Continued from here.

3. Aesthetics or Pictures

Pictures are a non-negotiable. Every article needs to have a picture, and sports bloggers know this better than anyone. I believe you can do a post consisting of just pictures, because, if done right, pictures can tell the story.

The prettier the girl in the picture, well, the better. Sports bloggers realize that their audience is largely made up of guys, and guys like to look at pictures of pretty girls. Therefore, it stands to reason, that they need to include pictures (and videos) of pretty girls.

What kind of picture would your audience want to see?

4. Community of Readers

Bloggers usually post on a blogging platform such as WordPress or Blogger, therefore, comments are a big part of creating a community. They encourage comments, debates even. It keeps people on the site. Sometimes, the headline (see above, magnetic) will “stir the pot” so to speak. Controversy brings people in. A group of people who are passionate about the subject, and feel they have a voice, will build a community. For a good example of this, see Fanblogs.com.

In the early days, it was all about message boards, and, indeed, some still use that forum.  Message boards get really hot at websites such as Rivals and Scout.  The dynamic of community is still the same.  Create some controversy, engage in debate, and enjoy.  Ironically, it builds a community.

5. Good Content

The content has to be good. A blogger can’t just blog about fluff. There has to be some substance to it. In fact, many sports bloggers set, at least, an informal schedule to keep the blog moving forward. Some sports bloggers talk about stats or break down games (see SmartFootball.com). Some are humorous while articulating there opinions well (see Jones Top Ten).

There you have it. Five lessons from the sports bloggers.

What have you learned while blogging?

I have been writing a college football blog since sometime in 2006. It has been a lot of fun, and it was my first training ground for writing a blog. Several bloggers were very helpful to me when I started out, but some were not. A lot of the help depends on the person, but all-in-all, it has been a good experience.

As a sports blogger, I have learned a lot about how to run a blog. Many of the tips I learned in that area I have brought with me to my other areas of blogging and writing. Some have been confirmed by other bloggers such as Copyblogger, Problogger and Chris Brogan.

So, I am going to articulate five of the lessons I learned about blogging from my time blogging about college football.

1. Magnetic Headlines

This is where the sports bloggers often excel over many of the folks in today’s print media. It is unfortunate, but the sports bloggers know how to sell an article with a title. Compare these two titles form the weekend of October 2-3:

Washington’s Jake Locker leads way as USC loses for first time under Lane Kiffin (USA Today)

versus

Huskies put USC back in its place, which is anywhere but the top of the Pac-10 by Matt Hinton, otherwise known as Dr. Saturday.

2. Videos

Visit a top sports blog website, and you will find lots of videos. Videos serve different purposes, but mostly, people like to watch videos rather than read words. As a crafter of words, I don’t like that, but it’s reality. Therefore, videos need to be used regularly. They are what is known as “sticky” content. Youtube and Vimeo has made it easier, plus several other media websites offer the ability to embed their videos in your page. It’s really pretty easy to do.

Token Video

You watched it didn’t you?

To be continued. . . I leaned that from them too. . . . it’s called creating a “hook.”

photo credit:  joelogon

Sometimes, a story has to be painted.  Often, a message has to be told in another way.  I love words, and I write, but sometimes, words are not enough to convey the message in the best way.  That is why we have art.  There are those that paint, draw, sculpt, write and play music and more.  We, as a society, are blessed for it.

As a business owner, there may be times when we need a little more than a tagline to get our message across.  We come up with elevator pitches to help, and we might turn to someone like Samantha Hartley to come up with an audio logo.  These are alternative ways to convey our message, and they are well worth looking in to.

Another way to paint a message is through videos.  Studies have shown that people are more “hooked” by watching videos on websites.  Videos are powerful tools, and you don’t have to limit yourself to making a video to put on T.V.  Videos can be used online at your website, on Youtube, and Facebook.  In fact, Old Spice did a video/social media campaign earlier this summer that was very successful.

Now, take a truly inspiring story, and make a video about it, and you have a very powerful message.  In the 1992 Summer Olympics, Derek Redmond was running in a 400 meter semifinals heat, and he was the favorite to win the race and race for the gold.  However, something happened.  Redmond tore a hamstring muscle and collapsed to the track half way through the race.

What happened next startled and inspired the rest of the world that day in Barcelona, Spain.  Redmond got to his feet, and he continued the race hobbling around on one leg.  With a little over 100 meters left, his father joined him and helped him finish, way behind the others, the heat race.

The story has been told, but the video below tells the story and in a more profound way while reminding us of a message we all need to hear.

The next time you think about your marketing message, and how you are going to communicate the message, think about the use of videos. You don’t have to purchase expensive commercial time on T.V., you can upload it online and share it with as many people as possible.

If you need some help getting a video for your company, feel free to contact us.

Photo Credit:  303db

The ability to embed videos into your website has created a totally different dynamic. Websites can become much more entertaining and hold the attention of readers longer than with articles. Youtube, the video sharing website, changed everything. All a user has to do is upload their video, and they can instantly share the video on their website, Facebook, Myspace or any other social networking website.

Small businesses can take advantage of videos. As a result, as a business owner, you can produce a video which can get the kind of viewership that rivals what you would get by putting a commercial on TV at a fraction of the cost.

The following is three ways that a small business owner can use videos on their website and more.

Promotion

Have you ever gone to a website that had a video telling more about their product? This is an example of putting a promo video on your website. Unfortunately, those websites could do so much more! I am always at a loss for why a company who has a well done video on their website would not upload the video to sharing websites such as Youtube.

Do you have a commercial? With the power of the web, you can upload your video to Youtube and instantaneously share the video in as a commercial. Google has a platform through their advertising program or you can contact an individual website you would like to advertise on and offer to pay for space.

Training

Web based training is become very popular among publishers. How to videos can be very beneficial, and anytime you put the videos on Youtube you can get more traffic as people decide to check out your website for more information. If you are a chiropractor, you can produce a video on stretching and upload it to Youtube and your website. Tell you audience to go to your website for more information and clearly put your website address.

Other people have started video podcasts. Shama Kabani has a video podcast where she offers tips to her audience in a short two minute or less clip. The videos are entertaining complete with a cute tune and animation. Others, such as Kathleen Sullivan, offers video tutorials for her clients on how to use the tools she empowers them with.

Virtual Tours

Are you a real estate agent of do you need to show your facilities. This can be accomplished fairly easy also. Take a video and upload the video as a virtual tour. It is the best way to show around a facility to your potential customers. Customers can get an up-close view of the facility before they ever show up.

Other businesses can do a sample demonstration of select products. Imagine you are trying to increase sales of a menu item at your restaurant. Customers can’t smell your item, but they can see and imagine tasting the item! Make a video demonstrating the product, post it on your website, and share, share, share!

Videos are a great way to continue to market your product online. I am amazed how many people don’t think about videos.

Best–It is absolutely best to hire somebody to do your professional videos. A video is so much better when it is shot professionally. If you need somebody to shoot videos for your website, etc., give us a call. We have added video production to our line of products and services.

Good–For the quicker, more candid shot videos, buy a flip camera from a major retailer. You still may need video editing software, but go ahead and get videos made! If you need someone to edit the videos, let us know as we can take care of that too. Some animation or graphics may be exactly what a video needs to look a hundred times better.

Admit it, you watch both videos didn’t you?

We offer video production for the web.  Give us a call so we can produce a professional quality video for your company today!

Let the power of videos transform your online marketing today!