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Tried, Tested and True. These are the most classic ways to sell your home for top dollar.
Decluttering: ever walked into a cluttered house, the owners are hoarders and you are just overwhelmed by the amount of STUFF they have. Your focus is on the STUFF meaning your focus is NOT on the home! Buyers are quickly disgusted by the amount of garbage or stuff homeowners have even if the buyers themselves are hoarders. Buyers are not Realtors so a majority of them aren’t able to see beyond the junk.
Depersonalization: have you ever gone to an open house and your eyes just started looking at the homeowners picture frames, “oh that guy looks familiar”, “oh that girl is cute”, “nice, they took a picture with the Canucks”… Once again, buyers are distracted and they focus on the memorabilia and pictures instead of the home. That’s why when you walk into a showroom at a developer’s presentation center, the picture frames always have abstract pictures so that you can imagine putting in your own family pictures in those picture frames.
I thought I had the whole freelance marketing thing down. I knew how to attract freelance writing clients.
Send out queries and letters of introduction? Yup.
Maintain a basic writer’s website to point prospects to? Definitely.
Fumble around with Skype for a client meeting? Got it.
Make video to grow my freelance business? No way.
Why? It’s too hard! I don’t know anything about video editing. And it will cost too much to pay someone else to do it.
But video is a powerful marketing tool.
In a recent Forbes report, 75 percent of business executives said they watch work-related videos weekly. An estimated 54 percent of senior executives share videos with their team. And industry analysts estimate that 96 percent of businesses use video for online marketing, sales, and communication.
I decided it was time to make my own marketing video to attract freelance clients.
Here’s how I did it — by myself, and without spending a dime.
1. Get over your fears
The last time I edited a video, I was sitting in the control room of a makeshift radio and TV station in high school. That was 20-plus years ago, long before digital media dominated the Interwebs. No, I wasn’t using a reel-to-reel machine, but editing on VHS tapes makes me old enough.
A couple weeks ago I read a QuitN6 book by tell-it-like-it-is marketing guru Buck Flogging (aka Matt Stone), and he suggested making a PowToon video. Huh?
The idea sounded interesting. But with no experience creating digital videos, I wondered if it was even something I could do. Fortunately, I moved past that fear and decided to take action.
In about two hours, I created a customized video for my freelancing business for FREE. I uploaded it to YouTube, added it to my site, and started including it in my LOIs.
2. Create a PowToon account
You know the drill for this kind of stuff. Go to PowToon.com. Sign up for free to create an account. Check your email. Log in, and you’re ready to go.
Are there other video-making platforms that offer a similar service with easy-to-edit templates? Probably, but I didn’t waste time trying to find out.
3. Choose a video template to customize
I knew the start-from-scratch option wasn’t for me, so I chose a template from the tab marked “Customize a Ready-Made Powtoon.”
The “Teacher Intro” template under the “Education” tab worked for me, but there are lots of other templates that would be easy to customize for your freelancing business.
4. Edit the text
Seriously, it’s that easy. Before I did anything to the animations, graphics, and other features, I wanted to get the message right, and I wanted to keep it short. The core message I include in LOIs came to mind.
I cut the template down to seven slides and used a total of 59 words. It’s easy to change fonts and text size, but I didn’t deviate from the template defaults very much.
Slide 1: Looking for a freelance health writer?
Slide 2: Hello! My name is Evan Jensen.
Slide 3: I’m a copywriter, journalist, busy dad, and ultramarathon runner.
Slide 4: I write about health, fitness, nutrition, chronic disease, preventive medicine, and wellness.
Slide 5: I write for newspapers, magazines, and businesses like yours.
Slide 6: Got a project you need to assign to a Freelance Writer?
Slide 7: Evan Jensen, thehealthycopywriter.com, jensen.evan@gmail.com, xxx-xxx-xxx
5. Customize the look
This probably took more time than anything else. I changed the teacher-lady to a friendly-looking guy. I took out most of the school-related graphics. I adjusted the timing of when the text and images appear on the screen, very similar to adding animations in PowerPoint. I added my logo to each slide. And I cut the length of the video to wrap up in under a minute.
You can even pick a different music track or upload your own, change slide background colors, and record your own voice-over to go with your video. But I didn’t use these features.
6. Export to YouTube
Once I was happy with my 50-second video, I clicked the Export button and the option to Upload to YouTube. (Note: I did have to create a YouTube account first.)
In a couple of minutes, my PowToon video magically appeared on YouTube. And from there, it was pretty easy to figure out how to get the video on to my site, and grab the link to include in LOIs.
