9 Ways to Monetize Your Facebook Page

in Influencers, Social Media

There are people out there who grow Facebook pages for the sake of having them. I’ve seen dozens that center themselves around a concept and grow into something larger.

If you have a Facebook page with some level of following, with or without a website attached, there are a lot of ways to make money. Frankly, it’s easier to start with a Facebook page and build a monetized site than it is to start a site and try to build a Facebook following from it.

Here are our tips to monetize your Facebook page:

1. Optimize Your Site for Mobile Devices

Over 50% of the traffic that browses Facebook every day is mobile traffic, which is why it is so important that if your Facebook links to an external site that it is optimized for mobile. If you can capitalize on a mobile audience, you can find quite a bit of success.

One of the best ways to ensure that your traffic from Facebook stays on your site and converts is to have a responsive site. This means that no matter what device a user is on your website adjusts and gives the best user experience.

2. Sell Digital Content Directly

The first option to monetize your Facebook page is arguably the easiest. The simplest example of this is pretty easy to describe. Promoting an eBook on your Facebook page is a great way to keep your audience engaged and connect across your various websites.

If you have plenty of content to distribute, Facebook makes a great platform to sell your wares. EBooks are easy because Amazon and Barnes and Noble both have distribution platforms which you can take advantage of and the best part is that Facebook integrates very easily with most external platform.

Big brands: Learn how this small skincare startup used multi-channel campaigns to dramatically increase visibility and activate new followers.

3. Send Traffic to Affiliate Marketing Sites

This is another option you can use to make money by advertising on Facebook, but you will need to be a part of an affiliate network. If you are influential, joining an affiliate network should not be a problem. Having the ability to reach a lot of people is very beneficial and many brands will take notice. Once you are a part of an affiliate network, just posting a link will be enough to gain attribution for your contribution. This is very easy to set up and use, many systems have built-in tracking available. Many brands have affiliate networks in place which they use to manage their affiliates and track the sales or traffic you are able to drive.

4. Sell Products through a Facebook App Store

Facebook apps have fallen somewhat in the last few years. They’ve been slowly moved further and further down the sidebar and there’s not as much room up top for them as there used to be.

That’s not to say you can’t still use them. All you need to do is set up one of the many Facebook commerce apps. Pick one and use it.

 5. Sell Products through a Website

The exact same concept as above can be applied to setting up your own storefront. You have two options for this; you can either set up a hosted solution, or you can use an e-commerce system. The latter is more expensive but a lot more customizable and better for SEO in the long run.

Promote products and link your audience to the product page, that sort of thing. Paid ads will help a lot here, because there’s not of leeway with promoting organic posts.

6. Promote Products with Exclusive Facebook Offers

If you’re selling products, you can do more than just post “hey, have you see X product? It’s cool you should buy it.” You can incentivize the traffic and conversions. All you need to do is run offers. The organic way of running offers is to simple create the offer for a limited time on your site and promote it on Facebook. The alternative method is to use the ads system on Facebook to run offers. Either one will work, or you can use both if you want.

Need a tool to help with your Facebook offers? Check out how Sideqik helps brands take their social to the next level.

7. Sell Products through a Third Party Service

You can design and sell products without having to do any of the product manufacturing, shipping, inventory, upkeep, or anything else. If you are a creative, one example is to begin putting your art on various products and selling it. There are multiple sites which allow you to create easily print shirts, phone cases, or socks and sell them. It’s pretty simple and it’s a route that a lot of midrange Facebook pages take.

8. Promote a Local Event with Your Vendor Presence

If your Facebook page is focused around a geographic location, it will be a great opportunity for you to engage with and bring in outside brands and businesses to get involved with your brand.  You can drive a profit in a few different ways from this. One of them is to set up a vendor of your own at the local event you’re promoting so that by promoting the event, you’re also promoting yourself. Get more people to attend the event, and more people will find you there, resulting in more sales.

9. Sell Your Services Growing a Page

So you’ve grown a Facebook page to its current level, and you’re achieving some amount of success. Others would like to reach that success. It’s time to share your skills. You can sell a service where you write up a plan of action. You can come in and manage things for an ongoing price if you are successful there are many options to make others successful.

