by WP-Dev | Jul 9, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
Picture this … you click on a link that leads you to a video and … SILENCE for the first 10 minutes, even though you can see stuff is happening, or even worse … sound, but it is accompanied by a BIG BLANK SCREEN. That is what happens when video editing is not your forte.
So, how to remedy this and stop this scenario from ever happening to you and your videos?
In this article I explore some of the steps you can take to make sure your video editing is smooth and seamless and does not create any anxiety while doing it.
Why do I even need videos?
Before we get into how to edit videos like a pro, let me touch on why videos are so beneficial to a business and why, once you can edit videos for your clients (and yourself) you may find a whole lot more engagement and traffic taking place on social media platforms and even on websites.
People love to watch movies. They love to watch things and hear things, a lot more than just reading a whole lot of words. Videos bring a new dimension to things. Sometimes they give a more personal touch and then there are people in the world that learn better when they watch things getting done and can follow the instructions step for step.
Now let us take a look at how you can take your video editing skills to the next level.
Next level video editing tools
- Choose the right software – you want to make sure you get the right software installed on your device according to what you want to do with your video, the type of effects that are needed and also your overall ability to use editing software (but let’s face it, anything you do not know you can find on YouTube). Here are a list of some of the top ones used by professionals:
You can read more about each software by following the link. They all generally do the same thing, but some have added benefits and some software applications, such as iMovie, can be used on Windows and Mac computers, as well as iPads and iPhones.
- Speed is key – This does not pertain to your speed personally but more to the speed of your device. A fast, well equipped PC is key in making your video editing smooth and seamless. The reason for this is because the software you will be using can use up a lot of the computers resources and if you have a sluggish PC with outdated parts, operating system and drivers, you are probably going to run into some difficulty. Take a look here to find out some specs that may serve you well when getting your PC in order to start with video editing.
- Organisation Skills – To make sure your video editing goes to plan and you get the end result which is a professional looking video, you need to have some level of organization. You need to work systematically because otherwise things will not sync well and you will end up losing audio or video or have video cuts in places that they are not meant to be. So, before you start, set up a system that works for you … and stick to it.
- Use keyboard shortcuts – Keep in mind that most editing programs allow you to use keyboard shortcuts to perform a range of in-app editing functions which can cut down time spent considerably.
- True Colours – Colour correcting your video clips can make a huge impact. Colours, highlighting, low lighting, fading, those sorts of things can evoke certain emotions. You may want to show something that was happy in the video becoming a little more dark and sad – a good way to depict this and create an effect is to change the colour tone of the video. Most video editing software applications have this already built in for you to use.
- Music to your ears – Another tip to take into consideration is the music used, make it relevant to the actual content. It does not make sense to have a happy upbeat song playing but what is happening in the video is sad and morbid.
- Use Some Words – Text is also something to look into because sometimes people do not want to listen to a video (perhaps they are in a place where they cannot use the sound) and they can then follow what is happening in the video by reading captions. Large flashes of text on the screen can also evoke emotions and make someone want to watch further. Another idea is to use text to start the video, almost giving people an introduction to what they are about to watch and give an idea of what the video is going to be about.
- Last but not least – Make sure that your video can be used on various platforms and various devices – or at least can be converted and edited for such purposes.
Conclusion
So now you are in the know of how you can take your video editing skills to the next level. Once you are ready to get started, play around with the software you decide on. Make videos of anything and everything and … drum roll please … watch lots of YouTube tutorials! To get you started here are some links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaO0D66xeYY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5jwVM0vX7c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJPwXJYvvys
Photo by Matilda Wormwood from Pexels
by VA Connect | Jul 7, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
Email marketing is constantly evolving and 2020 has been an exciting year in the email marketing arena with it continuing to be one of the most trusted communication channels available to marketers. It has received a bad rap in the past, but it continues to defy its critics, providing some of the best ROIs in the digital landscape. Here’s a summary of the main email marketing trends that we are seeing in 2020 and that are likely to stick around for the remainder of the year and beyond.
It’s all about the mobile
Mobile browsing has now surpassed desktop browsing in terms of percentage traffic and mobile surpasses other devices for email opens. As a result, emails are being optimized more and more for mobile access, ensuring that copy, images and layout correctly collapse down into a mobile-friendly format.
The majority of purchases and therefore generated revenue is still coming from desktops but crucially, the percentage of revenue from mobiles increased 23% in 2019 and that is set to continue in 2020.
Minimalist email copy and design
Concise copy and a clean design have become paramount for email marketing and with the shift towards mobile access, simplification has become even more important. Long superfluous copy leads to readers switching off and not making it through an email. What works on paper doesn’t necessarily carry well to an email, and companies should have dedicated copywriters that understand the writing requirements for email copy as opposed to direct mail copy.
