As you may or may not be aware, Vimeo just recently launched a redesign to their home page, with some new emphases on Vimeo up-sells like Vimeo Plus. This new look and site strategy makes great business-sense for Vimeo; but it begs the question (and always has): Does Vimeo make sense for your business? Default Answer: No. [...]]]>

As you may or may not be aware, Vimeo just recently launched a redesign to their home page, with some new emphases on Vimeo up-sells like Vimeo Plus. This new look and site strategy makes great business-sense for Vimeo; but it begs the question (and always has): Does Vimeo make sense for your business?

Default Answer: No.

One thing to understand about Vimeo is that it’s not made for you, business person(s). Vimeo is different from YouTube in that it’s focus is on video quality, both in terms of content and in cinematography. Vimeo is not for commercial use. It’s purpose is to show causes, education and art.

Vimeo started out as an HD alternative to YouTube. It introduced online HD streaming before YouTube was able to handle it. That got a whole crowd of people on board. Also — its player, when embedded on someone’s site, looked a lot cleaner and better. YouTube’s caught up now on both counts, but Vimeo established a culture of: “Our videos are better.”

Because of this, Vimeo’s videos tend to focus more as a “Flickr for video-lovers.” When people want to watch music videos or laugh at kittens, they go to YouTube. With Vimeo, people come to learn or be inspired.

But, I Thought Vimeo Could Help My Business!

Ahhhh! Well, there is good news. Vimeo could be an invaluable resource for your business. The trick is to put out video content that isn’t among the status quo. Here are few things you can do to make Vimeo a valuable marketing arm for your business:

1. Make the topics of the videos something educational.
• GOOD IDEA: A summary video of a session from one of your webinars or conferences.
• BAD IDEA: An advertisement for one of your upcoming webinars or conferences.
2. The Vimeo community likes more refined video experiences, so it helps to have multi-camera videos when possible, with some work in the editing room.
• For most small-mid-sized businesses, simple video editing tools are fine (like iMovie). Though it’s important to gain some footwork in the field. Low-cost editors, like Final Cut Express, are preferred if you have the chops to put in the time to learn how to use them well.
• Create some bumper music and a banner for the beginning and end of your videos. Here’s an example of a video  of me at a Pecha Kucha night in Greenville a while back: http://vimeo.com/13921846
3. Make sure you tag all videos carefully so that they’ll be considered related too each other, and people who view your videos can more easily find other videos that you have.
4. Most Vimeo videos are made available for download (since they’re for non-commercial use). This is a great way to get your Vimeo channel some exposure to those who otherwise might not visit. You can give url’s to the video directly where they can download it on that page. This is especially valuable for any educational/seminar-type content you release onto it.

Remember, Vimeo’s got a fantastic player and phenomenal and dedicated community. You’re welcome to engage them; but you must do so on their terms. Vimeo’s community doesn’t want commercials. They want inspiration and education. Deliver that, and you’ll become a valuable resource in a thriving niche community.

Let me tell you a story. There once were four small businesses in Greenville: They all did business locally, and also had web sites that helped their businesses. Cathy’s Cupcakes showed samples of her work, with a link to use a generic order form and purchase cupcakes with Paypal, Sam’s Supplies had a full e-commerce [...]]]>

Let me tell you a story.

There once were four small businesses in Greenville:

They all did business locally, and also had web sites that helped their businesses. Cathy’s Cupcakes showed samples of her work, with a link to use a generic order form and purchase cupcakes with Paypal, Sam’s Supplies had a full e-commerce set-up, and Tommy’s T-Shirts linked up to an Etsy store, while Wally’s Websites hosts these three sites. Things were going great for all of them!

