15 Uncomfortable Things That Will Make You More Successful

In a truly beautiful letter to his daughter Yolande, Sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois extolled the virtues of being uncomfortable.

Yolande was headed to a new school halfway around the world from the neighborhood and people she knew. It was years before women had the right to vote, and decades before the Civil Rights Movement.

Du Bois knew she would have more than a few fish-out-of-water moments. Instead of trying to shield her from them, he asked her to revel in them:  

Don't shrink from new experiences and custom. Take the cold bath bravely. Enter into the spirit of your big bed-room. Enjoy what is and not pine for what is not. Read some good, heavy, serious books just for discipline: Take yourself in hand and master yourself. Make yourself do unpleasant things, so as to gain the upper hand of your soul. Above all remember: your father loves you and believes in you and expects you to be a wonderful woman."

I am no W.E.B. Du Bois. I have neither his fortitude nor his stunning way with words. What I do have, however, is a small history of uncomfortable experiences that have made me stronger, and an endless sea of animated GIFs through which to illustrate those experiences.

Here are a handful of uncomfortable situations in which you should take De Bois' advice and "Take the cold bath bravely." You'll be better off as a result.

(And remember: Investing in your career and developing new skills can often feel daunting -- especially when you have a day job. If you're looking for something you can work towards at your own pace, check out this on-demand marketing course.)

15 Uncomfortable Things That Will Make You More Successful

Brace yourself. It's about to get awkward.

1) Learning to Take a Compliment

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Tell me if this sounds familiar: You work exceedingly hard. You've honed your skills. You know when you've done great work and take a quiet pride in it. And yet, the moment someone verbalizes it in the form of a compliment you can't seem to string two words together. Instead, you revert into one of the following: 

• The babbling-response.
• The self-deprecating response. 
• The total and complete blackout. 

That nonsense has to stop. Here's how to take a compliment:

1. Realize that someone is paying you a compliment.
2. Let them finish.
3. Seriously, let them finish. 
4. Take a breath.
5. Smile and say "Thank you. That's really good to hear." 
6. Move on in the conversation. Don't over-explain. Don't undercut yourself. Just thank them sincerely and move on with a question about how their work is going. 

Why is this so hard? According to a study by Acknowledgment Works, nearly 70% of people associate embarrassment or discomfort with the process of being recognized. Sometimes, this response is caused by the dissonance we feel when someone contradicts our own self-doubt.

But that doesn't explain why people who are genuinely proud of themselves still balk at hearing that same praise from others. For those people, it often comes down to a learned-response. In other words, you are awkward when you receive compliments because I am awkward when I receive compliments -- or, if not me, then your mom; your co-workers; your icons. We're all making each other squirm. 

One way to turn that discomfort on its head is to realize that the compliment has more to do with the person giving it than with you. "When someone is complimenting you, they are sharing how your actions or behaviors impacted them," explains Business Psychologist Mark Goulston. "They are not asking if you agree."  So don't rob them of that moment. 

2) Public Speaking

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You knew this one was coming, right? Fear of public speaking is so common it has its own phobia name: Glossophobia.  

Now, I don't think I need to go into the reasons behind this particular juggernaut of discomfort. We've all been there. Having that many eyes and ears on you is stressful. It makes you feel as though any mistake or imperfection will be amplified a thousand times. I'm also certain you realize how compelling a good public speaker can be, and how much it can advance your ability to lead and inspire.

So all that leaves is the classic glossophobia question:  How do you get over it? The answer is a mix of substantial and superficial changes.

Know the essential points.

Do not attempt to memorize your speeches. Instead, memorize your key points and your pivot lines. Pivot lines are the sentences that will move you from one key point to another. They act as navigational guides for your audience and a momentary comfort zone for you. Use these pivot lines to reset, take a breath, and move to your next key point. 

Understand that everyone wants you to succeed.

You are not going into battle. You are not facing a firing squad. These people you are talking to are all decent, interested folks. Many of whom also suffer from glossophobia. So know they are friendly, and talk to them like it.

Fake it.

For this last point, I turn to Harvard Associate Professor Amy Cuddy. She is a brilliant researcher and a  self-proclaimed introvert who noticed something fascinatingly simple about skilled public speakers: They all looked comfortable, and they all appeared to be in command -- even if that appearance was all a big ruse.

So she studied what happens to people's mindset when they stood up straight, casually used the space around them, and otherwise "power-posed." Turns out the physical act of power-posing can send biological triggers to your brain to reduce cortisol levels and increase testosterone, calming you down and empowering you simultaneously.

(Here's a blog post on science-backed tips for better public speaking if you want to learn more.)

3) Working With Data

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If you don't take to math easily, then delving into data can be intimidating. But learning to use data to find opportunities and underscore your points is a game-changer in your career.

The trick to mastering data is to learn it in context. Start by getting to know the core metrics that reflect your work. Play with spreadsheets at the close of a month. Learn to recognize trends. Alter the data to see how moving one metric would influence the others. The more time you spend with the data the more natural interpreting it will become.  Once you've done that, you can dig into the tougher stuff. Here are a couple of resources to get you started:

• How to Use Excel: Essential Training for Data-Driven Marketing: A downloadable resource that includes videos, instructions for how to do specific things in Excel, and advice for using Excel to build reports.
• 14 Simple Excel Shortcuts, Tip & Tricks: A blog post with step-by-step instructions for creating pivot tables, filters, conditional formatting, VLOOKUPs, and more. Harry Potter references and GIFs included.
• 10 Excel Tips and Tricks Every Marketer Should Know: A blog post teaching you how to create a histogram and what exactly regression analysis entails. It's a good time for all. 
• Data Smart: A book by Data Scientist John Foreman, who is a wizard at taking the complex and putting into approachable and even entertaining terms. While this book isn't exactly an easy read, I can assure you it's worth every minute invested.

