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YouTube SEO

This week I’m primarily working on three or four different clients, helping them to optimise their YouTube accounts, this is an area in which a lot of people don’t put a lot of energy into, they might not even have a YouTube channel, which you should!

Having a YouTube Channel means a lot more than uploading a few videos and forgetting about it and not really really updating them. You’ve got to remember that YouTube is the second largest search engine on the planet, next to Google, and everybody knows the importance of video now in your online marketing campaigns.

A lot of people are using video on Facebook and Twitter and even Instagram. But the thing is with having a YouTube channel is that is your real home for your visual content. Yes you can put videos on your Facebook page, but, people never really click on that video button to see what you’ve posted before, and things just disappear down through your Newsfeed. . So, make sure you’ve got a YouTube channel, and make sure you really optimise those videos. Think about the keyword in the title, and you make the title is the right length. Also make sure you’ve got the right amount of text in your description and you put some links from the description, to relevant parts of your website.

Make sure the whole channel and channel artwork is correct, make sure you’ve got the YouTube icon from your website to your channel.

If you want any help with YouTube optimisation, SEO or setting up a YouTube channel from scratch, or just want me to have a look at your YouTube channel, and see how your videos are set up, then please get in touch.

Thank you

Phil

Phil Aston

Genius Loci Media

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Phil Aston’s Three Rules For Content Marketing on Social Media

My three rules for content marketing on Social Media

  1. Does it help?
  2. Will it make people smile?
  3. Will it inspire?
If you are unsure – don’t postThese are the three rules I use for all my social media posts for myself and my clients.
If I was to expand on this it would be on point number 1, to also ensure that what you are going to post not only helps but does not cause harm to anyone.

Phil Aston
Genius Loci Media

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You Don’t Need To Be Authentic – You Just Need to Be Yourself

(Video Duration 2.28 mins – Transcript Below)

I saw a video today about telling everyone to be authentic with their business.

There’s a lot of this about now and I think the word authentic has been around,
since Google Plus was, everyone’s saying how important it is to be yourself.

I want to go a bit further than that and actually say, be nice. Be nice to people.
Think about the words you are going to use on social media, about do they help?

Will they make somebody smile? They’re not going to make anyone feel worse,
or upset somebody or make them feel insecure about anything?

That to me, is the baseline of what you should be doing on social media.
As Metallica would say ‘Nothing else really matters’.

I think one of the problems I see with anything to do with marketing,
is all these lead generation stuff, and if you do this, people will buy your stuff,
and if you do this, people will enter your sales funnel or something.

They’re all things that you yourself probably wouldn’t do,
because you’d think “Oh, I’m not going to do that.” The people you’re doing that to are you.
They’re just like you. So if you wouldn’t fall for it, why do you think someone else will?

I think the whole point of social media or online marketing really is not just being authentic,
you’ve just got to be yourself, so you’re going to be authentic anyway.

I think if you’re looking for someone else to tell you how to be authentic,
I think you’re a bit lost. And no one else can teach you this,
because they’re trying to teach you how to be you. You are already that person.

Be nice, and I know people think the word nice doesn’t sound strong enough, it is.
Empathy, connecting with people is Social Media.
Social media’s going to go through some massive changes soon,
and a lot of people are going to start to probably question how much time they spend here,
so it’s about connections, it’s about taking care of the people you connect with,
and listening to them

Thinking how you can help people, how you can learn from people,
how you can create things that help others.

That is social media and that is running a business online.

Thank you

Phil

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The Day I Deleted Ten Thousand Followers on Twitter

The last few days I’ve done something which might be seen to be a bit mad on social media. On Twitter, I’ve stopped following thousands and thousands of accounts. And I’ve also done that for Sue as well.
Now this might be seen as an absolutely crazy thing to do. Both of us have got accounts which have thousands and thousands of followers so why would we get rid of so many of them?

I just felt that in 2019 our social media activity should be about being ourselves, being authentic, having our own voice. And although on Twitter you can use lists so that you can make sure that what you look at looks sensible. Why should you have to do that?

When I look at my news feed on Twitter it was just crazy, there’s tens of thousands of accounts in there and I have no connection to them apart from the fact that I follow them and they follow me back. I don’t interact with them, I don’t get work from them, so what is the point? And many of those accounts just retweet other people’s tweets with no explanation of why they’re doing it, or any added perspective, they just retweet everything.
So I see multiple things multiple times. So I’ve made the decision to almost start again.

So I’ve unfollowed thousands of accounts, yes, I have had some feedback from people saying, I am a bot, and I’ve just got to a certain point and now I’ve decided just to unfollow everyone. I haven’t, it has taken hours / days to do this, and if people interact with me, then I’ll follow them back. But I think you shouldn’t have a news feed that you’re scared to look at.

I see a lot of successful (or so-called successful Twitter accounts) which have 100,000 followers and they follow 100,000 back and you think, where is the fun in that? What do they get out of that?

So, I’m not going down that route. So, this is an experiment and I shall report back on how things go. But at the moment, it’s early days, but my news feed is great again, I’m seeing people I haven’t seen for years. I’m seeing people I care about and I’m interacting with them and it feels absolutely fantastic so, that’s my thing for 2019 social media it’s having your own voice and not whispering behind someone else’s louder voice.