Then one day, Cathy’s Cupcakes puts up a new recipe: Lovely Coffee® Cupcakes. She even tells people how to make them, which includes using Lovely Coffee® coffee and tells people where in Greenville to go buy some. The cupcakes were a smash! People begin to “Like” Cathy’s Facebook page and re-posting her web site on Pinterest. Cathy was taking off! A month later, somebody at Lovely Coffee® decided that Cathy was violating the Lovely Coffee® property. They didn’t email Cathy and request she take the cupcake recipe down. They didn’t call her. No, Cathy received a letter in the mail telling her she needed to remove any mention of Lovely Coffee® on her web site, since they’re cupcakes, and Cathy sells cupcakes. She stands to profit off of the Lovely Coffee® brand. Cathy didn’t know what to do. Cathy was shocked to see a court order five days later, demanding she take down her entire web site until the matter with Lovely Coffee® is resolved, or she may face years in jail. Sound kind of harsh? Oh, it gets better.

Remember Sam’s Supplies? Yep, that guy. Well, to supplement Sam’s e-commerce site, he lets other local businesses do advertising on his store’s pages. One of those advertisers is Cathy. Much to Sam’s surprise, he received a court order, too, instructing him that he must remove Cathy’s advertising from his web site. He is warned that his domain registrar, GoDaddy, has received an order telling them that they will be liable if they do not shut down his domain. So unless he quickly ditches Cathy’s advertising, his site will go down and he will be looking at jailtime as well — jailtime just as severe as Cathy’s. Think this story can’t get worse? Oh, it does.

Next we have Wally’s Websites. Wally hosts Cathy’s web site. He has just received a court order stating that Cathy’s site has a violation of SOPA. He can voluntarily shut Cathy’s site down now. If he does so, he doesn’t need to worry; Cathy can’t sue him over it. But, if he does not immediately take her site down from the web, his DNS services will be forfeiture and ALL of the web sites he hosts will go down. Wally hosts sites for over 100 small and medium-sized businesses in Greenville! And, yep, Wally will face jailtime. But wait … this craziness is about to hit insanity-level:

Now, you might be thinking, “That’s impossible! There’s no way sites like Facebook, or Twitter, or Flickr or YouTube or anybody else can keep up with that!” And you’d be right. They can’t.

We’ve come to Tommy’s T-Shirts. Poor Tommy’s T-Shirts. Tommy actually doesn’t even know about Cathy’s Lovely Coffee® Cupcakes. But he’s about to get in BIG trouble, because he’s done business with Cathy. You see, a little over a year ago, Tommy made some custom t-shirts for Cathy’s employees. He’s selling extras of the shirt on Etsy, and he has a link back to Cathy’s web site. Because Tommy is linking to Cathy’s web site and her web site has the Lovely Coffee® Cupcakes on them, Tommy has received a court order telling him to take the link down and the product off of his page, or his site will go down. Tommy does this; but then finds out he hasn’t done enough.

You see, Cathy “likes” Tommy’s Tommy’s T-Shirts Facebook page. This is a big no-no. Because that means you can click on Cathy’s profile from Tommy’s T-Shirts’ Facebook page, and that will lead you to a link to Cathy’s Cupcakes official Facebook page, which has a picture of the Lovely Coffee® Cupcakes, and advertises that Cathy sells cupcakes, which the user can then infer that they might be able to buy some of the Lovely Coffee® Cupcakes from Cathy. So Tommy must be sure he blocks Cathy from his official Facebook page, so there’s no link back to Cathy’s Cupcakes. Oh yeah … and he needs to make sure he blocks anyone else who also likes Cathy’s Cupcakes page. And in case you think this is being unfair to the little guy — fear not: Facebook will be receiving a similar court order to make sure that Cathy’s Cupcakes Facebook page is taken down, along with any and all mentions and links to it.

On the surface, SOPA is a very well-intentioned bill. It’s meant to stop online piracy. The problem is this bill is created and sponsored by people who haven’t the slightest clue how the user-generated Internet works.

Now, you might be thinking, “That’s impossible! There’s no way sites like Facebook, or Twitter, or Flickr or YouTube or anybody else can keep up with that!” And you’d be right. They can’t. Which is why early predictions already think that SOPA could be the end of some of these sites, with Flickr likely being the first to go.

Think I’m painting some scare-tactic-laden horror story for you? Nope. The hypothetical story above was created using specifically spelled out points in sections 101–106 in the SOPA bill being taken up by Congress right now. I’m guessing you’ve heard of SOPA. And you’ve heard it’s bad; but you probably didn’t realize how bad.

