Andrew Warren-Payne

A move to a new site

2009-11-08T22:29:00.003Z

Friends, readers, and casual browsers...

I have taken the plunge, and now have my own domain, where all new content will now appear.

Please visit at andrewwarrenpayne.com

Why your customers don’t use Twitter, and what you need to teach them

2009-07-01T08:12:00.001+01:00

Despite the media reports, not everybody uses Twitter, and the people that do, don’t do it in a productive way.

According to the report Twitter Tally by eMarketer, the number of adult Twitter users in the US was 6.0 million (3.8% of internet users) in 2008. In 2009, it’s expected to be 12.1 million (7.4%), and in 2010, 18.1 million (10.8%). Even though there is an increase, this isn’t a great amount of people.
Despite some figures claiming huge growth in the number of Twitter accounts, it’s questioned how much people actually use them.

Not all people are “early adopters” – the mainstream do not currently see the value of Twitter

Although a huge number of people are now on social networking sites, with Twitter this is not exactly the case. People read about it ad nauseam in the newspapers and other media, but do not warm to it quickly. The reason being is that people find it hard to figure out what it is all about. Its (much discussed) rather vague statement of "What are you doing?" does not immediately present its usefulness. Questions the uninitiated ask are:

What are followers?
Who can I follow, or what do I follow?
Why is following important?
Can I only do this from my web browser?
AND CRUCIALLY - Why should I spend my time using this? This is increasingly important as social networking users are becoming more savvy and efficient in the way they use such technology.

Part 1 of the solution: explain why Twitter is valuable

Educate your customers that Twitter is used to give out special offers, information - things of value. Explain that there is a lot of noise, but amongst that there is information of real worth for their lives.

A great example of this is Dell, who even have their own Twitter portal. Here, a multitude of specially targeted Twitter channels have been created. People subscribe to the ones that are important for them. Want to know about Dell homesales in Japan, Australia, China or New Zealand? There’s a channel for you. Want refurbished Dell computers in the Republic of Ireland? There’s one for you.

The value for customers is that they only get relevant information, they get great offers, and they get news of it instantly.

Part 2 of the solution: in the context of adding value, answer the newbie questions for them

To be able to educate your customers about Twitter is great not only because they will use it to receive information from you, but also because they will permanently associate Twitter with you. This could potentially have a great word of mouth effect, in that all their Twitter uninitiated friends who they speak to directly may be referred directly to your website.

Part 3: Now tell them and show them how to do it

Tell them to get an account
Tell them to follow you
If necessary, tell them to get SMS updates from your channel
Tell them about retweeting
Engage them in conversation!

Twitter, Social Media Return on Investment, and Mobile Internet

2009-06-16T18:45:00.005+01:00

Image by Will Lion via Flickr

This post is addressed to the small and medium sized enterprises that might be a bit unsure as to how Twitter can provide them with a return on investment...

As I have blogged about in the past, one of the places where I go to find information (other than online) is the British Library. I popped along last week to have a read through some of the market reports from Mintel, eMarketer, KeyNote, and a few more besides. There were three things that interested me from reading these reports:

The fact that although some statistics show massive growth in Twitter, the amount of effective users is questionable.
A belief amongst marketers that social media (including social networking) is not yet proven as an effective marketing technique, in terms of both measurement and return on investment (although Dell has been successful, and companies such as Skittles, Cadbury and Starbucks have jumped on board).
A frustration that the marketing potential of mobile internet has not been fulfilled.

I've decided to address some the concerns regarding Twitter, social media ROI and mobile internet in seeking to answer the question: how can using Twitter deliver a return on investment for a small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs)?

The reason why I have decided to try to answer that question is for the following reasons:

During the current economic climate, social media presents itself as a cheap way of marketing for SMEs, as opposed to traditional methods of generating sales.
Twitter, as far as social media is concerned, an easy tool to use as an example.
Although using Twitter and other social media sites are cheap, the tools available online present great opportunities in targeting the right kind of customers.
Businesses need to be proactive in encouraging their customers to use social media to connect with their products and services - otherwise in due course, someone else will.

In answering the key question, three blog posts with leading questions will be written:

Why your customers don't use Twitter, and what you need to show them
Why you might not consider Twitter for marketing, and what you need to do
Seeing if it was worthwhile - ways to calculate your return on investment.

This is a work in progress, so there are bound to be changes to this post and the upcoming ones. But stay tuned, and if you have any suggestions about Twitter or other social media return on investment, get in touch.

Updating social media from your Blackberry, iPhone, or other mobile device

2009-06-15T13:51:00.004+01:00

Image by scottpowerz via Flickr

The tips below are aimed at the novice, or for those who haven't yet exploited the power of mobile social media.

One issue with regards to using social media is that it's best to use it regularly. This means that you have a constant flow of content to the web to update, entertain and educate your audience. In fact, it's a vitally important way of saying, you're there and you care.

So what if you're on the road?

Here's my tips on how to use your mobile device to keep your audience updated.

Blog by email
Most blog providers have a post from email function. This means that, as long as you can email (so, if you have a Blackberry, iPhone or similar), you can post to your blog.

With Blogger you can even set your email up only to save drafts. This way you can "mind dump" your thoughts, and then edit them when you can, adding media content (such as that from Zemanta.com - this post was created exactly that way).

Post photos by email with Flickr
Flickr users can post by email function, similar to above. If there's a photo you want to get online, snap it with your camera phone, and email it to the appropriate address. Edit the subject line to give a title, and add tags by simply stating "Tags:".

