Before we get into the blog post for today, I recorded a video to accompany it since the topic seemed to beg for it.

How are you using video for your business?

You’ve heard that using video to market your business can bring incredible results. But do the benefits outweigh the effort it takes to put your video online? In a word, Yes! Shooting a video, editing and formatting it, uploading it to the internet with the right title and description takes a bit of time. But the payoff for video marketing can be tremendous. Here are seven real benefits of marketing with video:

1. Personal Connection – Especially for internet based businesses, the personal connection with your potential market is a huge selling factor. With video, your audience can truly get to know you, eye-to-eye. They get to see that you are indeed a real, live person. They start building a deeper relationship with you and feel as if they actually have met you.

2. Social proof – There’s an old proverb: “Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.” On the internet it’s so easy to be a fake and a fraud. People are skeptical about claims they read online, and rightfully so. But video puts a face to your words and makes you more believable and trustworthy.

3. Traffic – People are watching 2 BILLION videos per day on YouTube alone! That’s a whole lot of traffic you’re missing if you’re not marketing yourself with video. It’s free and easy to add your video to a large number of the video sites available online.

4. Emotional Influence – The classic horror movie is a great example of how the audio has an emotional effect on us. The creepy music comes in, immediately cluing you in that something bad is about to happen. Now, imagine combining that audio with powerful video cues to influence the emotions of the listener and create a much more compelling message than with just text alone.

5. Portability – Maybe even more so then articles and ebooks, video is portable. iPhones, Smartphones, iPads and all kinds of other devices allow video to be seen on the go. You can also allow people to download video easily so they can view it over and over again.

6. Demonstrations – Reviews, case studies and examples are great ways to sell products and services. It’s the reason why infomercials make millions of dollars. Now there’s no need for you to be as annoying as the Sham-Wow guy to make money with video, you just need to create videos that show and tell your potential customers why your product will be helpful for them.

7. Engagement – There are many reports available online to show that video boosts response and conversion rates. When someone is watching a video, you have their full attention – eyes and ears. Unlike with the written word, they’re not likely skip ahead or gloss over important information. Most people will watch a video from beginning to end, allowing you to clearly create a message and call to action that engages your audience.

Overall, video is an effective marketing strategy that is only growing in popularity. Since video is here to stay, it’s time to check out the options and see how quick and easy video marketing can be.

Successful press releases can really benefit your business. That’s a known fact. However, a lot of business owners don’t think about the long-term impact they can have.

If you get an instant influx of customers, many of them will remain customers for life. So press releases are not just about the immediate business they can give you. Instead, their main benefit is what they can do long term.

Unfortunately, not all press releases are created equal. A bad press release may not even get published.

Here are five ways to write a good release:

Make it interesting

It’s often been said that the worst thing you can be in business is to be boring. The same goes true for press releases. Make sure the subject of your press release is interesting. It has to have something that differentiates it from the rest of the press releases out there.

Editors get a lot of press releases. So if there is nothing about yours that makes it stand out, your chances of getting it accepted are zero.

Have an exciting headline

If you have a bad headline, the editors won’t give it the time of day. Make sure the most compelling part of your story is listed in the headline.

You want to start with your best foot forward. If your headline doesn’t grab the reader’s attention, the rest of your release won’t get read no matter how good it is.

Keep it short

Ideally, the release should be five hundred words or less. In other words, it should not be more than one page. Editors have a lot of stories to get though, and anything that is too long is likely to get thrown in the trash.

Keep your sentences brief as well. This breaks up the text and makes it more readable.

Avoid advertising

Remember, the editors don’t care about your business. They want a story that their readers are going to find interesting. If you just write a long ad for your business, your release isn’t going to get read.

Write about newsworthy events

You obviously can’t write about just anything. For instance, having a sale on paintbrushes might be important to your company, but it’s not going to be interesting enough to get readers.

Instead, write about things you know customers would care about. For instance, if you just took a poll of your clients on something, write about that.

