How to Use Twitter Social Videos to Boost Your Business Visibility

Why Incorporating Video on Your Twitter Account is Good For Social Marketing

Last month I shared several articles and video eTips on the use of video marketing for your business, especially in the realm of social media marketing.

But an often overlooked video marketing option is using video on Twitter.

Using videos on your Twitter channel can provide a much richer experience for your followers than by simply posting images or text. Plus videos allow your followers an opportunity to get to know, like and trust you all that much quicker and easier.

The fact of the matter is: Twitter users embrace video.

This infographic at the bottom of the article from ADWEEK shows Twitter stats, trends and suggestions on how businesses can drive engagement using videos on Twitter.

Notice how 82% of Twitter users interact with brands and businesses. Since there’s over 800 million monthly visitors on this platform, this number is one that can’t be ignored and should be capitalized on.

Live Video Streaming on Twitter

Just because Facebook is the Belle of the Ball right now, that doesn’t mean Twitter isn’t alive and kicking!

On May 2, 2017, Twitter announced its Live Streaming capabilities that involves 16 live streaming content deals in the areas of sports, news and entertainment.

The great news is, anyone can now post a live video on Twitter!

People love to come to Twitter to see and discuss the latest news and events so why not use a live Twitter video to showcase your expertise and provide insights on industry trends your followers would be interested in hearing about?

Twitter Video Ads

Twitter Video Ads are also a serious option to consider for any sized business.

According to several recent Nielsen Brand Effect Studies, people who saw videos ads on Twitter were 50% more likely to be aware of that business and became 14% more favourable towards that brand.

This then translates to an 18% higher purchase intention, which is achieving the ultimate goal all businesses have in their advertising efforts.

How to Post a Video to Twitter

Twitter allows you to record and post videos up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds in length. So before hitting the record button, plan out what you are going to say and focus on being concise, informative and/or entertaining.

How to share your video on Twitter from an iPhone or Android:

1. Using your iPhone or Android, you can record, edit and share videos straight from your Twitter app by first tapping the Tweet icon and then tapping the Photo icon.

2. Next tap the Video icon, or if you wish to do a Live video, tap on that option as seen in this image.

3. If you wish to reverse the camera so you can speak to your followers and show everyone what you are seeing, tap the reverse camera icon.

4. If you need more light, press the lighting icon at the top of your screen to enable the camera’s light.

5. Press and hold down the Record icon to record. You can pause and add more to your video by pressing down the record button again.

6. You have the option to do some editing to your video before posting by holding and dragging any snippet upwards to delete it. You can hold and drag sideways to rearrange your clips as well.

7. When done, tap on the Done button or you can preview your video before posting it to see if any further edits are needed.

8. Tap Tweet to share your video!

You can also use a pre-recorded video that’s either on your phone or computer by simply tapping/clicking the Image icon and selecting the video from your device you wish to share.

A cool option you can take advantage of in your content marketing efforts is to embed your video tweets into your blog for extra exposure.

What to Post in Your Twitter Videos

Strapped for ideas on what kind of content you could use for your Twitter videos? In a previous video eTip I provided 5 social media video marketing strategies you can use to help showcase your business that can give you some inspiration.

Keep in mind Twitter followers are coming to this platform with a “discovery” point of view. With Twitter being more focused on what’s happening in the current moment, capitalize on that by posting videos based on what is trending.

They can be your own personal opinion about news related to your industry or ask your followers to join in on the discussion to see how they are impacted by something that has happened in your industry.

Respond to someone’s tweet with a video. Doing this provides you with a great opportunity to have your followers get to know you more on a personal level.

How about asking your followers to share their own video of using your product in action? You could run a contest that would encourage this kind of user-generated content.

Get Busy Using Video for Twitter Content

No matter how you look at it, video is where it’s at with online marketing trends so why not use video on Twitter to help gain bigger and more exposure for your business?

Give it a try and test out some videos to see what works and doesn’t work for you. Be sure to keep an eye out on your Twitter stats to get the full scope of your efforts.

http://www.adweek.com/digital/infographic-latest-twitter-study-sheds-light-just-how-well-video-doing-173661/

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How To Get Started In Mystery Shopping

You have completed your research and understand that mystery shopping is a legitimate source of extra income in exchange for completion of an assignment (shop) according to the instructions. In other words, you do a job as an independent contractor and you get paid. Ready to give it a serious try? Do not pay for a list of mystery shopping companies and never pay to do a shop!

First of all, set up a free email account dedicated to your mystery shopping endeavor. I recommend Gmail but there are others. This is a first step in getting organized.

Before you start the application process with the shopping companies, I recommend an investment in a good form filler program. This is a lesson I learned the hard way – I now use RoboForm and it will save you precious time. Create a good strong password and use it for all of your mystery shopping logins. If you KISS (keep it simple, stupid) this project, life will be so much easier!

Next, figure out how you want to track your applications. This can be as simple as a spiral notebook or an Excel spreadsheet. Your headers should include: application date, mystery shopping company, and any notes you feel important. Most mystery shopping companies require an Independent Contractor’s Agreement signed by you and, of course, you need to keep a copy of that contract. Get a box of manila folders (they are cheap at stores like Walmart) and create a folder for each company as you apply. This is a great place to keep login information, the company address, phone and fax numbers. When you begin to receive shops, you will want to keep a copy of the final report and your handwritten notes taken at the time of the shop; most companies require that you keep reports for three to six months. After that length of time, you can safely shred them.