Twitter by text or Twitterberry
Twitter is a fantastic platform to get your message across. And you can do it by text from your mobile phone. This means a 3G phone (or other one with a browser) is not needed to post. And rather than text, you can also use applications (such as Twitterberry) to keep things up to date on the blogosphere.

Bookmark with Delicious using Viigo
If you're into your RSS feeds, and like to share them using Delicious, I'd recommend using a mobile RSS reader with post to Delicious functionality. Viigo is one such example. Or just point your mobile browser at http://m.delicious.com

Facebook apps for mobile devices
There are quite a few applications for Facebook for a variety of different mobile devices, such as Facebook for Blackberry or Facebook for iPhone. Although they have their limitations, they are are still very useful, and the apps themselves get constantly updated, so the functionality continues to improve.

How do I use a blog to get my message online?

2009-06-02T12:16:00.014+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

Following on from the previous post, I'm going to discuss how you can use your blog to get your message online.

So, at the outset, a blog seems simple. Go to a blog hosting site (such as Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr etc.), type in a few words, and hey presto there it is. Unfortunately, to make your blog work for you, you need to incorporate a few tactics.

Like I've previously said, there is an absolute mountain of information online which can tell you what you need to do, so I have distilled it into a few points below:

1. Make sure your blog has a purpose
Like with Twitter, it's crucial that your blog has a specific purpose. Unless you a famous celebrity where people are actually interested in what you ate for breakfast, it's unlikely to gather much interest if your blog is an amorphous, undefined list of posts.

If your blog currently has no raison d'etre, go away and think about it now!

2. Know what your audience are after
This is basically about providing what your readers are looking for. But how do you do that? What do they want?

The Old Fashioned Way - just to start off the list, why not simply ask what your customers want. And an even better way than just emailing them - ask them in person! Get constructive feedback from anyone. And incorporate it into your next blog posts.
Google Reader - subscribe to lots of RSS feeds on your industry/niche. When people start writing about something, you will know about it. Then comment further on it, writing comments on other people's blogs.
Google Alerts - instant email alerts about any search term you want. You can also customize it by region. For example, if your business involves desktop speakers in the UK, your Google Alert would read "desktop speakers site:.uk"
Keywork analysis - a good way to direct people to your site is to know exactly what key terms they are looking for. For example, someone looking to buy desktop speakers might search for "computer speakers", "[insert brand name here] speakers", "[insert brand name here] desktop speakers" and so on. Although there's a lot of paid for software available, you can use Google's Keyword Tool for free. Knowing the keywords that will bring people in, and incorporating them into your blog with a little bit of knowledge of how Google works, is a sure fire way to success.
Twitter tools - if your business relies on up-to-the-minute feedback, there are several great tools to find out who is talking about what on Twitter - examples include Tweetmeme, search.twitter.com and Twitt(url)y. Tweetmeme, for example, works through the concept of "retweeting" - basically where someone duplicates what someone else has already tweeted. And the best thing is, you can subscribe via RSS for any retweet feed that comes in. Absolutely fantastic.

3. Provide the content your audience want in a way that is engaging and entertaining
So you've done the research on what your audience want to hear about. Now it's your task to write up that content. Here's a few ideas on what makes good content:

Edit it for ease of reading - this means embolden subsections, write it in bullet points, create numbered lists etc. As people don't spend ages on websites, as they can easily click away, you need to grab their interest and hold them on to the page. Editing your blog post correctly is a good way to get started.
Embed media - add pictures, videos, anything that gives depth to your post. Why not upload some photos to Flickr and then incorporate them in your blog? A really easy way to do this is to use Zemanta.

4. Get the word out there - but do it tastefully
The thing about blogging is people tend to not like spamming style behaviour. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

Only using social bookmarking sites to bookmark your own content
Going and following absolutely everyone on Twitter so they follow you back (and then in some occassions, promptly defollowing them as soon as possible)
Putting up awful content, and then stuffing the whole page full of revenue generating click links

However ways you can put the word out there include:

Put RSS or email subscription options on your blog.
Tell everyone you meet (and who might want to know) about your blog
Engage in conversation online with people who blog about similar things
Use the right keywords to bring people in

Above all, try to blog genuinely. Even if you have ulterior motives with your blog, please try not to waste people's time. It is very easy to gain a negative reputation.

5. And a final note...
Try not to let your blogging turn into a humourous yet negative lifestyle choice.

How do I use Twitter to get my message online?

2009-05-26T19:51:00.006+01:00

Image via CrunchBase

From the looks of things, everybody seems to be using Twitter nowadays. Demi Moore used Twitter to get tickets to Britain's Got Talent. Stephen Fry used Twitter to let over 200,000 people know he was stuck in a lift.

So the question for the rest of us is - how do I use Twitter to get my message online? Whether it's just to ask someone to call the lift engineer out, or to further your business, Twitter can help.

The answer to this seems initially simple - just send a "Tweet". But effective Twittering is much more than that. Below are a few tips I've gleaned and attempted to distill from the best websites out there.

1. Have a purpose for your Tweets
Before you set out sending updates from your mobile phone or trying out the latest platforms to Tweet, know why you are doing it first. If you are in the Jiffy bag industry, try to tweet about Jiffy bags. This helps make sure the message you are sending out is universal.

I have to say, I don't always stick to this... but it's a habit that is best to get into.

