Next month I am giving a presentation to the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors and they had me create a promotional video for it. So here it is.

Here, too, is the description I submitted for the workshop.

Perhaps nowhere as in Real Estate is a business so dependent on relationship. And video is the best way to begin and grow that relationship. People LOVE video! Last year, 86% of the US online population viewed video content. That’s 178 million; compared to “only” 150 million in 2008. The average online viewer consumed 187 videos in December of 2009, up 95% from December 2008. Videos are 50 times more likely to receive an organic first page ranking than traditional text pages. Unlike traditional media, video has the ultimate ROI value because it can be created once, and used forever.

Come to the Video for Fun and Profit workshop at the CABR on June 16 at 10am-12pm. This workshop will show you how to create your own videos, how and where to post them. We will also have an interactive panel of users of these and other technologies. Come learn more about these simple to use tools and how they can make a significant impact on your marketing success.

If you can relate to these agents, you need to come to this workshop!

Unfortunately, unless you’re already involved with CABR, this is not open to the public. HOWEVER…I am starting a list of people who are interested in learning how to use video to promote their business. If that is you, please comment below, send me an email, Twitter me (@editVDO), or leave a post on my Facebook Fan page.

If you’re finding yourself spending a lot of time going to several blog sites to read articles, there’s an easier way to stay up on your blogs. You can use a blog reader. There are several readers out there; select the one you like best and subscribe to your blogs using that reader. Here’s what you do…

1. Select the blog reader you want and set up an account. The standard ones are Bloglines, Google Reader, Netvibes, and Pageflakes. I personally use Bloglines. I really like the ability to organize my blogs into categories/folders, like “Faves”, “Video”, “Thesis”; and then sort the categories in whatever personal order I want; Within those folders, I can further sort the blogs by ones I most don’t want to miss. I’ve used Google Reader, and it does that as well. I also have a bookmark to the Bloglines site so I can immediately go to it.

2. Go to the blog you wish to subscribe to. Somewhere on the page, usually near the top, will be an RSS icon, typically orange with white “waves” on it. When you click on it, it will pop up with a list of readers for you to choose.

3. Select the one you want. There are also usually settings options. Set it how you like.

Another advantage of a blog reader is that every time the author publishes a new post, it is automatically sent out their RSS feed directly to your reader. No more wasting time constantly checking blogs to see if there’s a new post. And you won’t accidentally miss one.

So tell me, what is your favorite blog and why?

New Media Cincinnati is a group that meets at Rookwood Pub on the second Saturday of every month. The group is made up of enthusiasts for all things social media, such as photography, podcasting, facebook, linkedin, twitter and of course, my personal favorite, video. It’s open to the public so if you would like to attend, contact me.

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This is an exciting time of year for VS Productions. This is our first year in Loveland and, as an active Chamber member, we are excited to use our skills to promote the “love” of Loveland. It started January 9 with the announcement of the Valentine Lady, and the unveiling of the official Loveland Valentine card. It’s an easy sell, really. The card is absolutely beautiful–a painting of a park gazebo by a local artist–and being blank on the inside makes it appropriate year round.

Normally I might not send Valentine cards, but such a beautiful card has inspired me to do that this year. I didn’t send out Christmas cards or New Year’s greetings to my clients, so I thought this would be a fantastic way to express my appreciation and stand out from the crowd as well. Now, you may think Valentine’s Day is not quite appropriate for business, but believe me, it is. What better time to express your gratitude to your current clients, or get back in touch with previous clients you maybe haven’t worked with in a while, or even prospects you want to pursue?

So now for the special part…after you’ve addressed and stamped your cards, send them to (in a big envelope) or drop them off at the Loveland Post Office. The Valentine Lady, along with area business owners, will stamp them and hand cancel them so your notes are postmarked from “LOVEland, the Sweetheart of Ohio”. Now I know you’re really thinking “mushy,” but remember this…it’s about relationship. Even though you’re doing business with a company, you’re doing business with people. Everyone likes to know someone is thinking of them. And appreciates them.

So show a little love this month. You can pick these gorgeous cards at Loveland Chamber of Commerce, Loveland Kroger and several other Loveland business, or email me and I’ll arrange to get you some.

Check out our official Valentine events at AllAroundLoveland.com and our Facebook Fan Page.

Improve Your Conversion Rate with Video

Here’s my new introduction video. I had a lot of fun creating it. As you can imagine, I spend A LOT more time behind the camera than in front of it, so I had a bit of camera-shyness to overcome. I did that by recording it over and over and over again. This helped me to remember what I wanted to say, but it also let me see myself and critique my delivery. I had certain key phrases I wanted to say, and at different times, I’d say it or not. Or I’d say it a different way. Or I’d say it, but not in the place I meant to (like saying my name first when I wanted to say it last). So while it took me about half an hour to get to the video you see here, it was so much fun, even with repeating the same things over and over, or when my mind would go completely blank and I’d forget the next thing I wanted to say, or, of course, the blooper reel…

Being a perfectionist, I always want things to be perfect, and what I found out is, it is more important to just move than it is to make sure everything is perfectly planned. This was just a starting point and often that first step is what takes us down the road. I can help you take that step. Whether it’s fear, lack of time, or something in between, the secret to trying something new, like putting video on your website, is taking that first step; and ofttimes the journey is a lot shorter than we think it will be.

Wow! I got chills watching this video. Just the shear numbers mentioned boggles the mind. Yet, as great as these numbers are, I know many many people (and people with businesses) that are not even aware of social networks, let alone on them; I can name at least a handful of my friends that aren’t on social media; they have an email address, that’s it. I may even know a couple people that don’t even have that. So think how much more room there is to grow. THAT will boggle your mind.

As you watch this video, how does it make you feel? Excited? Overwhelmed? Confused, as if lost in a crowd? Like it’s too late to be a part of it? All of that is true except the last one.

It is most definitely NOT too late to be a part of it. You can even decide to what degree you want to be a part of it–just a presence or all in. Just dip your toe in the water if you’re unsure at first. Work alongside a professional that will guide you into deeper waters, and before you know it, you’ll be comfortable in the deep end.

Give me your thoughts below. Tell me what you think: about the video, about social networks, about how you can be a part of it.