Why are you all focused on building niche sites?

40 replies
Why not focus on ranking a YouTube video instead?

YouTube has 100x's more authority than a brand new website. You can SEO it just like a niche website except you don't have to worry about design, etc. Just make a solid video talking about anything, then throw a URL in the description box to a squeeze page and on the screen to capture the viewers attention.

Build your list up.

Then just provide value and throw in affiliate sales.

And the more and more views it gets the more and more leads you'll get!

So why aren't you doing this?
#building #focused #niche #sites
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Shook
    It might have to do in part with their comfort zones. Some folks know how to build websites but do want to learn about video or feel that is something that is too time consuming to do. Or maybe they have had some success already with niche sites and are doing more with that becasue they know it has worked for them.

    Could also be some people that don't want to hing their business ona 3rd party site that can and has in the past deleted thousands of videos without even thinking twice about it.
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    • Profile picture of the author ChrisAlta
      Originally Posted by JMichaelZ View Post

      It might have to do in part with their comfort zones. Some folks know how to build websites but do want to learn about video or feel that is something that is too time consuming to do. Or maybe they have had some success already with niche sites and are doing more with that becasue they know it has worked for them.

      Could also be some people that don't want to hing their business ona 3rd party site that can and has in the past deleted thousands of videos without even thinking twice about it.
      True when you put your video on a 3rd party site you risk being deleted, but when you create a niche site you risk being sand boxed. Everything online is a risk, calculated, but a risk nonetheless.

      If you can't make a 2 minute video then pay someone on Fiverr $5 and have them obnoxiously scream out whatever it is you want them to say. Who said you had to make the video? Gotta out source yo!

      Either way it's easier to rank YouTube videos and drive loads more traffic fast, rather than with a brand new niche site.

      Plus you had to be doing something wrong for YouTube to delete your video. I mean if you can have girls throwing up videos of them dancing in their underwear, then I'm sure you can make a video of you voicing your opinion/giving away some free information of value to fill a void in someones life.

      cheers!
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      • Profile picture of the author Michael Shook
        The things you are writing about videos may indeed be true for you, they might not be true for other people.

        Many people had their videos deleted but they did not do anything wrong when they put them online, they wre in fact following the written and unwriten rules that were in place then. Then the rules changed and the videos that did not conform with the new way were deleted.

        I think videos are easier to rank than mini niche sites, but other people may not share that opinion.
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        • Profile picture of the author ChrisAlta
          Originally Posted by JMichaelZ View Post

          The things you are writing about videos may indeed be true for you, they might not be true for other people.

          Many people had their videos deleted but they did not do anything wrong when they put them online, they wre in fact following the written and unwriten rules that were in place then. Then the rules changed and the videos that did not conform with the new way were deleted.

          I think videos are easier to rank than mini niche sites, but other people may not share that opinion.
          Replace yourself: Outsource!
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          • Profile picture of the author Michael Shook
            I agree for sure that using a variety of tactics is a good way to go. Even stretching your comfort zone a bit can yield great results.

            I think some outsourcing can work, especially for smaller concrete ore repetitive tasks. I think Replace Yourself is a marketing phrase and the reality of managing a team of workers has its own challenges.
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      • Profile picture of the author Jeff Marshall
        Originally Posted by ChrisAlta View Post

        Why not focus on ranking a YouTube video instead?
        Why not do both?

        Originally Posted by ChrisAlta View Post

        Plus you had to be doing something wrong for YouTube to delete your video.
        Careful, that's not true.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alex Barboza
      Originally Posted by JMichaelZ View Post

      Could also be some people that don't want to hing their business ona 3rd party site that can and has in the past deleted thousands of videos without even thinking twice about it.
      Enough said. Why spending your efforts building other people's business?
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  • Profile picture of the author aceydeucie
    you've got a good point Chris but I can also agree with JMichaelZ that there is definitely a comfort zone and learning curve with video (and everything in life).
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    • Profile picture of the author Tom Ryan
      People tend to work with their strengths. Some people enjoy video so they will be naturally attracted to it, while others hate the whole idea of video. I have only dabbled in video a bit, but it is something I'll eventually get into more.
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    • Profile picture of the author ChrisAlta
      Originally Posted by aceydeucie View Post

      you've got a good point Chris but I can also agree with JMichaelZ that there is definitely a comfort zone and learning curve with video (and everything in life).
      It all comes down to personal preference. Some people are great at writing blog posts, and others are great at making Vlogs.