4) Waking Up Early

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It's exhausting, this modern life. While it may seem like you should squeeze as many extra minutes of sleep out of the morning as possible, the opposite is usually true. Your energy, focus and mental capacity are at their highest during the morning hours and proceed to wane throughout the rest of the day.

Take advantage of that time before breakfast when the chaos of the day has yet to set in. For most people, waking up early is a learned practice. 

First, make sure you're cognizant enough to make the decision. Putting your alarm clock right next to your pillow is bound to result in you hitting snooze from a dazed state. You can't be expected to make smart choices while you're still dreaming. In addition, waking up early needs to become a pleasant experience. So if the thought of going straight from your warm bed to a shower or treadmill seems abrupt, then don't do it. Instead, move from your bed to the cozy corner chair in your living room and read for a bit with a mug of coffee. What you do early on doesn't matter, what matters is that you use the time in productive ways. (Read this blog post for more tips on becoming a morning person.)

5) Taking Critical Feedback

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This one stings sometimes, but it's important. Learning to hear criticism without turning your back to it can be one of the most fortifying achievements of your career.

Think of critical feedback as a cheat sheet. In giving you direct feedback, your manager or colleague is giving you a shortcut  -- your own personal konami code -- to becoming better at your job.

Sometimes, even with the best intentions, taking feedback well can be a struggle. Your impulse will be to protect yourself; to get defensive, or stop listening. So, be conscious of it. Much like accepting a compliment, take a breath when you realize critical feedback is coming your way. Listen to it all without interruption. Write down what you can. Then, ask questions to make sure you're interpreting it right. 

6) Giving Critical Feedback

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The only thing worse than taking critical feedback is giving it. I've written about this before: Whether you're a manager or a friend, feedback is an opportunity to help someone get better. Don't waste it. Good coaches give feedback directly and with respect. Don't try to soften the blow or talk around the feedback. Doing so may make you feel better but it will only serve to confuse them.

If you're struggling to be direct, try one clear line followed by detail. For example, "John, what you're doing isn't working. Let's talk through why..."

In addition, feedback is always most constructive if accompanied by recent concrete examples. Telling someone they have a bad attitude isn't helpful -- it's far better to point to a precise moment in which that bad attitude showed up, and then explain how moments like that can become detrimental in aggregate. Ultimately, knowing how to improve is as important as knowing what to improve. The person receiving the feedback should leave the conversation feeling empowered to change, not broken down. (Here are some more tips on how to give negative feedback without sounding like a jerk.)

7) Fighting through Conflict

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You know what's more uncomfortable than fighting through a conflict with someone? Settling for an uninspired compromise, and then gossiping about that person over drinks with your coworkers. That's WAY more comfortable than conflict. (Not to mention, way less productive.)

There are two ways conflict negotiations get botched: Either one side gives in too easily, or both sides are too inflexible to make resolution possible. The cleanest way through conflict is to try to discover what's motivating the other person. Comment trolls aside, it's pretty rare for someone to be argumentative for no good reason. Discovering the reason will help you find a better route to solving the conflict. That's why your best asset in settling conflict is a collection of genuine questions and a patient ear to hear the answers.

8) Exercising

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I keep waiting for the study that says that exercise isn't all its cracked up to be. It's fair to say that study isn't coming. Not only is exercise good for your physical health, the ties between exercise and mental capacity are becoming undeniable. (Thanks, science.)

If you like working out, skip right ahead.  If you don't, here are the only things I've found to work. 

Find your reason.

Maybe you want to lose weight. Maybe it helps you think more clearly. Maybe you have three kids, a constantly buzzing phone, and a dog all demanding your attention and exercise is your only chance to be alone. The reasons don't matter.  Just find the one that feels authentic for you and use it. 

Make the time.

Treat exercise like you treat showering. It's just something you do; a non-negotiable daily ritual. (Psst ... here are 10 little ways to sneak in exercise at work.)

Get over it.

I used to hear about "runners' highs," a sort of delusion that sets in after you've done it enough that actually makes you believe jogging is fun. That may be the case for some people. It never happened for me, and wanting to like running made it easy to give up when I ultimately didn't. Du Bois' advice is worth hearing again here: "Make yourself do unpleasant things, so as to gain the upper hand of your soul."

Find your genre.

The softer alternative to the above point is to find the exercise format that you hate least. If a crowded gym makes you want to run for the hills, then work out at home or outside on your own. If you find jogging boring, join a class or sports league. Work at it -- it's worth it.

9) Unplugging

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I love the internet. And smartphones? They're like personal escape hatches that you carry with you all the time. But maybe "all the time" is not such a good idea.

According to a TIME poll of more than 5,000 people, 84% of respondents said that they could not go a single day without their cell phones, and 20% said they check them once or more every 20 minutes.

It's not the frequency of usage that's the problem; it's what that level of usage does to our focus. Using our smartphones at night can make it a lot harder to sleep. When we use our smartphones nonstop it can be harder to think clearly.

So, here's an experiment. For two weeks, set aside some screen free time blocks in your day. During that time fight the urge to open your laptop, watch TV, or glance at your phone. Sustain it for 60 minutes or more and see if you've gained better focus at the conclusion of the experiment. Then, go find some cat videos on YouTube to celebrate.

10) Networking and Making Small Talk

 

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Everyone has a small-talk formula. Some people start with the weather (nice, mild winter we're having, eh?), while others ask how things are going with you at work. But here's the trick to mastering small talk: Get fascinated by it and the person wielding it. It's a little like being dealt a hand of cards, you can use what you have to get to bigger and more interesting plays.  

