I just ran this quick video to share some enthusiasm for the quickly growing area of online video. The more I work with it the more into it I get!

The real trick though is to really work to give your audience a reason to watch. Don't just pitch them. Really deliver something that people will find valuable. If you just pitch all the time then people will see that's all you're about and stop watching your videos and reading your content.

Video marketing is becoming the new article marketing, and if you use it properly you can continue to build strong relationships with even more people.

Do you remember when you first started your blog?  Remember how excited you were, and how easy it was to write posts?  Well, after a few dozen blog posts it seems like you have talked about everything sometimes, doesn't it?

A few weeks ago I picked up an idea from one of the Internet marketing "gurus" about how to quickly create content for your blog.  I really like it because it helps leverage technology, which I'm always a big fan of.  The technology is voice recognition software.

How This Works for You

Most people can talk more prolifically than they can write, and in fact I'm dictating this to my computer right now!

At first, I was a bit hesitant about trying out this technology.  My previous experience with voice recognition software had not been real positive.  But now, I have taken some time to learn how this works and have put it to great use.

One of the easy ways to do it, is to find an article that you like and paraphrase the ideas in your own voice. It will work best if you include your own thoughts on the subject, which should come naturally anyway.  This way you can crank out a blog post in about 15 minutes and it's all good, relevant, unique content for your blog.

And you don't have to worry about correcting spelling mistakes.

What's not to like about that?

Also, once you start using it you will begin to see other areas in which the dictation software will be very useful.  For example you can create your own articles for publication on your website or in article directories that will have your own unique voice.  For most people, it's easier to speak in a conversational tone that is to write in one.  It's a conversational tone which helps you connect with your readers.

The Real Benefit

Using dictation sofware removes one more barrier to generating good, unique content written in your own voice for your blog or other article submissions. It decreses the amount of time you need to spend on that necessary task that most people tend to put off. And, as most online marketers know these days, having good content is key to attracting visitors and interest to your web site.

The software that was recommended to me is Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9. I ended up getting the "Standard" version as the version below that didn't have all the features I wanted, and the version above that added features I didn't need. I picked up the Standard version for just under $100 at my local office supply store, but that's becauase I was impatient and wanted to get started using it right away.

You can also order it from Amazon.com for just under $80: Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 – Standard

The software comes with a headset/mic to plug into your microphone port, but I use my USB headset.

Dictation software actually makes creating content fun!

Let's look at some of this, shall we?

Stop Selling!

The main thing that people really ought to pay attention to is how they are coming across to other people. The first thing is stop selling. Imagine you're going to a cocktail party, and you know that you're going to meet some really interesting people in there. And you could probably have really good conversations with them. What is also going through your head is that you're a marketer and these people would be a great audience for your product.

Get that thought out of your head right now!

You go to a cocktail party to meet some friends and make new friends. And not just friends for the sake of marketing to them later. It's true that some of them may do business with you in the future, but you can't know that right now. The people you talk to may actually be a great fit for what you offer, but if you come across too strong that's going to turn them off immediately.

Start Dating

One of my favorite analogies in marketing is the dating analogy. This analogy goes something along the lines of you being in the dating scene and looking for a husband or wife. You have a rough idea of the kind of person you'd like to marry. And, lo and behold, you see that person across the room at a party.

You smile at them, they smile at you, and you feel like there's a real match. You walk up to that person and the first words out of your mouth are "let's get married and have babies!" Unless there is something really wrong with that person they are going to run away from you as quickly as they can. But yet, many marketers still use this approach to finding new people for their business.

If you really are in the mindset of dating in order to find a good husband or wife, you'd go about it completely differently. Sure, you'd be attracted to people who matched up with your personality, interests, etc., but you would also take time to make sure you got to know them well. At some point you would have spent enough time with each other that it should become obvious that it's a natural match for you to get married.

The online social networks give you the opportunity to do just that with your business. By becoming involved with these networks as a true user and someone who is sharing their interests with other people, you become trusted and your opinion counts more with that audience.