Filling the Talent Gap in Surveying

Perry Trunick

KEYWORDS Business challenges in surveying / business continuity / the future of surveying Reprints

There is little doubt within the surveying profession that the challenge is to bring in more new licensed professional land surveyors. The demographic numbers are clear – a majority of current professional land surveyors report 30 or more years of experience with the corresponding age band at or near traditional retirement age. Surveying isn’t the only profession to face this challenge, nor is it limited to the U.S. surveying profession. The complexity of training and licensing and the lack of public awareness of the profession combine to make it difficult to adopt some of the strategies employed by other professions to attract new talent. That doesn’t mean those strategies won’t work; it simply means they could need some adjustment to fit the needs of this profession.

Is the “crisis” real? An informal poll on the POB website asked, “Are you hiring?” and offered choices from “Yes, adding licensed surveyors” to “No hiring, and permanent staff reduction likely.” Though not scientific, the result as this is being written was that no one said they expected permanent staff reductions. Exactly 50 percent said they were hiring some mix of licensed/unlicensed and permanent/temporary workers. The largest single response (28 percent) was “I would if I could find qualified applicants.” That suggests they are in the hiring mode, but unable to fill positions and, when combined with those who gave more definite indications of hiring, means 78 percent of respondents would be hiring.

A formal study in Australia gives a clearer view, to the degree that results there might reflect similar experience and trends in the U.S. The fundamental descriptions and trends do parallel the U.S., even if exact numbers and some underlying drivers differ.

In its executive summary, “Determining the Future Demand, Supply and Skills Gap for Surveying and Geospatial Professionals” sets out some parameters. “Situations where measures of workforce demand exceed currently available supply are referred to as workforce gaps. … Where these gaps are unlikely to be filled by new supply at a national level from the education system, a capability deficit arises.”

With regard to workforce gaps the summary notes they create distinct challenges and pressures for the profession that may (at least partially) be resolved through the hire of new graduates. But, in saying that, the report’s authors recognize graduates cannot replicate the skills and productivity of a retiring surveyor with decades of experience. 

Another part of the solution is productivity improvements, and a third is shifting employment from low- to high-demand regions. In the latter case, the U.S. has some distinct challenges. Provided a surveyor is willing to relocate, that surveyor would need to meet the licensing requirements in the new state.

The report describes a capability deficit as a “higher order challenge” with a more substantial long-term imbalance between workforce demand and supply that will not be easily or quickly resolved. This could be a result of too few graduates and it could reflect the fact there are too few resources willing to relocate from low-demand to high-demand regions or categories of the profession.

“Capability deficits are not directly observable,” the report continues. “Either workforce supply rises to meet the demand challenge (e.g. through an increase in unplanned work effort or productivity) or demand is constrained to the maximum level of available supply (e.g. activities requiring unavailable surveying skills are delayed) with consequent negative impacts on end-use sector activity and the broader economy.”

In other words, if we can’t meet the capability deficit, construction projects may experience delays. Picture the potential consequences of the major infrastructure spending President Donald J. Trump promised in his inaugural address coming up against a critical shortage of professional land surveyors.

One possible consequence the report does not appear to address is the possibility the shortage is met with regulatory changes that reduce the requirements for “sealed” surveys. 

The Australian report notes that, even though it covers a 10-year period from 2018 to 2028, forecast impacts in the second half of that period are subject to underlying assumptions and a wide range of factors which could affect the actual outcome. Broader economic trends could drive a decrease in housing and commercial building starts, and then the shortage would appear less critical. On the other hand, the U.S. Congress could move on a major infrastructure bill which would drive a spike in demand for professional surveying and geospatial services. Then, the shortage could become even more critical than predicted.

New Talent From Old

The fact remains that the current corps of licensed professional land surveyors is aging. While this demographic trend sounds alarming, and it is, there is also a hidden resource that results. The popular term in among human resource professionals is “encore workers.” It is typically applied to retirees who chose to remain part of the active workforce, but in a different or reduced capacity. 

Another component of the experienced workforce is those who are nearing retirement or delaying retirement. Often, these may be business owners who want to sell their business and/or move away from the pressures of running the business. One such professional land surveyor described his position: “I am almost at the age I could retire, and thanks to a successful business I could probably do it. However, I still enjoy the work and want to remain active, albeit without the day-to-day challenges of operating a business. I simply want to do the things that attracted me to the profession decades ago…challenging problems to solve, the latest technology to use, and clients to serve.”

His description works for a retiree who wants to remain active (the encore worker) or someone who wants to “downshift” in the later part of their career as they approach retirement. The clear benefits are experience and, potentially, less sensitivity on compensation. Consider that the retiree may come back to the workforce with healthcare benefits taken care of and may be drawing a full or partial pension. 

