Angel Anderson

Smarketing Advisor, Air Force Veteran & Webmaster on a daily mission is to improve products, services, and processes

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April 2017 Lessons Learned


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.

  1. When working with brands take print screens of lifestreams as proof of views and audience.

    2. Question: Would you take that brand deal without knowing how much you are getting paid?

  2. Answer this question before publishing your next video.

    3. 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

  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Plan content ahead of time

    7. Use Google Trends and Google keywords when deciding what content you should create.

  7. Find new places to promote your content.
  8. Have a single focus on YouTube
  9. Be Authentic
  10. Become a trusted source
  11. Look at the Youtube real-time graph and upload 1 hour before
  12. Learn how to write a script.
  13. Practice composition and framing.
  14. Use different types of shots and camera angles.

    15. 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

    • Establishing shot
    • Tracking shots
    • Low angle
    • Wide angle
    • Medium angle

    Shoot in different days and different times

  15. Incorporate camera movement.
  16. Understand the 180-degree rule.
  17. Learn about depth of field.
  18. Use window lighting on a few videos.
  19. Practice using 3 point lighting.
  20. Learn to get better audio using a sound recorder.

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.

  1. Spend time with happy people.
  2. Prioritize activities that make me feel good.
  3. Take responsibility for your own happiness and don’t blame others when things go wrong.
  4. Get enough sleep, eat what I want and exercise.
  5. Exercise is an area I have to improve on.
  6. Forgive myself when you slip up.
  7. Take pleasure in the small things.
  8. Don’t compare myself to other people, but welcome success of others.
  9. Get out into nature regularly.
  10. Be resilient when setbacks occur.
  11. Give to others through kindness, compliments, and donations.

Wealth

  1. Gain new DataViking WordPress Web Hosting clients
  2. Help busy entrepreneurs and local business owners come up with great content ideas for videos, blog post and social media posts.
  3. Get hired as part-time or full-time webmaster
  4. Sell my video promotion checklist
  5. 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

  1. Reach out to people who shared my content

    2. 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.

  2. 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
  3. 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?
  4. 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.

Useful apps, equipment, software, and services this month

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.

Content Ideas


Look, creating content takes time.

Actually coming up with good and unique content ideas takes time and sometimes you struggle with making time to brainstorm and create your content ideas.

Maybe that’s why you are not getting better results.

But I got you!

You can use the list below to spark ideas for your videos, blog post or social media post or you can jump in a one-on-one call with me and I will help you come up with the next 100 pieces of content for your business.

Content ideas

Here is a list of content ideas that don’t require a lot of time to brainstorm or create.

  1. Share what makes you happy
  2. Share something unique about one of your products
  3. Share the last photo you took and describe the moment
  4. Share what you are grateful for today
  5. Share what you stand for or against
  6. Go on a rant
  7. Share favorite article
  8. Share the last YouTube video you watch and share what you like about it
  9. Share favorite travel destination
  10. Travel deals leaving from your city
  11. Favorite food
  12. Check out what’s new with XXX
  13. Share what is the last thing you  learned
  14. Share current events
  15. What’s your favorite book?
  16. Share favorite tool
  17. Share favorite service
  18. Share favorite product
  19. Share favorite app
  20. Share what’s your favorite piece of tech and why
  21. Record a behind the scenes video
  22. Ask questions on Twitter, facebook, and do a “Q&A”
  23. Publish a “How To”
  24. Do a service “Review”
  25. Do a “Screencast”
  26. Interview a person
  27. Getting started with
  28. Company internal updates
Let me help you speed your content creation process and come up with your 100 unique content ideas. Click here to pay now!

Pay Now

Our call will spark new content ideas to promote your business and get better results in less time.

Click here to pay $100. After successful payment, you will be redirected to a page where you can schedule our one one one call. And that’s it!

Talk to you soon 😎

Weekly Review Template

On Sunday’s I like to reset.

A weekly review helps me reset and start the week fresh. It also reminds me of anything that I might have missed that I still need to take care of.

I star my weekly review by looking upcoming calendar appointments. This way I can plan, prepare and avoid any surprises.

Another thing I do while looking at my calendar is to look the previous week. Sometimes I need to Followup with people and this serves as a reminder.

Business

I look at current projects I’m working on and list 5 tasks most be completed to move current projects forward. Also, who should I reach out to and who I’m waiting on?

As far, planning upcoming videos, blog posts, and social media posts.

  1. Ask Facebook friends
  2. Ask via email
  3. Look questions from Twitter, Facebook and help desk
  4. Share what makes you happy
  5. Share one of your products
  6. Share a photo
  7. Share favorite article
  8. Share favorite YouTube video
  9. Share favorite travel destination
  10. Favorite food
  11. Web hosting company
  12. Email service provider
  13. Share current events
  14. Book of the week
  15. Share favorite tool
  16. Share favorite service
  17. Share favorite product
  18. Share favorite app
  19. Do a tech review
  20. Share a “Behind the Scenes”
  21. Do a “Q&A”
  22. Publish a “How To”
  23. Do a service “Review”
  24. Do a “Screencast”
  25. Interview a person
  26. Cool physical products under $100 recommendations
  27. Getting started with
  28. Company internal updates
Get 100 unique content ideas you can use for your blog post, social media posts, and emails for just $100.

Click here to pay https://www.paypal.me/angelfanderson/100

After you pay, send me a message so we can get on a phone call, Skype call or Google hangouts to brainstorm and create your 100 pieces of content.