On the surface, SOPA is a very well-intentioned bill. It’s meant to stop online piracy … and hipsters and teenagers aside, who wouldn’t want that? The problem is — and I say this not intending to dive into politics — this bill is created and sponsored by people who haven’t the slightest clue how the user-generated Internet works. For example, Lamar S. Smith introduced the bill to the House floor in October. Good for him. Lamar S. Smith has a Facebook page, a YouTube channel and a UStream channel. If SOPA is signed into law, Lamar S. Smith will immediately be in violation of federal law, because he will be participating in three web sites that will have numerous copyright infringement cases facing it. He’ll be forced to shut down his pages on Facebook, YouTube, and UStream. If he declines, saying “That’s overboard. I shouldn’t have to take my page down because some nut in Kentucky is putting up ABC video clips on UStream, porting them to YouTube, and then linking them on Facebook!” — well, then the courts will have no choice but to take down his official House of Representatives page, because that’s linked from and to his Facebook page that’s on the same URL as a million pages and content items violating new laws defined in SOPA. Oh, and they’ll also have to take down the official house.gov site as well, since that links to Lamar Smith’s official .gov page, which links to Facebook, which will face countless copyright infringement cases.

This all sounds completely mental, right? It sure does. And it’s completely real. This is why we at Worthwhile, and many other web-related companies stand firmly against SOPA and ask that you would stand with us. Hear are some things you can do about it:

1) Sign the Petition. The one on whitehouse.gov has been shut down for now (aha! Progress!); but this one from American Censorship is sort of the leader now.

2) Contact your Senator and Representative and demand that they vote against SOPA. For those in Greenville, SC, that would be these guys:

3) Read the bill and spread the word. There’s a lot of ignorance about this bill, which fronts as something protecting IP, but goes through unrealistic lengths to do it and destroys the web as we know it. The only way you can truly know what’s going on is to read the bill and then start informed conversations with your friends, family, and colleagues.

The Worthwhile family stands firmly against piracy, and would love to see laws enacted to protect IP’s …

… but SOPA ain’t it.

If this practical and hypothetical approach isn’t for you, no worries. Here are some other articles that can break down SOPA for you:

What is SOPA?

How SOPA would affect you: FAQ

We could argue all day about what exactly communication is. The theories, ideas, and technicalities are virtually endless. Something most can agree on, however, is the fact that communication is an integral part of human existence and poor communication or miscommunication can have enormous negative effects. Yet still there is a disconnect for many people [...]]]>

We could argue all day about what exactly communication is. The theories, ideas, and technicalities are virtually endless.

Something most can agree on, however, is the fact that communication is an integral part of human existence and poor communication or miscommunication can have enormous negative effects. Yet still there is a disconnect for many people between the importance of clear communication and the necessity for communication professionals in every field.

I was privileged to interview Rhiannon Poore, the director of marketing and communication at Find Great People International, to get an inside perspective on her role as a communications professional in the marketing realm. She was very gracious and provided great insight to me personally that I hope, in turn, will enlighten readers.

I shared with Rhiannon (not to be confused with a currently popular singer) my passion for communication and asked her how she uses communication expertise in her field. She noted that in dealing with the ins and outs of marketing, effective communication skills must be first demonstrated internally—ensuring authentic conversations, communicating interest in having others’ needs met, making people feel valued. Rhiannon also stressed the need for open, honest communication to maintain organizational alignment and to meet company goals. “Passive aggression is ineffective,” she said, “The biggest issues arise when we fail to speak openly with those we work with day after day.”

But communication is more than talking. It is also representation of oneself—whether that be an organization or an individual.

Enter marketing.

Rhiannon has managed to utilize her understanding of the people-side of communication to hone the branding skills that have resulted in FGP’s international recognition.  After all, marketing is essentially understanding what makes people tick—whether it be your peers or your clients.

A grand combustion of communication, creativity, and people skills, marketing can theoretically make any company profitable. That is, provided they have a rock-solid website.

Enter Worthwhile.

