If you don't already own one, and you want an easy way to market your business, go buy a Flip UltraHD Camcorder.

Now!

Why? Well for one thing, the Flip is dirt cheap. The model you see in the picture above costs only $149, gives you 120 minutes of recording time, fits neatly in your pocket and delivers excellent sound and picture quality.

And it will put some serious money in your pocket if you use the following tips to market your business:

1. Record video testimonials of your clients or people who attend your events.
   
2. Create short videos (2 to 3 minutes seem to be the optimal length) that answer your customers' most frequently asked questions. Also include those questions that you are NOT asked, but you feel customers should be asking. One short video per question.
   
3. Demonstrate your processes. If you make a product and can demonstrate "how the sausage is made" this will create a compelling piece that your potential customers will want to watch.
   
4. Convey information in a format that is easier for your customers to understand than if you put it in written form. Or use videos to supplement your written material. Some people understand text while others find videos easier to comprehend. Don't assume all people grasp information in the same format.
   
5. Demonstrate how your product is used. Show it in action.
   
6. Upload your videos to YouTube and other video sharing sites. Be sure to "tag" your videos with your best keywords and put your URL in the description section YouTube provides. This will create a link from YouTube to your site making it easier for people to find online.
   
7. Also post your videos to your own website. Studies have proven that websites with videos convert at least 50% more visitors into buyers.
   
8. Use videos to share helpful tips and solutions to your customers. Including several "how to" videos on your site will make not only help you bond with your visitors, it will also convince them that you know what you are doing.
   
9. Use videos to upsell to higher value products. Show side by side comparisons of Product A with Product B. If Product B costs more than A, show them why. Use your video to demonstrate value and benefits.
   
10. Create valuable content with videos. The more informative your site, the more it solves your target customers' problems, the more it helps them reach decisions or achieve the goals they want to achieve, the more traffic your site will get.
    

The fact is, you can use pretty much any camcorder to do the above things, but because the Flip is so easy and portable, you will find yourself using it more often than a bigger, clunkier model.

Check out the reviews and customer feedback on Amazon here.

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The following Side Wiki was added to "10 Reasons You Need to Market Your Business With Videos."

Let me add this to the list: A friend of mine, who has produced numerous videos for his website, goes out on a lot of sales calls.

Inevitably, the person he is talking to raises an objection or asks a question. When that happens, this business owner pulls out his I Phone and says, "I have a video for that."

He then shows the person a video from his site that gives them the answer.

He has found videos to be the very best way to help him close sales when he is out talking to future customers.

in reference to: http://webmarketing-coach.com/videomarketing.pdf (view on Google Sidewiki)

Recently I have been approached by two business people who wanted to know about using social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to promote their businesses.

Normally I would suggest that they build a following based on sending informative content that their potential clients are interested in. However, both of these individuals sell insurance, and feel that a lot of their potential clients really aren't all that interested in their topic.

Their is another way to build relationships via social networking.

Since almost every person who drives a car, owns a house or feeds a family has a need for the products they sell, practically EVERYONE is a potential client for these two agents.

But you can't really market intelligently to everyone in the world. A better strategy is to target a niche.

In real life, a business person might join social groups, volunteer for charitable work, or get involved in a group related to a hobby they enjoy.

I once knew a financial planner who was really involved in flying model airplanes. He joined several groups for similar hobbiests. He got involved, attended their events regularly and made friends. He also became a resource for other hobbiests who came to respect his knowledge and advice.

Because he made friends with people who had the same interests he had, it wasn't long before his new friends started coming to him for financial advice. This obviously led them to become clients.

Another financial planner I know is an avid deer hunter. He also joined several groups of deer hunters and outdoorsmen. He also formed several deer hunting excursions and made friends who also became clients.

The same thing can be done online with Twitter and other social media platforms. Facebook and LinkedIn both offer several groups you can join online. Once you've joined these groups, get involved. Be active. Share information and ideas.

Most of all, become a resource.

On Twitter, find a niche of people who would make good clients and who have a specific interest. Then go online and gather information these people want to learn about. Become a knowledgeable source of problem-solving content.

