?
• Does yoga enhance my immune system?

In these segments you want to let your personality and warmth shine through. In addition to further establishing you as an authority on your subject, they help you create a deeper, more personal connection with your audience.

The Final 4

The final 4 of Mike’s 10x10x4 formula represents the following four videos:

• A call-to-action at the end of each of the 20 videos. A strong call-to-action moves viewers from simply admiring your message to entering your sales funnel. The action can be opting in to receive your free newsletter, signing up for a trial class, or purchasing an entry-level product. It’s best to position your call to action at the end of your video.
• A personalized website video. To develop a closer bond with customers, greet them with a welcome video that reinforces your brand and message. Also include information that provides immediate value, and a clear call-to-action that encourages opting-in to receive additional videos. This is a proven strategy for increasing conversion rates.
• A thank you video for opting in. When visitors opt-in, say “thank you” for doing so. This is courteous, indicates thoughtfulness, and helps further develop trust.
• The sales video. Internet marketing experts typically follow the opt-in with three value-added presentations that include some of their best material but do not attempt to sell products. Selling is reserved for the last video. In this fourth and final video, offer the solution to a very real problem…at a price. Conversion rates will vary, but odds are good many will decide to make the purchase decision if you proactively:
  • Establish trust.
  • Provide helpful free content.
  • Introduce the audience to an existing problem.
  • Offer an easy-to-implement solution with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Selling Through Video

Video is here to stay. In fact, it will become an increasingly important part of the online experience as time progresses. In just a few years, selling through video may become mandatory to remain competitive. Mike recommends you hit the record button now and gain valuable experience with this medium. Many of today’s top online marketers began with zero on-camera training and have spent years honing their craft and developing phenomenal products. Their status among elite industry icons is the result of a calculated, long-term process and has organically developed over time.

Contrary to popular belief, there’s no such thing as instant success. However, the sooner you get started, the closer you’ll be to becoming the next “overnight sensation.”

——————

For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Steve Olsher is the author of Internet Prophets: The World’s Leading Experts Reveal How to Profit Online and creator of Internet Prophets LIVE!, which takes place June 8-10, 2012 in Chicago. Featuring 29 of the world’s leading Internet, Mobile and Marketing experts such as Jay Conrad Levinson, Mike Filsaime, Mike Koenigs, Larry Winget, Marc Ostrofsky, Dan Hollings, Janet Bray Attwood, Armand Morin, and many others, Internet Prophets LIVE! provides small business owners, solopreneurs, and consultants with proven no- and low-cost guerrilla marketing strategies, tools, and tactics for cultivating leads, dramatically increasing conversion rates, and generating massive, passive income. Tickets are only $197 until June 5th. For more information and to reserve one of the VERY limited number of remaining seats, please visit www.InternetProphets.com.

How to Achieve a Great Look and Search Engine Optimization

For the past few months, I’ve been working with a client on their website redesign. The first thing that the lead project Partner, Peter, told me was that he loved a clean, sleek look. One of his friends has a site that he admires, and Peter would like to achieve something similar: http://www.goldenstartea.com

My client also liked the look of another site, closer to his industry: http://www.coop-systems.com Both of these sites have a very large graphic that occupies the space closest to the upper right hand corner. Here’s the problem: search engines work by spidering a website, starting at the top left corner. These sites display graphics in that valuable space. What’s wrong with that? Let’s start with some basic SEO principles.

Website SEO Basics

Search engines all have an algorithm that determines what the site is about, and which words (keywords) describe that. Generally, Search Engines place emphasis on the first 200 words, Headings, Subheads, bolded, italicized and underlined words.

So, if you’ve placed a graphic in the top left spot, the search engine wades through HUNDREDS of lines of code before it even gets to the text. Search engines’ algorithms account for this, and the sites’ rankings are negatively affected. SOLUTION: You want to place your most important, keyword-laden text in that area of prime Home page real estate.

Grab Attention with Headlines

The Home page headline should really be about THEM – your potential customers’ needs and problems, and how you promise to solve their problems and/or meet their needs. It should not be about YOU – yet.

• Headlines should grab the visitors’ attention within 2-4 seconds.
• The next 3-5 seconds should affirm that they found what they’re looking for, and give them a reason to stay on the site.
• These should promise a benefit to the visitor and incorporate the most important KEYWORDS.

The best headlines should be:

• Benefit-driven
• How-To
• Attention-grabbing
• Offer-driven
• Ask a question
• Direct statement

With these concepts in mind, you can boost your website rankings quite a bit by just re-arranging the graphic placement to a lower position on the page. For more tips, tricks and SEO insights, check out CVG, Inc.

Do you have other tips for Home page SEO and Headlines? Please share!

——————

For more resources, see our Library topics Marketing and Social Networking.

.. _____ ..

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

Ms. Chapman’s new book, The WebPowered Entrepreneur – A Step-by-Step Guide will be available in May 2012. Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. She helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com