brandvines

brandversations that engage your customers and build your brand

Mac Screen Recorder

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Mac Screen Recorder is Easy to Use

It is software that you can use as soon as it is installed. You don’t need to have a filmmaking degree or be a technical genius. If you are looking for easy screen capture and movie making software, this is it.

I made this video using the built-in iSight camera on my iMac. I did a couple of takes using the built-in system speakers and I was not happy with the sound quality. Once I switched to my Blue Yeti microphone (USB), the sound was much improved. This video is a quick experiment. I could make it better and spend more time to refine. For my purpose of testing the software, this is a good enough result.

My main goal: could I produce a viable movie in a few minutes, upload it and share it.

Mac Screen Recorder passed the test with flying colors.

It is not as feature rich as Camtasia or Adobe Premiere. Where Mac Screen Recorder shines is its simplicity.

Need to create a training video for clients? This will work for you. You have options to upload to YouTube, Vimeo, share by email or text and a few more.

I give it 4.5 stars.

You can find it at https://www.apowersoft.com/

They also make apps for Windows users.

Into the Forest is a Goodread

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Into the ForestInto the Forest by Jean Hegland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The horrific challenges these people endured and how they were tempered by the fire of their circumstances moved me and kept me turning each page with eagerness.

Jean Hegland paints a dystopian landscape that is painfully close to reality. She creates a strong foundation and builds out the rooms of this story, brick by brick. Her use of language is reminiscent of Barbara Kingsolver’s, yet distinctly her own creation.

Relationships are tested, twisted and nearly broken apart, only to heal and become stronger. At its core, it is a story about the love the grows out of the hearts and minds of one family, embodied most clearly in the relationship between the two sisters, Nell, and Eva. They live with their father and free-spirited mother on an isolated farm in a fictionalized location the redwoods of Northern California.

I reveled in the details and patience with which she painted this world. A strong connection to nature permeates the story. The rhythm of her language flows like a strong clear stream. She deftly amplifies the emotional landscape within Nell and Eva contrasting it with their external reality, seasonal transformations that offered bounty and danger in equal measure.

These are unique, smart, quirky people. Each has gifts and blind spots. Through it all, they are enmeshed with each other like the roots of the forest trees and plants that surround them.

It is a coming of age tale of survival. The principal characters are far from perfect. They stumble as they learn how to exist in a world where nothing comes easily except for being true to their innermost selves.

I ached with pain as I read each new struggle. I laughed and wept as the two typical teenage girls discover boys and who they are meant to be. Their lives are turned inside out and yet they find a way to do more than simply exist. These girls are resourceful at times, frightened, and always real.

I could imagine myself in their world where technology and civilization as we know it disintegrates.

It is a well-told tale and left me wanting more.

View all my reviews

Prolific Beats Precious When It Comes to Discoverability

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Prolific Beats Precious

Prolific beats precious.

Many times a great idea was in my reach and I didn’t share it because I thought I had to be perfect first. Does this sound familiar? I bet it does. I discovered that being perfect isn’t the answer to meeting the right customers, finding a great friend, having a wonderful romance, and enjoying life. Getting out there and living is far more valuable, and fun.

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBJ80IODm5o[/embedyt]

A Shift from Perfect to Powerful

Maybe I saw the light during my year of being a Wellness Warrior and winning over cancer. Maybe I shifted my thinking when I realized that in today’s fast paced world, most of what I create has a rather short shelf-life. I am not saying sloppy is o.k. I am not saying it is o.k. to do a poor job. What I am advocating is to stop worrying about being perfect. Perfection is the enemy of taking action.

I discovered the concept of “Lean Start-up” and “minimum viable product” several years ago. Trying out an idea in its most basic form before trying to perfect it became a new way for me to look at creativity and what I was doing in my life and in my business.

What has changed for me?

Instead of hoarding my expertise, I recognized that prolific beats precious. I  started making short videos and posting them to YouTube, embedding them into my blog, sharing them on Pinterest. I blog at least once a week (most of the time), and I post updates on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. I am making my expertise available in many places and at many different times.

When I start a project, I look at what I must do, how much time I have to do it, and what my resources are (partners, money, what can be outsourced.) Then I work creatively within this framework. It is liberating. I do my very best with the resources I have. I learn from every project. I spend less time worrying about what I don’t have or don’t know and producing what I need for my clients and myself.

Persistence + Consistence = Power

Blogging and posting consistently is your ticket to being discoverable. As an author, that is really a lot of what it takes to sell your books. A best seller is one that people are talking about, sharing, and reviewing.

You can start blogging and posting well before your book ready available for sale. You can share stories of how you came to write your book. You can talk about the characters or as one of your characters. Non-fiction writers can share case studies that highlight their expertise. The idea is to get people talking. No one can talk about you if they don’t know you exist.

20,000 Views on LinkedIn in 1 Week

My friend, Ted Prodromou did something really amazing. He got 20,000 views on LinkedIn in 1 week. His strategy was simple. He used a LinkedIn post as his hub and pointed all of his other social posts for the next 7 days to this one page. You can watch a replay of a live stream event he did with Alex Mandossian by following this link to his original post.

You Too CAN DO Amazing Things When You…

  • Stop procrastinating
  • Start doing
  • Share Your Expertise
  • Start small
  • Experiment
  • Find Partners
  • Stay the course
  • Do what works, forget what doesn’t
  • Be willing to fail
  • Keep moving towards your goals

My Request

  • Tell me what is working for you, or if you feeling stuck.
  • If you like what you see here, please share it with your friends (as long as you give me credit).
  • Follow me for more marketing tips.

 

 

Free Book Marketing Tip – Using Facebook Pages

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Free Book Marketing Tip - Facebook Pages

Facebook Pages are Free

It doesn’t cost you anything but your time and creativity to add a Facebook Page to your marketing mix. Advertising fees are surprisingly low and you have complete control over how much, how often and what goes into your targeted ads.

Make a Facebook Page for Each of Your Books

I went to a workshop put on by Facebook. I learned some great ways to reach your desired audience by using Facebook Pages. Facebook Pages are different from a personal profile in several ways:

  • Pages give you the ability to select your audience using demographics (location, age, gender)
  • You can advertise from a page
  • It is all about your book
  • You can link a group of pages together if you have separate but related content

The Power of Visibility

The more places you feature your book, the more likely your book will be discovered. One of the best benefits of using a channel like Facebook is the sheer volume of people who are on it every day. You can share posts, photos, video, audio, links to your blog, links to other social channels too.

Try it and See

Get started now, whether you are already published or if you are in the pre-publication phase of your book. Facebook Pages can help you connect with your ideal audience and get them talking about your book. You can see an example of a Facebook Page for a book here. We have used photos, video and outbound links to help educate our audience.

Setting Up Your Facebook Page

There are articles and support for setting up your page and using it on Facebook. Take a look at this page to get started.

Need help?

Not sure what or how to do it yourself? Don’t miss out on this opportunity to reach your ideal audience. Call on me, Judy Baker, your book marketing expert. I can build an attractive Facebook Page for your book and show you how to use this platform to sell more books.