For businesses with some younger workers, surveyors in training, or apprentices, there is the additional value of adding a mentor within the ranks. Our experienced surveyor tells us, “I started surveying about 45 years ago. A short while later I became involved in managing. Surveying and managing are practical arts that involve learning by doing. The obvious problems are often not the most important. The important problems are often obscured by the flurry of activity. As a manager I had to learn how to watch and listen for the subtle phenomenon.” That mentorship could extend up as well as down.

A good mentor with an eye for the developing needs in the profession as well as a sense of conventional (even traditional) methods can be invaluable in helping to bridge the gap between generations. “[The demographic shift] is also altering the composition of skill sets within the workforce. Each generation has slightly different skill sets, and there are challenges in translating and transferring experiences. Surveying is a practical art, and it involves a lot of tacit knowledge. This is why surveyors have historically favored apprenticeship. Much of this type of know-how looks a bit mundane alongside a shiny digital gadget. For example, learning how to dig in the dirt for a corner monument appears to be of less importance than understanding how to operate a GNSS receiver, yet the shovel produces the most relevant evidence we are seeking. Interpersonal skills may be even more challenging to explain,” says our surveyor.

Our experienced surveyor has clearly laid out some of the most common challenges. First may be the requisite skills, but following closely are the interpersonal and communications skills that not only help to build a team effort in the field but also connect the business to its market. Once again, this may be an example where showing is better than telling.

To illustrate his point, our senior surveyor described a situation where an ownership change put a younger surveyor in charge of a group that included some older surveyors. “The younger surveyor did not think the older surveyor did much. I knew this was not the case. The older surveyor was simply very good at what he did. He made it look easy and effortless. The younger surveyor and the older surveyor were at different points on the continuum of mastery. The gap in their level of expertise contributed to the misunderstanding.” 

This is another case for up-and-down mentorship. An experienced manager might look at the results and determine that the older surveyor is producing at or above expectation with much less effort than his less-experienced counterparts. The opportunity is to encourage the experienced surveyor to share the knowledge that allows him to work faster and more efficiently and thus benefit the entire team.

Technology Is Part of the Answer

Researchers, observers, and commentators note that technology has played a part in helping the land surveying profession respond to the human resource challenge. While some lament the development of the one-person and two-person crews, technology has clearly enabled the reduction in the size of field crews. One salary can buy high-end technology that will support a single field surveyor and work for a number of years without demanding healthcare or other benefits. Similarly, advanced technologies can improve the productivity of current field crews, allowing shorter time in the field and the potential to increase the number of jobs that can be completed. 

Field work is not the only area that benefits from advances in technology. Post production work on a project that was started with proper survey practices can move faster through a combination of better systems, cloud-enabled applications, cloud storage, and a workforce that is more attuned to the enabling technologies. 

Does this suggest more stratification in the survey and mapping workforce? It might. With fewer licensed surveyors, it is more efficient to concentrate their efforts where their skills and license are needed and entrust the other parts of the job to a different type of technician. 

And then there is outsourcing. This is a touchy area, but where need meets capability, there is often room to hire very specific talents on an as-needed basis vs. maintaining that talent on staff. Do you want your highest skill level – the licensed surveyor – grinding through data management tasks? Do you need a certified remote pilot in your shop who will only fly an unmanned aerial vehicle on a small percentage of the jobs you are doing? The list could go on from there, but the argument for sub-contracting for certain specialties or for some repetitive tasks could boost the productivity of your shop and might increase the quality of the deliverable.

If all of this sounds complicated, it is nothing compared to the challenge of loading the pipeline at the front end to get more licensed professional surveyors coming out of the education system. That’s a subject for another discussion, one which is well underway with the Future of Surveying Forum, Get Kids into Survey, the National Society of Professional Surveyors, and nearly every other group related to the profession. It’s one that needs the support of licensed professional surveyors at the local, regional, and national levels. Teaching and promoting the profession might also be one of those “encore” jobs retiring surveyors could choose if they want to remain connected to the profession they love.

A report prepared by BIS Oxford Economics for the Australian group Consulting Surveyors National highlights the vast array of skills that fall under the general category of surveying and geospatial professionals.