If someone asks you how work is, don't say "fine" -- or worse, "busy." Tell them it's good and follow up with, "You know, there's one project in particular that you may find interesting." If you're doing the asking, take any opportunity to dive deeper. Use each question as a spring board to the next one. Eventually, you'll hit on something substantial. 

11) Admitting a Mistake

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You know that moment right after you realize you've accidentally made a mistake? You know, that moment when the dread plummets into your stomach in one sweeping motion? Uncomfortable doesn't even begin to describe it.

However, even that can be turned around. The most effective way to replace that sinking feeling in your gut is to assess the situation and take action. Ask yourself:

Is it immediately reversible?

On my last blog post, I had a glaring typo. This was not some extra spacing after a period, this was a blatant blemish smack in the middle of my post. And I missed it. Thankfully Claire Autruong caught it and let me know via Twitter so I could edit the post before it was too late. Claire is my favorite person of the week. (Incidentally, she is also a full-stack freelance marketer -- inbound certified and nice as can be -- if you're looking.)

Who should know?

Whom does your mistake affect? Who is in the position who can help you solve it? Quickly scan the list of people that need to know about your mistake and contact them explaining what happened and what you're doing about it.

What's your plan?

If the mistake isn't immediately reversible, you'll need a plan of action. A good plan is the best antidote to mistake-induced discomfort. Shift from panic to determination as soon as possible, and that discomfort will subside.

12) Getting in Over Your Head

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Of all the uncomfortable moments, getting in over your head is probably the one most worth pursuing. Sure, it's a little scary , and there's always the chance of failure, but nothing stretches you more or makes you more creative than having no idea what you're doing.

So how do you put yourself in an over-your-head style situation? Raise your hand. When there's a project no one wants, step up. When there's a problem that has existed for years, have at it. Then break it down. Take big challenges and tackle them piece by piece. It may not always be fun, but you will almost always be better for the effort. 

13) Disagreeing With Your Boss

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There's a reason my boss is my boss. He's really freaking smart. He's exceptionally good at what he does. So in the times I find myself disagreeing with him there are usually a few moments of internal back and forth before I'm ready to say so aloud. But I do so because I've learned that staying quiet is more damaging than polite.

It took me becoming a manager myself to realize how constructive disagreement can be. A perspective that is never tested grows shallow. Sometimes a dissenting opinion will make you reconsider. Sometimes it will make your stance stronger. Either way, the exercise of hearing different angles advances your thinking and improves your outcomes.

So spit it out. "I disagree on that point." If that feels too direct consider framing it as a question. "What about a different approach?" Most importantly, don't save up for a major disagreement. Practice coming at issues from different angles now. The more you present constructive counterpoints the easier it will become, and you'll be more likely to speak up when it matters most.

14) Promoting Yourself

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Periodically we survey our team to get a sense for how each employee is feeling about the company and their own career development. One theme that sometimes comes back is how to get ahead without being self-promotional. Usually the comment goes something like this: "It seems like the company always recognizes the same people. I do good work, but it seems like no one notices."

The honest response to these comments is: You're right.

Growing companies are chaotic. They churn with activity: breakthroughs and setbacks, new projects and discoveries. Keeping up with it all isn't practical, so managers rely on signals, and tasteful self-promotion is a valuable signal. 

Self-promotion is sometimes misused to serve the ego, but there's a way to pull it off that also also serves the company.

We are taught not to be overly self-promotional. We are encouraged to value the achievement rather than the accolades. That message is almost right. It focuses on what matters most but fails to recognize that talking about an achievement can fuel its fire. Promoting an achievement can galvanize others to bring their ideas to it and ensure future efforts learn from it. And yes, it can get you noticed.

The trick here is being judicial. Not everything you do deserves broader attention. But some things do. In those cases, talking about them doesn't make you an attention junkie it makes you a good communicator. If the personal attention makes you uncomfortable, focus your advocacy on the work itself. Draw attention to the discovery, milestone or lessons uncovered by your effort. The company will be better for it and you will too.

15) Admitting You Don't Understand Something

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I was a good six months into my job as a product marketer for a software company before I finally owned up to not knowing what an API was. I mean I knew what an API was. I'd Googled it, obviously. API stands "application programming interface" and constitutes a set of "subroutine definitions, protocols, and tools for building application software." Thanks Wikipedia. (I'll hit you up on that next fundraising round), but for all my internet research, I didn't really understand what an API did.

Then it came time for me to explain that my company, HubSpot, was opening up more of the helpful little buggers to the public and I did not know where to begin. So, I went to my product manager and did what any ego-protecting protagonist would do, I tried to fake it.

"How would you describe this  --  in layman's terms — to the average reader?" I asked.

Smooth. Always blame the reader.

"Well, developers are pretty accustomed to APIs so don't worry about needing to educate them on it."

Not smooth.

I folded.

"Ok, then, how would you explain it to me? I mean, will you explain it to me? I don't get it. "

And thus began my relationship with APIs. I still don't understand all the details of how they work, but I'm much smarter for having gotten over myself and asked the question.

Don't fake it until you make it. Get over yourself and ask the question.

I'll stop there ...

... but this is really just the beginning. Who knew there were so many uncomfortable things in the world? (Michael Cera. Michael Cera probably knew.)

From negotiating salary to reading "some good, heavy, serious books" as Du Bois suggests, this list could go on and on. Hopefully it will, in the comments below.

What uncomfortable moment have you conquered as a professional? Which are you still working on that you'd add to this list? Share with us in the comments. 

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in March 2016 and has been updated for freshness and comprehensiveness.

 

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Should Writers Fear the Rise of Video?