2. Tweet regularly
If you've got an audience that follow you, or people who just want to do some research on you or your company, having a good quantity of previous Tweets for them to observe is crucial. If your message is consistent over a lot of tweets, you'll do really well.

3. Add value to others like no one else can
What makes you stand out? What can you tell people that no one else can? If you're an expert in one thing, and no one else is giving that knowledge out for free, here's your chance - go for it!

4. Help others with your Tweets
Don't only use your Twitter account for self promotion - instead, help to promote the work of others. People will be grateful for and respect this.

5. Connect with others in your niche - and if it's a big niche, find a microniche
Twitter's biggest "niche" is probably something like either "politics", or in a rather story within a story way (for want of a better term), social media. To try and get into the big leagues with that, as a new guy, would be near enough impossible.

However, there is always a way to break it down into a sub niche or microniche. For example, "social media" could become "social media in London" or, even smaller, "social media in North London". I believe as most people operate their businesses within a small geographical niche, they should look at breaking down their message into something area specific, and connecting with people in that way. And why not - dare I say it - go meet these people in person! I'd recommend starting your own Meetup group to get the ball rolling.

Of course, the list above isn't exhaustive - for those who want more detail, be sure to check out the below web sites:

How to use Twitter - tips for bloggers - An excellent article from Problogger
How to use Twitter to grow your business - An excellent article from Copyblogger
TwiTip - A blog dedicated to Twitter tips
Newbie's guide to Twitter - if you're completely lost, or just want to know how to get started really easily, click here.

And the articles below are excellent too - I've had a read through all of them, they're all written in the last month, and they are well worth checking out. So go ahead! And soon you can use Twitter to get your message online.

Why the random articles on the blog?

2009-05-15T19:09:00.006+01:00

You might wonder why I seem to post rather random articles occassionally on this blog. Like my previous one on the multi purpose hook on a Swiss army knife. Well, there are two reasons:

It interests me - or at least it interested me at the time.
It allows me to see how successful I can be in providing people with the information they need.

Take the last post for example. The top two search terms were:
"what is the purpose of a hook on swiss army knife" and "victorinox multi-purpose hook whats it for". Quite niche terms - and I managed to get result #4 on Google for "Multi purpose hook swiss army knife". Which basically means people have managed to find my site, come to it, and access the information.

Why is this important?
For those looking to increase their presence on the web, if they have a niche interest or area, by creating content on a regular basis - in line with the key search terms that their customers or audience uses - people will come by to their website. And from that visit, hopefully people will buy what is on offer there.

Uses for your Multi Purpose Hook on your Giant Swiss Army Knife

2009-05-04T16:15:00.007+01:00

The Victorinox Climber: Image by capcase via Flickr

As I was browsing to purchase an Amazon DVD, I noticed something rather obscene on the front page... The Wenger Swiss Army Giant Knife... could this be true? It absolutely was.

This got me thinking about what the multi purpose hook on my personal Swiss Army Knife, the Victorinox Climber, could be used for. I found a list of things your Swiss Army Knife can do, and as for the multi purpose hook, the following was useful:

Coat hanger
Parcel carrier
To pull things that would hurt your hand
Shoe lace extractor - for when the laces on your boots get really tight or caked with mud, particularly at the end of the boot
Tent peg extractor
A useful tool to ponder with when bored

Any more ideas on what the multi purpose hook can be used for on the Swiss Army Knife, let me know and I'll add them to the list.

A new raison d'être: what interests me and what interests others

2009-04-21T17:51:00.003+01:00

I've been thinking for some time: this blog needs a new raison d'être. And it needs to be consistent with a personal brand. But when one doesn't have a specific product, or specific current industry/field, this can be difficult. I'm not really for a "Blog me" where I post about what I ate for breakfast and soapbox rants about the irritable minutiae of life - unless of course it fits in to everything else.

So as for a mission statement: "To write about what interests me and interests others". This is where I think I can do what I think the Internet can do best - add value and share value.

For a typical example, some niche retailers over a specific geographical area might benefit from posts that are tagged to that business. For example, an excellent bakery might have no chance of getting into Google's Top 10 for "cookies", but they do have a chance for "cookie delivery north London". If I like a bakery in north London, I can write a review, tag it and index it appropriately, and then the chances of people finding such an excellent service locally increases dramatically.

This, in my opinion, becomes ever more important as the Internet becomes the medium for ever smaller niches, connecting people with exactly what they want where they want it, especially as software improves further with mobile devices. Google Maps and Google Street View are recent examples of integrating further the real world with the online.

For example, searching for "Pizza restaurants" using Google Maps on my Blackberry will instantly find the nearest pizza restaurant to me, using my triangulated position from GPS and phone masts to see where I am. The restaurant listings will also be linked to reviews that have been aggregated from across the web. This means, wherever I am, I know what is around me and what other people think of it. Value I seek is connected to value available - I get what I want, and the restaurant has a new customer.

So my blog can now add to the information present out there - and act as a small something of value for someone on the World Wide Web. What interests me and what interests others.

A return to blogging

2009-04-02T15:38:00.003+01:00

I've decided that I've left this blog alone for too long. The reason? Well, being busy as usual...

Obviously, having a blog with your name on it and not keeping it updated is not ideal, for two points:
1. The people who want to know how you're getting on find it harder to find out.
2. From an SEO perspective, fresh content will keep the blog regularly indexed in Google etc. and keep the blog afloat in the rankings that matter to you.