Attention spans of readers are reducing, and media is being consumed in large quantities. An email should therefore be simple and contain content that is easy to scan and can be quickly digested and understood. Lots of white space, simple images and blocks of colour to draw the eye are being used in emails to keep them easy to read.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in email marketing
AI is increasingly being used in email copy and content selection, dramatically improving personalisation and being able to provide the right message for each person. AI is also being used for segmenting recipients. Efficient and intelligent software is replacing the usual data collection at signup process. Effectively, AI is a tool to be used alongside other marketing tools, but how it is used is arguably more important than whether or not you choose to adopt it.
Segmentation tactics
Personalisation will continue to grow in importance and one area that is picking up interest is the optimisation of send time. This is where emails are optimised to send out to individuals based on their historical open patterns. There will be more segments and more dynamic segmentation with email marketers striving to provide the most relevant communication at the optimum frequency and time.
Trust in email marketing is going nowhere
Email continues to be a consistent platform that allows one-to-one communication to an inbox. The majority of recipients are receiving emails that they have opted in to receive so they are more likely to trust the content. With social media platforms as a comparison, users can follow/unfollow, like/unlike with one click as well as constantly switch between platforms. Email is the single best digital tool to communicate with customers that actually want to hear from you.
Final thoughts
Email marketing is here to stay. As technological innovation continues to reshape the email marketing landscape, there is plenty you can do at every level of your email marketing strategy to improve results. Let’s see what the rest of the year and 2021 holds for this trusted, yet rapidly evolving marketing channel!
by WP-Dev | Jul 2, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are fast becoming the new norm in many industries. A virtual assistant is a location independent service provider who can provide a myriad of different services to your company from a remote location. Virtual assistant work has grown to include many different positions that can be utilized to ensure that your company runs like a well-oiled machine and saves your company costs at the same time.
The top 5 reasons to hire a Virtual Assistant:
1. Reducing running costs
Many companies that hire full-time employees have found that the employees are not being as productive during the working day as what they could be. By hiring a virtual assistant you only have to pay for work that has been done.
Cost savings also include overheads like office space, internet connection, refreshments, electricity, training. Your company would be able to pay a virtual assistant that is proficient in the tasks that you require and you would not need to spend any additional costs on their training. Virtual assistants are continuously upskilling themselves to stay on top of ever-changing market trends.
2. Increased efficiency
A large number of a business’s employees day can be used up doing many repetitive tasks during the working day. Many of these tasks such as e-mails, customer queries, research, meeting scheduling, data entry etc. These tasks can sometimes take up so much time in your day that you are taken away from the more important work that is suited best to your skillset and qualifications. You could be paying an engineer 5 times more than a virtual assistant to be doing these tasks when their time could be spent on work that creates a larger income and faster output for your company.
3. Broader working hours
Because virtual assistants are spread across the world and work remotely, you can hire a VA to manage your business with clients outside of your time zone, without actually having to be available yourself.
4. Easier recruitment
If your company often has projects that come up suddenly and require a certain skill set that is not required regularly in your company, instead of going through the time-consuming process of hiring a full-time employee to do the work for you. For example, you might want to start advertising your business online but there is nobody in your employee who has that skill set. This is where a virtual assistant can be hired for only the time it takes each day that the project requires at a fraction of the cost of what it would cost to hire a full-time employee. You would also be able to make sure that the VA has referrals and experience in this line of work. For several reasons, a virtual assistant costs a lot less than a full-time employee.
5. No more micromanaging
When full-time staff is employed it is always a task to ensure that everyone is doing what they are paid for in the time frame required of them. Many hours are spent by full-time staff being non-productive. Sometimes you might even have to hire a manager to manage the staff for you. By hiring a VA this eliminates that need. You only pay for the work that is done and the time spent.
There are many tools and apps available in the virtual world to do that for you. And any VA worth their salt is focused and self-disciplined enough to ensure that the work is done in a professional and timeous manner. Messaging tools such as Slack and Microsoft teams enable you and your virtual assistants to run even more productively than you would in an office environment. There are also several time and project management tools such as Toggl, Trello, and Asana to ensure that all projects are communicated and done within the time frame required. Gone are the days of a lengthy project meeting. Everything can be done virtually.
The tools and information given above is only the tip of the iceberg of the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant. You will not regret it and find yourself with a more cost-efficient and streamlined company as a result.
by VA Connect | Jun 30, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
With the pandemic that has turned 2020 upside down, will everything return to normal in a few months or a years’ time? Or will we have to adapt to a different kind of normal? There is no doubt that the tourism industry has been one of the hardest hit with hotels and airlines having to shut down temporarily, and in some cases, staff being retrenched or companies closing. As restrictions start to ease, will travel industry require a complete makeover to survive and once again thrive?
