Recent Blog Posts
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Media and the “C” Word
Find out what it really takes to make social media strategies work for your business. 7 Tips included to get your business on its way!
8 Fatal Facebook Fan Page Mistakes to Avoid
Make your Facebook Fan Page a Fan Magnet: Make it more effective, more engaging and more interactive by using these 8 remedies to the most common Fan Page mistakes businesses make on their page.
Is Social Media a Fad?
Market Rumba investigates Social Media activity and what is behind all the buzz.
Massive Changes for Internet Marketing 2011
Leverage your business’ internet marketing efforts by being present on the Social, Local and Mobile internet.
DIY
Get Control of Your Facebook Wall by Creating Lists
Tired and overwhelmed by your Facebook News Feed?
Is your viewing experience frustrating having to scroll through hundreds of posts from Facebook friends and pages?
Did you know you can create a Facebook List to help you organize who you see and when?
Let’s face it, there are some people we really want to hear from and others…..not that much.
There’s a quick fix!
Yes, you can categorize your friends into lists so you can choose to see only what they have to say and not all of your 500 other friends.
How To Create a Facebook List
- Log In to Facebook
- Click “Friends” under your name on the left.
- Click “Edit Friends”.
- Click “Create a List“ An Edit box will appear. Here you will choose your new list’s name and what friends you want to include.
- Name your page.
- Choose your Friends for this list. Scroll through your list and click the friends you want to include, or insert their name in the box to choose them.
- Click “Create List“.
Your Done! Wow, that was easy!
Viewing Your New Facebook List
Now when you visit your ”Home page” and you see your News Feed,
- Go the top right where you see “Top News” and ”Most Recent“,
- Click “Most Recent“. A drop down menu will appear.
- Click the new Facebook List you created and you will see only those friends’ posts.
Isn’t that great? Don’t you feel organized?
And now you don’t have to miss what your special friends are saying and sharing.
Editing Your Facebook List
Do you want to make changes to your list? Add new friends? Change the Facebook List name or Delete the Facebook List altogether?
- Click “Friends” under you name.
- Click “Edit Friends“. Your Facebook list will now show up on the left hand side of your page.
- Click the Facebook list you want to Edit.The “Edit” box for this list will pop up.
- Edit Your Facebook List. Here you can make any changes you want. Even delete the page entirely.
So now you must feel “in total control” with your Facebook list, but don’t stop there!
Have fun and start making new lists, like close friends, family, work friends, high school friends or any list you want.
The possibilities are endless.
YouTube’s Video Analytics for Social Media
YouTube RECON! Find out what websites and social media sites people are viewing to see your YouTube video.
Embed YouTube Video The Right Way
Learn how to stop related videos from playing after your Youtube video.
It’s easy to fix!
How To Make a YouTube Background
Customize your business YouTube background with your own banner and subscribe arrows!
PRODUCT REVIEWS
Audio-Technica ATR288W Lavaliere Microphone Review
Review of ATR288W Wireless Lavaliere Microphone
As a video aficionado, I am always on the lookout for video related products that will improve video quality and be affordable for the consumer. I recently tested out the Audio-Technica ATR288W Wireless Lavaliere Microphone. Having clear, robust sound for your video will significantly improve its caliber and give it a more professional look. This can be obtained by using an external microphone with your video camera instead of relying on its internal microphone. Wireless lavaliere microphones allow freedom of movement from the video camera, decrease ambient noise, and focus on the talent’s voice. If your talent is walking around, the sound quality will be consistent when moving and even when facing away from the camera.
ATR288W Features
The Audio-Technica ATR288W works on a VHF radio channel and you have the choice of using either channel A or B. The microphone system has several components; the receiver, the clip-on omni-directional lavalier microphone, the receiver with positional antennae and an additional hand held microphone. The receiver and transmitter are each powered by 9-volt batteries. There is a power light on each unit, but no battery strength indicator. Audio-Technica states that the microphone range is 100 feet and in optimal conditions, 300 feet. Both the receiver and the transmitter have belt clips and the receiver has an optional camera mount adapter. There is an earphone included to attach to your camera so you can hear the sound quality coming from your video.
Outdoor Test
I did several video tests using my Kodak Zi8; my first test was done outdoors on channel A. I set up my video camera on a tripod attached to the receiver, I clipped on my lavaliere microphone and strapped on the transmitter pack. I filmed myself walking and talking, gradually moving away from the camera. My voice was clear until I was 15 feet away from the camera; there was a mild buzz and mild interference. At 30-40 feet the interference got worse and by the time I was at 80 feet the interference was constant. I changed to channel B and the interference was just slightly decreased and not adequate for filming.
I decided to move in a different direction to make sure there was no wind to add as a variable. In this new position the interference decreased greatly, but there was still a slight underlying buzz. I would not want to use this area for filming. A bit discouraged I set out in the opposite direction. I was happily surprised to get crisp, clear sound up to 60 feet away with no interference, even while moving.
Indoor Test
When I filmed in my house during my test run I was near 4 computers, printers, fax machines, etc. These most likely caused the slight buzz I encountered in certain areas. The farthest I was from the receiver and video camera was about 15 feet. There was occasional buzzing in certain areas, but on the average, the sound was clear even with movement. I used the ATR288W on another on-site shoot at a tile showroom and the sound quality was good except when the talent moved under some fluorescent lights.
Radio Interference
As this unit works on 169.505 MHz & 170.305 MHz FM radio frequencies and the transmission of these signals work on a modulation of electromagnetic waves, then any electrical interference will affect the sound. This can include anything electrical or competing signals on the same radio frequency. Knowing this I was perplexed; when I was filming outdoors I was in the middle of my very large backyard, our electric lines are buried underground and I was not near any electrical towers. Then I remembered that my neighbor has an electric fence for her dog and when I was filming out front away from the fence there was no interference.