I’m not one to interact much with advertising on social media. Social media marketing is difficult to pull off–most people are annoyed or simply uninterested in being pitched a product or service on Facebook or Twitter. But the other day I came across an example of a company that seemed to get it right in [...]]]>

I’m not one to interact much with advertising on social media. Social media marketing is difficult to pull off–most people are annoyed or simply uninterested in being pitched a product or service on Facebook or Twitter. But the other day I came across an example of a company that seemed to get it right in a way that I haven’t seen before.

Enter FAGE.

I had no idea what FAGE was, but I clicked on a link that a friend had posted titled “Greek Getaway”. I thought they were going there on vacation and was interested to learn more because Greece is on my list of desired destinations. Interestingly enough, what I found when I arrived at their website was a chance to enter to win a trip to Greece, all expenses paid. Still not knowing what FAGE was, I clicked to enter.

This is where it got good.

A video of a stunning walk through a marble-white village on the island of Santorini overlooking a sky-blue sea with mountains billowing in the background immediately began playing. I was intrigued and wanted to view the other scenes, but here was the catch — I couldn’t proceed to the next scene without answering a question posted about their product. Eager to get to the next scene and find out more, I selected an answer, and the process repeated itself until I had watched 5 scenes and answered 5 questions. At this point I was entered to win the getaway.

So, what’s so special about a giveaway, you might be asking? Hasn’t that been done before a million times? Yes, but execution is everything. There are a few reasons why FAGE provides a particularly great example of social media marketing strategy:

1. Compelling — I wanted to click the link from Facebook because the picture and destination were beautiful, creating an enticing getaway that I actually wanted to win.
2. Pleasant — I voluntarily chose to continue entering the drawing and knew exactly what I was doing in the process. (It helped that the questions portrayed an enjoyable sense of humor)
3. No Tricks — The questions were straightforward and honest; they weren’t trying to trick me into anything.
4. Educational — By the end of the process I felt like FAGE was a quality product that I wanted to go buy. I learned a bit about Santorini too!
5. Viral — Friends were encouraged to share with friends.
6. Flawless Execution — If it had been a tacky video that didn’t load quickly, or if the navigation didn’t flow intuitively, I would have left and never come back

Last I looked, FAGE had almost 300,000 likes on Facebook alone. Not bad exposure for a yogurt company, huh? You can see it here yourself: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway/.

Oh, and the friend who’s link I clicked just bought me my first FAGE yogurt. It was delicious.

It’s a fair question. Steve Jobs is legendary. Steve Jobs was the man. Steve jobs helped transform Apple into what it is today. <Pause> Lest you worry that this is another worship-Apple blog entry, let me assuage your fears or crush your hopes (depending on which side of the digital fence you are on). While [...]]]>

It’s a fair question. Steve Jobs is legendary. Steve Jobs was the man. Steve jobs helped transform Apple into what it is today.

<Pause> Lest you worry that this is another worship-Apple blog entry, let me assuage your fears or crush your hopes (depending on which side of the digital fence you are on). While I do think Steve Jobs did a lot to transform Apple into a superpower of sorts, I think giving him all the credit is unfair to the thousands of Apple employees who work hard each day to keep Apple ahead of the curve.

<Play> Apple will be just fine.

If Apple falls apart in the coming years it will not be because Steve Jobs is missing from the helm. Apple has loads of cash, a brilliant creative team, established history of success, good supply chains, and an extremely loyal fan base to name a few reasons they will be around. There are plenty of companies that succeeded when their iconic founder(s) passed away. There are also plenty of companies that went under when their iconic leaders passed away.

I’m willing to bet that Steve left a phenomenal succession plan in place to make sure Apple was ready to go without him. He will be missed.

If the Apple does fall from the tree of glory because its incredible leader is gone then I put forward it wasn’t a very good company to begin with. For if a company hinges upon a single man (or woman) then that company is destined to fail.

