Lots of blue sky. Warm weather. And earthquakes!

Yep, a 5-point-four (5.4) — not big enough to hurt anyone, but definitely big enough to make you wonder if you need to run for the doorway.  But not enough to deter us from delivering our Video Resource Roundup #2.

And in this post, an extra juicy scoop on:

• How to turn your webcam into a worldwide interview broadcast studio. For free!
• A neat little trick that reveals how folks are finding your YouTube videos. (Real honest to goodness stats!)
• And an Academy Award winning director with a concept for a viral video you might just even be able to apply to your own niche!

First, lets get ready for our closeup!

I’m sure you have listened in on those teleseminar expert interviews. You may have even done a few yourself! They are a great way to build your list, raise your profile and maybe even link up with a few movers and shakers. But what if you could do a live video version? That’s right, interview an expert via webcam, and have it broadcast live to a worldwide audience?

If you are ready to take the leap, pop on over to TinyChat. Its live web video chat, where you can create a chat room with one or more of your webcam friends. But don’t let the ‘chat’ part cheapen this. You can really do live video interviews. And allow your audience to interact with you and each other via text chat.

According to their site, TinyChat has even added moderation. So you can keep your video chat to just you and your guest and ban unruly text chatter.

Lou Bortone and I did a highly successful broadcast as one of the preview events for our last Video Profit Pipeline. It was a blast. The audience loved it.

Now one thing TinyChat does not do is record your events. But you can hire a VA with a screen capture software to do that for you.

And now … for a bit of YouTube traffic spying!

Ever wonder how people are finding your best videos? So you can repeat your success? Or how folks are finding the more successful videos in your niche? Well YouTube has a cool feature where you can get some amazing stats, to boost your video success. Its the button in the red box in our little screen grab. Its on every YouTube video.

And when you click it, you get amazing valuable information. Including how people found your video. Which keywords and search terms they are using. A cool traffic graph to show you when your video was hot (and when it wasn’t). Try it yourself!

Just pop on over to YouTube and click on the double downward arrow to the right of your view counter. And be amazed with the valuable data you get for free!

And finally, a cool viral idea:

Oscar winning director Kevin McDonald had a cool idea for a film – ask normal folks like us to submit video to YouTube about what they do on a single day – July 24, 2010. And then, edit it together to create an experimental narrative of what daily life is like for all of us.
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Judging by the almost 100,000 people that have already viewed his explanation, its an idea that might pay off for you as well.

A day in the life of an entrepreneur?  Hmmm . . .

Click here to find out more about his project.

One moment … it’s a normal day.

The next … crisis!

And just recently, I experienced how an emergency can arise in an instant. And completely displace everything you had been thinking about just moments before.

And this one came THAT CLOSE to requiring a trip to the hospital emergency room.

However, its what happened just before I was about to make the decision to head to the hospital, that not only saved my bacon. But revealed a massive opportunity you are probably missing to turn your best prospects on to everything your business has to offer.

(Click photo above to view video)

Yep this is a true story. And there are countless emergencies your prospects are having right now. That are just as serious as the one I was going through. And in their moment of need, despair and panic … are you going to be the one they find to save the day?

Would love to hear your take on this. What client emergencies could you make a video about? Let me know in the by adding your comments below.

And as a solo business owner I discovered simple observation can take you a long way. And also save you (and make you) a heck of a lot of money.

And here is the reason why:

Much of what the Marketing Gurus teach in their uber-expensive home study courses, they are doing daily in their business.

Right out in the open.

So if you can’t afford their course — you can pick up alot of the same tips simply by watching what they do.

It takes a bit of focus. And effort. But a little bit of observation goes a long way.

And one of these powerful out-in-the-open lessons came my way recently from the good folks at Starbucks. And, thank you very much, just observing what they did (and how I reacted) is going to help boost my bottom line in the future:

By retaining my best customers with special ways to treat them like gold.

Take a look and let me know some of the ways you have found to keep customers coming back again and again by commenting right below this video:
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I just returned from a consulting gig in the New York City area. That included a white knuckle cab ride through Manhattan at rush hour that rivaled any roller coaster I have ever been on. (Wow! People do that every single day!)