Few things in human history have been as influential as the written word.  

Writing has toppled empires, built global corporations, and inspired millions, if not billions of people. For decades, writers have played a chief role in marketing. David Ogilvy once wrote, "advertising is a business of words."

But will it always be?

After all, the rise of digital has led to big changes in marketing since the days when Ogilvy & company were chain smoking and tossing back martinis between writing 2,000-word print ads.

Some say there's a new sheriff in town. And he's bringing a lighting rig, boom microphone, and green screen.

Video Killed the … Writing Star?

It's no exaggeration to say that video is taking over modern marketing. Just take a look at these numbers:

• Global venture firm KPCB estimates that by the end of this year, video will account for nearly three-fourths of all online traffic.
• Brightcove says that videos are shared 1200% more than hyperlinks and text combined.
• Facebook's European VP, Nicola Mendelsohn, predicted that the network would be 100% video in just five years.

These trends are great for videographers and others who make a living from the medium, but where do they leave writers?

Apparently, very worried.

In late 2015, a Gartner report predicting that 20% of all business content would be machine-generated by 2018 led to a string of articles proclaiming the death of writing jobs. High profile advocates of writing rushed to the medium's defense soon after, but it didn't curb the worry: HubSpot's recent State of Inbound 2017 report indicated that many marketers who earn a living from writing and editing are afraid their careers will "diminish more and more with [the rise of] video."

So is it true? Will videos wipe out all the jobs and businesses based on the written word?

Not likely. But it will change them.

The reports of writing's death are greatly exaggerated.

Language is the foundation for human communication and has been for tens of thousands of years. Deep-rooted, biological tendencies don't change just because everyone now carries a powerful video camera in their pocket.

Or as Mendelsohn bluntly puts it, "You'll have to write for the video."

Indeed. Like the framing of a sturdy house, every video needs to be built with quality words in scripts and storyboards. The rush to adapt to video content means there are still many people who don't know how to write for videos – a great opportunity for skilled writers that do (more on this in a minute).

Plus, reading really isn't going anywhere. A Quartz study showed that executives still value in-depth, high-quality articles. In fact, they're almost twice as likely to share a long article than any other piece of online content.

Whether it's on a screen or a newspaper, people will likely always want to read a compelling piece of written content. But that doesn't mean writers can kick back, pour up a martini, and coast on the skills they have today.

How Writers Can Adapt to the Rise of Video

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just stand there."

This adage by the famous cowboy Will Rogers applies to lots of fields, especially one presented as many ways as writing. Visual content may be all the rage, but there is still a need for people who can put words together. The key to a successful future is staying on the right track by moving your skills forward.

Here's what you should be focusing on if you're a writer, editor, or business that provides these services to clients:

Learn new and complementary writing skills.

As I mentioned – writing comes in many forms. A veteran journalist used to writing long columns might sneer at the idea of saying something in 140 characters or less, but someone who can write a good tweet commands attention in the digital world.

In many instances, skills from traditional writing styles carry over to new marketing. Those attention-grabbing headlines print journalists create for newspaper articles are distant cousins to the first line of today's Facebook ads.

And remember, images, audio, and video content all require good writing to put them in context. Instagram captions, podcast scripts, landing page copy, training video highlights – the list of places written content is required has actually grown in the age of visual consumption. Even learning how to write one or two of these types of content can open up new career paths and opportunities.

But you also shouldn't be afraid to dig into worlds you're unfamiliar with.  If you offer blogging services, why not learn a few facets of technical SEO? Even if you're not a graphic artist, tools like Canva and PicMonkey make it easy to design basic visual content.

I know it's warm and cozy in there, but you can't stay in your comfort zone forever.

Improve your existing skills.

Stephen King wrote in his seminal 2000 book On Writing that a competent writer could become a good one with "lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help." Now that there's zero barrier to entry and companies can find writing talent in a few clicks, being a "competent writer" is the floor. It's hard for writers to stand out these days; creating interesting, quality content is the only way.

To continue King's analogy, you need to work on leveling up from "competent" to "good."

I'm consistently shocked by people who call themselves professionals, then submit content with errors that a high school teacher wouldn't accept, let alone a business building their brand. The rise of global freelancers and the decline of user attention spans has made written content more competitive than ever.

And like any competition, the path to success is constantly working to get better.    

Luckily, there are easy ways to improve. I love Eddie Shleyner's idea of simplifying Wikipedia paragraphs to be more concise. You can also try freewriting, an activity that not only trains you to write on cue and identifies your habits, but can kick-start the day's productivity.

Simple exercises like these are easy to find online – but you have to actually do them.

Network with others.

Too many writers cling to the romantic image of being alone at a desk, hunched over a keyboard, deep in thought. Of course you need time to focus, but the best writers and editors work with others.

If you're looking for a job, knowing people can get your foot in the door at your dream company – and once you're in, being a good teammate will help you stay. If you're a freelancer or entrepreneur, talking to other writers, editors, and businesses based around the written word is a great way to hone your skills.

Networking with other types of companies will help broaden your opportunities. Instead of fearing that the new video company down the street is going to put you out of business, knock on their door and see how you can team up on client accounts.

Just remember the cardinal rule of networking: give before you ask.

If you're shy in-person or geographically isolated, the internet gives us a plethora of ways to communicate. Brian Balfour's guide to networking email is jam-packed with tactical ways to connect with people. You can use these strategies to meet potential clients, mentors, and influencers who can all push your career forward.   

Be yourself.

There's tons of advice out there on emulating what's already working. Copying ideas is a valuable tactic, encouraged by history's most successful creatives, from T.S. Eliot to Steve Jobs.