Phil Aston

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The Best Business Books for Entrepreneurs

best business books for entrepreneurs 2018

Not all of these came out in 2018, but they have all stayed within reach throughout the year.
Many business books become outdated very quickly, these contain enough evergreen content to make them an essential part of any entrepreneurs reading library.

1. Social Selling
(Techniques to Influence Buyers and Changemakers)
By Tim Hughes and Matt Reynolds

This was the book that led me back to Linkedin to give it another go. Linkedin has been the biggest generator of enquires for me this year and we have won some prestigious clients from it. The book also has great ideas for building your community online and lots of tips on Twitter.

2. Known
(The handbook for building and unleashing your personal brand in the digital age).
By Mark W. Schaefer

I read this in late 2017 first and it became the basis of all my social media strategies and I also used it to help many clients create content and build their presence online.
There are lots of case studies and many of these are very inspiring. Mark is a very genuine guy and his writing style is very easy to follow.

3. The Sniper Mind
(Eliminate fear, deal with uncertainty and make better decisions)
By David Amerland

I put off buying this for a while because I thought it was not something I would align myself with. I am a great admirer of David Amerland and have all his other books so a few months back I thought I would give it a go.

I was so wrong. This is a life changing book based on such in-depth research, it really is fantastic. The stories, comparisons and teachings contained within these pages really show you how your mindset (and how you approach anything) can affect the outcome. It is also a very exciting read which is not something you can say for many business books.

4. They Ask You Answer
(A revolutionary approach to inbound sales, content marketing and today’s digital consumer).
By Marcus Sheridan

This was recommended by a client and I only bought this a few weeks ago. Already it has formed a huge part of our 2019 marketing strategy.
If you are looking for ideas for your blog, website and how to reach more customers this is a book I recommend for everyone.

5. Crushing It!
(How great entrepreneurs build their business and influence – and how you can, too).
By Gary Vaynerchuck

I kind of have a love/hate relationship with Gary Vee, his approach can be very abrasive and not for everyone. However, in book form, his personality comes across very differently.
What makes this book inspiring are the stories from actual people who followed the approach laid out in Gary’s earlier book ‘Crush It’. The way the book is laid out makes it easy to see how you can also use these approaches.

Thanks
Phil

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Internet Marketing Has Changed Forever

 

Once upon a time, Your online business was your website. Now your website is part of your online business.

Here is a recent question I received from a potential client:

I want more traffic to my website, I understand you do SEO? I don’t really do Social so just want more organic visitors – thanks (client enquiry).

This question is not as uncommon as you might think so it is important to realise how the world of internet marketing has changed and how we got here.

SEO

I started in SEO in 1998. Back then it was an exciting field to be in because you could see the results of your work within hours.

Having your own website in the late 90s was quite new and web developers were seen as wizards (or webmasters at the very least).

A few changes to the title tag and keywords and you could be number one in Google within 24 hours.

Also, there were NO social media channels, internet connections were dial-up so no one watched a video and all your traffic came from search.

Social Media

Social Media arrived in 2006 but it took the next 5 years to really gain momentum. I remember being in a meeting with a very large and successful hotel and them saying ‘ Why would anyone want to be friends with a hotel?’ Also, the idea of looking at a website on your phone seemed ridiculous.

During the first years of social media, people liked pages very quickly and building a following was fairly easy and quick. This is no longer the case.

Google Ads / Facebook Ads

For a long time people ignored this, organic search and getting people to click on your links from social media seemed the way to go.

However, as every market became crowded, if you wanted to get in front of people’s eyes you needed to advertise.

In fact, on Facebook with exposure to your own following being down to less than 2% – advertising is the only real way to grow your business.

Mobile

Who could have imagined a world where everyone is on their mobile devices at work, home or out with friends? If you look at what they are doing most of them are not searching on google but communicating via social media and message apps. They are sharing their lives and interests with people they have never met.

Video

That same mobile device is now a movie camera able to stream live and share memories and thoughts with anyone in the world. Video is also the biggest growth area for consuming content.

Internet Marketing Has Changed

Back in 1998 the internet was still new, going online was exciting. People would wait for info to load because it was a new experience.

Now in late 2018, it’s not new, for many it has speeded up life beyond recognition. People are less patient, get irritated more easily and share their thoughts whether negative or positive with potentially 1000s of people.

Once upon a time, your online business was your website. Now your website is part of your online business.

Your business now also has a facebook page, twitter account, YouTube channel and Linkedin. You might also have a facebook group or other online communities. You are also available via business listings and message apps.

In fact, some clients now find you via social media and conduct all their business/communications with you without even visiting your website.

So just wanting SEO on your website is not going to cut it.

Coming Out From Behind Your Logo

In ’98 you could remain mysterious and hide behind your logo with a PO Box number. Now people what to know who you are and get in touch with you as a person. This is where video and appearing in front of the camera is so important.

Nothing builds trust faster than video and being real. So no super slick video,  just you in front of your camera can be enough.