Also, consider doing some sort of fundraising community event. It doesn’t even have to raise money. Anything that gets the community involved will be interesting to the press.

The bottom line is, press releases are one of the most underutilized strategies by businesses for getting customers. When you do them the right way, you will reap the benefits for a long time.

Promotion is one of the four parts of the “marketing mix” along with product, price and distribution. It is the communication between buyer and seller. You may think first of advertisement when you think of promotion, but promotion really is so much more than just running an ad. Try thinking of promotion as the “fun” part of marketing as it allows you to use your creativity. You will also want to polish your communication skills for any promotional activity.

The purpose of promotion is to stimulate potential purchasers towards the buying decision. The specific purpose of any promotional activity or campaign may be to influence, to build awareness, to provide information, to increase demand for a product, to reinforce the brand or to differentiate a product in the marketplace. Make sure you know your purpose before you make your promotion plans.

In general, thinking about promotion for your business should get you looking into each of these five categories: personal selling, advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, and publicity or public relations. Personal selling means being very comfortable in a sales conversation about your business. Advertising these days can be very inexpensive or as costly as you are willing to spend and should not be ignored. Direct marketing now can be anything from a postcard campaign to personal Facebook messages. The area of sales promotion often opens up creative channels such as coupons, contests, free samples, exhibitions and many more. Publicity or public relations is getting others to help spread your message whether this is done for free or for a fee. A great marketing plan for your business will have addressed each of these promotional areas in some way.

Internet marketing seminars are created to benefit business owners, both virtual and brick and mortar. Making the choice to attend an internet marketing seminar stands to benefit both the owner and the business. Seminars are created to help direct business owners in the right direction and teach business owners how to effectively market their company and themselves.

My personal favorite internet marketing seminar by far is NAMS (Niche Affiliate Marketing System) which will be held in August this year. I would love to meet you at NAMS so register now and enter the coupon code, NAMS4FF, for $300 off your registration. You need to act quickly. As of this writing there are only 27 seats left.

When attending a seminar, the best piece of advice is to be prepared. In order to take away the most information out of a seminar, it is important to actively participate as well as contribute.

Here are some tips designed to help you succeed at your first internet marketing seminar:

Take notes! Unless you have a photographic memory, chances are you will not remember a lot of the information that was discussed during the seminar. The solution to this is to take notes, and lots of them. What may not seem important during the seminar may turn out to be a vital piece of information or advice that will lead your marketing in the right direction.

If you decide to go to NAMS be sure to take your laptop and cord to plug in. The note taking from this conference is endless…in a very good way!

Ask questions. Many seminars reserve a slot of time for questions and answers. Make the most of this time by asking questions about either information you did not understand or even broaching a new subject that was not discussed during the seminar. Do not worry about appearing unintelligent – after all, the only stupid question is the one not asked.

Discuss the information with your peers at the seminar. Most internet seminars have a chat room where users can talk with each other. By chatting with your peers, you may come upon even more information or advice. Different people also have different insights into marketing; some of your peers may share their insights which may benefit you as well. Most of your peers may also be willing to spread the word about your business on your behalf, especially if they like the person they are talking to!

Befriend the host of the seminar. Internet seminars are hosted by a plethora of different people, each with their own take on business and marketing. By forming an acquaintanceship with the host, they may allow you to contact them in the future with any questions you may have. Most hosts will also do consulting outside of the seminar, this may be useful to you as well.

There are several ways to take away a world of knowledge when attending an internet marketing seminar. By being prepared, taking notes and discussing the information with your peers, you are opening the doors to forming a successful marketing bid. Because most businesses do not survive without an effective marketing plan, be sure to make the most of your internet marketing seminar.

Taking risks is part of life, and it’s hard to succeed without ever taking any form of risk. It’s been said that “many a false step was made by standing still.” The biggest risk of all may be not doing anything and settling for a comfortable and boring existence.

