VernonGirl

How To Add A YouTube Video To Your LinkedIn Profile

Here is an excellent video about how you can Enhance your LinkedIn profile by doing the following:

• adding Applications
• adding a YouTube Video (first you must open a Google Account - it's free)
• adding a list of books you are reading
• adding Powerpoint presentations you've done. (First you must open a SlideShare account and then upload your Powerpoint to SlideShare).

Watch the video. If you have questions, please email me at info@vernongirl.com

Cheers, Courtenay

 

How my blog made number one on Google because k.d. lang sang Hallelujah at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Opening Ceremonies

When I posted the video of k.d. lang singing Leonard Cohen's song Hallelujah, I never dreamed my blog traffic would explode, it would make it to number one one Google and I would be having a discussion on Twitter about its relevance to the 2010 Olympics.

But that's exactly what happened. If you're interested in how I got traffic to my site, read on. If you're interested in my deep philosophical thoughts as to why I think k.d. lang's performance was completely relevant to the 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies, read on. And if you would like to see lang sing Hallelujah, read on.

How my blog traffic rose

Look at this picture of how my blog traffic rose yesterday (February 12, 2010). As you can see, my visitor traffic has always hovered well below fifty visitors per day. Probably closer to thirty. But yesterday, there was a spike. Above 200 visitors. Amazing!

Now look at this image of my number one placing out of 6,750 on Google for a search "kd lang sings at olympics". This is only one search term. There are over 250 search term combinations that people are finding my blog through that are related to lang's performance at the Olympics....and growing.

Those are only the statistics from yesterday. Today, my traffic is even much higher, but I will not know exactly how high until the day is complete and I can check my Google Analytics report.

How easy is it to post video to your blog?

It's easy. Very very easy.

It's free.

It takes only minutes.

How do you do it?

First, find a video on YouTube that you like.

Second, find the "embed" html code that is located to the right of the video as highlighted in yellow on the right of this screenshot I took from my vernongirl YouTube channel page.

Then, cut and paste that "embed" code into the html code (sometimes called the source code) of your blog post. It is that simple. And, it's legal. If someone who has posted a video on Youtube chooses to share their video, they will make sure that the "embed" html code is accessible to you. This allows you to cut and paste the code and use their videos on your blog or website. Now, how great is that?

There is advertising that comes up on the video that you have no control over, but it's worth it.

Blog about current topics and trends

This experience has taught me that it is a very good idea to be on top of current topics and trends, and to comment on them quickly on your blog if you want traffic. Sometimes it can pay off. I've been wondering when this day would come.

But it's also important to go with your heart. And since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, what a great segue into my next point about heart in sports and life and the relevancy between Cohen, lang, Hallelujah and the Olympics.

Why are k.d. lang and Hallelujah relevant to the 2010 Olympics?

This morning on Twitter, someone tweeted to me that they didn't see the relevance in lang singing about biblical infidelity.

This sparked a big discussion between me and my husband over morning coffee. He didn't see the relevancy either. So I looked up Leonard Cohen on the internet. I was pretty sure he was Canadian. (I'm not saying this tongue-in-cheek either.) Yes, I was right. According to the LeonardCohen.com website ....

"Cohen ironically describes himself as “the little Jew who wrote the Bible,”.

....He has immersed himself into Jewish culture, Christian imagery and Buddhist detachment. He believes that our human imperfections are finally what will bring us whatever transcendence we can attain." (I edited.)

Human imperfection seemed particularly relevant to me since the Georgian luger flew off the track yesterday and slammed into a pole, killing him instantly. I watched the video on the internet just before I sat down to watch the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics (but refused to send out links to it.) Human imperfection is apparent in the design of the track and the execution of the luger. Poignant. Plus Cohen is a celebrated poet and songwriter. Here is a link to Leonard Cohen's biography. 

k.d. lang grew up in Alberta, but now makes her home in Los Angeles, California. An incredible talent, she is no stranger to adversity. Being a lesbian in Alberta, I'm sure, had its challenges. (I grew up in Calgary.)

