Author: Cheptiony Mutai

  • 5 Things that Will Make Clients Work in ‘Your Own Terms’

    Most freelancers would rather work under the clients terms and overlook theirs. Well, that has been the way all along. I mean, even educational institutions teach people this – work ethnics, how to retain your job and climb up the corporate ladder e.t.c

    Watch Video: 5 Things That Will Make Clients Work in Your Own Terms

    But have you ever attempted and reverse this psychology using the freedom that Freelancing offers?

    Well with proper planning, it is possible. That’s how highly paid freelancers do and it thus makes them stand out.

    In this blogpost, I will share with you 5 things you should do in order to make your prospect work in your own terms and love you more.

    Master Your Craft

    Any person who has mastered his/her own craft stands out from the crowd. Be the master of your own. Now- the secret lies on the time when the opportunity is presented to you. ‘Show don’t tell’ rule applies here. Let the client be wowed by your deep knowledge and understanding in the field they are hiring for. Don’t leave anything to chance. Find your clients sweet spot based on their job post in the freelancing site of your choice. This way, he/she will be wanting to know more about you or your Agency.

    Clearly Outline Your Approach

    After you have shared briefly about yourself, start addressing his/her need and how you plan to go about it. Be as detailed and clear as possible. From this, they can gauge whether it suits them or not. When outlining your approach, indicate the timelines for each item as well as each milestone. E.g scripting – 2 days- $250 e.tc. It might be helpful to share a simplified workflow from previous projects.

    Don’t Quote Cheap Because You Want the Job

    If you are a Top rated Freelancer or a Freelancing Agency, and you quote low, big companies will not take you seriously. Provide a reasonable quote and let the client know that you are not working alone. Mention the people in your team, who will be working with you on the project.

    This way, the client will not think that you will be working on it alone.

    Make Your Terms Clear in Your Proposal

    At that point in your proposal where you are sure the prospect is impressed by your work, introduce them to your terms service.

    Inform them that these terms are very important and it enables you to deliver high quality service to them on time without any delays or excuses. Your assurance to solve their problem hassle free is what will inspire them to hire you.

    If they hire you, it means they have agreed to work on your own terms. And they will be excited to do so.

    Tell them what to Expect

    Even though the client already know what they want, still, tell them. Add some bonuses to the deliverable’s. This will raise their eyebrows. Do everything to ensure you win the contracts. That should always be your aim.

    Summary

    Making a client work on your own terms is not a crime. Most of them like it that way because they can penalize you if you fail to meet some of their terms. If you have mastered your craft, your terms will work in your favor and you will stand out as the highest paid Freelancer or Agency.

    And that is it.

    If you need help to create and produce professional screen-cast video tutorials for your website, software or app, let me know here.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care. You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • 3 Overlooked ‘Golden Rules To Succeed’ in Freelancing

    Everyday, we go out in search for ways to succeed. Freelancing and Entrepreneurship share common golden rules.

    Often, the simple approach wins. But how often do overlook the power of the simple rules and go out in search something complicated hoping that it will separate us from the crowd?

    In this blog-post, I share with you 3 simple powerful yet overlooked golden rules to succeeding in the Freelancing world.

    Repetition

    When you repeatedly do something you become a master- and your chances of succeeding is high. It starts with first identifying a niche, then repeatedly bidding for projects that matches it. Everyday make sure you bid on 2-3 jobs that are related to your skills. Don’t worry that no one is responding to your bids so long as you have adhered to the terms of service in the Freelancing site you are working on. Do it repeatedly until it becomes an habit. This may sound simple-but the effect is beyond your imaginations. Some entrepreneurial experts recommend that you do just one thing on a daily basis to push your business a step further. Think about it.

    Being Specific on Your Niche

    I will use the Video Production industry as an example. Most people don’t know that it’s divided into many thriving sub-categories or niches. There is video editing, motion graphics, 3D animation, 2D animations and more just to name a few.

    Being specific in the category of jobs you take gives you an edge. We are living in a generation where people rely on keywords when searching online. For example, if you are a 3D animator and someone is searching for someone to hire for 3D animations, you will appear on top of the search results as the most preferred candidate. Now you see why this is important in marketing yourself as well as your business right? Go now and make the necessary changes on your profile and see how relieved you will be.

    Providing Value Each time You Get a Chance

    This is more self explanatory and it’s magical. When you have this implanted on your subconscious mind, you will never be surprised when a client gives you a 5 star review without requesting them to do so.

    Such simple acts of appreciation from your client is good for your growth. Also, you will sleep knowing that have helped someone somewhere to succeed in what they are doing.

    Bonus tip

    When you know that the service you are offering is helping someone succeed, you will be very happy. You will be more creative in your craft. You will always think of different approaches to improve it. What else do you need? Go out and apply these rules today.

    If you need help to create and produce professional screen-cast video tutorials for your website, SaaS app or software applications, let me know here.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

    You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • 5 Things to do During Low Freelancing Seasons

    Watch Video

    If there is one great advise any seasoned Freelancer will ever give you- is that there is a pattern in the Freelancing business. There is the low season and there is the high season. Both seasons may occur 2-3 times a year based on the category of service you are offering. Low seasons is that month in the year where you record low sales while high season is the one that you record high sales.

    In the video production business, based on my own analysis- low seasons occur 3-4 times a year while high season are distributed into 4 different months in a year. I will not be specific on the months because it changes all the time.

    High seasons are the most exciting ones because you are making good money from Freelancing. On the other hand, low seasons are the most boring ones because there is less work and the earnings are very small.