The Trust Factor

From a pure marketing perspective, the best thing you can do is to build trust with your audience. The best way to build that trust is to really become a part of that audience. Relate to their problems and help them find solutions. If you do that you'll not only find good customers and business partners, but good friends.

If you're like many Internet Marketers and business owners you're working incredibly full days and you're even squeezing in work time on the weekends.  Is it working for you?  Why did you get into Internet Marketing or owning your own business?  The answer for many  is to be able to make money while still having time to do the things we love, whether it is fishing, volunteering at your children's school, or just having time to spend time with and take care of your family.  It's one of the reasons I started my own business. 

What I found is I now work 60+ hours a week taking care of the business of doing business.  Borrowing from Michael Gerber's great book, the E-Myth, as an Internet marketer you're an Entrepreneur, a Technician and a Manager.  You're doing it all.   You're probably throwing away money because you're too busy to focus on the key tasks that bring in more profits. 

This year, I've decided I'm not doing it all.  I'm asking for help.  I'm automating as much as I can and I'm outsourcing the tasks that make sense to outsource.  Of course what makes sense to outsource to me may not make sense to outsource to you. 

Some things you might consider outsourcing:

• Email
• Bookkeeping
• Research
• Customer Service
• Website development and maintenance
• Affiliate management
• Transcription and other administrative tasks
• Writing/copywriting

I'm a writer by trade so outsourcing my content doesn't make sense for me yet it makes sense for a large number of Internet Marketers simply because it is time consuming.   For example, let's say your hourly value is $50/hour.  That's the number of hours you worked last month divided by your net profits.  Chances are that hourly rate is driven by a few key activities. 

For example, if you're selling information then a tremendous amount of your profits are generated by marketing your products and developing your sales funnel.  If it takes 40+ hours to create an information product, that's worth $2000.  Your time might be better spent working as a marketer rather than a writer since you can have your products created for much less than $50/hour, or $2000, by hiring a ghostwriter.  

When you outsource the tasks that don't directly affect your profits, you can then focus your time and energy on doing the tasks that bring money in.  Administrative tasks are a really good place to start when you're exploring outsourcing and prioritizing your time. 

So what are you going to outsource this year?  How are you going to make time to be an entrepreneur, technician, and manager, and still have time to spend doing the things you love?  How are you going to make sure you don't have to work on the weekend?  How are you going to build your business and focus on the tasks that actually  make you money?

If you're interested in outsourcing writing, research, editing/proofreading, or transcription, visit www.allcustomcontent.com.

When you're writing you have one goal – to write a polished piece of copy.

When you're training for a marathon you have one goal – to be able to run 26 miles.

Both tasks are much easier to accomplish if you break them into manageable steps.

You can't go out and run 26 miles right away and you can't always sit down and write a perfect piece of copy.  During the difficult days, when putting one foot in front of the other, I deal with it by breaking the run into stages.  I'll run to the fence line. I'll run to the next stop sign, I'll run to the end of the block…you see the pattern.  Small steps.

The same holds true if you're struggling with writing your copy.

A letter, article, and even an email require:

• A headline
• An intro paragraph
• Relevant key points or benefits in the body of your copy
• A closing
• Occasionally it requires a signature or bio

These features of your copy are easy small steps you can take to make the project more manageable.   And don't forget to take breaks in between each stage of the process.  Over training will burn you out!  You'll lose focus and enthusiasm.  The same thing happens when you're writing an important piece of copy.

Happy writing!

Does it have something to do with how the company provides value to you?

There are a couple of companies that come to mind as my own favorites: Apple Computer & Subaru. Apple is legendary fro having a fanatical following. Why is that? Well you'll find a lot of places that will give you a detailed analysis, but it basically comes down to providing a great product and paying attention to the detail of aesthetics. And Steve Jobs is a marketing genius, but we can't all be Steve Jobs.

Subaru is on my short list for similar reasons. I've driven one of their vehicles for over 10 years with hardly anything more than routine maintenance. Also, ten years ago, there was nothing on the road quite like the Outback, which again plays into aesthetics. That's a lesson that US car makers are only recently applying.