Occupational Group	Description
Surveyors:	Plans, directs and conducts survey work to determine, delineate, plan and position tracts of land, natural and constructed features for the following sectors: Cadastral: boundary surveys relating to land title ownership, new subdivision layout and design. Building: multi-residential and non-residential building projects including commercial, industrial and institutional building. Engineering: infrastructure projects such as roads, dams, pipelines and harbors. Mining: mining and underground works. Other: other surveying work including geodetic, hydrographic and photogrammetric etc.
Spatial scientists:	Acquires, analyses, interprets and distributes information about locations in space and time, and develops related equipment, software and services.
Surveying technicians:	Collects, records and evaluates spatial information and prepares databases, maps, charts and plans in support of surveyors.
Spatial science technicians:	Collects, records and evaluates spatial information and prepares databases, maps, charts and plans in support of spatial scientists.
Urban and regional planners:	Develop and implement plans and policies for the controlled use of urban and rural land, and advise on economic, environmental and social factors affecting land use.
Engineers:	Includes civil engineering professionals, mining engineers and other engineering professionals.
Environmental scientists:	Study, develop, implement and advise on policies and plans for managing and protecting the environment, flora, fauna and other natural resources.
Other staff:	Other professional staff employed by surveying firms.

Workforce Classification

Total Skilled Workforce

Surveying & Geospatial Professionals			Other Professionals
Surveyors	Spatial Scientists	Technicians		Planners
Cadastral		Surveying Technicians		Engineers
Building		Spatial Science Technicians		Environmental Scientists
Engineering				Other Staff
Mining
Other

(SOURCE: Determining the Future Demand, Supply and Skills Gap for Surveying and Geospatial Professionals)

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Share your thoughts on this column at pobonline.com. To contact any POB editor or writer, please send an email to trunickp@bnpmedia.com.

The Business Side: Surveyor Marketing Strategy Cuts Through the Noise

Elaine Ball

KEYWORDS Business challenges in surveying / marketing

Reprints

Here’s a nifty little trick if you ever find 
yourself getting talked over in a 
meeting: lower your voice.

No, seriously!

When everyone’s shouting over each other, shouting even louder doesn’t get you heard, it just adds to the general din. But if you catch the eye of the person you want to listen to you, and speak confidently but quietly to them, they’ll lean toward you and strain to hear. One by one, everyone else stops their jabbering and leans in to listen.

The same is 100-percent true when it comes to producing great content to hook your ideal customer — the “Mikes” of the world, if you recall my last few articles on the topic!

Make it Stop!

...Because, Oh God, there is so much noise out there. I get sick of it. I’m sure you get sick of it. I guarantee your customers are sick of it too. Every time I open my inbox, there are 50 more spam emails in there. Every time an unknown number rings my phone, I think, “Please don’t let it be cold-call sales.”

But what is it, exactly, that makes these sales techniques so annoying?

Well, I’ll tell you: it’s that it’s all about them. The seller, I mean. They’re trying to get you to do something that’s good for them. They’re contacting you at a time and through a channel that suits them. I look at what they’re sending and I think, “Wow, they're all me, me, me!”

And let’s face it. When was the last time you felt inspired to buy something because you thought it would be in that company’s interests for you to hand over your money?

Right: never.

Make that your starting point. Write it on a Post-It note and stick it to your laptop. Heck, tattoo it on the back of your hand: MARKETING IS ABOUT WHAT THE CLIENT WANTS, NOT WHAT YOU WANT.

Giving Them What They Want

And what does your customer want?

They want to know you have a good idea for how to solve their problem.

They want to actually enjoy the experience of hearing about it.

In other words, give them something valuable and don’t bore them to tears with lackluster delivery. Your content needs to tell a story. It needs to get them thinking differently about their problem. It needs to spark excitement at how you are going to rock their world.

As Kieran Flanagan, VP of Marketing for HubSpot, wrote recently:

Marketing does not change as frequently as we think. A lot of change is because we saturate channels. People used to open their direct mail until it became nothing more than a mailbox filled with ads… Today people expect us to deliver exceptional content; they expect us to provide real-time interactions that answer questions and solve problems. They expect companies to deliver value throughout the entire customer lifecycle. Innovators change human behavior; once you experience the future, you’re not going to be happy with reverting to the past, and that’s why a lot of companies lose market share.

Wise words, people!

How Do I Do It?