So stay tuned - I shall be back with new content shortly.

Disclaimer

2008-08-04T23:52:00.003+01:00

As I have started employment, I am entering the following disclaimer.

Sole responsibility of content
The content posted here (with the exception of third-party comments) is solely the responsibility of myself, Andrew Warren-Payne. The views and opinions that may be expressed here do not necessarily represent those of my employer or any third party I may be associated with and are entirely my own.

Comments
I am not held responsible for any comments that may appear on this blog. Responsibility lies with the contributor. Please notify me if anything potentially illegal, libelous, or otherwise likely to cause harm or offence is posted here so that it may be removed.

Content validity
No guarantees are made as to the validity of the content within this blog, and the author indemnifies himself from any loss or damage that may arise as a result of using or reading any part of this weblog. It must be understood that weblogs are transitory and what may be valid at one time will not be valid at another.

Copyright
All content produced by the author is subject to copyright unless stated. Please request permission before using any content in a commercial context.

For more information on how to write a blog disclaimer, click here.

The Thirty Day Challenge - it begins!

2008-08-02T20:59:00.002+01:00

As I have mentioned in my blog before, I have signed up for something called the Thirty Day Challenge. Now, this might sound like some form of diet, but it is actually a completely free course in internet marketing.

Why I signed up to the Thirty Day Challenge
Some people have wondered if this a scheme that tells people how to make money online must be a scam. In fact, many probably are. But having tried out last year's challenge, it opened my eyes much more - internet marketing primarily isn't about making money, it is about knowing how the web works and making sure people see what you want them to see. Whether that's an online shop, your business, or simply something you want to share with as many people as possible is really irrelevant.

It's a really great way to find out the tools to get your content viewed
If you're interested in promoting yourself online - whether that's through online video, blogging, or a whole host of tools, I'd strongly recommend you sign up. And the great thing about is it's completely free. I'm not sure whether Ed Dale and the crew are just doing it for good karma or not, but you should seriously give it a try.

Did I mention I even got a free drink out of it?
In fact, I have already got value out of it. At the meetup on Manchester where I met Dan Raine face to face, the man was even kind enough to buy me a drink, and his friend Jon supplied a surplus of free cider. And did I mention Dan had a Zpen as well? He must be a top bloke!

To sign up to the Thirty Day Challenge, just click here to find out what it's about. You'd be crazy not to.

Prefer paper sometimes? The Dane-Elec Zpen: A Review

2008-07-26T21:57:00.005+01:00

Since it's the weekend, I thought I would take a break from writing posts about online video and instead write a review of a gadget I've recently bought: the Dane-Elec Zpen. In the UK, the current price on Amazon is £73 which I think is a good deal.

For me, I do prefer sometimes just writing on paper. It's a good way just to dump thoughts, you don't have to worry about the power on your laptop, and you can just open up a notepad and pen and write anywhere. However, I have a tendency to forget which notepad I scribbed something in. The thought of being able to digitise all my handwritten notes and save them forever is brilliant!

Where did I hear about the Dane Elec Zpen?
The first I heard about the pen was on Channel 5's The Gadget Show. It looked really cool so I decided to give it a go.

Here's a YouTube video so you have an idea about what it is:

Buy.com features the Dane-Elen zPen

What comes in the pack?
In the pack you get one zPen, one receiver, and one USB cable. The software is preloaded on to the receiver unit.

The pen itself is powered by two watch batteries. Below is the pen disassembled - you can see most of the internal structure is decidated to the infra-red diodes at the end which tell the receiver where you're writing.

Setting it up... slowly...
Getting the package this morning felt like Christmas... however, I couldn't play with it immediately. Plastered everywhere over the packet and on instructions was the message that YOU HAD TO CHARGE IT FOR SIX HOURS. So, I did...

During this time, I installed the software that was preloaded on the device. The main gem of the software - MyScript Notes - requires an online registration which is quick and painless.

So after six hours - ready to go! Well, not quite. You then have to teach the receiver what your handwriting is like so MyScript Notes can perform OCR on it. To do this, load up the MyScript Notes tutorial to get the instructions. Unclip your the receiver from the USB.

This takes about 20 minutes of copying out the alphabet and writing about a side and a half of sentences that teach the machine how your writing is. You then upload the files (.emi on your plug and play receiver) and it analyses your handwriting. You verify that the letters it picked out are actually right (it was very good at this), and then creates your online profile. This part took an extra 10 minutes.

Results
Below is the test sheet I wrote out with the pen. Notice how I've not only thrown in text, but also boxes and flow charts.

And here's the screenshots of the MyScript Notes software in action. First, my handwriting is seen on the left.

I then select the "Graphics and Text Option" in the next box.

And voila! It converts. As you can see there are two small errors - but these can easily be corrected in a few seconds. The fact it can do shapes, arrows, diagrams and text I think is very cool!

Also, using the PenInkViewer.exe file on the pen itself (requires no install) as a simple solution, you can email, print or save (as jpeg, PDF etc.) the raw written file. Useful if you need to offload some files - however, with a 1GB storage capacity (enough apparently for several thousand pages) you shouldn't be needing to do it anytime soon!

Overall verdict
I like it! I think I'll be using this in the future. If you want it, you can either buy it from Amazon or from a great little company in the UK called Orca Logic - next day special delivery is only £3.50 with them, and free regular delivery on all orders.

