The to-do list keeps getting bigger and bigger. It doesn’t matter how much it get’s done there is always something else we can do.
But at least I kept pushing forward, dreaming big, taking small steps, and acting fast.
Here are a few lessons learned this month
Let’s start with Video!
I went to the first Vidcon Europe in Amsterdam and I learned a lot about video and YouTube.
- When working with brands take print screens of lifestreams as proof of views and audience.
- Answer this question before publishing your next video.
- Pay attention to what friends and family are sharing and create videos similar to the ones they share. Based on this I created a blog post about 28 unique content ideas, check it out https://www.angelanderson.com/content-idea-generator/?hvid=1TTdGf
- Search YouTube and see how you can make your thumbnails stand out from the rest. Sometimes is as simple as adopting a different color scheme.
- Ask viewers that they like and didn’t like about your videos so you can make more of what they like and less of what they didn’t instead of like and subscribe.
- Plan content ahead of time
- Find new places to promote your content.
- Have a single focus on YouTube
- Be Authentic
- Become a trusted source
- Look at the Youtube real-time graph and upload 1 hour before
- Learn how to write a script.
- Practice composition and framing.
- Use different types of shots and camera angles.
- Establishing shot
- Tracking shots
- Low angle
- Wide angle
- Medium angle
- Incorporate camera movement.
- Understand the 180-degree rule.
- Learn about depth of field.
- Use window lighting on a few videos.
- Practice using 3 point lighting.
- Learn to get better audio using a sound recorder.
Question: Would you take that brand deal without knowing how much you are getting paid?
Will you share this video if you never had to do with its creation? Check out the video I did about this question https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMoctewbLAc&t
Use Google Trends and Google keywords when deciding what content you should create.
People normally shoot at eye level. Try recording a few shots from different levels and points of views. Think what can do to bring something unique to this video.
Types of shots
Shoot in different days and different times
Email Management
I’m still using https://unroll.me to minimize how many emails I receive in my inbox at any giving time. What I failed to do in the past was to actually loging after my initial setup and edit my subscriptions, unsubscribing, removing unwanted emails from reaching my inbox.
I was surprised how many new email subscriptions I was added without my knowledge.No wonder why I get so many unwanted emails.
Working with a non-entrepreneur spouse
Prioritizing family and me time on the weekends is working really good for me right now and if I have to get anything done I either wake up early, stay up late. One business lifehack I use is to ask my wife to drive, that way I can read and respond to emails, check support tickets, etc.
Distractions
Finding a quiet spot to work can be challenging sometimes. Somedays when I have kids activities or other appointments I try to minimize driving back and forward so I work out of a mall food court. However, the mall food court can be noisy. To minimize noise distractions I use my Bose Q35 wireless headphones. Sometimes I lto listen to music that makes me happy, Brain.fm or an audio book.
Creativity
There were a few days in April I felt like I lost my creativity. Then someone told me “Angel go ahead and watch a few YouTube videos or a movie and you’ll see.” and like magic, my creativity came back.
Since I started consuming content again I haven’t lost my mojo 😉
Book I’m reading right now is: The Sales Bible, New Edition: The Ultimate Sales Resource http://amzn.to/2ppDK6G
What I want this month
During May I want to focus on my health, wealth, and relationships.
Health
Having “me” time is necessary but sometimes hard to have when you have a spouse, kids, and a business. his month I will triage my calendar and block “me” time. Where I’m reading a book in a quite place while drinking coffee or taking a nap here and there or traveling by myself for a day.
I will be more active as well. Wil run more frequently with my kids.
Also, when lacking in time and or motivation I will:
- Do 20 jumpingjacks
- 20 Pushups
- 20 Situps
- 20 highknees
- 20 second planks
Is my believe that part of being healthy is being happy and here is what’s working for me right now.
- Spend time with happy people.
- Prioritize activities that make me feel good.
- Take responsibility for your own happiness and don’t blame others when things go wrong.
- Get enough sleep, eat what I want and exercise.
- Exercise is an area I have to improve on.
- Forgive myself when you slip up.
- Take pleasure in the small things.
- Don’t compare myself to other people, but welcome success of others.
- Get out into nature regularly.
- Be resilient when setbacks occur.
- Give to others through kindness, compliments, and donations.
Wealth
- Gain new DataViking WordPress Web Hosting clients
- Help busy entrepreneurs and local business owners come up with great content ideas for videos, blog post and social media posts.
- Get hired as part-time or full-time webmaster
- Sell my video promotion checklist
- Sell my content reporpusing checklist
Relationships
I think relationships can be improved with details. There are small things you and I can do to remind our spouses, kids, family and friends how much we love them and appreciate them.
Besides being present and doing things they enjoy, a simple text message with an “I love you and I hope you have the best day ever” makes a huge difference.
You don’t have to buy flowers every week, just have small details more frequently.
Marketing Lessons
- Reach out to people who shared my content
- Examine my inner circle and see if there is someone I would like to work with already subscribed to my newsletter or following me on Twitter or Facebook
- Examine who I follow: Is there someone I already follow online with who I had small email conversations in the past and that I will like to work with?
- Install the Facebook pixel in all the websites even if there is not an immediate Facebook ad planned for it.
Add a calendar reminder to look your email marketing open rates at least every 3 months.
Creating a relationship with people who share your content can be valuable to you and them. They get to learn more and or share good content to their audience and you gain new eyeballs to your content.
Useful apps, equipment, software, and services this month
- Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V 20.1 MP Digital Still Camera w/ 3″ OLED
- Rode smartLav+ Lavalier Microphone for iPhone and Smartphones
- JOBY GorillaPod Focus with Ballhead X Bundle. Flexible Camera Tripod with Ballhead for DSLR Camera Rigs with Zoom Lenses up to 5kg
- Rode VideoMic Me Directional Microphone for Smart Phones
- Rode VideoMicro Compact On-Camera Microphone with Rycote Lyre Shock Mount
- Rode SC7 3.5mm TRS to TRRS Patch Cable
- Apps I’m using the most (video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0bwptCMqd4
- https://www.canva.com to create social media graphics and YouTube thumbnails.
- https://tinypng.com to compress images before uploading to the website.
- Aweber to send weekly email updates.
- Google Docs
- Buffer & Hootsuite
- https://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer
- DataViking WordPress Web Hosting
- Evernote
- https://displaypurposes.com to find 30 instagram hashtags really fast.
- Dropbox to backup all my important files autoamtically
- Zendesk to manage my support ticksts
- HubSpot CRM
- PayPal.me to take payments online fast
What do you think?
I hope you like this month’s lessons learned. Please share what you like and what you didn’t like about it. Also, what area you think I should work on.
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