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6/23/2022 0 Comments

An Awesome, Free Digital Tool to Level Up Your Video Content!

Picture
Photo by PhotoMIX Company
For those of you who have subscribed to my YouTube channel, RockinWorks Creative or follow me on Instagram @therobinscene, you know how much I LOVE producing short videos! 🎥❤️

They are a joy to assemble. Also, video is a key asset in the world of content marketing and social media.

According to the article “The social media video statistics marketers need to know for 2022” Sprout Social posted in January, over 50% of marketers say that video is vital in their social media strategies.


I am constantly leveling up my video skills. For me, the most fun part of the creation process is editing. It's easier than you think to learn!

There are loads of free or affordable tools out there to edit videos for social platforms, but my current favorite free tool is VN.

Check out one of the many short videos I edited for Instagram using VN and you’ll get a taste of what this mighty app can do!

Not tech-savvy? Don’t worry. I got you covered.

Check out this handy-dandy VN tutorial from one of my favorite YouTubers, Justin Brown. It will give you the confidence to edit your smartphone clips into a masterpiece!


​Looking for an experienced SEO Writer who can help maximize your content strategy?
I WANT TO RAISE AWARENESS OF YOUR BRAND! -->
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6/9/2022 0 Comments

Search Intent is About More Than Rising in SERPs

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Photo by Firmbee.com (Pexels)
Focusing on search intent is more than just about boosting your SEO.

At the end of the day, it's about being of service, which means it's about caring.

Caring about being the kind of organization or company that provides the BEST answers to the queries of your audience.

Understanding search intent and caring about being of service gets people returning to your site. Caring about being of service is what helps you rise in the SERPs, build your authority, and lead to conversions.

​Understanding search intent is pivotal for your business.


For a comprehensive overview of search intent and the different categories that you need to keep in mind when creating content for your audience segments, check out this post from the experts at SEMRush.

How to Use Search Intent for Your Business

Looking for an experienced SEO Writer who can help maximize your content strategy?
shoot me an email! -- >
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4/8/2021 0 Comments

The One Way You Should Be Repurposing Your Content Right Now

robin-rothstein-repurposing-content-lisa-rothstein-cartoonist
Artwork by New Yorker cartoonist Lisa Rothstein
You are not just a content creator -- you are a content re-creator.

Chances are you've put a lot of thought into that blog post, case study, or report. It's a solid piece of content, right? 

So, why should that outstanding blog post, case study, or report be the end of the road?  Why not leverage and maximize the heck out of it to bolster your brand and reach more people? 

How do you do that? By repurposing the content.


Repurposing content is exactly what it sounds like -- it's taking content assets you've already created and adjusting them to fit a different channel or medium, or finding new ways to expand the content further using the same topics or subtopics.

Why is repurposing your content important?

  • Repurposing your content keeps the momentum of a topic, ensuing subtopics, or related topics going by reaching a wider audience.
  • Repurposing your content increases the chances of your audience interacting with your content, leading to fresh ideation on your topic and related themes.
  • Repurposing your content strengthens your brand's authority by expanding your presence and expertise across multiple channels and mediums.

In other words, repurposing your content is the gift that keeps on giving -- and giving, and giving!

With so much technology available today and constantly evolving, it's foolish not to utilize some of the many methods to get your content out there and milk your hard work for all its worth.
​
If you repurpose and distribute your content strategically and holistically, chances are this will help boost the SEO for your content and ultimately boost awareness of your personal or business brand.

While there are endless ways to repurpose your content, this one is the most important method that I think you should be, er, focussing on.
​

It's the top brand-building strategy in content marketing 


​YouTube is the second most used search engine in the world, so it makes sense that video is one of the most popular tools for marketers.

According to Wyzowl, roughly 86% of businesses use video as a method to support their brands. And a Smart Insights article stated that 92% of marketers indicated that video was a key part of their strategies. And, of course, one of the marketing world's greatest oracles, Gary Vaynerchuk, has been a big fan of video for years.

And then the pandemic hit. 

And everything changed -- fast.

Video became the main tool most used to connect for the better part of 2020.

I was a already fan of video before the pandemic; I had begun purchasing gear and producing work. So, I was ready to create my own original video content during the pandemic, as well as repurpose high-quality written content created by others that deserved more attention.
​

A quick case study of sorts, and a content repurposing example



​When I read Indie Theater Fund's Emergency Grant Report based on the funding the organization provided New York City theatre artists at the onset of the pandemic, I recognized immediately that this was a valuable piece of content. 

It deserved way more than just living in an obscure Google Doc.