Business Travel
Business travel hasn’t been possible over the last few months with many airlines halting operations, as well as hotels closing their doors. Business has therefore had to be done either via email or Zoom/Skype calls. Have companies realised that this is an easier way of doing business? Is human interaction always necessary? Companies will certainly cut back on the business travel if it isn’t necessary, thus the market for this form of travel may decline.
Remote work is, at very least, likely to form a key part of our new normal. While start-ups and youthful companies have been taking advantages of its cost saving and efficiency for a few years, mainstream business has now, through necessity, also seen that it can work and offers distinct advantages.
Group Travel
Travel in large groups is likely to be severely affected due to the risk of transmitting the virus to other travellers. This is likely to have a sustained effect, as the world collectively tries to stem cross border carrying of Covid.
With smaller groups comes more administration per person. Meaning a wider team of support staff that are wearing many hats on a day-to-day basis will be required for smooth running of group operations that typically rely on larger, one size fits all packages and operations in order to work efficiently and offer value for money.
Hotels, Airlines and Tour Operators
Hotels, airlines and tour operators have almost all had to shut their doors over the last few months. Many employees have lost their jobs with companies not having any form of income. Not knowing when the light will appear at the end of the tunnel, many companies are trying to find new ways to attract clients and even outsource their work force. Hotel and airline call centre staff could potentially work from home given that they don’t have to be face to face with the consumer. Small tour operators are looking at employing virtual assistants to do their back office/admin, or even take calls from new/potential clients.
Employing or growing a full-time workforce will be a huge risk for many a business right now, meaning outsourced, dynamic and contract-based teams will become the standard.
Virtual Travel Experiences
So, what will the new normal be?
Will there be a virtual assistant sitting in a small village in South Africa, taking calls on behalf of her client in Florida for bookings on a boat charter? That is already happening.
Will luxury lodges be offering virtual safaris to armchair explorers from the comfort of their own homes? Yep, this too is already happening.
Or will we still crave the immersive, cultural and human interactions that force us to get out there and explore again? This too will definitely happen – it is human nature. But when it does, businesses will need to rethink how they run and grow their businesses.
Agility, a scalable workforce, and being able to roll with the punches will be key. At VA Connect we are able to help you do just that by offering a wide array of skills, expertise and experience through our dynamic team of virtual assistants.
by WP-Dev | Jun 25, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
My name is Sonja, and I am a hunter. At least, this is how every company who ever employed me in a sales position, labelled me. I beg to differ. I am naturally inclined to farm, yet occasionally I do enjoy the thrill of the hunt.
In a nutshell, sales reps are split into two groups – hunters and farmers. Normally, “hunters” are driven by challenging sales targets, and a desire to make heaps of money. Farmers get to babysit the clients after the fact and “on-sell” or “up-sell”. They also have targets to chase, which may or may not differ from those of the hunters. It all depends on the company you are working for. I’ve seen the chaos and backstabbing created in sales teams when challenging targets are set by Sales Managers, who don’t manage the process and outcome correctly. FACT – Salespeople are by nature emotional creatures, so there is a thin line between creating an environment of motivation vs one of utter demoralisation when targets are not met.
If your sales reps only have one goal — meeting their sales targets — they’re selling themselves and your business short (literally). The last week of the sales month can lead to a very cold-blooded, hard core approach to sales, if targets are way off. This can have a negative consequence on client retention, for instance. Your hunters are going in for the kill, and your normally-gentler-by-nature farmers starts to become bloodthirsty. This rings even more true when basic compensation is affected if targets are not met. The looming idea of not being able to pay your rent because your basic won’t cover your expenses, does not motivate a person to work harder. Rather it drives a person to either crumple in defeat or do what is wrong.
So how do you set targets to motivate? I can easily launch into a list of a day long here, but someone once said to me “Keep it simple Susan”. Yes, he got my name wrong, but twenty years later, I still remember those words when I find myself in a heap of distress. When I was a Sales Manager, I got my team to focus on the following three motivators to chase challenging targets and stay motivated:
Celebrate the small wins
Start by holding your reps accountable to smaller weekly or monthly goals, and you’ll increase the likelihood that they’ll slay the “Beast Target”.
Smaller weekly targets allow sales reps to build confidence and keep focus. This way individuals and teams can track progress towards the Big Hairy Audacious Goal, and it helps the manager to quickly identify reps who are not performing. Swift intervention is now possible as to identify whether there is a “lazy rep” issue or a real problem, like an external factor making it impossible for the individual to reach their target.
An article published by Harvard Business School found that https://hbr.org/2019/07/setting-better-sales-goals-with-analytics is particularly helpful.