I love to decorate. However, budgeting constraints hold me back from completing my full vision. Although I’m still searching for a lot of those final-touch pieces for my home, my projects are heading in the right direction. Maybe if I increased my decorating budget it would happen faster … ? The thought that “I could [...]]]>

I love to decorate. However, budgeting constraints hold me back from completing my full vision. Although I’m still searching for a lot of those final-touch pieces for my home, my projects are heading in the right direction. Maybe if I increased my decorating budget it would happen faster … ? The thought that “I could be completely done with my decorating and focus on other things–to put decorating on the back burner and just relax” is appealing; however, I’m starting to learn that haste in decorating creates a rushed impression, and it’s not entirely authentic.

For example, go to your favorite store for home decorating pieces, and you’ll find that their styles rotate from season to season. I’ll never forget the Friends Episode where Rachel bought every item from a living room display at Pottery Barn. The room looked great. Later, when her roommate Phoebe walked by the store, she recognized all of the window display items as Rachel’s so-called “antique finds.” No creativity was involved. The aesthetic was disingenuous–copied & pasted. It’s easy to pull all the items from one season at a particular store, but it’s definitely more of a challenge (yet more visually interesting) to find your own mix over time as you incorporate new favorites.

Alright, so what does a rushed decor have to do with your website? Lots actually. When you designed your site 4 years ago, did you cross it off your list and decide it was good for another 6 years, or have you been consistently tweaking to make it just right? Let’s face it, the way that you represent yourself as a company on the web  should subtly change every couple months. As you adjust your SEO strategy, some of your content will change. You will add buttons to encourage users to make the next move. You will update pictures. You will make changes in functionality to assist your users. If you make these changes incrementally with your website partner, your site will be far more inviting for the users you ultimately designed it for.

Above all, just like you wouldn’t incorporate a design trend into your home that didn’t feel like you or the rest of its surroundings, don’t incorporate new features into the site just because everybody else is doing it. It might not be the right strategy for you. Think about what you need to add, make additions thoughtfully, and have fun decorating your home and your site!

Jim faced two scenarios in the space of a week. First, Jim needs new gutters for his home. They were old and needed to be replaced. He needed new ones installed before Spring rolled around, given the amount of rain that was expected for that season. He called Quality Gutters since they had advertised a [...]]]>

Jim faced two scenarios in the space of a week.

First, Jim needs new gutters for his home.

They were old and needed to be replaced. He needed new ones installed before Spring rolled around, given the amount of rain that was expected for that season.

He called Quality Gutters since they had advertised a “free no-risk consultation,” where a contractor would visit his home, inspect the problem and give him an estimate to replace the gutters in around an hour.

Second, Jim has a bad knee and hip.

Frankly, the reason the gutters went bad was because Jim wasn’t physically able to clean out the gutters each Spring and Fall, resulting in quicker deterioration and damage from debris. He was only 55, but he wasn’t able to climb a ladder up his two-story home with a bad right knee and bad left hip.

Jim found an ad for a “sports doctor” who gave a free on-the-spot consultation for joint and ligament injuries or problems. All he had to do was setup the appointment. The doctor promised the consultation was pain free with no tests involved, and relatively quick.

Outcome

Jim had to fix both problems– and soon. He scheduled both meetings for the next day, but upon leaving both consultation meetings, one left Jim a little uncomfortable going forward.

Which one do you suppose that was? Why?

Conclusion

1. People don’t want a “free consultation” when their problem is unique and personal.
2. People don’t want a “free consultation” when their problem has to be fixed the first time.
3. People don’t want a “free consultation” when their problem needs more than an on-the-spot analysis and requires additional testing.

Part 2 will address why the term “Free Consultation” is either an oxymoron or a misnomer — or both.

There is nothing to say about Steve Jobs that hasn’t already been said. I’m not a Steve Jobs expert. About as close as I’ve ever gotten to the man was reading the Fake Steve blog. And though I’ve never had a conversation with Steve Jobs, never sat all the way through one of his 80 [...]]]>

There is nothing to say about Steve Jobs that hasn’t already been said.

I’m not a Steve Jobs expert. About as close as I’ve ever gotten to the man was reading the Fake Steve blog. And though I’ve never had a conversation with Steve Jobs, never sat all the way through one of his 80 minute announcements, and rarely ever read articles concerning him, he did leave a fairly lasting impression on my life. Though I can’t say “Steve Jobs inspired me to _________,” his impact on my life is measureless.