      You shouldn't limit yourself to just one tactic of making money online. I just got 10,000 views to a video just voicing my opinion.

      I wasn't able to monetize it because it didn't pertain to any particular product and/or service, but it showed me the power of youtube and how fast it can be done.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Faber
    It's simple, really. You don't own or control YouTube, and you never will. Therefore, to base your business upon it is not a very sound business decision. If you are building niche sites, they are yours, and you control them.

    You can debate the wisdom of that business model, vs. building an authority site, but either way, at least you control your own destiny.
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    • Profile picture of the author Zeus66
      Originally Posted by Steve Faber View Post

      It's simple, really. You don't own or control YouTube, and you never will. Therefore, to base your business upon it is not a very sound business decision. If you are building niche sites, they are yours, and you control them.

      You can debate the wisdom of that business model, vs. building an authority site, but either way, at least you control your own destiny.
      That's a distinction without a difference. A video on YouTube is like a link to your site at Google. Both serve the same purpose. You're still sending traffic to your own site from the YouTube video, just like the link on Google sends traffic to your site. So what you're saying really doesn't make any sense in that regard. BOTH rely to some extent on third parties.
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      • Profile picture of the author Steve Faber
        Originally Posted by Zeus66 View Post

        That's a distinction without a difference. A video on YouTube is like a link to your site at Google. Both serve the same purpose. You're still sending traffic to your own site from the YouTube video, just like the link on Google sends traffic to your site. So what you're saying really doesn't make any sense in that regard. BOTH rely to some extent on third parties.
        I agree, but what I meant was that if you're relying on YouTube as your sole traffic source to drive traffic to a sales page. You should be diversified, and have a good bit of content on your site that can attract natural links, in addition to your SEO efforts. Nothing wrong with using YouTube, just don't make it your only horse in the race.
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  • Profile picture of the author NatureGal
    Does anyone know how ranking works on Youtube? If I create a video about making 'pumpkin pie' how do I compete with all the videos that already exist on that topic and how do I improve my ranking?
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    • Profile picture of the author ChrisAlta
      Originally Posted by NatureGal View Post

      Does anyone know how ranking works on Youtube? If I create a video about making 'pumpkin pie' how do I compete with all the videos that already exist on that topic and how do I improve my ranking?


      all you really have to compete with is 15,300 people. Do regular backlinking strategies. Since you'd be doing a youtube video you could literally shoot thousands of links to it and a red flag wouldn't raise since YouTube is an authority site.

      Just regular SEO yo!
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  • Profile picture of the author mosthost
    So many of these videos where people just 'talk at you' seem unprofessional. Well made videos are great, though. Not all of us can expect to make professional videos, so we skip it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Miguelito203
    Originally Posted by ChrisAlta View Post

    Why not focus on ranking a YouTube video instead?

    YouTube has 100x's more authority than a brand new website. You can SEO it just like a niche website except you don't have to worry about design, etc. Just make a solid video talking about anything, then throw a URL in the description box to a squeeze page and on the screen to capture the viewers attention.

    Build your list up.

    Then just provide value and throw in affiliate sales.

    And the more and more views it gets the more and more leads you'll get!

    So why aren't you doing this?
    The reason I started a niche site was to have control over my content. I also liked the idea of having a piece of "virtual real estate" that I could sell down the line. I also knew that building niche sites was a sure-fire method to make money online.

    As for video, I'm just not into it. I don't even like taking pics or being photographed offline, either. Beyond that, I'm in the IM niche and have seen the quality of videos lots of people put up. They suck and can't possibly convert. YT also seems to frown upon videos in the IM niche as well -- regardless of how good they are.

    Joey
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    • Profile picture of the author ChrisAlta
      Originally Posted by Miguelito203 View Post

      The reason I started a niche site was to have control over my content. I also liked the idea of having a piece of "virtual real estate" that I could sell down the line. I also knew that building niche sites was a sure-fire method to make money online.

      As for video, I'm just not into it. I don't even like taking pics or being photographed offline, either. Beyond that, I'm in the IM niche and have seen the quality of videos lots of people put up. They suck and can't possibly convert. YT also seems to frown upon videos in the IM niche as well -- regardless of how good they are.