Okay, let’s break it down. Here’s what I want you to do:

1. Start being strategic in your content creation.

Build your brand around your commercial insight. Think about a) how you can show off your company’s unique characteristics and methods, and b) how to do this in a way that reflects your personality, capturing their attention with wicked straplines, pictures, humor and all things YOU.

This applies to all the content you create, from blog posts that walk a customer through how to address a certain issue, to corporate PowerPoint presentations you deliver in person. There’s never any excuse to be bland.

Unsure where to start? Check out the super creative @StormGeomatics (Twitter), an English river survey company. They do some cracking campaigns and their Twitter feed is a blast.

Or, for a crazy, creative B2B marketer, follow Doug Kessler @dougkessler (Twitter) of Velocity Partners. His “CRAP” campaign is still going strong after 5 years, and it shows how you can jump completely out of your comfort zone to dazzle your audience.

Oh, and if you’re sitting there thinking, “Wait, what are the unique characteristics I should be focusing on?”, grab a pen and paper and scribble down some answers to these questions, from Gartner’s “Challenger Customers”:

• What are our sustainable, unique strengths?
• Of those unique strengths, which ones are currently underappreciated by our customers?
• What is it that the customer fails to fully understand about their business that leads them to underappreciate our unique, sustainable capability now?
• What would we have to teach that customer about their business that would lead them to value that capability more than they do now?

2. Use Social Platforms (But Be Smart)

Use LinkedIn to develop a following of potential customers, not other surveyors! Be personable and approachable. If you need some inspiration, check out these geospatialers, who have their Instagram nailed:

@TravelingSurveyor: I love his dry humor, which shows off his unique take on his surveying adventures! He’s unique, which in turn builds followers! Remember it doesn’t have to be about the job — people get interested in unique things that stand out!

@Productionsonpoint: Kellen McNally focuses on location scouting, surveying and layout for the entertainment industry. I love the use of his imagery to show off different angles — all telling a story! Great stuff.

Oh, and bear in mind that people tend to follow people, rather than companies. Publishing stuff as ‘you’ rather than your company is likely to get more engagement.

3. Set up Focused Campaigns

Don’t try to talk to everyone at once. Yelling into a megaphone is hardly the way to start a meaningful conversation!

Instead, go back to your buyer personas (remember we talked about this previously?) and be super specific about the kinds of problems and ideas you talk about in your content.

For example, you might create a series of blog posts aimed at people (like Mike — remember him?) who work in airports in low-lying regions, at risk of flooding. The more precise you can be, the more your target customer will think “Ooh, these guys get me!”

4. Make Your Copy Sparkle

Once you know what you want to say and how you want to say it, I’d recommend investing in a professional copywriter who can pull it all together and make it sound awesome.

Okay, so those are the core steps you need to take to start creating top-notch content to wow your audience. This applies to whatever method you’re using, from posts on social media, to blogs, whitepapers and videos, right through to trade show materials and presentations.

The important thing is that you focus on what your customer needs and demonstrate to them that you are the perfect company to tackle that requirement and make their jobs easier as a result. Keep sight of that and you’ll find people start responding positively to your marketing in no time!

The Business Side: How to Grow a Surveying Business with YouTube

Robert uses his YouTube channel, Surveying with Robert, to show his audience how to use Trimble equipment.

Elaine Ball

KEYWORDS future of surveying / marketing / small business

“Our mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world.” – YouTube

You might think YouTube is just for teenagers or only for vloggers (video bloggers) to do product reviews. You might think it’s for kids to show other kids how to play (seriously – one channel, in which a dad shows how his kids play with trucks, has over 900,000 subscribers!). YouTube is all of these, sure, but also so much more and it can be very powerful for businesses. So, as a surveyor or manufacturer, you need to listen up! 

Become a Survey Rockstar on YouTube 

A lot of surveyors and manufacturers in our industry see YouTube as a platform for talking nonsense or watching music videos. But a very small handful of them have understood the opportunity and are really getting stuck into it.

These are the people who will be the YouTube rockstars of surveying – and it’s still early enough for you to get in on the action. Plus, the survey community is a very small niche, so even though the internet is huge, there’s a real opportunity to get heard and make a difference. All you have to do is take the bull by its horns, and I’m here to help you! 

So is Robert. Take a look at the YouTube channel, “Surveying with Robert.” Robert is my friend, my client, a reseller of Trimble equipment, a surveyor – and a YouTube superstar! He started his channel after he began following Peter McKinnon’s photography vlog on YouTube, along with almost 2.3 million (yes, million) other subscribers! Hashtag shocking. Robert asked himself why he couldn’t do something similar in surveying… so he did. 