Best Results & Advice
My advice when using the ATR288W wireless lavaliere microphone is to do careful planning prior to any shoot to find the “sweet spot” or the spot where it is interference-free. Perform a dry run if you are going to be moving around with the microphone to make sure you maintain sound quality. Your cameraman should wear headphones to monitor sound. Have extra 9-volt batteries handy, as you will not be able to monitor low battery levels. You’ll find out when to replace your batteries when your unit stops working.
The transmitter and receivers are easy to use and set up. They are lightweight and clip firmly to a belt or pocket for stability and portability. The antennae unscrews from the receiver for quick stowing. The additional handheld microphone works well for video interviews and singing.
For the price, the ATR288W is a good buy if you know the unit’s strengths and weaknesses. Prices on the web range from $120 to $180, depending where you shop. If you use video to promote yourself, your business or your cause, having a wireless lavaliere microphone is a must-have video accessory. It will add a polished feel to your videos that can only be attained with vibrant sound.
Gorillapod Video Camera Tripod Review
So you want to start making quality looking videos for your business, but you have no camera person to help you. You may have limited space to film or want to film out and about, on the go. No worries. Just snap your video camera onto the Joby Gorillapod and you’re set. This little adjustable mini-tripod with grippy legs is a versatile accessory for your filming needs. The Gorillapod allows filming from angles impossible with traditional mini-tripods with straight legs. It will attach to almost any object it can put its legs around, which means your video possibilities are endless. I found this as an accessory item when I bought my Kodak Zi8 and I am so glad I did. Take a look at my video review to see the how it works. By the way, that little, catchy Gorillapod tune in the beginning of my video, I did that on Garage Band on my Mac.
Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera Review
I just bought the Kodak Zi8 pocket video camera and did a quick review. This little dynamo is light weight and has great functionality. For people who want an easy video camera to use right out of the box, this one is hard to beat. The Zi8′s features rival ones of more expensive video cameras and this one is very affordable. Take a look at the video and see why the external microphone and tripod sockets are so important for good video. Any person who wants to start doing internet videos to promote their business or themselves should take a look at this little gem.
Web Marketing Tips
8 Fatal QR Code Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
Learn how to use QR codes effectively in your business marketing and avoid fatal QR code marketing mistakes that will cost your campaign’s effectiveness.
Massive Changes for Internet Marketing 2011
Leverage your business’ internet marketing efforts by being present on the Social, Local and Mobile internet.
Is Your Business Mobile Ready?
8 Compelling Reasons Why Your Business Needs to Go Mobile!
News straight from industry leaders.
Google Website SEO Tips
As Bucks County business owners we know our most important Internet marketing tool is our website and without visitors we are just owners of an expensive digital address. Knowing how well our website ranks on Internet searches should be a priority and necessity. We should be up to date on how well our websites perform and how to improve them periodically.
Where to find Google SEO Tips.
Google, the number one search engine in the U. S., has graciously assembled a cornucopia of information called Webmaster Central, a hub of website improvement tips at http://www.google.com/webmasters. Here you can find the “Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide”. This 32 page guide gives valuable pointers and best practices to improve website performance. They even have a list of pitfalls to avoid and address issues from optimizing images to mobile websites.
Many may wonder why Google would put out this kind of guide. Essentially, they want to educate people putting content on the web so that Google users will have the best search experience. It makes sense to keep them happy. Google has plenty of competition and they want to stay the top search destination. Google does furnish a lot of information, but don’t be fooled, they don’t give away any secrets or tell you how to rank number one on search pages. That’s o.k., businesses can still benefit.
Google Key SEO Strategy.
One piece of key advice Google offers to improve your website’s SEO is to add compelling and fresh, new content. The easiest way to add Internet content on a regular basis is to do it on a blog that is part of your website or linked to it. You may have to contact your webmaster to help you. Blogs are ‘content management systems’ specifically designed for adding new content easily and quickly.
What holds business owners back.
Talking to many local Bucks County business owners, I have learned that keeping up with a blog seems to be an endeavor they would like to pursue or continue, but they can’t see where they will find the time. It just seems like one more commitment to add to their plate. Additionally, many business owners are not sure what kind of content to add that will be the most effective return on their “time investment”.
Well, I have the answer that just may be the impetus Bucks County businesses need to start getting their information out there.
What does Google say?
Google states that adding compelling and useful content is one of most effective and influential search engine optimization strategies of all the strategies listed in the guide. That alone is reason enough to dedicate a block of my schedule to accommodate this task, and so worthwhile.
Once you have your blog up and running, this website SEO strategy is FREE. No need to pay your Webmaster to add content to your website, you can do this on your own. Whether you do a blog post or video post, it’s all about the fresh subject matter.
What is compelling content?
So what is compelling and useful content? Any topic your target market is searching for that you can provide information on. So think about the questions your customers ask you and answer those questions. Provide information on issues that matter to them. Google advises,
“Write an original piece of research, break an exciting news story, or leverage your unique user base”.Basically, offer content that no other site is giving and be the resource for your readers. You can use the handy Google Adwords Keyword Tool to discover the top search queries in your area of expertise so you can focus on topics that will lead the most users to your site.
I urge all Bucks County business owners to check out the Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide for all its Internet marketing tips and techniques. It is a worthy read and easy to navigate. You can save it as a PDF right on your computer for future reference. I found some good blogging resources at Problogger and at Chris Brogan’s website. Both these sites have information from seasoned bloggers with great tips.
I look forward to checking my local Bucks County blogs and see what is new!