The data and testimonials were crying out to be repurposed into a video.

Why video?

  • The video could be a PSA to secure more donations.
  • The video could get discovered on YouTube, raising awareness for the Indie Theater Fund.
  • The video could be easily shared across social channels (which is essentially repurposing the video! Remember when I said repurposing content is the gift that keeps on giving?)
  • Other websites could link to the video, which would increase traffic for the video and Indie Theater Fund
  • The video would be an example for Indie Theater Fund for how they could repurpose other content assets moving forward.

Here are the three simple steps I took to make the PSA repurposing plan happen:

  1. I got Indie Theater Fund's executive director on board with the idea of turning portions of the report into a PSA.
  2. I scripted copy directly from the report and filmed a rough cut of myself as a placeholder for the executive director to film herself.
  3. I then swapped in the executive director's footage for the final edited video.

Indie Theater Fund used the first anniversary of the theater shutdown in New York to publish the video on YouTube. The organization also promoted the video on social. Creating social posts promoting the video was also a form of repurposing. And the social posts sparked comments that could also be used for future content. And on it goes!

Based on the positive comments I saw, I know the PSA will add value to Indie Theater Fund.

Take a look at the PSA when you have two minutes. Compare the report to the video. 

I'd love to know what you think! 
​
--
​
Do you have high-quality content that you're ready to repurpose into a video to build awareness for your brand? I bet you do! Let's strategize!

Are you looking to find ways to repurpose your content?
EMAIL ME AND LET'S STRATEGIZE!
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2/2/2021 1 Comment

All The World’s A Digital Stage: 8 SEO Tips to Optimize Your Arts Organization’s Reach

dancer-leaping-reaching-arts
Photo by Yogendra Singh from Pexels
You probably can't wait to walk into a building to see live shows again.

Me, too!

Yet, it's clear that even when IRL performances do come back 
- online performances and events will still endure in some form.

But that's a good thing. 

Of course, virtual shows will never replace that unique energy that artists and audiences share in a live setting.

​But being forced to go online this past year has allowed arts organizations to reach new audiences they wouldn't have otherwise from a geographical standpoint and an accessibility standpoint.

If you work at one of those arts organizations, you're probably starting to take a long-term view of virtual programming and how you can find opportunities for online content in the future.

Because, number one, it's imperative to hold on to these diverse and historically underserved digitally mined audience members -- and to cultivate more of them!

And, number two, research shows that people who stream content are 67% more likely to buy a ticket to similar live events. This means your virtual content will likely increase local demand for live performances.

Exciting stuff, huh?

So, given all this, what's your strategy to retain your digital audience and further expand your reach to connect with potential new fans of your organization? 

One suggestion for where to start -- focus on enhancing your SEO. 

What exactly is SEO?


​I suspect you already have an idea of SEO what it is, but basically defined:
​"SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the practice of
​increasing the 
quantity and quality of traffic to your website
through 
organic search engine results." [Moz.com]
Whether your arts organization is already programming performances online or planning to, you'll want to find ways to bolster your organization's reach and authority -- especially if you're a small to mid-sized company. After all, you're now among a whole world of arts organizations competing for eyeballs on the digital stage!

Reviewing your SEO strategies can only strengthen your arts 
organization's brand and reach to grow not only potential new audiences, but also viable new revenue streams.

With that in mind, here are 8 basic SEO tips that could give your arts organization a search engine boost!

#1: Optimize your website for user experience


​If you want your website to rise to the top of the pack, you need to make sure that it loads quickly and is easy to navigate.
Picture

​"Understanding searcher intent will help you
​and your arts organization
​make more informed, strategic decisions."
​
​According to
Search Engine Journal, a page should load in three seconds (or less!) to be considered fully optimized.

Three seconds? Yikes!

According to Quick Sprout, five to six seconds is considered the average page loading time for Media and Entertainment. Get in that vicinity, and you’ll likely have less drop-off.

If you're a small company without a webmaster, there are still things you can do to optimize your website's page load speed.

Use tools like
Google PageSpeed or SEO Site Checkup to get some (free!) quick and useful data to see where you may need to make improvements.

And if your arts organization is not yet using Google Console, install that ASAP! It's a must. Google Console is a free tool that covers all kinds of analysis for your website.

Also, check out this article from Content Marketing Institute, which includes a bunch of additional suggestions.

#2: Be sure your website is mobile-friendly


58 percent of searches are now done on mobile.

​And data shows this is likely going to increase.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially with more people now working remotely and on the go.
​
​So make sure your arts organization’s website is optimized for mobile. Run it through Google's Mobile-Friendly Test for a fast check.

