Hi

Very useful. Thank you for deciding to share it.

Juliet

Very true, speaking to customer in their own language and understanding them is first key of successful sale.

Thanks for the post. It was better as a video post. I'm not sure I would've payed as close attention if I was reading it.


Good tips

Nice post, Michael. I found you through Kelly Erickson at http://maximumcustomerexperience.com. You make a simple point, but it makes a profound difference. How can people find you, and why will people read you, if you aren't talking about what they care about: their problems? I'll be working this idea into my posts more, thanks to you.

Todd, thanks for visiting and commenting. Kelly has a great thing going over at Maximum Customer Experience, and her readers are very, very welcome here.

It only takes one little thing to completely change our perspective, doesn't it? I'm sure you'll reap the benefits of this for your photography business.

Yeah, isn't Kelly amazing! I fell in love with her blog a long time ago. I'm really glad to meet you. I think I'll stick around and read what you've got to say on this blog for a while.

*blushes*

Thanks, y'all.

;)

Todd, likewise. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I'm always available to my readers.

I've got a question for you right off the top of my head: I notice that you use YouTube to host your video. Are there any advantages to hosting it yourself? Why did you choose to go this route?

I just watched your post: http://remarkablogger.com/2008/07/10/how-to-add... and I see how easy it is to embed YouTube video in a Wordpress post.

For SEO reasons, is it better to host the video on your own site using a media plugin, such as PodPress or Longtail, or the Kaltura plugin/service you mentioned in one of the comments on that page? Or do you like the fact that your video gets some exposure on YouTube independent of your blog post?

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Todd, YouTube videos do very well in search results, plus they provide additional exposure in many ways. Not only do people find my blog through YouTube, but others may embed the videos on their own sites, which also increases exposure for me. If I have to put material behind a paywall, such in a membership site, I host the videos myself, but otherwise, YouTube is a great solution.

Thanks, Michael. Good to hear that. I had heard that google likes embedded video (I think I remember them meaning self-hosted), though I've never tried it. The YouTube solution looks very easy, and I hadn't thought of others embedding the video too. The extra exposure makes sense.

I'm always willing to do the difficult solution if it is worth it, but it sounds like the easy solution is also the best one in this case. Thanks so much!

Thanks, I really appreciate it.

Very well put I will have to make sure my blog post are following this advise. Thank you makes complete sense.

Great post, Michael! If anyone wants to succeed as a business, as you exactly pointed out (rambling or not, geeze!) you need to speak the customer's language and talk about their problems FIRST, your solutions second. Relationships first, business second.

Andy, thank you. You have it exactly. Too often we think in terms of what we provide, not what we do for others or why it matters to them.

Great post, this even makes a difference in what you offer to get people to sign up!

Dr. Wright, that is an important point. Your offer must speak to this problem, not your notion of the solution. Gold star for you, sir! :)

Michael,

Sometimes a bit of repetition is required to have the concept sink in. They key point is that you have shared with us some very valuable information and it is very appreciated. I'm going to instantly use this advice and see what happens.

@isfan

Allan, I'm glad you find it valuable. I hope you get GREAT results! Feel free to return here and leave a comment about your experience.

Michael,

You hit the nail on the head with this one!

As a health professional, I've been on both sides of the equation from a business standpoint.

I remember the days early in practice when problems (growing a practice) outweighed solutions. So, naturally, I looked for solutions based off of my perspective of the problem.

Thankfully, my current mentor knew this principle and wrote copy that addressed my problem, was easily found through search, moved me emotionally to respond and, at the same time, gave me solutions for my problem that allowed my business to finally flourish. However, I would've never tasted that success if he hadn't have understood this powerful concept.

Thanks for reminding me of this! It truly has shifted my mindset on how I'll write future posts.

Patrick, thanks for sharing your experience with us. It really validates what I'm talking about, here. You're right, it's really easy to lose sight of this and we have to be on guard against that.

I watched video in my google reader so initially I never read the comments so I didn't noticed any ramblings. Sounded pretty clear and to the point to me. I liked the use of the video. As a newbie blogger, sometimes "reading" all the instructional posts out there gets to be tiring despite the fact I learn visually. I really liked the video affects. Gives the information more of a classroom feel and one can connect to the teacher. The content was great. It gave me a new way of thinking about my audience.

Judy, thank you. I like doing video and I learn better that way, too.

So simple and insightful, but as you said, a "big deal." Thanks for sharing this idea.

Love this video - and seriously? people are critiquing the ramble?!

I always ask my clients "What problem do you solve and you do you solve it for? Your prospects MUST know that you understand where they are coming from." You, of course, said it much better than that. This willhelp me keep Maverick Mom on the straight and narrow. :-)

And I liked your rambling. Makes you seem like "one of us. "

P.S. You have SEVEN twetdeck columns?? That is hilarious!

Sarah, thanks for the kind words. If that's all that gets criticized, I consider myself lucky.

And yes, SEVEN! That is a 25" HannSpree monitor I picked up for only $239 at Best Buy right off the shelf.

The payoff was worth your "rambling". Honestly, I was going to stop your video, but you got to the meat right at that moment and I was hooked.

You should do a follow up with some examples.

Thanks.

Carl, thanks. This post is an example, actually. Notice I presented it as a traffic-getting issue (problem) instead of a content strategy issue (solution).

Michael,

Very good insights!
Acknowledging the audience’s level of thinking is a practice that a solution provider should always bare in mind. Of course, for those who have little knowledge about the topic that they are searching, it will be easy for them to find for the info they want to get. However, it is different for others who don’t have any idea in this niche.

I remember my self, typing the whole question on the search box just to see if someone has answered my question previously. Well, that was long, long ago, before the keyword era. ss

Alex, a lot of people still do that.

Michael,

GREAT post. I say this a lot to clients—talking to the problem prospects are having—but I've never phrased it in quite this way.

For me, it wasn't really too rambling... seemed like you were just thinking it out with us from a couple of angles to make sure we got the point. I'll be passing this post along for sure. :)

Regards,

Kelly

I agree...people will critique anything these days, which I find disturbing. I enjoyed the video and I like the personal and unscripted approach.

Kelly, you're too kind. :) The critiques were right on the mark. But if you do pass this post along, I'll be thrilled. :)

Good thought. Basically a pointer on best using SEO/Google Search when framing issues...

Side note: This video could have been about half as long, if that, as the speaker essentially presents the issue, and then repeats it again, to no real clarifying or contextualizing effect, but only as if to hear it all over again to be sure listeners got it.

Andy, thanks for that valuable critique.

Did you write a script? I'm guessing "no" because the video was rambling and disjointed.
Write tight applies to video writing too.

"we as blog content creators" you really said that!

And remember: we listen a lot faster than you talk.

Write a script next time, I bet you can make 5:22 into 2:22 and it will be a lot more effective.

But thanks! It was thoughtful and insightful.
:)

"We listen a lot faster than you talk." Good point, Mark. Thank you for that.

This is really great stuff...thanks for sharing!

Thanks, Mike! :)

Michael,

Thanks for this video post. Very insightful. It switched on a little light for me as someone relatively new to blogging. It goes against my instincts to take the "allopathic" approach, rather than the holistic or proactive approach, but what you suggest makes complete sense from the perspective of attracting new readers via search. Thanks for keeping it real.

Richard S. Grossman

Richard, glad it flipped a switch for you! Take it and run with it.