There was a time when having a business did not equate to being “camera ready”. But today’s virtual world requires going beyond the traditional approaches.

Consider the following:

• One study noted that it takes 1/10th of second for someone to form an opinion of you online. So yes, First impressions are made in a snap.
• Hubspot found that 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support. Meaning, showing up on camera is more important for your business than ever before.

Here are tips on video marketing for your business from entrepreneur Sharon Haver, founder of FocusOnStyle.com:

1. Be authentic

“What sets you apart from anyone else is your own personality. To stand out as a go-to authority, lead with authenticity,” Haver said.
The less “professional” and more “real” a video is the more it converts these days as it removes the friction between you and the viewer, thus more revenue from doing less.

2. Do it fast

The longer you take to make video, the more momentum you lose. The “same day” approach works like gangbusters to get out of your own way and get it done.

3. Pay attention to visual messages

The setting and background of your video, along with what you wear (and what not to wear) will complete the story of your visual message. Make sure they are saying the right message. Aim for a natural, yet styled setting.

4. Avoid sounding sales-y and scripted

Keep the video more conversational and allow your personality to shine.

5. Use available tech

Creating photos and videos today is simple, as your smartphone or webcam are both your production studio and personal broadcasting center.

The world is warming up; that’s a fact. Its impacts are catastrophic; that’s a fact, too, with the United Nations saying: “From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Without drastic action today, adapting to these impacts in the future will be more difficult and costly.”

Related to this, there are some well-established scientific facts:

• The concentration of GHGs in the earth’s atmosphere is directly linked to the average global temperature on Earth
• The concentration has been rising steadily, and mean global temperatures along with it, since the time of the Industrial Revolution
• The most abundant GHG, accounting for about two-thirds of GHGs, carbon dioxide (CO2), is largely the product of burning fossil fuels

The last part means that – yes – humans are also to blame.

Fortunately, companies are starting to take action… whether as a PR move or because they really intend to help out.

Understandadbly, Kiwano Marketing says not all green “efforts” are good marketing strategies; and they share the top five tips on how to successfully market a green business.

1. Back up your claims.

Double-check your efforts when starting a green marketing strategy.
Don’t position yourself as a green business if you’re not walking the talk. A false claim will damage your brand via what people will say about you.

2. Don’t position yourself as the green savior.

Communicate your environmental and sustainability efforts – just don’t overdo it. You can’t save the world; that’s a fact.

BTW: Consumers relate better with people than with organizations. Try the more personal approach via an honest image that will generate positive word-of-mouth.

3. Engage the whole team.

Engage everyone in the company – e.g. high-ranking people, sales teams, technical support department, etc.

Consistency is key; just imagine if your marketing department keeps promoting your environmental initiatives but members of the sales team dump brochures after a trade show.

4. Encourage your supply chain to come on board.

Turn your partners and vendors to become green. Greening, after all, affects all and should be by all.

5. Go beyond the “green argument”.

You’re green, that’s good. But if that’s all you have to offer, you’re not going to last.

Also consider: the quality of your products or services, the money your customers will be saving in the long term, product innovation/design, etc.

With many tools and resources now readily available, it is easy for entrepreneurs to build successful businesses. 

Not surprisingly, in the US as an example, somewhere around 27 million are entrepreneurs, and 69% of them started their businesses at home, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report from researchers at Babson College and Baruch College. 

In the Philippines, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, “6.2% of the adult population are established business owners and 18.4% are engaged in early-stage entrepreneurship (TEA). The country’s TEA rate is far higher than the average for Asia and Oceania (13%).”

That this is a career path worth considering goes without saying.

However, according to “Medium”, 90% of new startups fail, with 20% failing in their first year and 34% closing within their first two years. Just over 50% of businesses make it to their fifth year.

So if you’re considering becoming your own boss, follow some biz tips to put your entrepreneurial dreams in motion.

From entrepreneur Russell Brunson – who started his first online company while he was still in college; co-founder of ClickFunnels, a software company that helps entrepreneurs get their messages out to the marketplace; and author of “Traffic Secrets” – here are some tips.

1. Find a Proven Business Model

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Many entrepreneurs have already blazed trails, run tests and figured out what kind of business models work. If you can find someone who’s succeeding at doing what you want to do, then put a fresh spin on their methods.

2. Identify Your Dream Customer

After you’ve chosen your business model, work to identify your dream customers. The better you understand your potential customers, the easier it can be to find where your customers congregate (off- or online), understand their wants and needs, and attract them to your product or service with organic and paid campaigns.

3. Build Your Sales Funnel

Using his success with ClickFunnels as evidence, Brunson advocates using online sales funnels to build business and revenue. The basic sales funnel begins with a low-risk offer, captures shipping and payment information, offers an upsell and concludes with a simple confirmation.

“Every year, tens of thousands of businesses start and fail because the entrepreneurs don’t understand one essential skill: the art and science of getting people to find you,” Brunson said.

4. Grow Traffic and Collaborate

Build relationships with people – e.g. influencers – with the goal of pitching collaborative opportunities that benefit both of your businesses.

Particularly if you are selling anything online, or trying to generate leads online, no matter what industry you’re in, these can help attract more eyeballs, Brunson said.

Visit grabtrafficsecrets.com for similar tips.