#3: Get up to speed on searcher intent


Now that arts organizations are digitally connected to new audiences, it would be a good idea to find out what kind of entertainment these audiences are seeking. 

Perhaps your arts organization is looking to become better aligned with your target audience's needs. Is there room in your mission for your organization to expand artistically, if needed, to serve these new digital audiences? Does your digital audience want more access to online arts education programming or special events?

Understanding searcher intent will help you and your organization make more informed, strategic decisions.

​As a start, simply type queries into Google to see what your target audiences are searching for in relation to online programming. Also, pay attention to similar queries to yours and the pages that come up in the results.

Look at these areas on the first search engine results page:​
​
  • People also ask
  • People also search for
  • Searches related to​​

​
​​"58 percent of searches
​are now done
​on mobile
."
woman-mobile-search-seo
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
Ask yourself these questions when reviewing the results:
​
  1. Do you see other arts organizations from across the world ranking in these searches?
  2. Which of the "5 W's" are people using? What are the "How" questions?
  3. How can this data inform your content, programming, and new audience lead gen strategies? 

​Become acquainted with some SEO tools for better analysis

Taking a little time out every day or every week for some basic SEO investigation and analysis will empower you and your organization.

There is an overwhelming number of free and paid tools out there to help you. The free tools I list below are a place to start.

​Used in combination, these tools and extensions can help provide some insights:
​
  • Answer the Public
  • Google Trends
  • Keyword Surfer
  • Keywords Everywhere
  • Moz
  • Ubersuggest

If you find you need better data than the free tools can provide, then a company like SEMRush or Ahrefs may be the way to go if you have the means in your budget.

#4: Keep your blog active with useful and quality content


​When was the last time you posted to your blog? Was it a year ago? Try to establish a practice of keeping your blog more current and consistent.

​Or, wait, your organization doesn't have a blog? Well, you really ought to consider starting one!

Having a blog is a way to:

  • Foster connections with your audiences through story-telling
  • Establish trust, authority and thought leadership
  • Provide useful information for local patrons and potential new patrons
  • Bolster lead gen strategies

The writing should be engaging and easy to read, show your organization’s unique personality or tone, and include a call to action.

These tactics will keep readers on your blog page longer, which, in turn, could help the search ranking and authority of your arts organization.
dancers-performance-search-online
Photo by Joseph Phillips from Pexels

#5: Focus on video


​YouTube is the second most-used search engine on the planet, so it would be a good idea for your arts organization to create a YouTube channel if you haven’t already.

YouTube is a great platform to publish your arts organization's original content, but also your repurposed content. For instance, if you already have a podcast, you can upload your episodes in full or smaller sections to YouTube via your podcast hosting provider.

If you can publish great content with consistency, YouTube is a smart way to expand your reach to new audiences. 

If finding time to manage the platform is too much, be sure you have videos of your best content on your website. Make sure that audiences can find them and engage with them easily. You want viewers to share and link to these videos on social.

#6: Image optimization


Chances are you are already using relevant images for your site. There should be at least one featured image related to your posts or articles. And make sure they are optimized:
​​
  • Do all of your images contain relevant alt tags?
  • Did you name the file using text related to the image and with hyphens in between each word?
  • Are you using the most appropriate and optimized image file sizes? If the file is big, it could affect how quickly the page loads.
  • Can you reduce the image file size and still retain the quality?

#7: Optimize for voice search

​
​“Hey, Alexa!” “Hey, Google!” Hey, Siri!”

 
Guess what?
 
It’s estimated that 39 million smart speakers were shipped in 2020​.

OK, I think we hear you loud and clear  -- voice search is becoming a thing.
 
Voice search is used primarily for local searches, such as when people are looking for nearby Chinese restaurants or the closest florist. But that doesn’t mean your arts organization shouldn’t optimize for voice search, especially if you’re looking to build younger audiences.

​So, learn the kinds of questions people are posing to their devices about your organization or related queries and use that information to optimize your FAQ page, for instance, or other applicable pages on your site.
neon-this-must-be-the-place-seo-arts
Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels


​#8: Stay on top of SEO trends and best practices


​SEO is ever-evolving. Keep an eye on the latest news and trends to make sure your website and content are optimized. You want to make sure that your arts organization maintains authority and ranking in this fast-paced digital world!

The pandemic accelerated the integration of technology to the extent performing arts companies have also become media companies. When the dust settles, you and your organization will need to decide what to continue pursuing in the digital realm. Chances are, you will need to incorporate online programming in at least some small way to keep up in this newly evolving performing arts ecosystem.