You grow when you take risks. Think of the last time you felt the most alive. What were you doing? It was most likely when you were learning a new skill or doing something that challenged your limits.

Most people are willing to accept their lot in life. Even though there is a very small upside to doing the same things, they are too afraid to try something new. However, if you want to achieve extraordinary results, you need to take risks.

That doesn’t mean you should jump out of an airplane without a parachute. Your goal in business and life is to minimize risk while maximizing the upside.

Let’s use a scale of 1-10, with one being the worst possible scenario and ten being the best. If a certain marketing endeavour has an upside of 10 but a downside of 0, it might not be worth taking. For instance, what if you have $1000 marketing budget for the quarter and you decided to invest 100% of that into a new advertising campaign?

The upside is easily 10 if it works. However, the downside is a big fat 0 because economic hardship is a real possibility. This may be a risk you shouldn’t take.

However, if there is an upside of 4 but a downside of 4 with something you are considering, that doesn’t mean it’s worth it either. There just may not be enough potential in this endeavor. The goal is finding the solution with the highest potential while minimizing the risk (although it can never be eliminated entirely).

Remember that there is a 100% chance of failure for not trying. Getting rid of risk is impossible. In any decision you make there is an inherent danger. When you drive, you risk a life-threatening crash, so getting rid of risks shouldn’t be the goal. Your goal should be managing the risk. Everything you do needs to have a high upside and a relatively low downside.

The key to success in business is to manage both the risk as well as the reward. There is a point where the risk outweighs the reward, so you need to carefully evaluate it and then make the best decision possible.

However, don’t get the old “paralysis by analysis.” It’s impossible to have all the information before acting. The key is to plan out to the best of your ability the risks and rewards of possible action and then make the best decision possible. Chances are that when you really think about the worst-case scenario for most things you fear, it’s probably not as bad as you think. Get going and take those rational risks!

They say that you can’t teach old dog new tricks, but you can teach them something new about business. Okay, so the last part is made up but there is truth to it. There are new things about business that are best learned in person at live events.

Live events have so many opportunities, that you almost have to be wearing track shoes to get around to taking advantage of them all. One plus in particular is learning new business techniques. There is not a single person (and that applies to gurus as well) who couldn’t stand to learn a thing or two. In fact, they will probably be the first ones in line.

The person who has stopped learning has also stopped growing. The only limits that are placed on your business are self-imposed. The Internet is a wealth of knowledge for the one who can access it, but did you ever stop to think where that knowledge was received?

At least some of it was gained at live business events. Here, you are exposed not only to people who can expand on marketing techniques that you currently utilize, but also individuals who have found new ways to harness business power.

Stop and think for a moment. Those who host these events are looking for the best and the brightest to entice you to come. These people prove time and time again that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to business.

In case you didn’t know or haven’t thought about it in a while, here are a few things you can take part in and learn from at live events:

1. Brainstorming sessions – Imagine the energy in the room when hundreds of entrepreneurs get together at tables to discuss new ways to improve each others businesses? Be sure to take copious notes to refer to later and get the names of everyone at the table.

2. Visit the vendor area – This is an opportunity for businesses to highlight their products and services. You can learn about new programs computer programs, business software and get to demo items right there on site.

3. Keep all materials given to you – Within the pages of those handouts are vital information. Speakers may lay out for you how they go about promoting new products, implement new programs and techniques and list online resources for you. You may want to bring a tote bag or a briefcase to hold everything you will get so it is easier to reference later.

Attend live events with an open mind. Be ready to expect the unexpected and get immersed into business techniques you haven’t tried before.

There has been much written about the traits necessary to be an entrepreneur. I have contributed to that writing more than once myself. As time goes on and I work with more and more business owners, I have come to realize the quality I call “Fierceness” is the one I always see in the business owners who flourish. It’s time to get serious about being fierce and what that means for your business.