But there is another traffic adventure a lot of us struggle with every day. And it can be just as harrowing.

Getting more visitors to our websites.

What if there was a way to quickly and easily repurpose short, written articles to article directories, blogs, audio, Facebook, Twitter … even video!

Its not a dream. You can this technique to get literally thousands of views from a single content idea.  To get the most visitors and subscribers from every content idea you have.

You can do this. Really! Click here for the simple step-by-steps.

As much as I rail again being obsessed with cool tools … how they are the crash-and-burn demise of scores of online entrepreneurs, who think having the latest gadget is their ticket to traffic nirvana …

… I am …  well … obsessed with cool tools.

While I usually keep it under wraps, I have finally decided to let this secret love out into the open!

And hopefully, it can help you have some fun (and boost your bottom line):

YouTube Business Cards:

OK, ok. So its not exactly a necessity.

But if your vids are too cool for school, why not let the world know?

And for a limited time they are ridiculously cheap!

YouTube in partnership with MOO.COM are offering 50 high-quality “Watch Me on YouTube” business cards. What’s even cooler is you can design them yourself! On the image side, you can put different thumbnails from your videos, your YouTube channel icon or a variation on your channel’s design.

Talk about standing out from the crowd! You just gotta see what these look like!

Free Video Email

Awhile back I stumbled on a site called TokBox. While other folks were charging for video email (or giving you a measly minute for free), TokBox was offering up to 10 minutes of video at no charge. Now, let me get clear: This isn’t video in the email. But your email is sent with a clickable screen grab of one of the frames for your video!

Talk about a cool way to grab the attention of high on the hog JV partners! Pop on over and sign-up for a free video email account. They also offer video chat rooms and other cool features.

Convert PowerPoint to Video:

Its actually one of the most asked questions I get: How do I convert my PowerPoint presentations into video?

Well, one way is to wait for PowerPoint 2010 to go live. (Yep, its built in). But if you on older version of PowerPoint, you are still in luck.

Because the folks at Acoolsoft have created an application that takes your PowerPoint presentations and converts them to video formats you can upload to YouTube, Facebook, and other video sharing sites.

An added bonus — its really affordable!

So if you have been hankering to put those PowerPoint files growing mold on your hard drive to good use … grabbing eyeballs, subscribers and dollars … you just gotta see this.

Make sure the kids are tucked away. Make sure no one is listening. And get your crash helmets. This is a little bit of a rant …

But has anyone else noticed no one is communicating anymore? Even in places where the risk of not communicating is literally thousands of dollars of delays, misunderstandings and lost business?

Because the truth is … the reason your vendors are so unresponsive,  your JV partners always seem to get it wrong, and  your colleagues take so long to respond to you may have absolutely nothing to do with them …

And EVERYTHING to do with you!
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One you have used scores of times in the past without realizing what a treasure trove of potential traffic it holds?

Its Amazon.com

While you may have spent thousands there, you probably didn’t know you were skipping over potentially thousands of new eyeballs for your website. And tons of new revenue for your business.

Nope its not selling your eBooks. Its way simpler and easier.

Because here is what you are missing:

When we create articles that don*t appeal to our market, guess what?

The don*t get read. Another hour wasted. Another hour you can never get back.

What if you could know what your market would respond to – in advance? What would that be worth to you?

Well here is the secret to making Amazon your traffic-boosting friend:

1.

From the Amazon home page, click on the Books menu at the left side of the page.

2.

From the horizontal menu bar that appears across top of page choose Best sellers.

3.

Choose a category from the menu stack along the left side of the page that most closely matches what your prospects are looking to accomplish

4.

Continue choosing subcategories from along the left side of the page until you have honed in on one specific area your prospects are really interested in.

5.

Once you have found your ideal subcategory, explore which topics your market is buying.

Hint:

Best-seller means your prospects are already spending money to discover more about this topic. That is huge market intelligence.

When you find a book that really strikes a nerve, click on it and read the reviews.

This is even more specific feedback on exactly why your market finds the book valuable . Why they are spending money on it. And what they are most hungry to know.