So consider designating time regularly towards staying on top of the latest optimization trends and Google algorithm updates.

It’s time for your arts organization and SEO to collaborate!


​Whether or not your organization has the means or the interest to produce online programming, don’t ignore SEO. If you don't plan to have online programming, focusing on SEO will be even more essential to maintain and further your arts organization's brand and authority. 
 
If you don’t have a lot of hands-on-deck at the moment, try out just a couple of the tips.

Start small. Establish your SMART goals and KPIs to see if your efforts are having a meaningful effect.
​
  • Pay attention to keyword phrases and queries coming from your targeted audiences
  • Think like the new audience member you're hoping to convert and the loyal patron you want to retain
  • Be patient and see what's working
  • Make adjustments based on where you're seeing results.

Lather, rinse, repeat.
 
Producing and presenting live, in-person shows will, of course, always be your arts organization’s primary goal. But we can't ignore that we have been catapulted into an exciting new era where digital will continue to play a role in the performing arts industry.

So, are you ready to leverage SEO to help your arts organization get to SRO?

​Be sure to check out the link below to "Free Digital Resources for Art Marketers." 

​
It includes the SEO resources I discussed here.

​You'll also find more useful 
freebie digital tools!

Got any SEO tips? I'd love to hear them! Let me know in the comments. 

​
NOTE: This Google Sheet is "View Only."
Once you access, go to the "File" menu. Then select "Make a copy" from the drop-down.
​You now have
 your very own copy on your Google Drive!

FREE DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR ARTS MARKETERS

Looking for SEO copywriting and content support
​for your marketing strategies?
LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN HELP!
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1/5/2021 0 Comments

Performing Arts Marketers: 7 Free Digital Tools to Help Stretch Your Budget

Marketing Director working alone
Photo by Marcus Aurelius from Pexels
Despite COVID-19 temporarily putting the kibosh on live, in-person performances, there are, no doubt, arts marketers like you still working behind the scenes. And you're probably challenged by a tighter budget due to loss of revenue and less staff as a result of furloughs and layoffs.

Chances are your marketing department is down to one to two people--or maybe it's just you holding the fort. But even with little to no programming, you still need to promote your organization’s brand and get messaging out to your patrons and the community. 

The good news is that there are loads of free tools out there that can help maximize your creative output and workflow. 

I’ve selected seven freebies that I use (and love!) and urge you to check them out. They're super easy to learn and can make the lives of arts marketers like you who are working on a shoestring a whole lot easier.

CANVA

I know, I know. You and everyone else in the world have likely heard of and used Canva at this point, but it’s such a useful and user-friendly tool, I had to include it in this list.

​In the event you don't know about Canva, you need zero design skills to learn this fun tool, and the free version will provide you countless formats and templates for pretty much any kind of content you want to put out there.

Just establish your free Canva account
--and start creating! Whether you’re posting on social media, sending out an email blast, assembling a photo collage, adding some pizzazz to video footage, putting together a newsletter, or reflecting data in an infographic—Canva’s got you covered. And Canva saves your templates, so if you’re creating a design for a series, you won’t have to start from scratch each time you need to make an adjustment. 

I’ve used Canva for a variety of purposes, but it continues to be be my main go-to for all of my YouTube thumbnails.

YOUTUBE AUDIO LIBRARY

Speaking of YouTube, you can access royalty-free music and sound effects from YouTube’s Audio Library. Sure, there are audio libraries out there with affordable monthly subscriptions that have larger inventories and more sophisticated tracks, but chances are, for your purposes, YouTube’s audio library will do the trick. I’ve used music from the YouTube audio library for all of my short videos, and I’ve found music that fits the bill every time.

​As long as you have a Gmail account (and who doesn't these days) you can access YouTube's free Audio Library.


PRO Tip: If you feel like getting a little more creative, download Apple's GarageBand and make an original composition using the Loops feature. Loops are fun to play around with and royalty-free. I composed the bumper for my latest video using Loops. It was fun and empowering to compose my own work, and I couldn’t be happier with the results!

PEXELS

If you need to include stock footage in your videos, Pexels should be your first stop.

Pexels is a free stock photo and video site that allows you to download photos and videos on the site for free. No attribution is required, and you can edit whatever you download in whatever way you like.

