Today’s message is a bit of a rant from a tired guy; tired of fighting the ignorance being peddled today in the guise of wisdom. I just I wish I could have outsourced this piece because I think I’m going to make some people angry.
My business is 95% online now. Though I’ve had a fair number of successful product launches, I continue to study online marketing just everyone else. However, I probably study with a different focus than practically anyone else.
As a result, I’ve noticed something that seems to have escaped the attention of way too many in the online universe. The shift I’ve seen in the last 12 months has been both breathtaking and frightening.
You see, all of the online gurus, all of them without exception, have transitioned to Authentic Video Marketing to promote their products, programs and services. Anyone who genuinely aspires to change the world with a message has now made that shift.
As a result, they’ve been able to retain their status as a guru. Failing this, they would have slid into irrelevance. There are other up-and-coming “gurus” who will never make it now because they either do not understand Authentic Video Marketing, or they are unable to implement it.
The big problem for you is that some of these “gurus-in-waiting” are now peddling complete nonsense about video marketing. And because you trust them, you might fall for it. But I can assure you, the emperor still hasn’t even a cozy t-shirt to sell.
I know. I know. You only say things like that when you have nothing to offer yourself. But I’m risking your anger because I can’t just sit back and watch this slow-motion train wreck happen without a protest. Obviously I can’t make the wreck stop for the whole world. But hopefully I can convince you to prevent yours.
So here’s what I believe, born out of my own experience and observation of the online marketplace. We are about to witness a great shaking out. Many business owners who must use the web to market their businesses are going to be left behind because they didn’t embrace this concept.
“Steve, are you saying that we all have to use a certain kind of video or we’re going to be miserable failures in life? Well, no, I don’t think that if someone never masters video, that they will fail in life. But they will limit their income potential. Severely.
I started going public with this message back in February with the video below. It is more relevant now than it was then.
Time is running short
Remember that moment in The Wizard of Oz when the Wicked Witch turned the hourglass upside down and told Dorothy she had until the sand ran down before she got sent to that great Kansas cornfield in the sky? That scene used to scare the bejesus out of me.
Well, the sand is half-way down. And the same huge question is still hanging in the air: when are you going to embrace your message enough to use video to get it out?
I tell you that if you’re breathing, it’s time. Even if you think you’re “not quite ready for video.” No such condition exists anymore for anyone. It’s almost like saying “I’m not quite ready to breathe.”
Just like Dorothy, you’ve had this ability all along. She simply picked up a bucket of water and doused her demon. I challenge you today, right now, to pick up a video camera and embrace your fear. If you have a smart phone, you pick it up 50 times a day already.
Then with that camera in your hand, start learning the basics of Authentic Video Marketing, just by watching the video below. Then do something utterly crazy, just to shake things up a bit.
Make one video.
It could be 30 seconds. Don’t even edit the thing. Don’t worry about the authenticity in production. Not in the slightest. I want it to look just awful! (Making mistakes is important in the beginning.)
Ah, but then do one more crazy thing.
Give us a link to it here on YouTube as a response (you can make it unlisted so only we see it) or post it to your blog as a shout out to your own subscribers. Tell them you’re just playing around with video to see what it’s like. They don’t have to know what you’re really up to.
The point is, do something to move forward. And remember. Every single tip, every video, every post I make here is steeped in the concept of Authentic Video Marketing and always has been, even before others jumped on the bandwagon. So it’s probably OK to look at one or two more of these posts along the way.
Please know that we’re committed to your success, whether you’re a free subscriber or a member who gets a lot of deep information, expertise and attention. Because to me this is no longer just a business. It’s a mission. And while we do have fun in our seminars, the end goal is always under a bright spotlight. That’s getting your message out to the world in a bigger, bolder, more effective way; a way that makes you unduplicatable.
“Steve, are you really saying that the only way I’m gonna be able to change the world is with video?”
Yeah. I guess I am, whether you’re just getting started or just starting to get traction or even wondering how you’re going to keep up the momentum.
So be careful out there, especially if you’re doing this on your own. Be careful who you listen to. Be careful with your image.
And have some serious fun. That’s the one thing you can’t outsource.