Fierceness is not about fighting, violence or even anger. Those are something else again. Fierceness is a smoldering fire within that drives your engine in a powerful yet not always wildly obvious way. A fierce business owner steps up to the challenge of the hard work of being an entrepreneur, holds firm when times are tough and takes good care of himself/herself as an important business investment. The fierce business owner does not allow fear to be the determining factor in decisions or in action taken (or not taken).

You have a core of fierceness within you. Perhaps you use it on a regular basis in your business already. If you do rely on that internal fierce place within, you usually get access to it by your passion for your work and your business or by the drive to provide a living for those you love. Love is really the key.
Here’s a quick rundown of the elements of fierceness that will allow you to increase your ability to connect with your own internal fierceness. Practice these items and you will find that fierce business is working for you as well.

1. Fortitude – carrying on in spite of adversity, doing what needs to be done, and having persistence in spite of obstacles. You’ll want to be clear about your personal values, have clear goals and understand that lack of success is not failure in order to increase your fortitude.

2. Faith – when faced with the unknown, faith is knowing that everything will turn out all right in the end. You can build faith by connecting yourself to a spiritual, not necessarily a religious, belief system. Work on being hopeful in a variety of situations and your faith will increase. Finally, as you increase your self confidence, faith will multiply along side of it.

3. Forward Action – fierceness requires you to stay in motion. The steps can be tiny, slow, huge, or quick, it doesn’t matter as long as they occur. Being stuck, lethargic or in a state of inertia are unacceptable ways of being when you are fierce. Any action will be sufficient to get the train rolling again.

4. Flexibility – the ability to change when the times, the current conditions or your own needs indicate something different would be beneficial. Increase your flexibility by consciously looking at your patterns, rituals and habits. Chose to shake them up periodically just for the sake of keeping your flexibility muscle in good shape.

5. Focus – the old saying is “keeping your eye on the prize”. Focus allows you to stay on track to your goals without distraction. Increase your focus by paying attention to yourself. Make deliberate decisions, be intentional in your actions and consciously decide how to utilize the resources of your business.

How are you doing being fierce in your business? Leave a comment here to celebrate where you are fierce or to publicly declare where you will make some improvements!

Whether or not you were part of our successful launch Command the Stage: Secrets of Professional Speaking, we have a NEW VIRTUAL APPROACH  guaranteed to take you to the next level in your speaking. And …..there are only SIX SLOTS!

Practice Your Professional Speaking is an opportunity for you to take all your questions about a particular presentation and lay them out in front of five other participants and a virtual audience. It’s a HOTSEAT OPPORTUNITY at its best!

After you’ve posed your questions, concerns and challenges, professional speaker Peggy Collins and business coach Janet Slack will coach you through the rough spots with knowledge, encouragement and tips.

And…your five cohorts will give you feedback as well.

Practice Your Professional Speaking is structured around 4 ninety minute calls.  During that time, you’ll have TWO FIFTEEN MINUTE presentation times and FIFTEEN MINUTES of FEEDBACK for each presentation. That’s TWO THIRTY MINUTE SEGMENTS FOCUSED ON YOU!

And something we’ve learned over time……..you learn as much or more from hearing the other participant’s critiques and struggles than you do from YOUR OWN.

Talk about move you to the NEXT level. We all know that having knowledge and putting it into practice are two different things.

If you want to speak professionally – to create an additional income stream – or to create visibility for a business or service, these 4 ninety minute calls will give you what you need to have an excellent opening, stories that inspire, points that impact and a closing that will influence audiences every time you speak.

If you’ve not known how to move ahead – don’t know where to begin – just aren’t sure about your material or its organization – HERE’S YOUR PERFECT OPPORTUNITY! Two short months – 4 ninety-minute calls. You’ll shorten your learning curve ten fold and move ahead quickly!

This is a $1500.00 Value that we’re offering for just $429.00 and you can choose a 3 Payment Plan as well.

And…….there’s a Virtual Audience Opportunity!