One of the key missteps highlighted in this article states “organizations often lose top sales talent because of target setting that penalizes success. One common misstep is using past performance as a yardstick. If a top performer overshoots her annual target by 20%, her next year’s target is set at 120% of the current year’s — while next year’s target for a rep who achieves just 90% of this year’s target remains unchanged. Not surprisingly, top performers find this unfair and often jump ship.”
Adjust for changing market conditions
In a failing economy, many companies drastically reduce spending on all levels, and it could affect a sales rep’s ability to meet her target. Take for example, cutting cell phone and fuel allowances. If I can’t make the calls or get to my clients, I can’t make the sales.
Losing a key client because of the economy is almost like slitting your own throat. Boy do you bleed!
Changes in technology and competition from newer, innovative products and services can seemingly saturate a market overnight. If the target isn’t adjusted for market conditions, ACTUALLY REACHING the target, is as far fetched as Jack climbing that beanstalk while the giant is standing at the bottom chopping away at the stem with a big old axe.
Set Activity Goals
This will teach a rep to stay in touch with new clients at least once a month and build that relationship. People buy from people they like and trust. Eventually it will all add up to the monetary targets. Getting to know your client becomes a great motivation to not just make the sale, but to also retain and grow the client. A lot more emphasis should be placed on this aspect. KNOW YOUR CLIENT! Honestly, it makes the business of chasing those targets a lot more fun.
I do believe that the world of sales has changed radically over the past 10 years. The one thing which remain unchanged though is the sales target….and it is ALWAYS challenging. As the old saying goes “If you can’t stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen”. Even if you work for the most awesome company, being in sales demands a very particular set of skills backed up by a kind of crazy personality that thrives on pressure.
Happy selling!
by WP-Dev | Jun 23, 2020 | Entrepreneur, Virtual Assistant
The global pandemic has seen a dramatic increase in virtual sales, but there seems to be a continuous divide when it comes to developing sales strategies for the future. Can we return to the classic method of face-to-face direct sales as soon as circumstances allow, or joining the revolution of going full virtual. What should we plan for in the “new normal”?
This time last year, I was waking up at the crack of dawn to brace the Johannesburg morning rush to get to my first client meeting in Pretoria. Today, I am working virtually for an American company. My first Zoom meeting is at 3 p.m., which is 8 a.m. Central Time Zone in Tennessee. I have gone from meeting clients in person every day, to calling and emailing them. Building virtual relationships with the time difference has been quite an adjustment, but I am enjoying not having to sit in traffic for hours. As someone with experience on both sides, this is my take on the two strategies.
The way I distinguish virtual from direct sales would be, quality versus quantity.
Direct Sales – Quality
Direct sales would be the quality approach. The focus is on face-to-face interactions. The value of the relationship between business and client is heightened because of the personal bond created. The client’s trust is built on meetings where informal conversations can lead to a higher chance of client retention. Even if the number of clients reached is considerably lower, because of the time taken to build the relationship.
Virtual Sales – Quantity
Virtual sales would be the quantity approach due to the access to a larger spectrum of potential clients from various industries, and the ease of contact via electronic platforms i.e. email. It is a great way to determine which industries to target and eliminate the ones that do not bring in positive metrics or sales. However, maintaining good relationships with clients can be difficult because of not having the face-to-face factor, and managing a concentrated customer base can create a lower chance of client retention.
To further differentiate the two sales strategies, I will use the 4 A’s model: Acceptability, Accessibility, Affordability, Awareness, and the selling of sweaters as an example for each.
4 A’s Model
Direct Sales
- Acceptability – Why should customers buy our sweaters? Are they priced according to the quality we are offering? This component can be used in the sales pitch to potential customers.
- Accessibility – Ensuring the store is stocked up with sweaters and positioned where customers can easily see and reach them.
- Affordability – Are our sweaters priced to attract our target markets? How are the sweaters priced against competitors at stores nearby?
- Awareness – Can customers see that we sell sweaters in our store? Are they visible on mannequins in the display window? Do we have a sign?
Virtual Sales
- Acceptability – Why should customers buy our sweaters? Are they priced according to the quality we are offering? This component can be used in the product title and description on the website.
- Accessibility – Having a website that is easy to navigate, and mobile phone optimised, so customers can effortlessly buy sweaters from any device.
- Affordability – Are our sweaters priced to attract the desired target markets? How are sweaters on competitors’ websites priced?
- Awareness – An email campaign, targeted at a group of potential customers to inform them about our brand of sweaters.
We can see from this, that the mechanisms of the 4 A’s in both approaches often coincide and have similarities.
Adapting to the current climate and adopting a sales process that not only protects your team, but also grows your business, is essential.
A combined approach of both sales strategies based on your company’s goals and objectives, would, in my view, be the most beneficial in these uncertain times.