Video is King

In the digital world, the best way to grab people’s attention is with video; yes, even for businesses. The second best way is images, and the third is words. So if you’re only building your business using words, aren’t you missing out? The internet is crowded, so video is a great way to stand out from that crowd. 

So, what’s stopping you from seizing your share of that bandwidth to promote your company and the geospatial industry? After all, according to Hubspot, 45-54 years olds spend 12 percent of their internet time on YouTube. Those aged 44 and under spend over 22 percent of their time on YouTube. And that’s just now! What will that look like in five years? 

Prove it to yourself with your own research. Reach out to your audience and ask them how much video they watch each week. Then you’ll know whether there’s a “you-shaped” hole on YouTube.

Robert’s 6 BIG Tips

1 - Get the Kit Right

Robert made a smart decision and bought the same kit as his YouTube idol, Peter McKinnon:

• A Canon 80D DSLR camera that also records video (about $1,500). 
• A GoPro Hero 3+
• A Rode microphone and a ‘dead cat’ fluffy wind muffler that cuts wind noise ($200)
• A GorillaPod SLR tripod for around $45
• A 64Gb SD card for about $40
• Adobe Premier, Camtasia, and Snagit software for creating and editing his videos.

In conclusion: a little money has to be spent to get the right kit!

2 - Categorize by the Buying Cycle 

Robert is definitely a pioneer in the geospatial video realm. Starting out in March 2018, he had one goal: show his audience how to use his Trimble equipment! But he also had an approach in mind. “I wanted to get away from the boring and mundane, and produce something that was really catchy! So I started watching some videos to get ideas on how to create better and more interesting content! Maybe even some of that, ‘Hey, didn’t I see you on YouTube?!’” 

As a surveyor, Robert is trusted by his client base, so teaching them great stuff was more important to him than anything else. “There’s nothing worse than some sales dude trying to sell you something you don’t want! I understand the ins and outs of being a surveyor, so giving my honest opinion has done me and my clients a world of good, which has built an awesome reputation for me – and for NEI, my employer.”

Robert also realized that while he couldn’t get to everyone’s office in person, he could at least get there via YouTube! And in fact, it’s led to some amazing conversations with his customer base, which has been a huge boost to Robert’s brand as a trusted source for exceptional content!

Robert has divided his YouTube channel into playlists, with his videos categorized according to where people are in the buying cycle. Which brings us to…

Think about the buyer cycle and what types (and depth) of content your audience will be interested in during each phase:

• Discovery phase: Use short, sharp videos (this is crucial!) to tease your clients into taking action. Try 30 seconds of testimonials, thought leadership, or even snippets. Catchy videos will also put your brand in front of your target audience. Lee B Landman Surveying Services has a very watchable video called, Keep calm, I’m a land surveyor, which has been seen almost 38,000 times! 
• Exploring phase: Here, clients are willing to watch more in-depth content, such as 30-60 minute webinars, so there’s no need to rush your videos. But mix them up.
• Buying phase: Product demos and webinars are ideal here, and the more technical your product, the more in-depth people will go. 
• Using phase: Produce in-house tutorials, how-to videos, etc. Time isn’t so important here, as your audience is thirsty for facts and how-tos… as long as you keep the videos moving and interesting. 
• Ask phase: Create plenty of ‘help’ and ‘how-to’ videos. Talk to your support and post-sales teams. What are your customers’ common issues? By addressing these using videos, you’ll reduce your volume of incoming support calls, too.
• Engage phase: Keep producing lots of brand-in-face video content. Who else made the smart decision to buy your product? Who’s done great things with it? How can you inspire people to use the full range of your product’s features? 

3 - Client Testimonial Videos

One of Robert’s videos, Tony from Anderson Surveying reviews the new Trimble TSC7, has had a staggering 1,403 views (as of July 23rd). It’s 6 minutes and 40 seconds long… definitely in the exploring phase! 

Why does Robert do video client testimonials? Well, he knows that they are truly powerful because they’re independent. You can’t pay clients to do this kind of thing, nor should you. You can pay for advertising where you control the message, but in a testimonial, the client controls the message. And for a client to take the time to record the video, and put their own brand and reputation on the line, they must really mean it! This boosts the mercury in the ‘trust’ thermometer, and it’s way better than Robert himself telling you why you should buy his product. A great way for you, as a surveyor, to showcase your services is through projects you’ve already completed. 

