If you're not among the high tech crowd, you may need to use some tough love on your computer.  Stop letting it kick you around. 

You know when you pop in that thumb drive and it starts copying all of the pictures, when all you wanted was a contract? 

You know when the program asks you, shall I ALWAYS open all files of this type like this FOREVER? 

You know when suddenly all of your familiar little wmv icons turned to   quick time and you don't know how?

When you saved something and it went somewhere and now you can't find it? 

Well, all of these applications have PREFERENCES, and naturally they're set to promote themselves as much as they can.  Let me open all your files, let me access the internet, let me automatically copy all files from anything you stick into your computer!  Like a good parent, you need to take a firm line here.  Go into those application preferences and set them straight..... tell them what you want them to do, where the default folder for saving or downloading is,  and whether you want them to do anything automatically.  You'll find that unlike children, you only have to tell them once.

I just finished production of a video series on do-it-yourself home repairs, which was innovated by a local contractor who found that jobs for non-essential home repairs were falling off in recent months. His past experience with do-it-yourselfers is that he was often called in to remedy their mistakes, because they just barged into a project thinking "I can do that...."   We've all seen those results  ("I can put in a skylight...how hard can it be?"  NOT).  

He's an engaging personality and a good teacher, and we've launched the website with the first in the series:  Interior Wall and Trim Painting, which includes special sections on how to fix damage in drywall, how to do special color transitions, and how to smooth out and texture a wall that has lots of nicks and gouges.   It's $14.99 for the whole hour in high quality streaming flash chapters, and if I do say so myself, it's a very nice looking production  Here's the Home Repair 1on1 website, have a look!

Sorry if you don't like spiders...but this is about the web. 

In a previous post, I mentioned that a new dynamic was coming in internet searches.....that those spiderbots that sniff through all of the sites in the wee hours of the morning were going to be smarter in 2009.  They'd recognize content other than words, like images, video, sound....even deconstructing sound to see what it says. 

I linked you to an article on it here , with the unsubtle motive of encouraging realtors to make good use of video at this sweet point in time when it's still a rather fresh approach.

Well those smart spiders are good enough, and this amazes me, to find an obscure little comedy of mine on YouTube that I filmed with my kids, called "The Pie Interrogation" (you can imagine what the interrogation technique was).  Our victim breaks into the song "You Had a Bad Day"....and the ROBOTS FOUND IT!  Now this is not a viral video, it has had about 1,200 views.   They sent me an email saying that my video contained content owned by WMG.  Now I'm all about respecting copyright in my professional work, and I don't think the feds are going to come busting in over this little comedy piece, because there is such a volume of copyright violation on the internet that only serious, for-profit offenders can be policed.

However, it neatly demonstrates my assertion that search dynamics have changed.  They are watching and listening to you now, so make sure you have something to say!

   This testimonial-driven piece I did for the Gardner Team addresses how your positive actions drive more business and customer satisfaction....even in a tough market.  We all know it's a tough market, so we chose not to focus on that.  It gives viewers some real facts, but is heavily balanced towards an emotional appeal, with genuine people giving their endorsements for this hardworking team.  This has been an effective marketing tool for them, if 1,600 views in two weeks and an upswing in business are any indication.

Click here to watch

It’s no secret that the internet has enabled a sea of changes in human interaction. From on-line dating  to goldfish chat, there are a million niche interests, with forums, waiting to be Googled.  Outside of the bandwidth shipping channels of on-line gaming and porn, a babel of voices streaks through the lines, in forums and comment pages.

When you dip into this ocean of opinion, you find that there are “regulars”, or “frequent contributors”.  They are people who watch the posts, the comments, the news, and give their shout out to the world, sometimes many times a day.

I began to wonder, who are these people?  Who is drinking_rogue, leadbetty1, trooperX?  Not their names, or where they live, but how do they live: what makes them want to walk the streets of an online community, giving comment to what others have to say?

Some are angry, some are humorous.  Some are moderates…the middle children of this wired family, trying to make everyone get along.  There are forums where the regulars joke with other regulars, trading repartee and then signing off of the electronic front stoop: until tomorrow, Prtykty.  Later, DrDog.