Then simply use this priceless guidance to create specific articles you KNOW in advance your prospects will eat up.

And watch your new found traffic flow!

Free Resource:

Would you like to discover even more priceless Article Traffic tips and secrets. Without spending a dime?

Click here for the New Rules to Article Traffic

All the hot new traffic avenues like social media and video actually make your articles MORE valuable. Say what!?!

If you miss this crucial truth, you are missing out on potentially thousands of new prospects, and a torrent of traffic.

So sign up for this amazing free webinar presentation. And get a jump on making your own content your most powerful traffic magnet!

The days when you could throw your articles at the vast wall of cyberspace and hope they stick are long gone. More likely than not, articles created this way disappear into the void. Never to be heard from (or read) again.

However, there are 3 really simple things you can do to make your articles irresistible.

And they have nothing to do with writing ability. Or technical ability. How do I know?

I have worked extensively with scores of people:

• Individual clients
• In groups in my Challenge Offerings
• Spearheading teleseminars and other programs.

And 95% of the folks I work with are doing it wrong. Wasting hours upon hours. Getting discouraged and doubting themselves.

When the problem isn’t them or what they are offering.

Its how they are communicating to their followers.

Seriously, you are very likely missing at least one of these key fixes. Its killing you. And it doesn’t have to. If you know 3 simple ideas that can turn it all around.

1 – Mirror Your Market:

Warning: This is going to hurt. Its not personal. But it is crucial:

No one cares about you or your products.

(Its OK, they don*t care about me and my products either).

They care about themselves. They care about their problems. They care about trying to heal the gaping holes in their business. (Yep, the dirty secret is EVERYONE has them!) Even the folks who impress you with photos of their jetset lifestyle and their kiss-up photos with the big gurus.

Get over yourself. Your articles are about your prospects. They aren’t about you.

If you get this, you are 85% on the way to liberating your business.

Your market starts to care about you when you share what helps to heal them and their businesses. Not what gets you excited.

This doesn‘t mean you can’t share your experiences, your insights. But first, you have to share what your market is yearning to hear. Not what you want to give them.

Now relax. This doesn’t mean you have to lower your standards. Because chances are, with just a bit of work, you can find huge areas of overlap. Where what you love to talk about is what your market most wants to hear.

Action Step:

Ask what your market wants to hear about first. THEN find things you love to talk about that match. If you can make this simple reversal you will watch the response to your articles soar. As will the size of your list. And your bank account to boot.

2 – Deliverance Points:

Once you discover what interests your market, you have to discover their Deliverance Points.

These are their bottom line must haves. These are the issues your audience must resolve. These are the deal breakers. These are the chronic relentless challenges they yearn to be delivered from. And the exalted, magnificent goals they want to be delivered to.

A bit melodramatic? Yes. But trust me, there is melodrama in the lives of your followers. Tons of it. Its the melodrama that drives them. Its the melodrama that gets them to act. And when your prospects fall to their knees, pleading “Someone, deliver me!” And you are standing in front of them with their deliverance, they will pay you (and pay you handsomely).

Action Step:

Create articles that deal with your market’s Deliverance Points. And give them material that starts them on the way to their deliverance. Where they can actually taste that their lives don’t have to be this way. Then they can’t help but follow you wherever you ask them to go.

3 – The Ouch Factor:

OK, you positive thinkers are gonna hate me for saying this. But pain is a necessary precursor to action.

Oh yes, I know in theory, in a perfect world everyone affirms for what they want. And banishes any negativity to the hinterlands.

In reality, the number of folks who truly operate this way might (if you are lucky) pay your electric bill for the next 3 months.

What gets the majority of people to act immediately, decisively and forcefully is pain. If you doubt this, just watch what happens when someone places their hand too close to the stove. That, my friends, is quick action!

Most people (me included) would much rather forget their pain, their challenges, the biggest gaps in their lives and their businesses or try to wish them away. So in order to move through this massive barrier of denial, your articles should make your audience more conscious of these situations.

Yes, it will hurt them a little. But because you will be doing this skillfully (and not like a slime-ball) it will actually make them more aware of how important their dreams are. And when you are standing there, with their solution, guess what they are going to do!

