Here's To Your Business Success in 2012!
Online Business Success Factor for 2012: Video!!
If you’ve been able to get away with no video, no podcast, or no other audio broadcast of your business message, you are missing out on a rapidly emerging movement across the worldwide net. More than ever before, videos build traffic and online conversion. How can you take advantage of this trend? YouTube would be the best place to start, but I really like what David Kaminski over at Shama.TV had to say about the Nuts and Bolts of getting started with your video message. All of the great business presences on the net have their own videocast.
David Kamisnki said that you need to create your own video site, perhaps a separate page on your current site, on which you can post your own original content. You can also share it on YouTube, but when you post your own content on your own site, it’s your own.
One effective means of providing value to your readers and customers is through practical “how-to” videos. For example, @marismith provides a ton of valuable how to content on her videos. Here is just one example of that. Think about simple 5-10 ‘how to’ videos you can present on your site and across the web to build more awareness of your personal brand.
A final word on video: Think about the three E’s that I shared in an earlier post: Educate, Entertain, and Engage. Gary Vaynerchuck exemplified this with his video blog, Wine TV. ag your videos with keywords targeting your business niche, so that searches will lead back to your site/s.
Here’s a very nice How To Start Producing Video , a podcast from Pat Flynn of the Smart Passive Income Blog if you’d like to learn more about how to get video started for your business.
Online Business Success Factor for 2012: Personal Brand
You’ll need to find ways to stand out from the crowd in 2012.
There’s a great quote shared by Jay Berkowtiz, from TenGoldenRules.com about developing your own personal brand.
“Start right now: as of this moment you’re going to think yourself differently! You’re not an “employee” of General Motors..Starting today you are a brand.”
Tom Peters ‘The Brand Called You’ quoted in Fast Company
Here are some practical personal success factors that Jay shares to help you build your personal brand as part of your 2012 online business success.
a) Be Your Own Brand Manager
- Develop your brand marketing plan
- How are you going to promote your brand? How are you going to take it to the next level?
- Set specific, measurable goals
b) Determine your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
- What makes you distinctive?
- How can you enhance your unique skills
- Think about writing a book, e-book, articles
c) Follow your passion!
- where do you like to hang out
- What do you love to read?
- Create your content in an area that you really care about. For some good reading on this, check out this great video piece from Gary Vaynerchuck.
d) Listen
Hints: read blogs in your area of interest. Visit search.twitter.com, to see what people are saying about your area/s of interest. Read comments and see which ones seem to get any response
e) Embrace Your Inner Author
Create unique content, write a blog, submit articles to industry publications, create a website, build great content on Facebook and LinkedIn.
If you are interested in writing an e-book, Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income Blog, has written a generous series of blog posts which I will be referring to once I start writing my first e-book (hopefully coming this year 
f) Build a Network of Friends, not just connections.
Give to get, ask about them, contribute to them, ask to guest post.
g) Volunteer to Shine
To develop new skills, work in a comfort zone, then push yourself enhance a skill through freelance opportunities: Guru, e-Lance and BINTRO offer an opportunity for you to sell personal assets and abilities you have. These sites can be places where you showcase skills you may not be using in your current job. They can become part of your personal brand portfolio.
h) Innovate to Lead
- test new technologies, taking a free trial.
- report on how they work on your blog
- position yourself as an early adopter and soon people will be asking you about the next big thing!
i) Become an entrepreneur:
Employers love people who have managed their own businesses: you can be an affiliate marketer, information marketer, or build a business around your interests
j) Speak Up!
Join Toastmasters, and volunteer on committees at work.
In summary, tcarve out a niche or niches for your own personal brand. You can utilize all the above tips to manage and expand your brand. You can also write your own e-book, become more comfortable with public speaking (check out a Toastmasters club near you), and make sure that you build your own personal online profile by building your Google profile.
Finally, I am going to share some great resources on personal branding.
J.B. Glossinger, founder of Morning Coach, has written Get Out of Neutral: Manifest the Life Experience You Desire
Dan Schawbel is a young man who is defining personal branding these days. He has written a great book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success
And finally, Gary Vaynerchuk has come out with a classic, Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion
Online Business Success Factor for 2012: Semantic Search (Web 3.0)
Well, this gets into some technical stuff that I have no way of explaining! This has to do with Web 3.0. Amazon is a great example of this type of marketing. When purchase a book or other product, it will show 5-6 other suggestions, based on what others have read related to the book you are picking.