It’s a different form of community where people are their words and their animated icons.  You don’t know me, and I don’t know you, outside of this virtual space, but you’re going to check a few times a day to see what I have to say about what you have to say.

If the topic is controversial, (political or religious) strong opinions are put forth, and boundaries of politeness that wouldn’t normally be crossed in face-to-face interaction are routinely trampled.  Sarcasm, derision, and name calling are not unusual.  Polarization and taking sides is rampant.  Cruel remarks are made, about a gang shooting or a car wreck.  And yet, sometimes an exchange of ideas takes place.  Someone takes back their all-caps rant.  Someone says, “I was just trying to edit my comment when you posted your response.”  Someone says “I’m sorry.”   It doesn’t happen that often.  

On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, are forums where you can find help and support on everything from Photoshop to dying.  People you will never meet may send you their wishes and their prayers, a thin stream of hope in 1’s and 0’s.  Someone patrols Craigslist to make sure you don’t give away a cat to a guy that wants python chow.  Loving comments with glitter hearts are left on facebook and myspace pages, from and for people who have never breathed the same air.  My “friend” from myspace is moving to California; does it matter?   We live in the same city but have never met.

It strikes me that the internet may be a self balancing entity: swells of positive and negative energy seeking a level. I feel that we have a responsibility to contribute to the positive side, if we're using it.  It will be interesting to see what the view will be from the peak of the next  wave.

While I do not want to offend the agents who have done the "meet me and here's what I'm all about" video in front of the blue backdrop, I don't believe this is an effective use of video....at all.  The only emotion these videos evoke in me is at worst, discomfort, (because the speaker is not very comfortable) and at best, mild interest.  Again, referencing my first blog here on AR, Your Own TV Channel , you have to keep your viewer's sophistication in mind.

If you were to ask me to introduce you to your clients via video, I might let you talk to the camera....if you're a natural at it.   Here's a video from a recent client of  mine, the CEO of RSV, Vancouver, Washington's largest commercial builder.  He's a natural....his engaging, trustworthy personality comes bursting through that little screen.   RSV CONSTRUCTION video  But not many people, myself included, can do that for a long piece of dialogue!  

What I'd do, or recommend, is to spend a couple of well planned hours with you, in order to not only let you address the camera if you like, but while you're talking, to show you doing what you do; what makes you unique.  Do you walk your kids to school?  Run marathons?  Garden? Coach? Scrapbook?  Fish?  Every five second clip gives you the chance to hold the viewers' interest, plus it's a chance to make a connection with the people that like the same things you do, or respect you for doing them, without you saying anything about it.  You don't need to say "I love to fish" while you see the fishing scene....you can be talking about the way you do your job.  It's the double whammy of marketing, and it's a lot more fun to watch.  All that for about $350 for the average :30 -:45 image piece....but it will get watched and it works.  It goes on the web, and it plays at the head of every DVD you send out.

If this interests you and we don't live in the same area, ask me.  I'm networked with videographers all over the country.

And YES!  That is my fabulous new professional HD camera that I got just last week and it is gorgeous!

The explosion of media on the web means you can have your own private channel playing on your website....but will anyone watch?  We have to remember that our viewers' sensibilities are informed by expensive, expert production values in movies and television.  If you can't afford a crane and a crew, you can still make the connection with the people who land on your page, and it's through emotional content.  All of the years I have spent in advertising keep bringing me back to this point.  When it's a car we're selling, we sell it by appealing to power, seduction, and prestige; not the steel, welding and cylinders that are in it.  And when it's real property.....well, is there a purchase or sale that carries more emotion than real estate?  I don't think so.  If you haven't watched the video I did for Sherwood's Gardner Team of Realtors, click here

It has been so well received that we're working on two more.

Read about some best practices and where we're going with video on the web, including some interesting new information about video and Google searches, here.  Video can boost your SEO,  drive traffic to your site, and make your competitors envious.  And after that, it can do its job of convincing the client you're trying to win.