It took me about two hours to create this with no prior experience using PowToon, posting a video on YouTube, or editing videos online. And once it was on YouTube, it was pretty easy to do the basic behind-the-scenes stuff to get this on my website.
Does video marketing work?
When I send out LOIs, I include the video URL in my signature line. And it’s getting noticed. I’ve heard back from a number of prospects that specifically mention the video. A handful of those will likely have paying work in the near future. The video also helped attract a potential client without any marketing on my part.
About a month after creating this video, I received this inbound lead:
After much back and forth with this prospect, I didn’t move forward with the project because we were too far apart on price. But the fact that my video generated an inbound lead is a good indicator to me that it’s working.
Make your own video — easy as that
Writing well-crafted queries and LOIs are key to growing your freelance business. But it’s no secret that smart and consistent marketing efforts make a difference too. Follow these simple steps to create your own video that will help you attract freelance writing clients.
Have you done any video marketing? Share in the comments below.
Evan Jensen is freelance writer, newspaper editor, and reporter who’s plotting a path to leave his day job. When he’s not writing or chasing his three kids around, he runs ultramarathons.
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There are a few things you can consider when you wish to soundproof your windows. Continue reading to learn more about some tips that will help reduce noise and insulate your home.
Soundproof Curtains
Consider other methods of soundproofing that can be used with your curtains. Things that can supplement the soundproof curtains include fabric panels, vinyl drywall and double window panes.
Keep your own noise from leaving your home with soundproof curtains as well. If you enjoy playing your music or television loudly, or you play your own instruments inside your home, set up your equipment near the curtains to avoid disturbing your neighbors or other passers-by. Source:wikiHow
Soundproof Windows
Soundproof windows, made with double- or triple-pane structures, are designed to have inherently good soundproofing qualities. The downside is the work involved; you’ll need to replace your current windows with new soundproof windows. There is a simpler alternative, however. Some companies produce an insert which fits in the window frame from the inside. The insert helps block sound, but does not require you to replace your window and does not interfere with your ability to see through the window. You may need to replace any current blinds or similar items, however, since they may no longer fit properly with the insert installed. Getting an exact fit is essential with this option, as gaps allow sound to travel in. Source:SFGate
Plugs
An alternative to replacing the existing window with a double or triple pane glass acoustical window, (a noise reduction of about 30%-70%), or to add another interior window, (90%) is to make a removable soundproofing “plug” to fill the frame and to block the sound coming through the window. (Also 90%) While this will also block light, it won’t matter if the window is a bedroom and noise is keeping you from using your room or sleeping. If light is wanted for day use, make the plug removable. It can then be removed to allow light to enter the room. Source:SoundProofing
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
When was the last time you were at work, at the end of a long and stressful day, and said to yourself, “Wow. I can hardly wait to get home and sit in the shower.” Never, right? Unfortunately, that, in essence, is what most people do. They literally expect to get into their shower and wash away the tensions and aches caused by the day.
Now, contrast that with something much better, something that is much more therapeutic, like a rich, luxurious steam bath. How do you think that would be in contrast to your ordinary, garden-variety shower? And we’re not talking about just a shower with the heat turned up. This is a genuine in-home steam bath.
The benefits of steam have been known for many years. People have enjoyed the physical, and even mentally therapeutic benefits of steam for centuries. But now, you don’t even have to go to a spa or even a fancy hotel to enjoy the benefits of a steam bath. You can enjoy steam right in your own shower with a home steam bath generator from Perfectbath.
From the moment you make your first call to Perfectbath.com, you will begin learning not only how steam can benefit you, but how easy it is to enjoy the same luxurious treatment that you find at your best spas and hotels right in your own home. It’s easy, and you don’t even have to build a dedicated structure in or near you home. It’s all a matter of installing a steam generator from Perfectbath, and you’re on your way to the ultimate in relaxing, stress-relieving, pain-relieving, comfort, compliments of steam.
Why pop a pill or just sit in your shower for relief? Why not make the benefits of steam work for you as soon as you step into your in-home steam bath? This is one drug that you are sure to want to make habit-forming. In fact, your doctor is probably going to be very happy to prescribe an in-home steam bath for whatever ails you.
The good news is that you can start enjoying the benefits of an in-home steam bath as soon as it is installed . We’ve been doing that for 10 years for many happy homeowners who are now benefiting from the therapy of steam. There’s no reason to live in pain. Why not get relief, especially when it’s so easy to achieve. Why not give us a call today so you can start living in luxury tomorrow?
Contributed by: Aaron Gruenke foremost steam shower and sauna expert. Call with your questions about steam showers to 1-866-843-1641
I thought I had the whole freelance marketing thing down. I knew how to attract freelance writing clients.