In addition, it shows ratings of the books, inviting all readers to provide input. In order to better understand this, you may want to get in touch with Jay Berkowitz, whose slideshare presentation inspired this whole post
Although we don’t have mechanisms in place akin to Amazon, we can do the following to keep in touch with our customers’ likes and dislikes:
a) We can survey them, periodically, either on our blog or via our e-mail list.
b) We can hang out in forums (go to Google and type in forum: (keyword for your niche) or read the comments on our blogs to get a better understanding of their problems and solutions
In summary, you can put online business success in your corner in 2012 by:
Reaching out to new listeners, viewers, and potential customers through video.
Here’s a great video by Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income on getting started with video.
Enhancing your personal brand: think about who you want to be and how you will stand out;
and
Studying Your Readers,
through surveys, responding to your comments, and hanging out with your potential customers online in forums related to your niche.
photo credit: AndysPhotoz
I’d love to hear some of the strategies you are using to get yourself ready for online business success in 2012. Please share below!
Hi Steve,
You are way ahead of all others by already making the plans for the new year
Creating a video and make a personal brand with it, would be an amazing jump start for the next year. When are you creating your video ?
Thanks for sharing!
marc van der Linden recently posted..The 10 day mental challenge ( DAY 1) – you are not your emotions
Steve,
Funny you should mention Toastmaster as my wife and I went to our first local meeting last Tuesday evening. We’ve been threatening to go now for umpteen years. LOL. Now there are two clubs we’re checking out. So, speaking engagements is one strategy.
We’ve been resisting the video thing like the plague. It’s probably related to getting in front of people to make a speech. So, with Toastmasters we should have some movement in this area.
And, we’re signed up to take the course to become Passion Test Facilitators the end of January with Janet Bray Attwood. So, operating out of our passion will be a no brainer.
The amazing point is that 2011 is almost gone. The days just fly by. That’s why we must make the most of each day we have.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and all who celebrate!
RICK
Rick Lelchuk recently posted..Fate in a Fortune Cookie
Rick, you’ve definitely taken some inspiring steps in your business in the last few months. I’m excited to see the results that will be coming to you and your business in 2012. You and your wife are providing positive solutions to the world economy, changing lives with your work. That’s got to be so satisfying! Congratulations!
I have just rebranded myself lately and understand how important it is to establish your personal brand. Been working on slowly building my network and have also started recording videos, though this is one area that I’m not most comfortable with. You have excellent tips on building a successful online business and I would go back and refer to this list from time to time. Thank you for sharing!
Cherrie Bautista@Social Media Manager recently posted..How To Sabotage Your Business Using Social Media
Cherrie, congratulations on having the motivation and persistence to go through your own personal re-branding process. I look forward to seeing your efforts pay off for you and your online business in 2012!
Twitter: jbennett2020
says:
Steve,
Great post about online success factors for the coming year. I like how you have provided many resources to back up your recommendations for success. I know that video and personal branding are both big ideas that can make a huge difference in your blog and your business.
Thanks,
James
Thanks, James!
Twitter: YLifeYChoices
says:
Hi Stephen,
Thank you for the ideas you provide in this post. These are really useful for me as I have recently started my own blog, a new life and I am trying to build my own online business…. The begin is really hard but I try to do most of things you notice. Thanks for sharing.
Lenia, I’m so glad you found this article helpful. I wish you the best as you move forward in your new business.
Twitter: prfuller
says:
Hey Stephen
I used to be President of my local Toastmasters club and I highly recommend it.
Today I have no problems speaking in front of large crowds.
Peter
Peter Fuller MBA recently posted..The Easiest and Best Way to Make Money Online
Peter, that’s great to know! I’m sure that experience has helped you be comfortable with making videos as well.
Twitter: ChloeHodder
says:
Hey Stephen,
Yes I agree, video is viral and being your own brand is instrumental! “Follow your passion!” – Absolutely. It makes life so much more fun and effortless when you create that life alignment, and work with who you are and what you are passionate about. I look forward to seeing your vieo creations. I love this time of year, thinking about what the New Year will hold and planning it. Thanks for the thoughts!