Pexels is a community of creators who regularly contribute their work to the site, so the inventory is ever-expanding. It’s also an easy site to navigate, so no need to worry about spending too much time trying to find just the right video footage or photos for your latest marketing initiative or message.
YouTube thumbnail for a downtown New York theatre crawl video
Two projects I made using Canva. This design above is a YouTube thumbnail. The design to the right is an infographic I posted to social media.
Infographic describing 5 Takeaways from the 2020 NAMP Conference

GRAMMARLY

It should go without saying that whatever writing you put out there—especially when it’s part of your organization’s brand—should be engaging and error-free. But if you’re the only set of eyes available at the moment to check your work, then Grammarly is going to be your new best friend.
​
As you write, the Grammarly browser extension will usually automatically integrate and identify spelling and grammar errors and weak areas in your writing. Alternatively, you can manually open the Grammarly extension and copy and paste all of your text directly into a new document there to check your work. You'll see a more robust set of recommendations and a readability score.

Note: Grammarly may point out problem areas that will require the premium version to unlock, but you’ll likely be able to figure out what Grammarly's recommended changes are by making a few intuitive adjustments.


​Once you use Grammarly, you’ll wonder how you ever sent any writing out into the world without it!

HUBSPOT

Hubspot is a marketing and CRM platform, but you don’t need to subscribe to Hubspot's services to gain access to the company's library of handy free resources. Once you give Hubspot your email address, you'll instantly gain access to a plethora of downloadable blog templates, social media and editorial calendars, and many more free and useful goodies that will speed up your creative processes and workflow. 
 
PRO Tip: Looking to pick up a quick skill or go a little deeper on a marketing or analytics topic? Check out Hubspot Academy, Hubspot’s free online training...er...hub. It has an extensive collection of free on-demand training videos highly rated by marketing professionals across the globe. Another great site for free workshops and webinars is General Assembly.

OTTER

Do you need to write a summary for your boss concerning a Zoom meeting she couldn’t attend? Are you conducting an interview on Google Hangouts that you need to incorporate into an article or blog post? If so, then Otter will bring you much joy!

Otter is an app that allows you to transcribe meetings, and it works seamlessly in conjunction with a variety of online video systems. The free version gives you up to 600 minutes a month of free transcription recording and 40 free minutes per session. (If you find that you need more flexibility, the PRO plan is less than $10 (US) a month and gives you 6,000 transcription minutes per month and 4 hours per session.)

With the browser extension, you can integrate Otter.ai with Zoom and Otter will transcribe the meeting in real-time automatically. Alternatively, you can transcribe your Zoom meeting afterward by opening Otter in your Chrome or Firefox browser and playing the video on speaker mode.

And if you don’t use Zoom, not to worry. Otter integrates across a variety of programs.

iMOVIE

I know, it doesn't have anywhere near the sophisticated bells and whistles of Adobe Premiere Pro, but hey, it’s free, it’s easy and iMovie can probably get your job done—and quite well. 

If you’re an arts marketer with few resources, but you have a smartphone, a laptop, and great content to share--you can edit your work quickly in iMovie with professional-looking results.

The computer version has more robust features, so I recommend that you upload all your video content to your Mac or PC and edit it there. That said, if you’ve never edited before or you need to edit something on the fly, the phone and tablet version of iMovie has got you covered. It has fewer features, but all the features in the world are not as important as the quality of your content. So if you have some phone video you need to clean up, add a title to, and throw some music under, do it in iMovie on your phone, and you'll be able to publish and promote your great content ASAP!

PRO Tip: Not quite finding the right music in iMovie’s free soundtrack library? Go to YouTube’s free Audio Library to find something you like more, download it, and then open it in iTunes. The track will now be in your iTunes library, and you should be able to import it into your iMovie project on your phone. If you’re editing on your computer, drag the downloaded music file from your downloads folder directly into your iMovie project.

Another PRO Tip: Posting this video on your arts organization’s YouTube channel? Don’t forget to use Canva to make an eye-catching thumbnail that will entice your intended audience to click and watch!
​
There are many more free tools out there that could bolster your marketing strategies, but these tools are a great start to help  you plan, create, and post valuable content.

If you have time, check out the link below to a Google Sheet I put together that includes the resources I discussed here, along with a few more freebie tools.

[NOTE: This sheet is "View Only." Once you access the sheet, go to the "File" menu and select "Make a copy" from the drop-down, and you'll have
 your very own copy on your Google Drive!]
FREE DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR ARTS MARKETERS
And be sure to check back here from time to time. I’ll be updating this sheet with more free digital resources with you in mind!

Looking for someone who can jump in remotely
and help you maximize your organization's
marketing initiatives?
EMAIL ME AND LET'S STRATEGIZE!
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