You are now ready to start the application process, and this represents a real investment of time. So where do you apply? There is a web site, Volition.com, which provides hundreds of mystery shopping companies with links to the companies. In my opinion, Volition does a great job of weeding out questionable or dishonest companies. There is also a forum on the site where shoppers can share information and feedback on their experiences. I found this very helpful when I first started shopping.

If you have never completed a mystery shop, you will probably initially receive the lower paid fast food and simple retail shops. For your own sanity and stress level, this is really best for you as well. This will give you the opportunity to get a handle on what the companies expect in the reports. You will not be investing a large amount of money for the meal or small purchase; these expenses are reimbursable but payment is not immediate.

After you have completed the applications, some of the companies send emails to notify you of available shops but many do not. You may have to search their job boards to find assignments in your area. Most shops must be requested by you and then, if approved, assigned to you. Some companies will let you self-assign shops. After you have successfully completed a few shops, you are more likely to receive emails or even phone calls notifying you that shops are available.

You are creating your reputation as a mystery shopper so it is extremely important that you read everything! Beginning with your initial application and the ICA until you have successfully completed the report, be sure you understand what is expected from you. You must be prepared for the shop assignment and know what you are required to do, when the assignment needs to be completed and when the report must be completed. If you are unsure, send the scheduler at the mystery shopping company an email and request clarification.

Finally, before you do that first shop, set up a system to track the shops. Again, an Excel spreadsheet or a spiral notebook but you must have a system. You will need headers: date of shop, mystery shopping company, company/store shopped, fee, reimbursement amount, date you were paid, and anything else you consider important. You need this information! Remember, this is your own home business and you will need to report the income earned.

Your biggest investment initially is time to get set up. I do recommend spending $20-30 for a couple of good books on mystery shopping. For me, when I was new to the world of mystery shopping, this was extremely helpful.

Now, get started and get those first shops. You will soon make some money, learn some things and have a good time. Happy shopping!

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Working Across Generations – Tips For Team Leaders

Over the last few years I have had MANY discussions with employers and their staff about challenges working with the “young people of today”. (Now for those of you reading who are those young people – don’t worry I will not be ranting on as you expect!)In fact there were so many discussions and so much passion in the discussion that it became obvious that I had to learn more about the so called Generation Y, or Millenials or Echo Boomers. How interesting that journey has been and continues to be!Lets set the scene, I have a business owner, a department head, a team leader, all making negative comments about their GenY employees. The sort of things I heard included they were impatient, lazy, want to be nurtured (constant feedback, immediate recognition) at work, demand workplace flexibility. They are unresponsive to motivational tactics, are motivated not only by money, but also fun and their social life, they are easily bored, have no job or brand loyalty, they focus on their life rather than work (work to live).They are slack in their appearance, from a workforce perspective: they are difficult to attract, harder to manage and are proving near impossible to retain. They are image conscious, wont automatically give respect, are materialist and demand the rationale behind any request of them (Gen WHY).So have you ever thought about why they are this way? What about this as an idea:o They have no job or company loyalty because they watched their parents work for years for an employer, working long hours, giving up family time, only to be made redundant in the down turn in the 1990′s.
o They are not only motivated by money, but also fun and their social life, because they have been told by their parents (people like you and me) to get out and have a good time – don’t spend all your time at work, get some balance!
o They are impatient because their parents always worked hard to give them things that we didn’t get. We didn’t want them to wait to save, they learned about credit cards. We have microwave ovens (that seem to take forever!) and digital cameras that don’t have film that needs to be taken completely or need to go to be developed.
o They want constant recognition at work because they are used to it at home. How good am I – ‘you are fabulous darling!’There is so much discussed about the negatives, but not a lot of us taking responsibility for the wonders we have created.But what about the other side? There are some positive aspects of this generation that need to be highlighted, to decrease these generational barriers and create a more cohesive workforce with more satisfied employers and employees. And there are plenty of positives about these individuals.
Furthermore, times are changing. Generation Y is here to stay and will be a major part of the Australian workforce. And they can be beneficial to any organisation, bringing youthful idealism and energy, a fresh view to the industry, new qualifications and a 21st century perspective to life. So really, it is time for us Baby Boomers and Gen X’s to change our paradigm and get over it!Here are some tips for modifying your behavior to get the best from your Generation Y employees:
o They really know technology, get them involved in your business to help bring you up to speed
o They are ideally placed to be key drivers of product development and sales, so ask them what they think and how they could make a difference. It could make a huge difference to your bottom line!
o They have a real entrepreneurial spirit, so can help you consider your business opportunities.
o Since they are more tolerant and accepting of differences in terms of race, gender and ethnicity, you have an opportunity to build your team differently than you may have done in the past which will add diversity and experience.
o Many of them are well traveled and will add another layer of substance and interest to your workplace.
o They are very education-minded, so are keen to have a skills development plan as part of their employment.
o Since they are concerned about environment, get them involved in developing your green credentials.
o More than any of us, they are multi-taskers and fast thinkers, so get them problem solving issues in your workplace.
o They are financially smart and will help you look at a different perspective.In general, you could consider a few of these strategies:Job variety; Feedback and rewards; Increased responsibility; Flexible work practices; Career development; Get GenY input to attract Gen Y Market; Work hard during working hours, not mediocre for 60 hours; Use their knowledge; Provide a life-work balanced workplace; If you want them to care you must care about them. Respect is not automatic; Get to know and understand them and set a strong leadership example for them to follow; Seek out Gen Y who best fit your culture, the right people versus the so-called best.So as I have already mentioned, time for us to change our ways and get on with it! (I am going to sit down with a cuppa and work out how I plan for 3 Gen Z kids!)

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