The evidence of such a profound movement came last night, as I left a mid-week worship service with my family. We all went out for ice cream. While out and about, I checked Facebook on my iPhone — and was immediately struck with the news that Steve Jobs had passed away. Later that night, upon arriving home, I checked some items on my Macbook, and saw on Drudge Report the news of Steve Jobs’ passing, along with all the relevant links from media outlets. I wanted to read the news my way, though. So I got my daughters into bed, cleaned up the house, got ready for bed myself, and slid between the sheets. Then I pulled out my iPad and began searching through stories of Steve Jobs on Flipboard. I read of his legacy and influence — of his innovative genius. And while I would agree he was all those great things, I believe his legacy is even more profound when looked at on a smaller scale.

10 years from now, I’ll be helping my daughter study for a history test. And we’ll get to the place in the book on Steve Jobs. She’ll know it was only a few years ago, and she’ll ask me if I knew him and if he was as great as the books really say he was. I’ll tell her I’m not entirely sure — history can stretch and convolute many things as it shapes itself. But I’ll also be sure to mention that on the night Steve died, I read about his death on my phone, my tablet, and my computer.

All devices created by Steve Jobs for you and me.

Are you an inventor or innovator with the next big thing on the web? Do you live in fear that someone will steal that idea? Idea theft is a major problem that has taken on a new twist in the information age.   As a web development company, people come to us all the time with [...]]]>

Are you an inventor or innovator with the next big thing on the web? Do you live in fear that someone will steal that idea? Idea theft is a major problem that has taken on a new twist in the information age.  

As a web development company, people come to us all the time with great ideas. We’re privileged to participate in early conversations that shape product launches. Some ideas are great — others not so great (remind me to tell you about a few hilarious ones the next time I see you at a party). One thing is certain, creators often fear someone stealing their idea.

Move Quickly
If you believe in your idea and know people will use it, get started! If your idea is something web-based, it’s critical that you launch and start building a user base. Competitors can steal your idea, but it is harder to steal your users.

Keep Moving
Idea theft is real and fear is warranted. However, don’t let that fear paralyze you. Protect your idea, but keep innovating and inventing. The best defense against idea theft is innovation.

“Should I patent my idea?” people often ask. Patents don’t keep people from stealing your idea. They are just a tool you can use to prosecute people who steal your idea–prosecute them at your own expense. Patents are only worthwhile if have the resources to enforce them.

Every so often, someone comes floating around the office to refill your coffee, to shine your shoes, to file your paper work, to answer your phone, and to do so without speaking a word. It’s the intern. Typically the intern is left with the tasks that no one wants to complete. And it usually works [...]]]>

Every so often, someone comes floating around the office to refill your coffee, to shine your shoes, to file your paper work, to answer your phone, and to do so without speaking a word.

It’s the intern.

Typically the intern is left with the tasks that no one wants to complete. And it usually works out well for everyone. Everyone, that is, except for the intern.

Fortunately, here at Worthwhile, interns are considered a valuable part of the team. This is a rarity in corporate America. Worthwhile recognizes the mutual benefit of having short-term, outsider input while providing aspiring web designers, software developers, and communication gurus a hands-on, brains-in experience in their fields of interest.

This is where I come in. I have recently been granted the privilege to serve as Communications Intern for Worthwhile. As a senior university student studying communication, I’m not exactly a techie. Not even close. So I was slightly apprehensive about working with such a technologically skilled team in an industry I knew very little about.

My fears subsided as the team here at Worthwhile made my transition into the tech-savvy world very smooth. Much like our clients, I was given a simple introduction to the web design industry and a glimpse of what Worthwhile does to meet the needs of clients. I am continually impressed by their “down-to-earthness” and step-by-step approach to tasks, ensuring client and employee satisfaction.

I look forward to growing with the Worthwhile team, and I hope to provide insight into what we’re passionate about through our social media and blog.

I guess I can refill coffee too. But no shoe shining for me!