Chloe
Thank you, Chloe. I’ve been speaking with my coach, @rodkirby, and that’s one of the next frontiers for me. It’s ironic that I’ve been “thinking” about video for over two years, yet it’s only now that I’m ready to take action
Twitter: ChloeHodder
says:
Good to hear. We can force ourselves to do the uncomfortable now, or we can get there naturally through progression. Whatever works for you!
Chloe Hodder – Life Alignment Coach recently posted..“I Don’t Just Want to Be a Dreamer.” The Steps To Take When Your Mind Is Holding Your Hostage
Twitter: MUTUNGA
says:
Stephen,
You’re right on again! Listening is so important to doing business these days. I actual was just talking about this to my Facebook community. Here’s what I wrote…
“The marketer’s job has changed from creating and pushing messages to one that requires listening, engaging, and reacting to potential and current customer needs.”
The game is changing so us marketers/business owners need to adjust as well.
Great Post!
Dewane Mutunga recently posted..Creating Email Subject Lines That Work
Dewane, thank you very much! The other thing I’m finding is regarding selling: We need to be giving away our best content at a rate of 80%, and, as Lewis Howes says, giving it until our eyes bleed. Then we can give a soft sell 20% of the time.
Awesome post! Just shared it on SU. I am actually getting into some new projects specifically, because I think 2012 will definitely be a year that the regular business owner can not continue to ignore video.
Andy Nathan recently posted..The Art Of The Squeeze Page
Andy, have you used video much for your own business? Just curious, because if you have, I wonder if you’ve written any pointers on your own blog for “How To Make Videos”? If so, let me know so I can come on over and read about it. I’ve got making video on my list of strategies for 2012!
Twitter: joyce_edwards
says:
This is exactly what I am starting to do. It is great that you have given me a roadmap to follow. 2012 is going to be a great year. Thanks for you mind expanding information.
Joyce Edwards recently posted..Hey Obese People – Watch your Wallet!
Yea, Joyce! I can’t wait to see what you will be doing in your business in this coming year. Right now I have to get past my own mental hurdles to implementing my own advice
2011 was the year for me to turn my offline business into an online business. I made my first online products this year. The logical extension for me for 2012 is to start outsourcing a lot of the work. So that is my main focus for 2012.
By the way, I agree with your statement on video. Videos are so powerful. And so easy to make…
Karin recently posted..One email account for all purposes
Karin, you definitely contribute so much to your readers and customers. I’m excited to see the development results of your online business this year! I would love to see a blog post and/or tutorial from you on how to create videos!
These ideas are pretty interesting to consider to grow the business online and we have to look for every possible way to promote the product.
Thanks, team cooking
I realized that I already commented previously on this post but I just had to go back and refer again to your post and tips. I have actually participated in “The Challenge” where I am learning things that lets you build an online business from scratch. This is more technical in nature because we have to go through researching niches and keywords. So far, I am enjoying it. It’s a 30-day challenge where we are to go through one video tutorial a day and implement the action required. It’s exhausting coz I’m finding that I have to go back again and again to research more and find more keywords as some would get scratched out or fail from the filters. Pretty interesting but a lot of work. I hope it pays out in the end!
Cherrie Bautista@Social Media Manager recently posted..Growing Your LinkedIn Network
Cherrie, if you’re referring to Ed Dale’s challenge, I highly commend you! I’ve gone through that challenge a couple of times and purchased Market Samurai as part of the process. I’m so grateful for all I learned from Ed and his team. Of course, you may be part of an entirely different challenge, in which case I want to learn what you’re doing
Great stuff! For 2012, things should be a more complex and competitive to succeed in the business world. I came across a video that talks about the factor that every start up business people should know before running their business. http://marieforleo.com/2011/05/single-important-factor-business/
Hi! Your list of things to do in order to mold ourselves into successful entrepreneurs made me think about the things I am not doing. It will be difficult to add those little things to my already overwhelming schedule, but luckily I have remote employees who I can delegate tasks to. It makes life so much easier. To make sure they are doing exactly what I pay for, I am using this free employee monitor software. It created a calm and transparent working environment so I can feel safe about having workers whom I don’t see physically. So, I think I will do a bit of brainstorming and prepare a few topics for marketing videos. I also noticed they are becoming an irreplaceable part of online success.