But in the words of Jim Morrison, "Where's your will to be weird?"

In a world becoming more and more saturated with writers touting the same abilities, how can you hope to stand out? One way: Bring your own personal experiences, attitudes, and beliefs to the table. They are the only thing no one can copy. As usual, Gary Vaynerchuk nails this idea in a recent Instagram clip where he boils it down into "planting your f****ing flag" instead of trying to "go to where the world is."

You don't have to be completely transparent, but if you have strong views or opinions based on your experiences, using them in your writing can separate you from the ever-expanding crowd. Draw from sources like your previous jobs, personal interests, and cultural heritage to find unexpected inspiration.

And don't be afraid to go against the grain with a contrarian opinion. In January of 2014, as content marketing was growing in popularity, Mark Schaefer wrote a blog post about why it wasn't sustainable, introducing the idea of content shock. It spawned thousands of views, responses from some of the biggest names in the industry, and helped elevate Schaefer's status as an authority in digital marketing.    

Video has permanently altered the marketing landscape. But as a writer – or any other skilled worker – if you're willing to put in the effort, push the boundaries of your comfort zone, and continuously learn new professional skills, go ahead and pour yourself that martini. You're going to be fine.

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14 Video Production Tips to Enhance Quality and Drive Views

Video content can be a valuable asset in your inbound marketing content mix. In fact, by the end of this year, video content is expected to represent nearly three-quarters of all internet traffic.

But getting people to sit through your videos can be challenging, considering that the longer your video is, viewers will consistently drop off and stop watching, in most cases.

Your video is being judged on its content, presentation, production quality, style, and the valuable information it provides. What does this tell us? Your content must be truly remarkable to maintain your audience's attention. 

Below are our tips to instantly improve the production quality of your video marketing content to give it a nice little boost.

14 Video Production Tips for Your Next Marketing Video

Video Pre-Production Tips

Be well-prepared and organized for your video shoots. If you show up to your shoot unorganized and decide to “wing it,” your final product will look unprofessional and sloppy. On the other hand, if you’re prepared, you'll be able to focus your efforts on directing your actors rather than figuring out last-minute logistics.

Time is of the essence, so don’t waste hours trying to figure out which angle you want or what line needs to be delivered next. Know exactly what you want before the day you film by following the steps below.

1. Be original.

The concept for your video project should be original and creative. Don’t take the easy route and copy someone else’s idea. Instead, conduct persona and keyword research, find out which types of video content are popular and successful in your industry, and double-check to make sure another brand hasn't covered the exact same angle already.

2. Plan it out.

Write a script, draw out a storyboard, and create a shot list before you start filming. Plan your b-roll shots so you have extra footage when it comes time for editing (more on that below). If you think writing a video script is the same as writing a blog post -- think again. Here are Column Five's best tips.

3. Be selective when choosing video subjects.

Set high standards when casting actors for your projects. Pick someone who can deliver dialogue naturally, who can memorize lines, and who isn't stiff in front of the camera. If possible, plan time for a few run-throughs to work out any mispronunciations or giggles.

4. Carefully consider the set.

Don’t try to fool your audience by “set dressing” your office to simulate another location. Your audience is paying close attention to every detail of your video. Shoot your video projects in locations other than your office -- in front of textured and interesting backdrops, but ones that also aren't too busy.

Video Production Tips

You can always touch up your footage when you edit afterward, but remember that editing takes time. If you can make everything look as close to perfect as possible during filming, you'll save yourself a lot of valuable time in post-production. If you shoot a scene and it doesn’t come out great, learn from what went wrong the first time, and shoot it again. Here's how to do it:

5. Be cognizant of sound quality.

Don’t come off as an amateur with poor sound recording quality. Use lapel or lavaliere microphones -- both of which are hands-free -- when shooting sit-down interviews, or use microphone and boom setups for bigger shots. If you're filming a video with a smartphone, you can purchase microphones that fit into the phone's headphone input to quickly and easily improve sound quality.

6. Set up lights.

You don’t want your footage to be under or over-exposed, so set up lights and eliminate any unwanted shadows. We recommend a three-point lighting setup to illuminate video subjects from a variety of angles -- here's Wistia's guide to setting one up.

7. Use a tripod.

Use a tripod to keep your video stable -- and not wobbly, as it most certainly will be if you hold it yourself. Get a standing tripod or a tabletop tripod for tighter shots to keep your video looking professional.

8. Focus.

Make sure the camera is in focus -- and then lock the exposure so it stays in focus. Be mindful of keeping shots white balanced to keep lighting neutral and even, too.

9. Obey the rule of thirds.

The rule of thirds involves splitting up your shot into thirds, horizontally and vertically, and framing your subject off-center. It creates movement and life in your shot the way a straight-on, centered shot wouldn't.

Here's an example -- try to film individuals in one of the side panels of the divided frame, like so:

Video Editing Tips

Make sure your content is remarkable and tailored to your target audience. Edit your video so that it gets to the point, and doesn’t drag on. Remember, you don't have long to capture (and hold) your viewer’s attention, so make sure that the beginning of your video is engaging, informative, and relevant to the viewer, and that she'll clearly understand the message.

10. Align the flow of the video with the emotional response you want to evoke in viewers.

The tone, structure, and pacing of your video have a major influence on its effectiveness and the emotional impact on your audience. Tell a story that would be compelling to you -- build tension and drama by arranging shots according to your storyboard and script.

11. Leverage b-roll.

Cover up your cuts with b-roll footage that complements the narration. You can find b-roll and other stock footage on sites like Vizeedy if you didn't film it yourself, but it's best to keep your shots all in the same setting to maintain the video's consistency. Take the extra time to go back and film more b-roll if you need it.

