Social Media Advisors

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Live Each Day As There Is No Tomorrow- Lessons Learned From Clint #weloveclint

Social Media Advisors

Clint Aaron Miller March 8, 1971 – December 11, 2011

I woke up this morning to learn of the passing of friend of mine, Clint Miller.  He had been battling cancer the past few months.  I sat in silence in my office reading hundreds of comments, posts, tweets, and so much more from friends of his from around the world.  He was a special man who touched the lives of many.

I then began reflecting on things in my own personal life and the losses I’ve seen from other friends over the past few weeks.  I thought of my friend Irene who lost a battle to cancer.  I thought of my friends Missy Caulk, Christa Caulk, & Bob Stewart who recently lost their son/brother, Jaime in a tragic auto accident followed by the loss of their granddaughter/niece just a few weeks later unexpectedly.  So much loss among friends in the past few weeks which made me begin to really ponder the things that matter in life.

I tried to put it all down in a post, but the thoughts were coming faster than I could write, so I simply put them on video.  It’s a little on the long side (6 minutes) and I know I rambled on, but it’s my thoughts unedited, unscripted, and straight from the heart, so please take a few minutes to watch:

Take a moment to love those around you.  Make memories that will last a life time.  None of us are promised tomorrow, so live today as if there is no tomorrow.  Love those around you and forgive those that have hurt you.  Pick up the phone and reach out to those around you.  Forgive.  Forget.  Live life now.

If you want to learn more about the man Clint Miller, here are a few posts from other friends:

Well Fought Clint Miller, We Will Miss You! by Mike Mueller

What Clint Miller Taught Me About Life by Jay Thompson

Also, if you want to donate to the Miller Family, you can do it here.

Customizing The New YouTube Channel Design [HOW TO VIDEO]

Social Media Advisors, Social Media Speaker, Video

YouTube recently launched a new design for your YouTube Channel.  One of the big complaints that I’ve heard is people do not want everyone landing there.  There are though, simple ways to customize the New YouTube channels and make it look really great.  Also, I really like some of the newer features like adding more than one links.

Here’s a quick tutorial on how to customize your new YouTube Channel design:

Cheap cameras don’t have to have cheap sound

Video

Experts will tell you…

One of the most important aspects of your video is the sound.

Capturing Audio You heard that right.  Not the lighting, nor the 1080p, 24 frames per second, yadda yadda yadda.
The Sound.  The Audio.  That might seem funny as tend to think about video as being a visual medium.

There’s plenty of equipment out there to record sound.  Everything from the small pinhole on the camera itself to the Boom Mic Operator with 50lbs of equipment hanging around his neck.  There’s a reason the movie industry pays big dollars for ADR Editors, Foley Artists, Re-Recording Mixers and the like – to get the best possible audio into their products.

Each instance has it’s own unique needs and corresponding tool to go with it.  Use the right tool for the job and your video will be better.  Much better.  As in… people will watch it longer, better.  That’s what you really want, right?

“Ok, so audio is important, I get it, but I’m shooting video with my Cell Phone”

With the incredible video capabilities that today’s cell phones have – that’s great!  The same can be said for pocket camcorders like the Flip or Kodak Playtouch.  Their video can be fabulous.  Their audio recording?  Not so much.  Matter of fact, it’s pretty crappy unless you are in a silent enclosed room.  Unfortunately it’s hard to pipe in better audio into a cell phone.  There are some hacks out there but they are limited.  One of the big limitations some cameras have is the lack of a external microphone jack.  How can you get better sound if you can’t plug in a microphone?

I purposely shot the video below on the lowest definition camera I had – my very old Flip Ultra II.  It has no external microphone jack.  Instead of using the audio that the camera caught, I simultaneously recorded the audio on a separate device and then combined the better audio with the video in post production.  Links to the equipment shown or used are under the video.

So there you have it – all you need to start producing better sounding videos!

Happy 20k Fans Tech Savvy Agent! Highlights of the Celebration Webinar

Social Media Advisors

Today Tech Savvy Agent celebrated reaching 20,000 fans on their Facebook page and decided to give a free webinar to all of their fans with several great speakers.  Below are a few of the many highlights I found from following the conversation online at the hashtag #tsa20k:

This post was generated by Dashter

Debra TrappenDebra Trappen – @debra11
COMMIT to your target audience… and keywords! Give it a YEAR. #longterm commitments are KEY. via @SuzRoy #tsa20k

This is so true. As I tell people all the time, online marketing isn’t lightning in a bottle, it’s a marathon race that takes time, endurance and patience.

Teri Conrad Teri Conrad – @TeriConrad
Marketing is a marathon! Stay focused for at least a year!! Via @SuzRoy #tsa20k

Wow, maybe Teri was reading my mind? It takes time people.

Melissa CejaMelissa Ceja – @melissaceja
Success doesnt happen overnight! Stick with it. #tsa20k

Chad HumphreyChad Humphrey – @chadjhumphrey
@darinpersinger taking it down to the basics…funny how well the basics actually work…why make it so hard on yourself? #tsa20k

Sometimes we try to over complicate things in our online business. It’s the basic foundations that make things work.

Lesley LambertLesley Lambert – @LesleyLambert
Contacting sphere of influence still key. Don’t use the script “who do you know who”. @darinpersinger #tsa20k

People don’t like being “sold to” so don’t try it anymore, it really doesn’t work well.

Oscar S. BowenOscar S. Bowen – @oscarbowen
@darinpersinger “Engage your sphere of influence. Contribute and provide value.” #tsa20k

Very true, give up trying to sell, and give the consumer what they want. It will make your online business much more valuable.

