As an online entrepreneur, you want the attention of your audience – the people you know, and those you don’t know, yet. So the natural question is, “how do I position myself so I can connect in the best way with the most people?”

When I’m asked that question, I promptly answer, “Video!”  Live video, specifically. And, it’s never been easier to broadcast a live, online video show.

Now, you’re thinking, “I’m an entrepreneur, not an actor or talk show host. Why in the world would I want to do live video???”

Let’s start with the fact live video helps you create intimacy faster than any other medium and accelerates engagement with your audience. Not only that, it will create trust and connection with the very people you want to develop as fans who will buy your products and services. And, that is how you build your platform…

With so much competition for eyeballs and dollars, you need to do something unexpected to get attention and create a highly visible presence on the Web. You need to step up and do what other entrepreneurs in your niche don’t want to do and won’t do. You need to go beyond the blog posts and chit chatting with people of Facebook. As your marketing mentor in this moment, I’m advising you to go big and stand out by incorporating live video into your marketing mix.

Add Live Video to Your Marketing

The fastest, easiest way to add live video is to take advantage the best tool Google has developed… the Hangout on Air, also known as HOAs.

An HOA is live streaming video, broadcast publicly and simultaneously on Google+, YouTube and your website, if you choose. If you think about it, you can take advantage of the power of the biggest search engine on the Web to create content that is not only broadcast to large audience in real time, but also posted automatically to the second largest search engine, YouTube.

You get to interact in real time with your fans plus give them a later viewing option via the recording. Your content is indexed quickly by Google and can also be found on YouTube and Google+. There is no other platform that can offer you that kind of findability and visibility.

Hangouts also offer some advantages that written-word content simply cannot equal:

• The sense of immediacy
• The sense that your attention is focused solely on the viewer, for his or her benefit
• Live, face-to-face contact with your clients, customers and fans
• Versatility
• Allowing you to showcase your personality
• Increasing your authority, celebrity, recognition and acceptance

There is no substitute for seeing a live face – smiling, talking, animated and interactive. 

Broadcasting Hangouts can provide you with a wonderful toolset to help grow your online platform and cement your reputation… but don’t just fire one off here and there without a strategy.

Create a Strategy for Your HOAs

Like all marketing strategies you want to give some thought to why and how you’re going to integrate HOAs into your mix. Consider the following questions and write down your answers:

Why do you want to use Hangouts?

What goals do you want to achieve, using Hangouts?

How they can best help you grow your platform and sell more books?

When are you’re going to broadcast (how often)

Who is your audience?

What content does your audience want? (Ask them!)

What is your format (interviews, discussion, book club, Q&A)?

 Once you know what you want to deliver, then it’s time to dive in.

Getting Started Doing HOAs is Easy

The investment to get started is minimal. All you need to broadcast an HOA is a Google account, a Google+ profile, a YouTube account, a webcam and a microphone.

If you decide on hosting a regular show vs. an occasional event with your fans, then you’ll need to set your schedule and do a couple of test runs to familiarize yourself with the technology. I recommend you create a pre-show and post-show checklist so you don’t forget promotion and follow up tactics when you develop your show strategy.

Some things to include on your list are:

• Purpose of Show
• Title of Show
• Date & Time
• Guests or not
• Public or Targeted Audience
• Description of Show
• Call to Action
• Branding
• Images you can use to promote the show on other social networks
• Set up an event page on Google+
• Promote on other social networks
• Promote to your email list

If this tactic appeals to you as a way to build a more intimate bond with your fans, then I encourage and support you to jump in with both feet. HOAs tend to be casual, fun and informative. You can build rapport with your fans very quickly and they will appreciate having access to you in a way most business owners don’t allow. You have a huge opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

If you’re ready, then your first step is to find and attend some HOAs so you can get a feel for the experience (if you haven’t already). Use this link to peruse the list of scheduled HOA events, find a couple that intrigue you and RSVP. Hey, you can attend my monthly show Adventures in Visibility, to see how I do it, too!

Next, experiment and set up an HOA (but don’t broadcast yet). Find someone who wants to help you practice. (Click here for 10 Tips to Make Your HOA a Success.)

Once you’re comfortable, go for it. Schedule an HOA and invite your fans. The best way to learn is by doing! With every Hangout you broadcast, you’ll find your fans showing up time and again as well as sharing and inviting their friends. And that is how you build your platform with Hangouts on Air. Oh, and please invite me when you go live so I can support you!

I helped Melita Noel Cantu start her Hangout Show. I can help you too. Click here and let’s talk. 

Note: this article is modified from the original version which was published on Write Non-Fiction Now.

The post Use Hangouts On Air to Build Your Platform appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.

Google+ Hangouts on Air are a game changer for small businesses and entrepreneurs. When you produce a successful show, it can be the fastest way to get seen, be heard, build trust and connect with your ideal audience.

The key phrase in that last sentence is “successful show.”  Anyone can set up a Hangout on Air (HOA) and fumble their way through it. And many do, which is not a great experience for the audience. 

HOAs are Better than TV

Why better than TV? The ability to connect intimately with your audience. Not only can you broadcast globally…

• You can interact in real time via the Event page
• You audience can watch anytime at their convenience
• Public Events are indexed by Google
• YouTube is the second largest search engine
• You can get the exact, highly-niched content you want

I was invited by Zara Altair to be a guest on her Midweek Zap HOA to discuss the process for setting up an HOA and some promotion tips.  In 36 minutes we covered quite a bit, and yet there’s so much more I do for my own show, Adventures in Visibility. The conversation does not cover the steps for setting up an HOA. My program on Google+ 101 can help you with that.

10+ tips for making your Hangout on Air Show a Success

There are detailed timestamps for the tips in the video description on YouTube.

1. What is the purpose of your show: why, what, when and how are they going to support the growth of your business?

2. Before you create your first show, watch other shows first. RSVP, +1 and share. Participate during the live show to experience the live engagement. An excellent example of a highly engaged show is The Mia Connect. 

3. Practice. Before you schedule a live event, do a couple of practice runs with a friend or colleague.

4. Brand your show. Create a header banner that tells your story. Google+ Business Spotlight is a great example.

5. Create a YouTube custom thumbnail. This can be used in place of a trailer video for your HOA as well as uploaded to your video as a branded custom thumbnail. You can see how I use a custom thumbnail here.

6.  If you have guests on your show, get correct, up to date information from them: bio, headshot, social links and bullet points for the content they want to cover. It’s critical to make your guest(s) shine and you do that by providing your audience the best and easiest ways to connect with them.

7. Include calls to action in the Event description. Tell your audience to RSVP, +1 and share the event. Ask them to comment and ask questions for your guest.

8. Promote the heck out of your guest(s). Use Canva or PicMonkey to create images promoting your show and pithy quotes by your guest.

9. Promote your show on other social networks.

10. Show promotion doesn’t end when the show is over. Now, it’s time for you to post the video on your blog and then promote your post. Go the extra mile and transcribe the show and add captions to the video. At minute 25:00 in the video I share additional ways I get the word out post-show.

It doesn’t end there!

This is just the tip of the ice berg. I have a checklist of nearly 50 actions I take pre-, post- and during the HOA. The results are proof that the work pays off. My audience grows with every show. My guests love me and the audience gets tons of value from the information shared before, during and after the show.

The post Ten Tips for Making Your Hangout on Air Show a Success appeared first on Adventures in Visibility.