12. Use background soundtracks.

Light background music can cover any ambient sound and provide tone and emotion to your video that words and images otherwise can't. You can find royalty-free stock soundtracks that you're allowed to use on sites like AudioMicro -- make sure you're not using songs that are licensed, or else it could result in your video getting taken down.

13. Optimize video text.

Keep the style of your text and titles simple, classy, and sharp. Choose a clear and bold font, keep words on your video screen to a minimum, and use text animations to keep the viewer engaged with new additions to the video they watch.

14. Optimize your video for the platform.

Be mindful of where your video will exist while you're editing. Is it for your website, YouTube, or Facebook? Each platform has different specifications -- for example, on Facebook, where 85% of viewers watch videos without the volume turned on, you'll want to use captions, so people can follow along without the sound. YouTube videos don't count views until someone watches for 30 seconds or more, so make sure the first 30 seconds are as interesting and eye-catching as possible.

If you're looking for more ideas for how to get started filming, it's as easy as pulling an iPhone out of your pocket. Learn how to do it in the video below:

Are you leveraging video as a part of your content mix? What other tips can you share to improve overall video production quality?

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in November 2011 and has been updated and for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

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How We Increased Sales Opportunities 4X With Video: A HubSpot Experiment

Let’s talk about a trend, shall we?

Think about the number of times in the last week when you’ve read something on Facebook. Now, compare that to the number of times you’ve watched something on Facebook. Those numbers are probably pretty staggered toward video, right? And if so, you’re not alone -- right now, there’s a big demand for more video content all around.

But that demand -- like the fact that marketers who use it grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users -- gave us an idea. What if we used video to help our sales reps and process? After all, given the aforementioned content consumption preferences, it seemed like people might not want to read tons of sales emails -- but they might be interested in watching a video from a rep.

We're always on the lookout to help our sales reps book more meetings. We call that the prospect:connect rate, which summarizes the efforts of reps to get responses (connect) when they reach out to leads to propose booking a meeting (prospect). So, our objective was to improve sales connect rate, and create more sales opportunities. And since videos are a highly popular content format, we wanted to see if adding that to our traditional outreach mix could help.

So, how did we test that theory, and what were the results? Let’s dive right in.

How We Increased Sales Opportunities 4X With Video

The Hypotheses

1. Video doesn’t hinder overall activity levels. Sure, recording and sharing visual content like this might seem more time-consuming than sending an email, or making a quick phone call. Could reps send tailored, personalized videos to their prospects and still hit activity benchmarks?
2. Video will be more engaging than emails or phone calls. Are people more likely to answer an email with video -- and actually play the video -- than they are a regular email, or a voicemail?
3. Videos will be more efficient at creating opportunities than emails or phone calls. By adding video to the traditional call and email cadence, more prospects would book meetings, thus improving our connect rate.

Key Method and Technology

First, we wanted to determine how we could help reps take what they were already doing via email -- being consultative, being helpful, and providing actionable tips -- and present it in a more visual approach. Ultimately, that came in the form of short video inbound marketing assessments (IMA), in which reps talk through a prospect’s areas of opportunity in their marketing and problems that can be addressed. It’s what our salespeople go through with each and every prospect during an initial call. By including this video, we aimed to spark the propsect's interest by giving them a taste of what they would get if they booked a meeting.

We used a simple Chrome browser extension tool that would allow our reps to record their tabs, screens, faces, and voices with one click. It also allowed them to seamlessly insert those videos into emails to prospects with a single click -- and track any action recipients were taking with those emails.

Here’s an example of what that might look like, courtesy of HubSpot Principal Inbound Marketing Specialist Katie Carlin:

The Framework

Beyond figuring out the technology, we needed some parameters around our experiment. We ran the test for 45 days, enrolling five of our corporate business development representatives (BDRs), and training them with expectations of how we saw them best using this approach. They had one overarching goal: Meetings booked. How well could the BDRs get prospects not just to respond, but to actually book time with them?

How We Measured It -- and the Results We Got

Hypothesis 1: Video doesn’t hinder overall activity levels.

How we measured it

To test this hypothesis, we tracked the composition of each BDR’s activity over the span of the experiment.

The results

As depicted by the chart below, the two BDRs who most actively used video had the most productive months overall, across different activity types. The reps who didn’t use video were also successful, but by no means was video a hindrance to productivity.

The takeaway: Sales reps can use video and still be productive. 

Hypothesis 2: Video will be more engaging than emails or phone calls.

How we measured it

To test this hypothesis, we looked at the overall volume of activity. How many videos did the five reps send over the course of the experiment, compared to the number of emails they sent overall during the same time period?

We also measured the level of engagement with those emails -- the clickthrough rate (CTR) of emails with video, compared to emails alone.

The results

Have a look at the two charts below. The number “1” indicates a 100% CTR. For the sake of transparency, it’s important to note that the second BDR from the right only sent two videos, which skewed the video CTR rate to look especially high.

But if you look across the board at all the reps -- who, as the first chart indicates, sent a ton of email -- you’ll see that the CTR of the videos was far higher than that of standard templated emails.

The takeaway: Video messages are more engaging than email or phone calls.

Hypothesis 3: Videos will be more efficient at creating opportunities than emails or phone calls.

How we measured it

To test this hypothesis, we measured the conversion rates of:

1. Calls or emails alone to meetings booked.
2. Emails with videos to meetings booked.

The results

When we looked at the reps’ overall activity -- including email -- compared to their meetings booked, we saw about a 1.5% conversion. In other words, for every 100 emails, voicemails, or calls that they made, they would book about one meeting.

However, when we looked at video alone, we saw that the ratio of videos sent to meetings booked was 6%. That’s 4X higher than all other activity combined.