Online video - should you get a professional to do it?

2008-07-25T21:07:00.003+01:00

Yesterday, I covered why I think online video is a great new tool for branding - in particular, how one can use it for personal branding.

The reason for this is that branding is all about creating a subtext (associated with visual, textual and auditory logos, keys and symbols) that represents the values you and/or your brand embodies. Suggested keywords to describe brands could be: fun; professional; healthy; et cetera.

Today, I want to suggest why people who want to use online video as a way to get "out there" on the web should consider hiring professionals to do the work.

Being and looking professional is usually a key part of most brands
Do you want to be taken seriously? Professionalism is usually a key component of that. None of your marketing material should have spelling errors, editing mistakes and a poor layout. Why should it be different with online video?

I'm not saying I have the best layout on my blog at the moment - it should be a lot better. Likewise, the online video I have currently created (limited at the moment to this video I made of my brother's fish tank) could be better. But for those who are entering or are already in the business work, the finish and look of the product is essential.

Looking professional is easy...
This post by the YouTube video guru and comedian Kevin Nalts describes how a quick chat about "What is Social Media?" looked very professional. How? In Nalts' words:

Logo at the beginning
Cool voice over
Simple delivery
Sponsored content
Nice look/feel

If you actually look at the clip however, the video quality itself wasn't that professional - you can hear from the audio that a camcorder was used, and from the very slight shaking that there wasn't even a tripod.

... but actually editing videos to look professional takes time, hardware, and software
For busy professionals however, do they have the time to upload the video, add in titles and logos, and create a voiceover? It's likely that they don't. I speak from experience trying to edit video on a high-end media PC (I am looking at possibly getting a Mac however).

I'm looking to teach myself about this new phenomenon because it is likely to be a useful business skill, and I hope to help others with their online video needs - whether simply by a blog or other online content, or by actually shooting and editing video for others, I am yet to decide. What is clear though is that, as Andrew Baron writes, the cost of creating quality online video is coming down. This makes it increasingly more affordable for businesses and individuals to delegate their online video tasks to someone else - so they can get with the business of their business.

Personal branding, corporation branding and online video

2008-07-24T09:41:00.003+01:00

In my last post, I argued that online video skills would be the new copywriting. Basically, creating great video is just as important as creating any other content. Otherwise, people won't stay around to watch it.

Such a difference can clearly be seen by looking at the different figures for user generated and professionally generated online video. By closing the difference on quality however, this difference can be minimised.

Personal branding and online video
I've previously written a very brief post on personal branding and online video. But looking back at it, it's nothing much to celebrate.

For me, when I ask myself "What is a brand?" I think the key point lies not in the logo or the presentation, but the subtext. Being a brand is about the hidden meaning.

Personal branding has been discussed about much, in particular on Dan Schawbel's blog and two posts by Chris Brogan. With the internet it's easier than ever to create a personal brand, or if you work for a small company, an online presence that gives out the best image about you.

How do I create an effective online brand using video?
I have to admit - I'm still working on it. Getting the video to look right is important. But the first step isn't even about video.

1. Think about what your values are or what your company stands for.
How do you offer value to the world? Think of some keywords and phrases that best describe you, and importantly are an asset that you couldn't do without. Examples could be:

Fun - do you smile all the time, crack jokes and act spontaneously? Is it your business asset?
Professional - does your business mean you have to act in a very clean, professional manner?
Corporate - is wearing a suit important to your every day activities?
Healthy - say you run a health food shop. This is obviously a keyword that describes you!

Literally - go mad on this one. Write down a whole list of words that describe you and/or your work, and are also seen as assets. If they are unique and/or interesting even better - you are likely to stand out from the competition and create a subconscious unique selling point.

2. Think of how these keywords, phrases and descriptions could best be represented - in writing, in person, and on camera.
How would a "fun" person write their covering letter and CV? It's likely they'd try to add a small bit of humour! So how would they act on camera? They would smile, laugh, throw in a joke and make the piece entertaining.

How would a "healthy" person convey themselves? In writing, they would write in a way that communicated their real passion for health. On video, they'd look to appear healthy, and maybe shoot it with a background that represents healthiness - they could shoot it in a spa, or using a green screen add in images of fruit, vegetables, or their latest healthy product.

3. Go create that content!
Now you know what the real underlying message about your brand is, you can go convey it throughout your work and life - and convey it online video too!

Use a green screen to add a background that really represents your brand.
Wear clothing appropriate to your brand - if you're corporate, wear a suit; if you're into sports, wear sports clothing. Anything to communicate that message.
Talk the talk - make sure what you say is right for your brand. Your language, your mannerisms, your expressions - they all need to be consistent with your qualities.
Use video editing effects appropriate to your brand - choose the right background music (OpSound.org or Archive.org are good places to go for open source tracks); choose transitions that are appropriate (for example, fade to white slowly for a relaxed feel - use rapid jump cuts to speed up the pace of the video)

4. Review your work and ask - is it genuine?
This is something I really have to stress. I absolutely hate false branding. I see it as a cheap lie and a con. It does work, yes, but you eventually will be caught out and have massive damage - especially online, where blog posts correctly bookmarked and with the right PageRank will have you taken down.

Your brand should be genuine and convey a genuine subtext. Be who you really are - not what you think you should be. If you aren't what you should be, go fix yourself before you plaster a superficial brand on top of it. As consumers become more ethically aware and savvy to the ploys of marketers, they will not stand for falsity.