Armed with this information, you use Twitter to "tweet" about this information. Send out messages with links to this content you have gathered.

Gradually, you will make friends, build trust and credibility among the people you are targeting.

But that is not the final step. You still have to reel them in to your marketing funnel.

Now you need to create an email newsletter. In the case of my two insurance agent friends, I might suggest a "Money Tip of the Week" newsletter. Some of the people you have befriended will choose to opt in to your email list.

DO NOT just send out solicitation emails to the people you have met online who have not opted in to receive your emails. The word for this is spam. Don't do it. This will simply ruin your relationships.

You can send them an email that invites them to opt in to receive your "Tip of the Week" or to listen to a free teleseminar as a way to get them to subscribe.

There are a number of reasons not to spam. Spamming destroys whatever respect and credibility you have already built. But even more important, you are much better off targeting people who choose to opt in. These people have self-selected themselves to receive your information. That means they at least have some level of interest in what you do.

(For information on how to make this work for you, check out my updated ebook on email marketing).

As the people who have opted in receive your low-pressure, but educational emails, they will come to trust you more and will likely do business with you when their timing is right.

To sum up, use social media to create and build relationships, trust and credibility. Then invite them to subscribe to your email marketing system. Your emails will gradually give them more and more reasons to do business with you. When THEIR timing is right, they will let you know.

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I just got off the air with Rodney Geisler, a local small business owner who has been using short, low-cost videos to market his company and his services.

You can listen to the broadcast here.

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How expensive is it to build your marketing list?

No one disputes that a good list is the most valuable asset any business can have. Your list can generate more and more sales for you. Over time it can be more valuable than advertising, or any other way you might be using to bring in new business.

BUT, building that list often involves spending a lot of money. Many marketers spend sizeable amounts on PPC advertising, or engage in expensive joint ventures. However there is a way to build your marketing list for free.

First, imagine you know a marketer who makes a lot of money because she has built a large, very targeted list of prospects. This list consistently produces sales everytime this marketer contacts her list.

Now suppose you ask that marketer if you could copy her list for your own use? Obviously that is not likely to happen. A business person with a good list knows to protect that list at all cost.

But there really is a way to copy a top marketer's list, sort of.

On Twitter all you have to do is find some of the rock stars in your field of interest. Typically these are the most well-known names and who have massive respect - and lots of followers.

Notice that all of their followers are available to you to look at. On Twitter, a person's followers are open to all.

Just follow the people who follow the rock stars. Why? Because the people who follow the rock stars do so because they are interested in the same things the stars are talking about. This is a targeted list.

And because you also talk about the same things, there is no reason they won't follow you as well.

So follow these followers. As a rule of thumb, about 33% to 50% of the people you follow will follow you in return. Now your job is to build relationships with these people.

Here is a very important point:

The real success of a marketing list is not simply the names and contact information of certain people. It is also vital that these people come to know, like and trust you. "Borrowing" someone else's list will not enable you to duplicate their results, because that person has also built relationships with these people.

Your job is to provide as much or more good, quality information as the rock star. Build a relationship with these people and gently lead them to visit your blog and ultimately to opt in to your email autoresponder.

How do you do this? By being a friend. By being generous. By providing value. By giving them problem-solving information. By educating the people on "your" list.

Borrowing someone else's list is just the start. It will help you find targeted followers, but it is up to you to make them know, like and trust you.

And that's how you build your list for free using Twitter.

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The one thing every business person needs is a way to come up with more creative ideas. Mind mapping is one method to help you achieve this.

If you've never tried mind mapping, think of it as a brainstorming session with a visual twist. A mind map involves ideas and branches, which spawn new ideas. Each new branch can potentially lead you to dozens of new solutions or insights.

Here is a great video by Australian copywriter, Andrew Cavenagh on how to use mind mapping to come up with new ways to change visitors behavior when they come to his website.

Right Click And Save To Download
Your FREE Report 3 Secrets To Persuasion (pdf)

Marketing is all about coming up with great ideas. I hope this short article and video help you to do so.

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COPYRIGHT © 2009, Charles Brown