The takeaway: Over the course of running this experiment, roughly 4% of our activity was comprised of video, which might look low. But 14% of the opportunities created that month came from video -- which are pretty promising results.

Moving Forward

Overall, the results were encouraging, with the hypotheses largely proving to be true. Given the limited timeframe of the experiment, we’ll continue to see how the incorporation of video into our reps’ outreach efforts performs long-term -- but in the meantime, we established a few takeaways, lessons learned, and best practices that we hope add as much value to your own efforts.

• Reps and managers need to be “bought in.” The two out of five reps who saw the most success with video prospecting were also the ones who were the most enthusiastic to use it, and the ones whose managers were the most encouraging. Like the art of writing a great sales email or leaving a memorable voicemail, it's not something that can be mastered overnight.

• Reps need a clear playbook from the start. Simply handing sales reps a new tool and saying, “Use video to book meetings” isn’t enough. They need clear parameters on:

• Who to look for when deciding who will receive these targeted messages
• What a good video looks like
• How to be consultative
• How to leave the door open, so that prospects can actually book a meeting with them

• Be willing to forego quantity for quality. Simply put, reps can’t send as many high-quality, personalized videos as they can send high-quality, personalized emails. That said, balance the mix of your outreach so that you don’t lose out on overall activity.

Have you ever done a similar prospecting project? Comment below with your best experiments and hacks to increase sales opportunities (and hey, we might even feature your experiment on our blog).

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What You Missed Last Month in Google

For many things in life, it seems like there’s a weather analogy. A happy disposition is often described as “sunny.” Something foreboding could be said to “cast a cloud” on someone. And, according to MozCast, indications of a big change in Google’s algorithm can be described as “hot and stormy.”

That’s not bad news for marketers. Tools like MozCast can help you do your job better and help you decipher why you might see a sudden change in your search rankings or other SEO-related shifts. The tricky part, it seems, is keeping up with all things Google: the algorithm, the new features, and what people are searching for the most.

That’s why we’ve put together this list of the major highlights in each of those categories for the month of June. Read on for the full recap below. 

June News About Google

Algorithm Updates

There’s a funny thing about Google’s algorithm updates: “They’re often very minor tweaks,” says Matt Barby, HubSpot’s global head of growth and SEO.

“Major updates,” he continues, “are rare, but have the most meaningful impact on marketers.”

In May, rumors emerged that Google was working to add more features along the lines of featured snippets, like including job listings directly on the search results page. Word of that feature came to fruition when Moz Associate Dan Shure tweeted images of his reported results in late April:

WOW look out job listing sites, Google appears to be positioning to eat up that real estate also (cc @dr_pete) http://pic.twitter.com/g56KxnJCA7

— Dan Shure (@dan_shure) April 28, 2017

… and later went on to make this video about what he found:

Those rumors were confirmed at Google I/O 2017, and on June 20, Google for Jobs officially launched. As per the image below, it correlated with a spike in the MozCast temperature on the same day:

Source: MozCast

“Starting today in English on desktop and mobile, when you search for ‘jobs near me,’ ‘teaching jobs,’ or similar job-seeking queries, you’ll see in-depth results that allow you to explore jobs from across the web,” wrote Google Product Manager Nick Zakrasek in the official announcement. “For many jobs, you’ll also see reviews and ratings of the employer from trusted sites, right alongside the job description, and if you’re signed in, for some jobs you’ll even see how long it would take to commute to the job from home.”

Zakrasek goes on to describe the feature as a work-in-progress, adding that more filters and details will be added to listings as Google continues to tinker with the algorithm to produce better job results.

This isn’t Google’s first foray into the world of hiring -- Google Hire, the company’s new platform for helping employers manage recruiting processes, was unveiled last spring.

New Ad-Blocking Measures

On June 1, Google announced it would further crack down on websites that feature intrusive ads like these. And while that might sound great for many, some content creators who rely on ad revenue were concerned.

But as it turned out, Google’s intent wasn’t to do away with ads completely -- rather, it appeared to be for webmasters to move away from digital ads that interrupt a user’s content consumption, without losing critical ad revenue in the process. It was largely the result of Google’s partnership with the Coalition for Better Ads, which recently developed Better Ads Standards -- and it appears that those standards serve as the foundation for Google’s new ad recommendations to content creators. Once publishers modify their ads to meet the new standards, they can then use Google’s Ad Experience Report to test if they’re in violation of the new standards.

This announcement comes on the heels of May’s reveal of Unique Reach: “a new measurement tool that captures the number of times the same person has seen an ad,” according to TechCrunch, measuring “how many people are shown display and video ads and captures unique users in addition to average impressions per unique user.”

At this point, it’s not entirely clear what the penalty will be for those in violation. The official announcement makes no mention of search ranking implications, though given the search engine’s history within this realm, we wouldn’t be surprised if websites in violation perform as well in search results. In the meantime, we recommend checking out Google’s criteria for what constitutes a “bad ad” on its DoubleClick blog.

No More Inbox Scanning (for Ads)

According to Google, there are over three million organizations using G Suite, its collection of email, video communication, and cloud storage apps (among others). And while G Suite users have never been privy to email scanning for ad personalization, now, neither will free Gmail users anymore.

The announcement came on June 23, when it was revealed that users of Google’s free email service would now be able to disable ads personalization in their settings, which means that their emails will no longer be scanned for data to tailor ads displayed for the user. The same will remain for G Suite users, as well.

“G Suite customers and free consumer Gmail users can remain confident that Google will keep privacy and security paramount as we continue to innovate,” writes Google Cloud SVP Diane Greene. “As ever, users can control the information they share with Google at myaccount.google.com.”