5. Last of all - make it good!
If your content looks awful, you've already lost the battle. Make your content as professionally looking as you can. As said before, professionally created content (or content that looks really well done!) has much better viewing figures and covers a wider demographic (i.e. not just super heavy young internet users). This will help you communicate your brand to others.

Do you have any ways in which you use online video to communicate your personal brand? Write in the comments box.

Why online video skills will be the new copywriting

2008-07-22T22:33:00.004+01:00

Image by Chris Keegan via FlickrIn yesterday's post, I covered briefly the growth in online video:

Online video can be broken down into user generated content and professionally generated content.
Online video growth is massive - the number of videos watched in May 2008 was 59% higher in the UK than the same period last year (and 45% higher in the USA).
Online video tends to be watched by younger internet users, who predominately use it for humourous content.
Young people in Brazil watch the most online video, with Denmark and Chinese youths watching the least.

In short, the growth of online video presents a massive opportunity to connect with your desired audience. But, it has to be done properly.

Video skills will be the new copywriting

Any heavy blogger or user of the internet is likely to have come across the term copywriting. This refers to the ability to write engaging content. The point is - if you can't write well, you just won't get the traffic.

Copywriting can also include lots of magical tricks (using keywords and phrases for search engine optimisation).

What I'd like to say is - if you can't do online video well, you won't get the traffic either.

Looking at so many vlogs and user generated content, it is clear many people are just simply hooking up their webcam and chatting to the screen out of focus. This even goes for some of the blogging pros. I'm not saying I'm an expert at it - but one has to say, a lot of it just looks bad, and it doesn't get the viewing figures.

Those making online video need to learn the skills of doing it properly. Why? As these figures show, user generated content pales in comparison to professionally created content. Its potential advertising revenue is far lower, and also its viewing figures are lower.

Demographics that are likely to be more profitable are also far more likely to watch professionally generated content than user generated content.

Call to action: if you make online video, you have to make it good

This isn't as hard as it sounds. A few easy techniques can make the difference. For example, this video featuring Keith Ferrazzi is very simple with a white background - but the short statements, used in conjunction with jump cuts and different focal lengths (i.e. it zooms in on his face at after the last jump cut), create an engaging video.

Likewise the internet sensation Kipkay (albeit being a technical wizard) shows user generated content need not be awful. In fact, it can be excellent - and his viewing figures show the effect.

It will be time before as many people master the art of making great video as writing great blog posts - especially with the cost of the required hardware and software. But I think people should make the effort. It will pay off.

Online video: what's it all about?

2008-07-21T22:08:00.002+01:00

Having just teared myself away from the BBC show Dragon's Den (not a serious entrepreneur show, but very entertaining), and stopped oogling the new Blackberry Bold, perhaps it's time to talk about video.

What are the types of online video?

Online video falls into two broad categories.

User generated video - this will be the real Web 2.0 stuff - people posting their own videos online with everything from montages of their favourite celebrities to their wedding videos. However, most user generated content tends to be humourous.
Professionally generated video - this is where serious money has come into play. Examples would include everything from the BBC iPlayer in the UK and Hulu in the US.

Of course, these can be broken down further into different subcategories and differing analysis can be done well. The reason why these types have to be broken down is because they have significantly different viewing figures and opportunities for advertising and marketing.

What is the growth rate for online video?

USA: According to a recent press release by comScore, in May 2008 there was an on-year increase of 45% in the number of videos watched compared with the same period last year.
UK: As Jemma Kiss of the Guardian writes, UK viewing is up even further with an increase of 56% compared with the same period last year. Of note and as I have previously mentioned, this growth has occurred at different rates - Facebook and ITV had their online video figures grow by over 1000%.

Of note however, is that the audience growth is not anywhere near as high - simply those watching online video are watching more of it. People are moving from the TV to the computer screen.

Who is watching online video?

Microsoft Advertising reports:

Predominately younger people, and they watch it for laughs. They also tend to share it amongst their friends - adding to a viral property.
It varies from country to country - Brazilian youths watch the most online video, whereas youths from China and Denmark use the least.

What does this mean?

One can see with the above information why viral marketing videos have been so popular. And this is also why internet advertising revenues are set to 'defy' the economic crisis.

But the mainstream figures do hide the real potential for those who seek to create video content, put it online and benefit from it. It is not all about making funny videos for younger audiences. Online video offers a great opportunity to connect with your audience and get your product or service out there.

Starting tomorrow - where is online video going? And why is it important?

2008-07-20T20:47:00.003+01:00

Over the past few weeks, I believe my content has drifted away from its core purpose. However, I do believe that over the past few months my blogging and internet usage skills have increased significantly - as I hoped they would. For anyone not yet blogging, I would strongly recommend (as other bloggers do) to just start typing and learn as you go - it's the best way to improve.

Starting Monday, I am going to write a series of posts about where I believe online video is going and why it is important for individuals and businesses to take note. A massive opportunity is open and continues to grow, and this form of media can buck the trend when it comes to decreasing marketing budgets and effectiveness.

Some of the topics I am going to cover include:

The growth of online video and its geographical and demographic properties
Online video empowering niche markets and individuals.
Why skills with online video are important.
Why companies and individuals need to employ people to work on online video.

That's a rough framework - I am currently drawing together some information and facts that should prove useful. And as I browse the web, any significant sites I come across I will add to my delicious bookmarks tagged "onlinevideo".