Okay, we mentioned a Virtual Audience! Yes, if you want to learn but aren’t quite ready to take the HOTSEAT, listen in to the SIX HOT SEAT PARTICIPANTS and the invaluable feedback that follows. While you won’t have an opportunity to present or critique, you WILL have a chance to take notes as fast as possible. This opportunity is $179.00.

Don’t wait!! If something is gnawing at you – saying “this is perfect for me”, listen to your intuition and Register today!

We’ll meet on Thursdays – April 15^th and 29^th and May 6^th and

20^th from 6:30 – 8:00 PM EST.   Go here to register for one of the SIX KEY SPOTS! Or to join the Virtual Audience!

Guest blogger, Peggy Collins, describes her path to success as a professional speaker:

When I was in college and beyond, years into the workforce, I never knew that I would become a professional speaker. It’s true that I was the one tagged to head up a new training or act as Mistress of Ceremonies at a corporate event. But I still didn’t think about speaking as a career.

Back in the eighth grade, influenced by a powerful teacher, I made the decision to teach but a year in a ghetto school changed all that so I went into corporate life and made my niche in sales and marketing.

But the dream to make a difference in other’s lives never died and when downsizings hit the market, big-time, I looked around for a new career where I could have my own business, use my marketing skills and make a difference for those around me.

I don’t believe in coincidence, so I attribute the next move to a wonderful friend who wanted to attend a professional speakers meeting and asked me to go along. That was the turning point and I have been speaking professionally ever since.

Interesting that my vision of teaching moved from children to adults but I am definitely teaching. I actually see professional speaking as a way to make a difference for many at the same time .

I can’t think of a profession that’s any more fulfilling, challenging or rewarding. Am I sorry I didn’t think of it in the beginning? No! I truly believe that what I learned in my business experience and my personal life is what I bring to speaking  - lessons that hopefully make a difference in other’s lives every time I “take the platform”!

Today, Peggy specializes in speaking to women’s associations and conferences. She’s the author of Help is Not a Four-Letter Word: Why Doing It All Is Doing You In, published by McGraw Hill.  Contact Peggy through her website.

Live events are a great way to network with others in your business field. Human interaction builds strong relationships. Also, you get to practice those networking skills in person. But, what events are right for you?

Live events are going on all around you. The trick: knowing where to look. Here are a few suggestions:

• Visit your favorite blogs for information. If your bloggers are speaking or attending a conference they will want to let their readers know about it. Ask for more information if they don’t provide a link.

• Visit forums. Business forums usually have a place where they list upcoming events both online and offline. Check to see which are close to you and if they are on a topic that interests you.

• Visit social networking sites. These are great for business connections. If friends are hosting events or attending, they may post an invite to the event for their business contacts. Read the information and attend.

The live events you choose may interest you in two ways:

• Professionally

• Personally

Professionally, choose live events that are relevant to your business. You wouldn’t attend an engineering seminar if you sell children’s clothing. And, you probably would pass on a seminar that highlights how offline businesses can get into online markets if you already own an online business.

It can be hard to decide if you are new to online business. Because you aren’t sure what you need to know, you don’t know what live events will be best for you. Here are some pointers:

• Check geographic location – Your first time out, you might want to stay close to home to lower costs. Money is often tight when you just get up and running.

• Look at event registration costs – Now, money is not the only consideration. As the fees get more expensive, your attendees will reach a different caliber as well. And, some events are tax deductible as a business expense. What we are talking about here is to see if you can swing the cost for a highly rated event that will benefit your business in many ways. You could probably cut back on other things for a little while to make it work.

• Look at the speakers – Who is coming to regale you with their business savvy? If the speakers are some of your favorite bloggers or online business owners that you have been wanting to meet, don’t pass up the chance to have your questions answered and gain some insight.

Choosing a live event to attend doesn’t have to be a hard decision. Gather as much information as you can about upcoming events, their location and fees so you can map out your networking strategy.