Here’s more, from TechCrunch:

Businesses Can Now Publish Specialized Content Through “Google My Business” Posts

You may have noticed that local business listings recently made their way into your search results when you enter a query like, say, “pizza.”

And for a select few -- like celebrities or sports teams, for example -- those business search results could also include what TechCrunch describes as “social network-style updates about their activities right to Google’s search result pages.”

But now, that feature is open to all those using Google My Business in the form of Posts: a way to create and share business-specific content -- like events, products, and services -- that can appear directly in search results.

Check out the example below from Junzi Kitchen:

Other New(ish) Features You May Have Missed

1) Event search results

Funny how, in an age where there are more entertainment options than ever, many of us still catch ourselves muttering, “I’m bored.” But now, for those occasions when -- gasp -- Netflix doesn't quite do the trick, Google has made it easy to find out what’s going on in real life.

On the Google app and mobile web only, search queries like “events near me” now yield a specialized results page with a calendar of all local happenings. Here’s what happened when I tried it on Chrome for mobile:

Within that special category of results, I can tap on any of them to buy tickets directly from my phone.

The feature is still working out some kinks -- a search for “rap concerts in Boston,” for example, didn’t yield a featured-snippet-like result similar to the one above. However, a search for “jazz concerts in Boston” did:

2) Mobile image search filters

Gone are the days of conducting a Google image search and having to scroll all the way over to “search tools” to narrow your results -- on mobile, at least. Now, when you want to find an animated image, Google makes it easy for you, by displaying a “GIF” filter directly below the search bar.

Limiting your results to animated images isn’t the only filter available. As the above image indicates, you can also filter results according to color, timeliness, and more specific categories; for example, a certain brand of cookies, instead of just “chocolate chip cookies.”

Personally, I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the color filter -- until I applied the turquoise (my favorite color) option to a search for “home decor”:

First of all, I’ll take one of everything. Second, not only does the search yield images of exactly what I was hoping to find -- turquoise home decor -- but it also displayed shopping results: an ad feature Google rolled out in May 2016. And in a more recent, but relevant news tidbit, Google has been piloting Shopping ads on its Display Network, as reported by SEL in May.

3) “Not secure” warnings

Although this feature hasn’t launched yet, Google announced at the end of April that, beginning this October, the Chrome browser will display a “not secure” warning on HTTP pages -- those that haven’t transitioned to the more secure HTTPS -- in three situations:

1. The page has password or credit card fields.
2. A user enters data on an HTTP page.
3. A user enters data on an HTTP page visited in Incognito mode.

To elaborate, the “S” in “HTTPS” stands for “SSL,” which stands for Secure Sockets Layer -- the technology that encrypts your connection to a website, so that hackers can't intercept any of your data. And in January, Chrome began labeling HTTP sites as non-secure. This latest development will only take that a step further. Here’s what the non-secure label looked like after the January update:

Source: Chromium Blog

Not sure how to enable HTTPS? Check out Google’s guide here.

4) Hotel review categories

You can file this one under, “That didn’t happen when we tried it.” Alas, for a select few, Google is testing out a new categorization system for its hotel reviews. Google rolled out some pretty detailed hotel search filters and criteria options in July 2016, and now, it seems to be testing some new ways for users to filter reviews.

Sergey Alakov detailed the possible changes on his blog earlier this month, which would allow users to narrow reviews according to the type of traveler, like couples, solo travelers, or families with children. If that feature sounds familiar, you might recognize it from TripAdvisor, which allows travelers to limit reviews only to a certain score, traveler type, and travel period. Now, Google might add that to its portfolio of capabilities.

Check out Alakov’s video summary of the features:

5) Acquisition of Owlchemy Labs

Google isn’t exactly a stranger to virtual or augmented reality. When it introduced Cardboard, it was a financially prudent way for almost anyone with a mobile phone to virtually experience Google Maps and other adventures. YouTube is host to myriad 360° videos. It makes sense that Google would only want to strengthen its foothold in the VR space -- its acquisition of Owlchemy Labs is just one sign of that.

Owlchemy is an award-winning studio and producer of VR experiences from every point in the spectrum -- games and job simulations to name a couple. And given the earlier news about Google’s job listings within direct search results, we can’t help but wonder what, exactly, the search giant is up to in the realm of recruiting.

Until we find out for sure, here’s Google’s official statement on the matter:

Together, we'll be working to create engaging, immersive games and developing new interaction models across many different platforms to continue bringing the best VR experiences to life. There is so much more to build and learn, so stay tuned!”

Until Next Month

We’ll be keeping an eye on all things Google and picking out top news items, algorithm updates, and trends that can aid your marketing. Enjoy your July -- we’ll see you next month.

What were your favorite Google news stories and search trends in June? Let us know in the comments.

My questions for you: Do you recommend I start this conversation today, or first thing next week? Would you be able to give it a little boost so we can get as much chatter as possible? And do you have any suggestions for ideal length? I have a draft sitting around 250 words. http://bit.ly/2tZBW7u

How to Do a Facebook Live Split-Screen Interview

Want to interview guests on your Facebook Live show? Looking for a tool that lets you bring a remote guest into your Facebook Live video? In this article, you’ll discover how to broadcast a Facebook Live interview with a split screen. Why Create a Facebook Live Interview Show? When your video is live, you can [...]

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- Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle

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Snapchat Links and Instagram Stories Video Replies

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Social Media Marketing Talk Show, a news show for marketers who want to stay on the leading edge of social media. On this week’s Social Media Marketing Talk Show with Michael Stelzner, we explore Snapchat links with Carlos Gil, Instagram Stories video replies with Jeff Sieh, and more [...]

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- Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle

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