How To Execute

Execution In Ecommerce Strategies:-

The success of videos posted at your Web site or YouTube depends in no small part on the quality of execution, and those made in-house are most vulnerable to amateurish production values. Not to worry: In a guest post at the HubSpot blog, Catie Foertsch offers her best tips for giving your DIY videos a professional look:

Start with a script. Foertsch advises against improvisation for a very simple reason: "[Y]ou'll turn on the camera and find yourself tongue-tied as you try to think of what to say." She recommends succinct bullet points that won't overwhelm your audience with too much information, and an accessible story arc that follows the familiar pattern of beginning, middle and end.

Be authentic. Most of us prefer doing business with those we know, like and trust—you'll only alienate your viewers if they catch on to the fact that you're trying to be something you're not.

Don't use a camera's built-in microphone. "Buy a wireless lavaliere mic and clip it on your lapel," says Foertsch. Also, check that it has the right connections for your camera.

Pay attention to lighting. Among her tips: Pointing a light source directly at your face will counteract the "raccoon eye" shadows caused by direct overhead light.

Get up close and personal. Think in YouTube dimensions—lots of long shots mean viewers don't get a good look at your face. A well-framed head-and-shoulders shot without too much empty space above your head will do the trick.

The Po!nt: Says Foertsch, "Communication-wise, video is the sharpest tool in your toolbox, and making good video isn't hard."

Phil Bronstein, San Francisco Chronicle editor-at-large, said during the 2008 AlwaysOn media summit at Stanford that if he "could collect a buck every time anyone says 'monetize,' I wouldn't need any more money." But Internet users have come to expect free content. So, how will online media companies transform "free" into revenue? Nobody really knows—not even Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who refers to Web-based content profits as the Holy Grail.

How to cash in on the vast online audience for music, videos, news and other content? Media companies launching new online products find themselves weighing whether to build a subscription-based audience, charge on a pay-per-play basis, or rely on ad revenue. Online marketers tread the thin line between "free" and "fee" daily. For some strategies on converting the freeconomics of online media into monetization, here are three pieces worth a look:

Free! Why $0.00 is the Future of Business. Read what Wired's Editor-in-Chief Chris Andersen is thinking about free, in his blog and upcoming 2009 book on the subject.

"Let them eat chocolate." A Duke University case study on the power of that emotional hot button: free.

When Access was Free. A look back at 1999, when Netzero offered its Internet access service for free.

The Po!nt: Monetize with care. Judging the value of "free vs paid" offers online, in terms of their ultimate ROI, is a tightrope walk.

you're supposed to be in-the-know about Social Media and B-to-B outreach. You can define "mashup," and report how it can best serve your clients, in 25 words or less, right? Yeah. Thought so.

Here's a short list of terms, from a recent E-Commerce Times article, that might help. Hide it in your desk, for the next time the boss approaches with a question:

Mashups. "A mashup brings together multiple sources of data and creates a single application, often created as a Web service," Columbus says. Think Twitly, which helps arrange Twitter followers into a group, or Twitzu, which helps manage events: you send out invites, and then clients respond to you via Twitter.

RSS. Really Simple Syndication. An approach to syndicating content from Web sites, blogs and social networking sites to be read in RSS readers. "This is a must-have for any company website or blog," Columbus says, "as it allows people to track current news via their RSS Feeds."

Tags. Simplistic technology that gives users the flexibility of bookmarking specific Web pages and sites of interest. "This is the basis of the approaches used by Digg and del.icio.us for reporting popularity of specific blog posts and Web pages."

Wikis. A collection of Web pages that allow anyone to add or edit content. Wikis have been known to help nurture collaboration among clients on specific projects.

The Po!nt: Stay in touch. Ongoing research into the ever-changing hotspots in Social Media will help you keep on top of the latest client outreach tools—and help guide their social efforts as well.

released on----- 23 September, 2008