Watch this interview by a search engine specialist on www.primevisibility.com  He discusses how the Internet has changed and what you have to do to be found on the Internet today in your local area.   He discusses meta tags, linking, natural page ranking, and pay per click.  This is a good general overview of how SEO can help you build your practice with Internet Marketing.

Do you think Internet marketing has helped your business?  Do you know if you website is coded correctly?  Leave your comments below and lets start a discussion.

Sunday's Superbowl game yesterday was very exciting for a change.  I enjoy the camaraderie and commercials, just like 47% of Americans polled by the USA today who said they only watch the Superbowl because of the commercials.  49% watch because of the game.  It says alot about what entertains consumers today.  And the best part is…we are all waiting to watch a 60 second or less marketing message.

Google paid 3 Million dollars to air their 52 second ad that you or I could easily create ourselves with royalty free music, Internet access, and software that comes standard on many computers that turns search movements into video.

If you didn't see the video, watch it here.

The buzz on the Internet is "Was it worth the three million dollar cost of advertising during Super Bowl Prime time?"

I look at it differently. It was so simple, created great emotion, and is an outstanding example of why you don't have to be a pro to create your own video.  You can do what Google does on a small budget.

Did you notice that there were NO actors on camera in the ad? NO voice-over? And… there was only ONE PICTURE.  Just words on a computer screen with a good selection of music, right?  

There are many different options to creating good video. You don't need a big budget or professionals videographers… You need good scripting, visuals to tell your story, audio to help stage the moment, and the confidence to "Just do It".

What creates magic in video?  Comedy or emotion.   And this video in 52 seconds said it all creating an emotional response.  

As you are watching the video, it  CONJURED UP in your head visions created by simple words on a screen. What MOVES you is what YOUR OWN IMAGINATION brings to the viewing (Remember falling in love?)…  It means something different to every viewer watching.  The Google Ad was a FAB video.  A phrase coined by Internet video expert Andy Jenkins of Traffic Geyser.

• Feature:Google's search is simple to use.
• Advantage: Google search has the best results.
• Benefit: You can even use Google to find LOVE! (Awwww!)

Tricking people's minds into filling in the "gap" in films and videos is one of the most powerful tools you can use to promote your practice.  So is telling a story about a journey. If you don't want to be in the video because you are uncomfortable on camera, you don't have too! Let photos and "memorable" music tell the story for you. You don't have to promote yourself… let your story do it for you.

If you want to include testimonials and become adventurous yourself, all you hav to do is purchase the "right" inexpensive video equipment.  If you didn't read my blog post on the best new video camera buy out there… here it is!  The You Tube Video was created by who else? Andy Jenkins.  After he gave his seal of approval on this camera on the Internet, Kodak and Amazon sold out in a few days and the black version went up to $279 when back in stock.  Fortunately, I was able to get mine for $150.00. (this price can still be found in colored models)

I purchased and inexpensive microphone for under $30 that works great, a monopod (one legged tripod that is a must for good video) extra battery and memory all for the the camera for under $300.  It produces professional quality video you would be proud to present that will set your practice apart from the others.

For those that are still skeptical and camera shy, here are two examples of video I created in my office without myself on video that can be found on YouTube and Google in the top positions using major keywords orthodontic marketing.  These videos are linked all over the Internet because the content is good, whether you are an orthodontist or any small business owner. They aren't stellar productions but it gets my message across. Figure out what you can do yourself to grab attention and just DO IT in your local area!!  And don't forget… everything start to finish… every piece must be search engine optimized to be found by local new patients….

Watch this video on how "Evian Water" set their video marketing promotion apart from all the other water manufacturers and attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers from around the world to watch their video on YouTube, both in the US and with a separate video Internationally.  They will definitely associate the Evian brand with the baby video the next time they see it.  Mission accomplished…

I understand you do not have the marketing budget that Evian had to create this type of video. But with some imagination, good scripting, and the right royalty free music, you are only limited by your own imagination. Using photos instead of video is an alternative. With great subject matter and a fun spin on things, you can create a great emotional experience so prospective new patients will remember you when compared to other orthodontic treatment providers in your area.

Here is a video created by an orthodontist in Phoenix, AZ. and produced on a free program on his Mac Laptop.

This video promotes his treatment expertise in a fun format that encourages active participation in the practice from patients with a contest. He thought outside the box. What can you do?

Leave a comment below on you thoughts about this type of video production.