I'm using the term "aesthetic" pretty broadly, taking to mean not only style & appearance, but customer service, long term value and overall quality. Apple and Subaru have used these qualities to build their businesses by developing a dedicated following.

With this in mind, what can you think of that you're doing in your own business to build a following? What makes you stand out in your market?

What is your aesthetic?

When you communicate to your audience, whether that's through email, blog posts or article submissions, you are (or should be) communicating in a voice that conveys your own personality. Your personal experiences color and enhance what you have to share with people, even if it's only a variation on knowledge that is already "out there". The way you communicate it can really help someone understand a subject in a new light.

This is why being yourself in your business is so important: it will help you build a following that really wants to your perspective on a subject, even if they are hearing about it from other sources. So listen to your audience and help them understand. Your biggest fans will help you spread the word and bring even more business your way.

What I've learned along the way is to tell my clients "thank you" as often as I can.  Not just because they're clients and they're helping me to keep my business profitable but because they're good clients.  They're clients that express what they want, offer helpful feedback, and of course generally pay on time.  By offering up a genuine thank you when emailing or talking on the phone, I know that they know they're appreciated. 

I'm also incredibly fortunate in that my clients are quick to share a "thank you" right back and that of course makes me feel appreciated.  Appreciation makes me work harder for my clients and I'm certain I'm not alone in this.  As a provider of a service or a marketer selling a product, it is important to know your products, services, and business efforts are appreciated. 

As a customer, it is helpful to share your gratitude because it will result in better service, better products, and an overall better customer experience. 

Reciprocal gratitude, that's good business! 

The more I learn about social applications like Facebook, the more I realize how many more channels there are to get a message out to people. For example, because of Facebook, I'm now networking with people in Australia to help them build their businesses and get exposure for them while they do the same for me.

Because I'm hanging out in social groups geared towards internet marketers, I get to meet people around the country and around the world. We find out that we have common interests and some common knowledge. But what's really cool is the stuff you learn from other people and what you are able to give in return. Things that may be second nature to you may be a complete revelation to someone else.

And maybe, just maybe, you'll get to hook up with the people you look up to most in your industry. Chances are, if they're still going to be going strong with business on the internet, they're going to be on an application like Facebook.

In fact, here's an invitation for you: if you're not on Facebook, go sign up now. Create your account and look me up. My profile is here (follow the link) and feel free to add me as a friend.

This is a lot different than MySpace, by the way. Facebook is a bit more grown up and they are serious about kicking people out who misbehave.

So, just a short post for today – basically it's just a reminder to get social and your business will thank you for it.

And then there's the real internet.

You know, the one where you spend lunch hour shopping for new running shoes, or watching a YouTube video, or even starting to work on your Christmas shopping. Somebody, somewhere, makes a little bit of money every time you do that, whether you whip out your credit card or not. The Internet is commerce driven and I would argue that's a good thing.

But back to the point of making money with your blog…

The guys over at Blue Sky Brothers are coming out with a process to help make it a bit easier to make some income from your blogging efforts. Now, to be completely frank, I haven't seen the product, don't know what it does, or if it's even any good.

But I like the concept, and I like the fact that they point out "having a niche blog is not the same as having a niche web site". I couldn't agree more. The real basis for a good blog is to build a relationship with your audience. Write stuff that you wouldn't mind your friends reading.

If you do it right, new people reading your blog will become your friends too, at least as how "friends" are defined these days on the online social networks. Since you're an online professional, you're more likely to come across things that these friends will find interesting. You might even be able to make a comission if someone buys the product you recommend.

Does that cross a line?

Why would it?

If you've used a product or service and found it valuable, why would you avoid getting some of the money from the company that makes that product if a friend buys it? Your friend will pay the same amount regardless, but you just get a bit of a "thank you" from the company for spreading the word. That's how affiliate marketing works.

And that's really key to your online business. Whether you are company that provides products or you make a living recommending other people's stuff, it's about getting the word out.

…which is exactly what blogs are great at doing. Go spread the word!