      Joey
      Okay well it doesn't have to be in the IM and MMO niche, what if you like oranic model airplanes? (made that up). Just construct the airplanes and have a video of only your hands and the stages that you took to construct it?

      And as with you YouTube channel you could create an individual channel for each new video you make. This is still online real estate. People will buy your YouTube account and pay top dollar if you wanted to sell it. I believe YouTube even handles the transaction so both parties are satisfied.
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisAlta
    My point is that you can use YouTube to rank higher and faster than with a regular self made niche site.

    If you're uncomfortable in front of the camera then outsource.

    If you don't have the money to outsource, then make a power point presentation video and do a voice over!

    Once the traffic starts to flow in, capture the lead.

    Send them to your facebook landing page and prompt them to Like your page. Then once they like it have them redirected to the next iFrames tab and offer them something of value like an eBook in exchange for a lead.

    Gotta use that "Double Lead" method!

    Not only would you have them as a fan on your facebook (which every one's always on) but you'll also have them on an email list.

    So should your YouTube video get banned, you now have a lot of leads via email, but can also still interact with them on facebook. Which is reliable because I don't see facebook going anywhere for a while, and as long as you're playing by the rules you won't get your fan page deleted.

    And even so just create a website and write posts, so that your facebook fans will always get redirect to your main website. So if facebook for whatever reason deletes your page, you still have your list and can market to your readers that way.

    **rant finished**
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanmckinney
    The CTR on a niche site is WAAAYYY higher than a CTR on YouTube video, you can just monetize a niche site so many different ways, test different things to up your CTR, on you tube, you can just place the link in the beginning of the description and hope for a click. A niche site you can use colors and language for call to actions, you can place links/banners/ads in prime positions. In a you tube video, you can watermark it, or have a call to action to click below, but I just like the site better.I think the correct dose of both is good, but I wouldn't rely solely on you tube and forget niche websites.
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    • Profile picture of the author ChrisAlta
      Originally Posted by ryanmckinney View Post

      The CTR on a niche site is WAAAYYY higher than a CTR on YouTube video, you can just monetize a niche site so many different ways, test different things to up your CTR, on you tube, you can just place the link in the beginning of the description and hope for a click. A niche site you can use colors and language for call to actions, you can place links/banners/ads in prime positions. In a you tube video, you can watermark it, or have a call to action to click below, but I just like the site better.I think the correct dose of both is good, but I wouldn't rely solely on you tube and forget niche websites.
      Yeah you can never put all of your eggs in one basket. I'm merely implying that YouTube is a solid way to get traffic a lot faster than a niche site!
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      • Profile picture of the author ryanmckinney
        Originally Posted by ChrisAlta View Post

        Yeah you can never put all of your eggs in one basket. I'm merely implying that YouTube is a solid way to get traffic a lot faster than a niche site!

        Yeah, there is a thousand ways to skin a cat! I have ranked some niche sites rather quickly for some good good converting key words in some various niches.

        When I was in the MMO niche only, I use to do a lot of screen recording videos for "income proof" etc (was camera shy). At this time though I had not yet start to build a list, I was just linking to a "IM Review" site I was building, well more of a blog. I like what zeus said though, I may have to mosey back into youtube more to capture leads.

        For some videos backlinks to my niche sites for SEO purposes, I do do simple screen records typing in a text document (since I type really fast) I can type as fast as someone can read, and I ask simple questions, and then direct them to visit my site. The description as my link. Then I have links to the video links to boost though links. Simple screen records are good ideas for people who are camera shy like my self!
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        • Profile picture of the author WebPen
          I hear ya OP- even though I don't think that there's necessarily a "better way", there is something to be said for ranking 3rd party articles and videos.

          While it's true that you don't "own" it, it's kind of like making friends with the biggest kid in the class.

          If I'm the little guy (or little site), would it be better for me to eat a lot and work out (with backlinks and content) to try to get bigger than the bully (#1 in Google)?

          Maybe, but it probably won't happen very fast

          Or is it better to just be friends with the biggest kid in class (like YouTube). He can shove the bully out of the way for me so now I'm the alpha.