BTW, if you are not happy for whatever reason at the end of the call you will receive a full refund no questions ask.

Personal

During my review, I look for…

  • What I did with the family and what I should have done
  • Did I spend money on things I shouldn’t have to and what I have to do to improve my finances this week
  • Did a do anything fun, or had “me time”?
  • Did I exercise? What I’m doing next week?
  • Did I spend time with friends? Who can I reach out that I haven’t?

I also scan loose papers that I need to keep and receipts to Evernote.
get current

Achieving Inbox zero is also part of my weekly review. (see here)

When it comes to my to-do list

  1. Look my unfinished items
  2. Transfer all my brain dumps into my electronic todo list
  3. See what I can delegate
  4. See what I can defer

Here are a few extra steps that when not done can get out of control.

  • Empty my downloads folder
  • Empty Dropbox camera uploads folder
  • Listen to voicemails

Lastly, I like to reflect on what went well, what could be adjusted, what to stop doing, what to start doing, and what to continue doing.

I hope this helps you in some way or at least gives you a few ideas.

My favorite mac keyboard shortcuts

These days I spend a lot of time on the computer
Whether is editing videos, writing emails or writing social media posts.

And that all takes time, so whenever I can save a few seconds here and there I’m feeling gangster 😎.

Because I’m using a mac, learning the mac keyboard shortcuts to the programs I use the most will help me save time here and there. Even if is a few second, they all add up at the end of the day.

My favorite mac keyboard shortcuts right now are:

  1. Shift + Command + 3 = Take print screen of your entire screen
  2. Shift + Command + 4 = Allows you to take a print screen of an area you selected
  3. Q on adobe because allows me to trim left to the end of the clip
  4. W on adobe because allows me to trim right to the end of the clip
  5. Control + Command + Spacebar bring the emoji menu

March 2017 Lessons Learned

It has been a great month.

We vacated the house we lived for four and half years while residing in England. Shipped one of our vehicles to Florida and I continue out processing from active duty Air Force. My last official date in active duty is 30 June 2017.

Fitness

I managed to sneak in a run here and there but not as often as I wanted to.

Having TRX Tactical Gym helped me some days and other days I simply did 5 sets of exercises listed below.

    20 Jumping Jacks
    20 High knees
    20 Pushups
    20 Burpees
    20 Squats
    20 Situps
    20 But kickers
    Planked for 20 seconds

Family

Spend more time talking to my kids about the upcoming move to Florida. Didn’t cook as often as I thought I would but at least we all ate together as a family.

Getting up early to drop off my kids at school and picking them up in the afternoon still one of my daily blessings. Also, I called my mom and grandma in Puerto Rico a few times.

Finances

Finances improved this month thanks to new web hosting accounts at DataViking and the 3 ecommerce websites I created for clients.

Making time to work on my own websites will help me improve relationships with clients, prospects, and increase sales. Not only that blocking time for admin work will help me minimize piled paperwork.

Monday – Promote AngelAnderson.com
Tuesday – Share DataViking.com services
Wednesday – Build s.marketing
Thursday – Market to the hispanic marketing (en Español)
Friday – Update Caborojo.com
Saturday – Family time
Sunday – Weekly Planning

To increase my income in the next 30 days, I need to

A challenge I faced this month was having enough time to editing, publish and share my daily YouTube videos.

To combat this situation, I’m creating a week buffer just in case something happens that I can’t edit or upload. However, this creates a new challenge. If I upload the videos ahead of time to be released at a specific date and time, I might not be there to share the video through my social media profiles.

That’s why I setup a simple automation using Zapier to help me share new videos to my Facebook page, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and LinkedIn.

Mental Health

I’m feeling at peace, and for that reason, I’m going to continue staying away from negative people and those who complain and don’t take any action to improve their current situation.

Things that help my mood and motivation

  1. Read a inspirational quote
  2. Write, say or share what I’m grateful for

Click here to see my favorite quotes or see motivational quotes here https://twitter.com/DavidRoads

Two particular quotes that I liked this month were.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

“Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator. And change has its enemies.” – Robert Kennedy

Who are the enemies of progress

  • Self-doubt
  • Distractions
  • Negative people
  • Not in the right circle of influence
  • No taking action, because we are waiting for the right moment

Friends

I want to continue to surround myself of positive like minded people because I will like to be able to have peace of mind and be happier.

Favorite This Month

Top YouTube Videos

This month I went to my YouTube analytics and pick the bottom performing video out of the top 10 list and modified the thumbnail using Canva.com, research tags using Tubebuddy and modified the title.

This helped me save time and increase revenue from my YouTube videos.

  1. The Best DSLR lens for that situation
  2. THE BEST DSLR EXTERNAL MICROPHONE FOR THE MONEY
  3. Quick flight to Isla Ratones in Joyuda Cabo Rojo Puerto Rico
  4. Using a Micro Muff to reduce Video Wind Noise on a Sony RX100 IV
  5. buying and selling domains
  6. The Mastery Journal vs Productivity Planner vs BestSelf vs Panda Planner vs The Habit Journal
  7. Camera settings for better video recording – iso, aperture and shutter speed
  8. My simple iPhone 6 Facebook video live stream setup will make you money
  9. Instagram Hacks for Busy Entrepreneurs
  10. PayPal Hack

Final Thoughts

The worst business is to sell to losers because you will not attract winners. Love your competition because it will increase the noise levels and will force you to be better. Remember, customers have a choice, even when there is not competition. They can always buy water.

I will continue to eliminate distractions and will seek to surround myself with good people.