UPDATE: The contest ended and the winners have been announced. Congratulations Marie and Ponn!

There’s a fun contest going on at MomWebs Hosting which inspired me to do something I don’t normally do, and that I’m not all that good at. I entered the contest with my video creation. I had a great time making the video, but more importantly, it’s great practice for me in the art of being less than perfect.

I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist – in school, on the job, as a parent, and as a business owner. But guess what… I’m not perfect! There, I said it; I’m human and I just can’t be good at everything. Often, less than perfect is absolutely great!

Many of us tend to build our own obstacles, some of which can be paralyzing. Perfectionism is a huge obstacle. Waiting until a website or video is perfect before releasing it pretty much guarantees it will never get launched. A website is a work in progress that will never be complete, never mind perfect. And agonizing over every detail of a video will produce lots of self-doubt. There’s always something else that can be added or changed.

Does that mean that I think it’s okay to throw together a mess and put it out there? Of course not. Websites, marketing materials, and products should be well thought out, of good quality, and professional. Just don’t let fear stop you from trying. Less than perfect is definitely good enough.

And so, I’ve produced this great, less than perfect video. Enjoy!

The contest is closed, but voting is open. Check it out and pick your favorite… maybe me? Please! Vote at:
http://www.momwebs.com/vote-for-your-favorite-mom-webs-promo-video/

Thanks!

The contest deadline is tonight, but if you hurry, you can still practice the art of less than perfect and enter your own creation. Click: video promotion contest details.

Affiliate link (Why tell?)

I’m just not a good listener. I don’t mean personally….. if you call me on the phone or we meet face-to-face, I’ll listen intently to anything you have to say. But when you present information to me online in audio or video format, I just can’t seem to listen to it.

Maybe it’s because I can read so much faster than most audio or video presentations run. Or maybe it’s because I can skip over the parts that don’t interest me. Perhaps my attention span is too short or it’s just my learning style. Whatever the reason, I just don’t have the patience to sit through more than about a minute of audio or video.

I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t use audio or video on websites – they are proven marketing methods. But since I’m sure there are others like me, I’m suggest you consider a mix that includes text. Alice Seba has been talking about this at Internet Marketing Sweetie, including the post, “MYTH: Videos Are The Best Way To Demonstrate Software or Online Process”. Thank you! I’d never learn something if I had to rely completely on video instruction!