          But then again, like Suzanne said- everyone does it their own way, and it just depends on your business model
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    • Profile picture of the author Zeus66
      Originally Posted by ryanmckinney View Post

      The CTR on a niche site is WAAAYYY higher than a CTR on YouTube video, you can just monetize a niche site so many different ways, test different things to up your CTR, on you tube, you can just place the link in the beginning of the description and hope for a click. A niche site you can use colors and language for call to actions, you can place links/banners/ads in prime positions. In a you tube video, you can watermark it, or have a call to action to click below, but I just like the site better.I think the correct dose of both is good, but I wouldn't rely solely on you tube and forget niche websites.
      Send the YT traffic to a squeeze page and give something away. Make that clear in the video and have about a 5-10 second span at the very end of the video that displays your squeeze URL. Put the URL at the beginning of the description, too, so it becomes a viewable live link. I guarantee you'll get a decent CTR if you do both and you offer something valuable and related to the video's content. Want to jack that up? Make the video about the "what and why" and then give away something on your squeeze page that constitutes the "how."
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      • Profile picture of the author Alex Barboza
        Originally Posted by Zeus66 View Post

        Send the YT traffic to a squeeze page and give something away. Make that clear in the video and have about a 5-10 second span at the very end of the video that displays your squeeze URL. Put the URL at the beginning of the description, too, so it becomes a viewable live link. I guarantee you'll get a decent CTR if you do both and you offer something valuable and related to the video's content. Want to jack that up? Make the video about the "what and why" and then give away something on your squeeze page that constitutes the "how."
        Simplicity... Who doesn't love it?
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  • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
    It also depends on your target audience. Most of the people my age don't spend that much time (if any) on YouTube. At least not as much time as a younger crowd would.

    Rose
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Because I like building niche sites and I don't like creating videos. Simple. Just imagine if everyone took your advice. You'd never get one ranked for all the competition.
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  • Profile picture of the author LilBlackDress
    Originally Posted by ChrisAlta View Post

    Why not focus on ranking a YouTube video instead?

    YouTube has 100x's more authority than a brand new website. You can SEO it just like a niche website except you don't have to worry about design, etc. Just make a solid video talking about anything, then throw a URL in the description box to a squeeze page and on the screen to capture the viewers attention.

    Build your list up.

    Then just provide value and throw in affiliate sales.

    And the more and more views it gets the more and more leads you'll get!

    So why aren't you doing this?

    Sure I can put videos on Youtube, just like I could write articles for the authority websites eHow, Squidoo, Buzzle or Hubpages. Isn't this essentially the same thing? Using an authority site for rankings.

    But then all of these authority sites changed the rules. Squidoo started locking lenses, Buzzle stripped links from sites, Hubpages changed some of what they would allow. Ehow completely closed their writers compensation plan.

    Why do I want to build up Youtube's business when I can build my own?

    Not saying not to use Youtube, it has a time and place. I am just more interested in building authority for my sites.
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  • Profile picture of the author nadal619
    Hey Chris ,

    thanks for the information , using youtube as a source of traffic definitely is a perfect way to get you traffic to your website , I never think of using Fiver to create my videos , but I think I will give it a try.

    any recommendations on how to get lot of traffic on youtube ??

    thanks
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    • Profile picture of the author ChrisAlta
      Originally Posted by nadal619 View Post

      Hey Chris ,

      thanks for the information , using youtube as a source of traffic definitely is a perfect way to get you traffic to your website , I never think of using Fiver to create my videos , but I think I will give it a try.

      any recommendations on how to get lot of traffic on youtube ??

      thanks
      I would suggest spinning an article, enter the keywords you want to target and then head over to Fiverr. Search for UAW or Unique Article Wizard and there's usually someone on Fiverr who will submit your article/keywords/YouTube URL, etc for only $5!

      This will shoot an obnoxious amount of backlinks to your YouTube video, and since YouTube is one of the top 3 websites in the world, it always has tons of links coming in. So there won't be a red flag being thrown up by Google. This will boost the rankings up a whole lot for sure.

      cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Lenney
    Fortunately for me, I'm not at all shy - so I used to do PLENTY of videos. I've had months where I made over 5k JUST from my videos on youtube, and they generally just point straight to the website via my affiliate link. Pre-sell it in the video, show people you're an authority and they can trust you....and you'll rule.

    If you build it they will come. :-)
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    • Profile picture of the author PatriciaJ
      Because I want to build niche sites on my own hosting and I don't want to build a business around a video on somebody elses site. But I'll use videos to promote my niche sites.
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  • Profile picture of the author J Bold
    Because you do not own youtube. Your video can be taken down at any time. Although it usually won't happen, it could.