Debra TrappenDebra Trappen – @debra11
Have you “Allowed Subscribers” on Facebook yet? Check here: http://t.co/RIu5YBnC via @Chris_Smth #tsa20k

Laurie Weston DavisLaurie Weston Davis – @lauriewdavis
If you are not putting out quality content no one will want to subscribe to you @Chris_Smth #tsa20k

This is true to everything you do online. If you don’t give value, you won’t gain consumers trust.

Debra TrappenDebra Trappen – @debra11
Enable subscription option…and then add your custom facebook URL 2 ur biz cards… via @Chris_Smth #tsa20k

Doug FrancisDoug Francis – @dougfrancis
RT @melissaceja: Be relevant… Be professional… Be REAL GOOD! #tsa20k

Laurie Weston DavisLaurie Weston Davis – @lauriewdavis
An impersonal profile pic on your FB page is a huge waste of space @JimmyMackin #tsa20k

I’d also add that the profile picture should be a photo of you. Not the dog, cat, sky, or a cartoon. If I don’t know you and can’t see a photo of you, I will not connect with you.

Tony M TeVogtTony M TeVogt – @TCRealtorTony
RT @lauriewdavis: if you have a photo strip – put your branding there as well @JimmyMackin #Tsa20k

The photo strip is a great place to brand your page even more.

Roseville Heather ORoseville Heather O – @RosevilleRockLn
@TeriConrad @jimmymackin @brandpreneur #tsa20k so true about logo – and also use non-pixelated imagery and sized appropriately so not warped

If you want to set up a skyscraper style avatar, the best dimensions is 180 x 540. Also, make sure you set the thumbnail image so that it makes sense to those seeing your updates in the stream.

Oscar S. BowenOscar S. Bowen – @oscarbowen
RT @debra11: Even if you do NOT use Google+… you MUST fill out your G+ profile. VERY IMPORTANT in the land of “search”. #tsa20k

Of course Google+ profiles will be huge to your SEO rankings. They are owned by Google!

Oscar S. BowenOscar S. Bowen – @oscarbowen
RT @debra11: Even if you do NOT use Google+… you MUST fill out your G+ profile. VERY IMPORTANT in the land of “search”. #tsa20k

Of course Google+ profiles will be huge to your SEO rankings. They are owned by Google!

Chad HumphreyChad Humphrey – @chadjhumphrey
@jimmymackin @Chris_Smth don’t spend ALL day on Facebook but spend EVERYDAY on Facebook…#tsa20k

Very true. While you don’t need to spend hours at a time online, you need to at least try to do it on a daily basis.

Stephanie L DavisStephanie L Davis – @StephLDavis
YES YES YES RT @debra11: REAL engagement. REAL value. REAL connections. Be REAL online. PLEASE. #tsa20k

So there it is. Highlights of the event with what I could consider the quotable items from through out the entire webinar.  Take a minute to read and ponder on the items above.  Also, take a minute to share all this knowledge with your friends by clicking on one of the social media buttons.

What Are You Thankful For?

Social Media Advisors, Social Media Speaker

So what are you thankful for?  I went to Twitter  and asked the following question:

Thankful for my family“It’s Thanksgiving week.  Tell me what you are thankful for in 140 characters or less!” 

I received several responses which I found I could basically categorize into three different thoughts:

Tech/Funny Response:

Mike MuellerMike Mueller – @MikeMueller
@jb140 Thankful for? That’s easy, I’m thankful for Rick, Rebecca, Chuck, my sign, and that cop from Davis! http://t.co/FLMhWLzQ

Drew MeyersDrew Meyers – @drewmeyers
@jb140 the internet #retechchat

Family

Happy GrasshopperHappy Grasshopper – @gushopper
@jb140 My sweet husband and our growing family!

Nicholas MercerNicholas Mercer – @oubipaws
@jb140 – my family and friends as well as the many opportunities given to me in my life.

 

Both of these two are about to become parents for the first time.  Congrats Celeste & Oleg as well as Nicholas & Casey on the growing of your families! Becoming a parent is something definitely to be thankful for. It is one of the greatest things in the world!

ChrisBohnChrisBohn – @ChrisBohn
@jb140 -Thankful for my son, good health, and the ability to work and make a living for a happy home & life.

Kelly L StevensKelly L Stevens – @EscrowKelly
Thankful that my husband is still with us! RT @jb140: It’s Thanksgiving week. Tell me what you are thankful for in 140 characters or less!

Juli MaichleJuli Maichle – @kneatfreak
@jb140 Being JP & ME’s Mommy. Best experience in the world. So thankful.

Friends

Patricia Ann Young Patricia Ann Young – @patriciayoung
GM lots to be thankful for: @jb140 @TheRealClint @AlbieVas @davidpatterson3 @RealEstateTonya @Amelissa1 @benbalsbaugh @KWCO

Tonya HayesTonya Hayes – @RealEstateTonya
thankful f u all! @patriciayoung @jb140 @therealclint @albievas @davidpatterson3 @amelissa1 @benbalsbaugh @kwco

Melissa MckinneyMelissa Mckinney – @Amelissa1
GM you are right about that! #hugs @patriciayoung @jb140 @therealclint @albievas @davidpatterson3 @realestatetonya @benbalsbaugh @kwco

Instead of trying to write out everything I wanted to share a quick video of the things that I am thankful for from the past year:


Thank you to everyone who has helped  make this past 12 months amazing!  So in closing I ask you, what are you thankful for?  Leave a comment below!