SEO On Its Own Does Not Cut It Anymore

So to answer my client enquiry, I do offer SEO, but only now as part of an integrated approach using all the disciplines mentioned above. So your website and landing pages need to be ready as do your social channels and the targeted Ads you run on them.

You also need to be consistent, so a few days of scheduled social media posts and then nothing, because you are too busy, is not going to work either.

Get Back To What You Do Best

People come to me now because they cannot keep up with all the activities they need to do to market their business online. Plus nothing stands still and many times I have to delete a methodology because a platform or algorithm has changed.

I can do this in a moment because it’s what I do. The number of clients I have helped out after damaging their business from outdated information is huge.

My World Has Changed As Well

Back when I started there were not many people doing SEO or social media (when it started to emerge). Now the digital landscape is awash with agencies and digital marketing people. I have seen many vanish as well especially when their business was built on a specific aspect of SEO or a social platform.

I have been doing this for a long time and have a wealth of experience in what works and what does not. I will explain in plain English what you need to do and if it will actually help your business grow.

If you want any help with online marketing please get in touch. We will work with you as part of your team and take away any worry that you’re missing out or getting left behind in your marketplace.

Follow the link for more information – SEO Search Engine Optimisation with Phil Aston 

Phil Aston

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Business Tips for Entrepreneurs – Time Management

When you are self-employed your time is everything, what you can end up doing is working all the time.
This can be 80-100 hours a week, it can just happen!
You find you never switch off because there is so much to do, but you can start to feel boxed in.

One of the things I learnt (and it took me a while to learn this lesson) is when you do your ‘to do list’ at the end of each day you do not make it too long.

I used to get a piece of A4 paper and write down all the things I had to do the next day. And it is amazing how easy it is to just fill the whole side of the paper with tasks.

But guess what, you cannot do that many tasks, so you end up crossing off a few which makes you feel ok and then you just copy over everything left over onto the next day’s list.

There will also be some tasks that get copied over time and time again because you do not really want to do them.
This approach can start to really grind you down and you start to lose your creative edge.

So what I recommend is to have no more than three or four tasks on your to-do list. If you have a very large project split this into smaller chunks so at the end of the day all items have been completed.

This approach will also ensure you have time for those emails or phone calls that come in from clients that need to be actioned or even new enquiries!

Thanks

Phil

Genius Loci Media
www.geniusloci.co.uk

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Why Are We Called ‘Genius Loci’ and What Does It Mean?

One of the most frequent questions we get asked is why are we called ‘Genius Loci’ and what does it mean?
You do sometimes see the phrase used and it tends to be people connected to the environment or even architects. There is a reason for this. Genius Loci means ‘The Spirit of Place’ in Latin.
How we came up with this name is down to my wife and business partner Sue Aston. Sue is a well-known composer and 1999 recorded her first album ‘Sacred Landscapes’ inspired by the landscape of Cornwall and our love of the environment and nature.
The phrase ‘Spirit of Place’ described how this landscape spoke to us and Genius Loci was born.

We registered the name ‘Genius Loci’ then and started as a music label. We were one of the first independents to trade online. As well as selling music online our reputation quickly grew for SEO and online marketing as we were everywhere. The business moved to Cornwall and established itself very quickly as a leading consultancy for online marketing.

The fact we are a Digital Marketing Agency, the essence of the landscape, nature and being an ethical business is at the heart of what we do. Outside of our business both of us practice mindfulness, yoga and do our best to help the planet, reducing our use of plastic, palm oil and eating organically whenever we can.

This is the same in how we work with our clients. We have a very strong ethical bond with the people we work with. We want to help people be successful but not at the expense of anything or anyone else.
So Genius Loci – The Spirit of Place is what we are about. It is the bedrock on what we, the business, is built on.
We promote people and their businesses ensuring we help grow their business in a sustainable and ethical way.

If you want to know more about us and how we can help you then please get in touch and I would be delighted to talk to you.

Phil Aston
Genius Loci Media
Digital Marketing Support
www.geniusloci.co.uk

01736 719342

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How Do You Get Started With Video?

So how do you start a video marketing campaign?
In fact, how do you even start doing video at all?

Do you have to get the right camera?
The best lighting?
Do you need a posh microphone?
Do you need more tech – perhaps a script?
What about what to wear or where you are?

The main thing you have to do is just start.
Just start by getting in front of a camera.

Like I am doing now in this video, I am simply in front of my phone. Simply talking on my phone.
Yes, I could have shaved a bit closer, my hair is not exactly tidy and I am not holding the phone as still as I could.
But does it really matter?

Somebody might criticise it and say it could be more professional. But does this really matter?

If I worry about what other people think all the time then it might prevent me from putting this content out there,
so stopping people from finding me and what I do.

The thing is with video is just to start and have a go.
Simply start recording, say something and don’t worry about ‘what have I got to say that’s special’ you have your own story to tell. Even if you provide the same services as someone down the road. The way you do it is your way.
It will be different, your experiences will be different and
your message and delivery will be yours.

So just have a go, start today, make a video.
It doesn’t have to be long.
Then put it out there and do it again and again and again.

Have fun.

Phil Aston
Genius Loci Media
www.geniusloci.co.uk

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