    Because clickthrough rates on youtube videos are lower than average.

    Because even if you get clicks form youtube, you still have to send them somewhere. Where are you thinking of sending all those clicks?

    Use youtube, use your own sites, use everything you can to market, but it's not like youtube replaces the vast options you have when you build your own site.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jessica Lynn
    I think you have the right idea, Chris. It only costs $5-100 to have someone create a video. You can have them read an article that you already have up on your niche site as if it's a script to keep things simple (with some improvising to make it more conversational if needed), and get a lot of extra traffic TO YOUR OWN SITE from Youtube. I wouldn't send links to the video, though, personally. I save pretty much all my linkbuilding for my own sites.
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    • Profile picture of the author AfteraDream
      Originally Posted by Jessica Lynn View Post

      I think you have the right idea, Chris. It only costs $5-100 to have someone create a video. You can have them read an article that you already have up on your niche site as if it's a script to keep things simple (with some improvising to make it more conversational if needed), and get a lot of extra traffic TO YOUR OWN SITE from Youtube. I wouldn't send links to the video, though, personally. I save pretty much all my linkbuilding for my own sites.

      How else would you do SEO for it? How to outrank others?

      I'd love to start doing videos, just the slideshow ones tho and use them to drive traffic to my site or affiliate offer.
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  • Profile picture of the author gudrunsmith
    Originally Posted by ChrisAlta View Post

    Why not focus on ranking a YouTube video instead?

    YouTube has 100x's more authority than a brand new website. You can SEO it just like a niche website except you don't have to worry about design, etc. Just make a solid video talking about anything, then throw a URL in the description box to a squeeze page and on the screen to capture the viewers attention.

    Build your list up.

    Then just provide value and throw in affiliate sales.

    And the more and more views it gets the more and more leads you'll get!

    So why aren't you doing this?
    You should be focus on branding yourself and what you can bring on the table. You must have a homepage and a landing page to drive traffic to. YouTube and other Videos site are great for Video Marketing.

    It is not so easy anymore to build a list, because most people do not open their email anymore because off all that affiliate sales pitches spam.

    People buy from people, and a lead is just a contact information and they easy run when they been told what they need to do!

    Build relationship and be a professional and people will follow you. Be an amateur and through all you spam in their face you can end up losing even your internet connection and you decently never make a penny online.
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  • Profile picture of the author stvbarb89
    I think its because building a nice site is usually the method that is constantly being drilled into everyone's head. I mean how many WSO's have you seen about finding a niche, throwing up an affiliate site and getting it ranked...I lost count 4 years ago
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  • Profile picture of the author wowcolombia1
    I recommend the two of them i heard that doing videos to persuade people is awesome
    So i would recommend conviencing them to go to your website and then convert them into buyers on your website
    Thats a good strategy
    hope this helped
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  • Profile picture of the author TryBPO
    There's a very successful guy on Flippa that's creating a bunch of video sites. He hosts on YouTube and gets some traffic from there, but all of the videos are placed on a particular site and, once built up, he flips it on Flippa for good profits.

    He couldn't simply sell his videos on YouTube...but he can sell a site that has the videos hosted on YouTube. Best to both sides of this argument, IMO.
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  • Profile picture of the author barbling
    Chris, you've got great ideas and I do agree with how sound they are.

    That being said, what everyone has been telling you is key.

    Comfort zone.

    You can tell someone how easy it is to do something until you're not only blue in the face, your ears have gone rainbow, but unless they give themselves permission to actually break out of their comfort zone about video marketing, it just will never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever happen.

    I know this for a fact because I lived it.

    I used to be petrified about video marketing. Hated the idea. Couldn't imagine being in front of a camera.

    So then I thought, okay, how about doing something without a camera? Ie, powerpoint.

    My first video was horrible!


    Then I made 2 more powerpoints, and that gave me enough confidence to do


    which then grew into


    and several others. I improved my Powerpoints too with


    My channel is at

    barbaraling's Channel - YouTube

    As you can see, though, even though I got really good at video marketing, I stopped doing it, simply because it would take 4-5 hours to complete a video my liking.

    Back to the point of this post.

    Video marketing might be the cat's meow or the moose' bellow, but it comes down to someone's comfort level.

    If you don't speak to affect that....your words will be ignored.

    Hope that helps!
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