Image source: Capt Kodak on Flickr

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Less blogging than usual?

2008-07-19T16:19:00.004+01:00

My blogging has not been so active recently? What have I been doing?

I have recently been producing an online video featuring yours truly
This video addresses some of the points which I feel makes the user generated content one sees on YouTube not that great. It should be of particular use to individuals and small businesses who are thinking of how they can market themselves using this massively growing channel (this article from the Metro shows that ITV and Facebook have increased their online viewing figures by over 1,000% since last May!).

I've been exploring branding
I currently don't like the look of my site, and my attempts at HTML and CSS have been rather time consuming. I have a few ideas in mind, and they are obviously not just about how the site looks - it's about thinking how I can communicate my values and ideas through all the media that I use in a consistent fashion.

I have been increasing my knowledge
As online video is such a fast moving area, getting up to speed on what is going on through more traditional market research reports etc. is just not good enough. I've used a number of tools to deliver information to me, such as RSS feeds and Google Alerts. Reading through these and taking the lessons away from them takes time.

I have been looking at employment opportunities
Although I would like to spend more time on the video projects and understanding more about how one promotes their content online, until I can go all the way and see a profit in the making, something has got to pay the bills! Also, I don't want to pursue this project to the exclusion of all others - there are many ways to continue learning.

... and, last but not least, I've been catching up with old friends
As the summer is supposed to be here, it's the perfect time for it!

QDOS - A Tool to Manage Your Online Presence

2008-07-17T11:47:00.002+01:00

I have been a customer of the data protection firm Garlik for quite a while now, and I find it useful in that it keeps tabs on what information is available out there. I think as a subscription service for their product DataPatrol it has got quite a way to go. But logging on yesterday, I saw their service QDOS and decided to have a go at it.

While just being a bit of fun really, and it missing out on certain areas (for example, you tap in your online profiles individually, whereas I would like to just be able to put in my FriendFeed address), one point I found particularly useful was that it draws up keywords and tags relating to you.

The one particular point is that one of my tags was "addiction", followed by the tag "advice". Immediately shocked by this, I searched for an answer. The reason is because I had bookmarked this article on internet addiction with del.icio.us and added the tag "addiction", as opposed to the more descriptive tag of internetaddiction.

Just goes to show one has to be careful when doing stuff online...

Terms and Conditions? Law for small businesses

2008-07-04T21:03:00.007+01:00

As I have a think about whether or not to go for setting up my own business specializing in promoting individuals online through video (while trying to learn as much as I can in this rapidly changing field), I have been looking through my goals and the logistics required in order to achieve them. Who do I approach for some market research? How can I stay ahead of any potential competition? And, of course, how would I organize my business?

Right at the last minute, I found out there was a workshop being held at the British Library's Business and IP Centre, which I have visited before. The workshop was specifically on business Terms and Conditions and why you should get them right and was held by Helen Parkins.

Helen's presentation was excellent and really explained why getting your Ts & Cs right is crucial when it comes to business. The pitfalls of getting into a legal situation can be very serious, and so when a company has a clear and comprehensive set of Ts & Cs they cover themselves against the risks of legal action. Likewise if they need to take legal action against another business or individual, the right paper trail in conjunction with these Ts & Cs will likely put the court in your favour and get the outcome you need. As Helen said, Ts & Cs should not just be viewed as a bit of bureaucracy to quickly scramble together - their worth means they act as a real asset, and so should be invested in.

But significantly, drawing up Terms and Conditions is useful for another reason - they are an opportunity to comprehensively look at your business strategy and how you will operate on a day to day basis, consistently time and time again. So when questions come up (such as: When should I send that payment demand out? What might my clients do if something prevents me delivering my product?) there is already a considered and established answer on how your business is practiced. In drawing up the Ts&Cs you lay out a Standard Operating Procedure that means you know how to perform consistently.

Helen has also co-written a book titled A Zest for Business, and having bought it and had a quick read over it is definitely excellent value for money. Compact in size to slip in your briefcase or laptop bag, but absolutely filled with valuable advice far better than other books I've read so far (there's no double spaced size 14 font as is often the case!), and the sections are neatly broken down into subheadings and relevant bullet point check lists.

Helen also has a free legal guide on her website - check it out!

How the heck do I share this page? Using Digg, del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Google Reader and Twitter in a logical way

2008-07-01T14:05:00.003+01:00

Ever since I've signed up to FriendFeed, I've been wondering to myself - what service should I use to share content online?

I'm sure for those who use social media, the situation is the same. Do you add this to everything? Do you just use one service? I've had a think about this, and have decided to share (yes, share!) the methods I have decided to implement on how I share and bookmark content. And the hyperlinks point to my social media profiles.

StumbleUpon - the way most people use StumbleUpon is by pressing that oh-so-addictive Stumble! button. Users tend to click on the button multiple times until they fall upon a page they like - much like the Random Article button on Wikipedia. People using StumbleUpon want quick, instant information/laughs/entertainment thrown straight at them. Therefore, I have decided to add pages to StumbleUpon when a page is quick to consume, very relevant and has an instant feelgood feeling about it.

Digg - Digg is very useful in getting "fresh" content up there on Google's search results, as this page from Blogstorm describes. I'm still not sure how to maximise the potential for Digg, so I use it whenever I want at the moment. As the mood takes me.