And in other timely news: our early-bird pricing on Web TV Show in a Weekend has come and gone. Congratulations to all our new members who’ve made this investment in getting their video marketing operation up and moving quickly and effectively. You can still join us if you like, within the regular pricing structure.
6 replies to "A Turning Point in Video Marketing – Are We There Yet?"
Authenticity sounds great and I am waiting to learn how to show it. I also produced a video that I am ready to upload to youtube. It is called; How to run – My discovery. I would like you to comment on it.
I am afraid to include a call to action because it might be banned as a scam. How can I ask for subscribers and email addresses? I have many tips I can offer as an incentive such as how to land softly to protect your joints.
Corrected spelling
Jack, there is no problem with asking people to come back to your website to download something for free. That will not be banned by YouTube. There could be a problem if you use YouTube to actually sell something. That’s what Amazon S3 is for.
You don’t need to wait to learn how to show authenticity. Just drop by the Greenroom and let’s have a chat about using those step-by-step instructions in the huge online resource I’ve placed at your command!
Oh, and send a link to your video so I can comment on it:)
Over 2500 years ago it was said that their would come a time when people would be surrounded by knowledge and yet running round all over the place trying to find answers. It is looking increasing like Daniel was right.
My pet hate is all those people who push out books or videos or courses that really do not amount to much or worse still show people the wrong way to do things. They are just adding to the mountain of information people are trying to tackle in order to get the answers that they are looking for.
It is a question of who do you trust? I watched one free training and their idea was to push out 60 to 70 videos in a couple of days most of them slight variations of each other but there was enough difference between them to disguise this from Google. There was something to learn from the way they used descriptions and keywords as they used them for maximum effect. However, the video material itself was nothing to write home about.
Google has tried to fight back against this kind of low quality material with pandas and penguins. This has caused those who produce low quality material some well-deserved headaches. You Tube must know that this is happening and hopefully are even now formulating strategies to counter it. The thing with doing it right in the first place is that when the cull does happen we will be safe and in a better position than before. Personally I would love You Tube to quickly make more progress at weeding out the tripe/rubbish/trash and give video marketing a better reputation.
Since Google IS YouTube, you can be sure they’re working on it.
As to who to trust, I think that still happens the old-fashioned way. When you find an expert with whom you resonate, keep watching. It won’t take more than a few clicks of your mouse to know. If they truly are an expert, they can hardly keep that from showing. If they aren’t, it also becomes apparent just as quickly.
Also, as you noticed, one can be an expert in the technical aspects of using online tools, but have no knowledge of how to provide valuable content beyond that technical expertise. But that technical expertise has value. You just need to learn to separate the content they’re really good at from content they’re trying to be good at.
This is also why consistency is important. It can take time to build trust. Some people have come onto my radar offering some quite decent free training course that turns out to be nothing but a 1 hit wonder. Others have changed direction as I have followed them. There again some are like Steve Washer i.e. a real gentlemen who is a pleasure to be around as his character shines through his work.
My concept of knowledge is that it is like beads or strands all representing one area or another. We might expect a web design person to know enough about marketing to create a web site that attracts clients. Yet these are 2 different beads or strands and the same person might not know enough about both of them to create an effective web site.
Someone sent me a link to their You Tube channel today and the video was very well done but I was able to pick huge holes in the way the description was set up and the way key words were used. They had chosen to use a professional who was supposed to know what they were doing. In reality they were more like a general who had no idea what was going on at the battlefront so gave orders that hindered rather than helped the footsoldiers.
There is an old saying that the best way forwards is to use a multitude of counsellors. Each one has a different strength or point of view. By listening to each one and drawing on their strengths and laying aside their weaknesses it is possible to come up with a strategy and methodolgy that suits you. Yes it can be time-consuming as this is not a ready-made system. Yes there is a risk of analysis paralysis. But on the other hand teamwork that draws on the strengths of many people is essential to success.
Well-said, Susan! Your post reminds me of the traditional offline practice of having a board of advisors for your business; all from different disciplines. At once it simplifies growth and reduces anxiety about who you can trust.
Perhaps you could create something like that for yourself in the online world as well. We have masterminds, forums and programs from which any number of contacts could be made, some of whom might be just the partner you need.