4 - Be Open and Honest

Share the good, the bad, and the ugly with your market. Don’t be afraid to say you don’t agree with something or don’t believe in a certain method or tool. Your insights and experience will be invaluable to other people, and people will love to hear stories and anecdotes that back up those opinions. Plus, revealing your personality, even with humor, can help to engage people and keep them coming back for more. But remember to focus on why your product is useful, or why doing something a certain way has helped your customers. Build trust in you as a brand, as well as your company and product.

5 - Be Consistent and Timely

Trickle-feed your content out to your audience. Don’t swamp them in a period of (your own) enthusiasm and then disappear for a year. And make sure you’re timely; test out certain times and see what results you get. Plus, keep it consistent and regular; for example, videos once a week. 

6 - Measure

Keep an eye on your number of subscribers and viewers. Top tip: Interact with anyone who engages and communicates with you! Thank people for positive comments, watch out for questions, get involved in discussions. This will boost those numbers, and build your network online.

Once you’ve made your first video and posted it on YouTube, what do you do with it? If you want people to see it, you have to tell them it’s there. But how? Next month, I’ll talk about how YouTube, your website, and social media can all work together to build your brand and generate more business!

How To Become an Entrepreneur

8 chapters

Do you want to be an entrepreneur? Not sure if you have what it takes to permanently escape the 9-to-5? This ebook, developed in partnership with Foundr magazine, will educate you on the critical skills needed to find a winning idea, the mindset to adopt, and the tools you’ll need along the way.

Start Reading or Download PDF

8 chapters

• 1. What Is Entrepreneurship? It’s a State of Mind
  If you’re unsure about whether you have the characteristics of a true entrepreneur – and how exactly to go about it even if you’re certain you’re up for it – this chapter is for you. Learn what sets real entrepreneurs apart from the rest and whether you have what it takes to escape the 9-to-5 grind.
• 2. Identifying Your Entrepreneurial Skills
  There are loads of entrepreneurial skills and competencies that can improve your chances of success. This chapter helps you figure out which ones come naturally to you, and which ones you might need to focus on improving or getting assistance with in the future. Keep in mind that you definitely do not need to master all of them to be successful.
• 3. How to Find a Good Business Idea
  Having a solid, growth-oriented foundation for business or entrepreneurship is great – but now what? You probably need a work desk, an internet package, some apps, and, of course, a business idea to get off the ground. Use the tips and strategies in this chapter as a jump-off point to spark your own business ideas.
• 4. How to Validate Your Business Idea
  9/10 ventures fail, and the majority of owners crash and burn very early on in their careers, which is why we always advise entrepreneurs to perform market analysis before diving head-first into an uncharted business territory. If you’re starting out, we personally recommend using the strategies discussed in this chapter to see whether or not you’re onto something people want.
• 5. Choosing the Right Business Model
  Validating your business idea to ensure there’s a market out there for your product or service is only one aspect of starting a new business. The other crucial part is figuring out how you’re going to monetize your venture. This is where you pick a business model to pursue. This chapter offers a primer on the popular business models in existence.
• 6. Business Funding and Finances 101
  Money can give you amazing opportunities to fund your dreams. The problem is that a huge majority of startups struggle to find business funding solutions. But there’s good news: you have options and opportunities. If you have a business idea but feel restricted by your financial resources, this chapter is for you.
• 7. How to Start a Business – Officially
  The logistics of starting a business can be pretty confusing. And in some unfortunate cases, new entrepreneurs might find themselves in situations where they’re getting the run-around in terms of boxes that need to be checked off. If you’re having trouble figuring things out, this chapter has a lot of resources to help get your ducks in a row.
• 8. Best Entrepreneur Books, Podcasts, Resources
  Perhaps you have your heart set on a certain type of business, but you don’t feel qualified enough to master it just yet. This is more common than you might think, and there’s great news: there are lots of excellent learning resources like free and paid books, podcasts, online courses, communities, and more. We’ve compiled the best ones in this chapter to help get you started.

Author

Foundr is the go-to digital resource for the growing ranks of self-made entrepreneurs at every level of experience. Launched by Nathan Chan in 2013, it now serves millions of entrepreneurs around the world. Foundr also offers this FREE Instagram masterclass on how they went from zero to 500K Instagram followers in under 12 months.