Del.icio.us - Del.icio.us as it states is a social bookmarking system. So I use it to flag anything I think is relevant for my later use or someone else's later use. Anything good I read that comes through my Google Alerts searches I add to del.icio.us. It's also handy as I have installed a button on my Flock browser that allows me to easily add any page I like.

Google Reader - this one is easy. Any blog post that comes through to me on an RSS feed and I like, I simply click "Share". Nice and easy. So this is where the blog posts I like and subscribe to come through.

Twitter - for breaking news, or something I want to shout out. This way anybody who is following me on Twitter can go check it out.

I might change this strategy later on though - but I'll be sure to post about it.

Google Is Watching You...

2008-06-27T16:33:00.005+01:00

ButNo, this isn't going to be a post applying a Foucauldian analysis to Google and other search engines...

It's specifically about an online presence.

A few months back, had you searched for "Andrew Warren-Payne" on Google, you would have had just a few results. These would have been a picture of me in the school choir aged 11, two satirical petitions on the 10 Downing Street website, and my details on the Oxford University contacts page. Considering Googling a name is now de rigueur in ascertaining a person's standing, this would not have been ideal.

Today, I tried the same thing again. And I was surprised at the difference. Not only is this blog on the Google results, but also a link to my YouNoodle profile (which, as it happens, is pretty empty), and my Digg submissions page. Why is this significant?

The reason being is that I have control over what information appears about me. All the pages as listed are controlled by yours truly. And this means, as long as I don't put anything foolish on the web, I can create an online presence that reflects my strengths and talents.

But the really significant thing is that anybody can do this. Creating an online presence now is easy - and it doesn't have to just be those embarrassing photos your friends put on Facebook (after all, you can change your privacy settings to hide those photos that you don't want your boss or Aunt Nora finding out about).

This is a call to action for people - get out on the web, reclaim your online presence and be the master of your online identity. If you don't, eventually Google's bots will create it for you.

Monetizing my blog?

2008-06-26T14:53:00.003+01:00

I've been having a look through my posts recently and I've been asking myself the question: are my posts creating good content for the web? Or are they merely adding to the vast amount of information online that is of little use to anyone?

There are obviously many good topics I could write about that would improve the information available on the web. After all, everybody has their forte.

For example, I occasionally contribute to Wikipedia (albeit anonymously, as do most). I am also thinking about other information I could provide which I learnt through hobbies or daily life, such as a video on how to pack a rucksack for travelling, how to clean camping stoves, or how to cook a rather tasty omelette for breakfast. But the posts I have written so far are more like updates on my personal endeavors, particularly with increasing my understanding of the potential of online technologies such as online video.

So, for my personal blog, I have decided two things (although this may change!).

1. My personal blog's aim is to reflect who I am.
For my previous job applications, one of the strategies I employed was personal branding. Basically, I asked myself: how do I highlight my personal strengths in a way that my potential employers will find interesting? If I am a brand, what do I stand for?

I think this is one of the reasons why I did (rather) successfully in getting job interviews. On my CV and covering letter was a clear reflection of who I am, communicated in clear words and within the subtext. For example, I wanted to convey I was fun, so I made the covering letter slightly colloquial and threw in an anecdote about how scuba diving landed me in a recompression chamber. I wanted to convey I could make a plan and execute it, so I gave an example of leading change within my work.

What should my blog reflect? It reflects me. It is not a sales letter, and will never be (although if I do mention a product I am genuinely thinking of buying or have already bought, I might throw in an Amazon affiliate link - no harm to anyone).

But in allowing people to get to know me, they can make informed decisions on whether they want to use my services in a way that would have never been possible before. I hope that anybody I work for (whether clients, employers or customers) will be able to form a better relationship through this blog.

2. Monetizing content can be put elsewhere
Now, I like free stuff. Everybody likes free stuff. And I think more stuff should be free. In particular, free knowledge is great. But if someone has put hard work into creating that stuff, there's no reason why they shouldn't charge for it.

But thinking karmically (I use that term light-heartedly), I think it would be great if people gave a lot of their work for free, but charged for the best of it. In creating great content, I think this is ideal. It's a win-win situation. By consuming the free stuff, the consumer can decide whether they want to invest in the premium. It's like those free samples you get at the store. The consumer likes that it's free, but also become more informed - the shopkeeper is openly showing the value of their product, and the consumer can make a good decision as to whether to exchange their money for the product.

If I do offer services online (don't get any dirty thoughts now...), it won't be through this blog. I might mention it or tweet it, but I'll put it somewhere else. And any customers can decide whether or not they want to pay for the premium stuff.

Anyway, that's my thought for the day. If it wasn't any use to you, please unsubscribe from the RSS feed or mailing list. But then again, if you did like it - why not subscribe? Or Digg, Stumble vote it or whatever. The link is in the corner!

Forays into video editing - Using Jumpcut

2008-06-24T21:50:00.005+01:00

So, I had my first go at editing video filmed from my camera - just my brother's marine aquarium. I haven't edited in HD - still not upgraded my computer to be powerful enough. Instead I turned the AVCHD files into MPEG files, and used the web service Jumpcut, which is still in beta and is run by Yahoo!

Jumpcut is a very easy tool to edit video with. I'd highly recommend trying it out first before spending money on software (and of course, the hardware powerful enough to run the software on). It's an easy way of making any online video content look a little bit more professional.

If you want to check it out, just click here (unfortunately one of the downsides of the service is that videos can't be embedded). Enjoy!