But overall, Canada is an amazingly diverse country. Not only is our landscape diverse, but so are our people. We are a cultural, religious and idealism melting pot. So to have k.d lang singing a song written by a self-proclaimed Jewish poet is completely relevant.

It celebrates diversity, art, expression, freedom, overcoming obstacles and choice. Choice in religious beliefs, sexual orientation and how you will triumph over human imperfection. Isn't that what Canada is all about?

Here is a link to the original blog post that sparked this story, and my blog traffic, where you can see the video of k.d. lang performing Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. Enjoy!

p.s. I have to give credit to Danielle Laporte’s White Hot Truth blog for giving me the idea to put this video onto my site. One day, I was looking through her blog and I came across this inspirational video of k.d. lang. (I read Laporte's blog for creative inspiration.) I love inspirational women. Laporte also writes about sex. I love that in Canada you can do that. And Danielle is from British Columbia too. Go Canada!

Thanks for reading.

Courtenay Pitcher, Born in Canada

Related posts: Automated reply system for Twitter: Antique collector and web designer unite to brand Twitter.
 

If you liked k.d. lang singing at the Olympic Opening Ceremonies You'll love this.

Video tutorial: How to add a Facebook Fanpage to Hootsuite.com

Here is a video tutorial on how to add your Facebook Fanpage to your Hootsuite.com account so that whenever you send a tweet from Hootsuite, you can update your Facebook Fanpage automatically.

Or, here are the written directions:

Open Hootsuite.com

Go to settings > social networks > add a social network




Click the “pages” icon. (as per the image above) Note: Do not click the "Facebook" icon.

Connect with Facebook (It will open Facebook and you'll have to type in your Facebook email and password).

It will bring up a list of Fan pages you have set up on that account and so you can tick the Fanpage that you want to come up.

Cllick "Allow Publishing".

If you're getting this post by email, you can watch the video at this link here.

Thanks for reading!

Courtenay Pitcher
Social media trainer and Hootsuite Fan

What if all wineries had their own reality T. V. series?

In reading Mitch Joel's article about how there will be no websites, only publishers (which essentially says that brochure-like websites are a thing of the past and companies need to realize that unique, creative, relevant and fresh content posted onto social media sites is the now of marketing), I got to thinking....

What if all wineries had their own Reality T.V. series? For that matter, any business could have their own Reality T.V. show, but because there are several wineries in the Okanagan Valley where I live I will use examples from the wine industry.

In this YouTube age, where you can launch your own YouTube channel in seconds, it is really quite easy to post a video. Flip cameras are cheap. If the reality show host plans well, editing could be kept to a minimum. However, if video editing is required, Camtasia Studios software is available and they have developed a host of on-line training.

What would it look like if the winery's Marketing Director , Winemaker or Owner (because often the winery Owner is the Winemaker and the Marketing Director) became a Reality T.V. show host on YouTube?

It could be interesting. We could gain insights on:

• how to sip wine properly
• how to pair wine with food
• behind the scenes marketing meetings that the wine industry is involved in
• how grapes are grown or picked
• how to pronounce the different varieties of wine (like Gewurztraminer for example)
• events like the Spring and Fall wine festivals
• what kind of people work at a winery (their culture or educational background)
• interviews with tourists that visit the winery
• controversy, like legal issues with the liquor control board
• other winemakers
• the geography where the grapes are grown and the wine is made

Have wineries and other businesses really sat down and thought outside-the-box regarding marketing in this on-line-marketing-YouTube-Twitter-Facebook-easy-to-become-a-publisher-using-a-Wordpress-blog-iphone age?

I really think that businesses need to embrace the idea that we live in a video age. With a creative approach using video, wineries could market themselves on the internet in a whole new way. The call-to-action could still be to visit the winery and buy the wine. With video, it could all be so sensory.

Winemakers....what do you think?

Thanks for reading!

Courtenay Pitcher

Related posts:

How to Create A Picture In Picture Video For Your Blog For Under $400 USD 

Intoxicating Liquors Act Doesn't Prevent Gray Monk Estate Winery From Marketing Online