You are always asking me what video camera to buy for your practice.  One of my video marketing coaches Mike Koenig tested and is now recommending a new Flip video camera on YouTube. Mike is considered the #1 Video Camera Guru when it comes to Internet marketing video. This camera is a must have video camera for your practice.   It is:

• small
• inexpensive
• very easy to use
• has an external microphone jack (a must in my mind for good video)
• high quality video and audio

Watch this video to find out all the details and why Mike is recommending the camera.

Now I suggest you go online and buy one today… you won't be sorry! You can purchase the camera, extra battery, and case for under $200 while supplies last. 

Here is the link to Amazon but they are out of stock on some options.  Here is the link to Kodak online.  They still have cameras in stock, but not for long… with their $30 off special while supplies last before 12/14/09.

I myself have three different types of video cameras.  HD Video, Standard Video, and the Flip camera when it came out on the market.  I was never happy with the Flip.  I just couldn't recommend it because of the poor audio quality.  Internet viewers will be more forgiving with poor video quality than poor audio. Mike Koenig taught me this.  However, technology is amazing and obviously changing at lighting speed.  Kodak found the solution.  This camera will increase my collection to four.

Go For It…  Make 2010 the year of adding video to your website, blog, YouTube, and social networking efforts.  I recommend you create good video content viewers are interested in watching.  Remember, you are documenting your own personal PR message.  "Perception and Reality" of your practice is online is key to a successful Internet Marketing campaign. Make it a good one… There is more to video marketing than point and shoot.

Leave comments and questions below regarding the new Flip camera.

But, depending on which study’s stats you believe, only 17%-32% of RSS users actually know they’re using RSS!  That means that roughly 50 million regular RSS users would say, “Huh?” if asked “what does RSS mean?”

After reading these stats, I decided it was time to at least educate my readers and… I suggest you educate the readers on your blog also to get them to sign up. It will help improve the SEO on your site.

Check out this video which will give you the “skinny” on RSS anyone can understand …

What does the acronym RSS stand for?

RSS (sometimes called RSS Feeds, XML, Atom Feeds or Channels) stands for “Really Simple Syndication” or “Rich Site Summary”. The easiest way to grab the concept on how RSS works is to consider what happens when you subscribe to either a magazine or newspaper.  If you subscribe to a magazine or newspaper either online or via your local newsagents, you don’t need to physically go and collect your copy each week - they will deliver it to your door.

In the same way when you subscribe to a blog or a website, you’ll receive automatic updates so you don’t have to remember to visit the site or spend time going back to the site to check whether they have published any new content.  This means you can easily stay informed about what is going on online by retrieving the latest content from the sites you are most interested in.

How do you sign up to a website or blog via RSS?

You may recognize the icon below from sites you’ve visited and probably wondered what on earth it was.  This icon indicate that the site owner is offering you the option of receiving their syndicated content in a format that can be read using what is called an RSS reader also known as an aggregator, that displays RSS or syndicated feed content from web sites you are subscribed to.

This is the RSS icon that most people recognize:

If you want to be able to read syndicated content from websites or blogs, you’ll need a RSS reader or aggregator which will allow you to read the syndicated content from the sites that you have subscribed to.

Here are a few Feed Reader icons that you may recognise:

I personally use the Google reader since it’s free and easy to use.  There are also paid services, but I would suggest to start out you check out the Google reader first.  It works great!

Whichever RSS Feed Reader you use, it will automatically notify you when new posts are published on sites you subscribed to.  To read the content of the RSS feed, all you have to do is click the link – which is usually limited to the headline and a brief description of the newly published blog post. It will take you to a new page on the site where you can read the full story. 

Sometimes the website publisher will only publish part of the feed content to force you to visit their site, but I’ve personally noticed that my subscriptions increase when I opt for publishing the full feed.

Understanding what RSS is all about will help you understand why RSS is so important to you if you are an online blogger looking to increase readers and optimize your site. 

In my opinion, Google Local Business center, better known as Google Maps, is one of the most powerful free marketing tools on the Internet today for local businesses, if your Internet marketing program is structured  correctly.  Now is the time to find out how your website is testing on Google Maps.  If you don't have a website, your practice is invisible in the eyes of the majority of consumers today.  Over 70% of today's consumers go to the Internet first… to check out possibilities before purchasing products and services or scheduling a new patient exam.

If you do have a website and it is not showing on Google maps in your local and surrounding demographic, contact me for a free 1/2 consultation to determine what you need to do to increase your Internet marketing presence on the Internet.