Action Step:

Be sure your articles initially make your readers more conscious of what isn’t working for them. And more aware of what that is costing them. When you do this, the attraction of what you offer will grow naturally. And you will see the results in your growing list and growing sales.

BONUS ACTION STEP:

Want specifics on how to leverage these 3 crucial success secrets to grow your list and your bottom line? Then join us for a free live webinar:

The New Rules of Article Traffic:
How to Make Your Articles the Center
Of Your Traffic and List-Building Empire

You’re one click away from discovering secrets to drastically increase the views your articles receive, and the results they deliver to your business.

You are fired up about your topic. You know you have the crucial secrets that are going to transform the lives of your viewers. You have figured out the perfect way to say it. And you feel great about it!

Then you get in front of the camera and … its all gone.

Blank. Nothing. Nada.

Or maybe you just get self-conscious to the point were you can’t even get on camera. The lighting. Your hair. The bags under your eyes.

(The truth is: No one notices these things but you. But they can kill your desire to reap the benefits of online video).

Video stage fright takes many different forms. Fortunately for us, there are powerful and effective ways around it. Here are three of the best:

Telling the truth: Authenticity is easy (and sexy!)

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Authenticity connects. The people with the most subscribers on YouTube are REAL people. Not models. So if you are nervous, say so. If you look like hell because your adorable four-month old kept you up all night, say so.

Often what you will unleash is a deluge of authentic connection with your viewers you could not have generated any other way. Its true.

I remember I was reading a tweet from a big time marketer, who I thought had it all down all the time. Its said simply:

“This is useless. Feel like crap today. Gonna take a nap. See if that helps.”

Did that make me trust her less? NO! In fact, its the only Tweet of hers I remember! First because it was authentic. Two, it made me feel better about myself, because I have been there, and had that exact same feeling.

Feel like crap. Gonna take a nap.

Strange as it sounds, I now feel MORE bonded to her. And more receptive to future messages. And in today’s marketing climate, receptivity –> attention –> trust –> sales.

Now, notice I didn’t say DWELL on it. While people will connect with authenticity, no one wants to sit through a 10-minute on camera pity party. Also, don’t make a habit of it. Don’t start all 15 of your videos with “Wow, I feel nervous today.”

But alot of times, just laying it on the table, getting it out there, not only makes you authentic, it gets you through to the other side of your stage fright, so that it either becomes manageable, or you never have to deal with it again.

Pick the low hanging fruit

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When you shoot your first videos, start with something familiar, that you are intimate with, that you are passionate about, that you could do a decent job with if someone woke you at 3 am and shoved a camera in your face.

Your “Save Humanity Manifesto!” can wait until you gain more confidence. But don’t put pressure on yourself by trying to convey thoughts that you are still getting clear on yourself.

Choose quick, concise easy topics you know inside and out for your first videos. Gain confidence. Then get ambitious.

What makes you angry, what makes you cry, what makes you laugh

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Ever notice that when you are passionate about something, you aren’t nervous about expressing yourself? Like the person who cut you off in traffic. Did you even think about giving them a piece of your mind? Did you say, “Wow, that was really lame, but you know, I’m feeling kinda nervous about letting you know you almost sent both of us the hospital. My hair isn’t quite right. I have bags under my eyes. And my lighting sucks.”

Or did you just let fly?

I am not suggesting you become one of those talk radio hosts whose sole purpose in life is pissing people off. However most of us have no problem expressing ourselves about things we feel strongly about. Passionate about.

Funny stories that relate to your topic are also a great way to loosen yourself up and get you into the flow. Remember that “Feel like crap, gonna take a nap” story? Great example. Telling a story is often a great way to connect you with what you need to say, and you become lost in relating the information rather than how you look.

Let go of the compulsion to deliver information (OK, after I tell them point 1, then I have to tell them point 2, then I have to tell them my funny little story, then I …). Your viewers are looking for a real person. So let them have it. Not only will expressing your passion make you forget about stage fright, it will make you alot of new friends. Which really adds up on your bottom line.