    In this blogpost, I will share with you five things that you can do during the low seasons in the freelancing business to build yourself and stand out from the crowd.

    Update Your Profile

    It’s really hard to update your personal profile when you are busy working. It may take you a whole year to update your profile with the latest projects you have accomplished. Commit yourself to do this during the low seasons. It is the best period since you have a lot of free time to do it. Add your latest accomplishments and change a few things to make yourself stand out from other freelancers. In the video production category, take your time to create a very enticing show reel or Trailer.

    Take a Vacation

    You may find yourself busy and working at the time when everyone is going for their summer vacation and free when everyone is back. In such occasions, you will postpone your vacation. Plan your finances well so that you can go for a vacation on low seasons. The best thing about this is-if your vacation falls in a time when few people are travelling- you will get save a lot of money on accommodation and travel cost as the demand for the same is low. This is a good thing as you will be motivated to travel and explore more.

    Learn Something New Related to Your Skill

    Let’s say you specialize is in a specific niche of a particular skill. A good example in the video production business is Video editing with Adobe premiere. During the low seasons, it will be a great to learn motion graphics with Adobe after effects. You will be surprised on how much this will add value to your Freelancing portfolio. On the other hand, take your time to learn how to set up an online business and sell your skills. With more and more people gaining confidence in your skills-you will be a step higher in building a business from the services that you are offering.

    Identify Long-term Investment Vehicles

    While you enjoy doing what you are doing, you will not want to do it forever for money. At some point in your career, you will want to invest your income on projects that generates income passively. This will depend on your experience and a clear understanding of what you are investing in. Do your research each time you have free time and less work on your table. The result of this research is- you will have a better understanding of different investments and the price for each. Having this in mind will motivate you to work towards a goal.

    Meditate/Fast

    Most people don’t take this serious but it is the key. Commit your low seasons to meditation and fasting as this is the only path to enlightenment. Fasting cleanses your body and meditation cleanses your spirit. Renowned Hollywood actors take 8 days of dry fasting. This is one of the greatest challenge that you can give to yourself. Try this and thank me later.

    And that is it.

    If you need help to create and produce professional screen-cast video tutorials, let me know here.

    Until next time, bye and take care.

    You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Cases of Scams in The Freelancing World

    Being scammed by a new client is one case. But being referred by a client as a ‘scammer’ is another case. You can find yourself in both situations as a freelancer.

    In the past, I have found myself in both scenarios.

    During the early years of my Freelancing Career, I practically defined the term ‘scam‘ my own way after falling a victim severally.

    In this blog post, I share with you three places Online where you can get scammed as a Freelancer.

    I will also share with you various occasions where you never see a ‘scam’ coming your your way until .. the business transaction transitions to a scam.

    SCAM DISCLAIMER: Most people think that ‘scam’ revolves around monetary transactions .. while this is true, in this day and age, scammers have gone high tech. The most devastating scammers now are ‘time’ scammers. The ones that wastes your time.

    Back in the Days ..

    It starts with one searching on Google the keyword ‘How to make money online.’ And before they know, they are signing up on various sites that promise to show them -for FREE- how to make $100 a day or more.

    To date, the keywords still works magic. You can tell by the number of video views they get on YouTube on how to make money online.

    In the year 2013 when I started freelancing, I was a victim. I fell into one that promised to show me how to make $3000 every month.

    I stumbled into it after I signed up with 10 other sites that promised to make me money online.

    They required me to fill in different surveys on what I thought of different computer games. Each survey paid $10. In two weeks, I was done with 100 surveys. This was equal to $1,000.

    I was eligible to withdraw the money to paypal. Now, here is where the game started. I was required to pay $29 to withdraw the money.

    Out of desperation, I paid it and I was asked to wait for 2 days for my payment to be approved. A week later, the site had disappeared. I could not access it.

    And that is how I knew I have been scammed both my time and money. This was one among the many scams I fell into in my early years of freelancing.

    Scam Revolution

    Everyday someone is being scammed. One need to know that jobs requiring them to do simple tasks with no clear terms and promise to pay highly is in most occasions are ‘all scams.’

    With this in mind, I narrowed down my search. First, I identified the skills I had that I could monetize online. It turned out to be ‘video production’ and ‘writing.’

    What followed next was identifying ways in which I could sell these skills. I had two sure options to do it. First, was building a website where people could buy my services.

    Secondly, was searching for freelance jobs online. At the time, most freelancing sites- Upwork ( formerly Odesk and Elance), Freelancer, Fiverr – was coming up.

    From these two marketplaces-website and Freelancing sites, I have seen scam bugs emerge and evolve. Scammers innovate ways to take away something from you everyday.

    They have relative behaviors, so if you are keen enough, you will detect them early from the first mail they send you.

    Typical Scams From a Business Website

    Guaranteed Website Traffic

    The most common scam pitch I get from the website is ‘targeted website traffic.’ They use key words that many can easily fall into like cheap, get clients e.t.c.

    If you are a beginner, you will be tempted to try this. To me, I tried many of them in my early years of establishing my site and none of them brought me a client.

    Trial Before Hiring

    I have many videos that I need produced but you must do this one first for us to gauge your skills-don’t worry we will pay

    When a client contacts you directly from your website and tells you this, you will agree. I have fallen into this trap a couple of times.

    The clients pays for the first order in advance to buy your trust. What follows is him/her ordering in bunches.

    Owing to the trust and first impression the client gave you earlier, you complete the order hoping you will now be receiving payment in lump sum.

    After you deliver and the client is happy, he will ask for an invoice. And weeks later, he/she stops replying to your followup e-mails.

    That’s when you realize you have been scammed.

    1,000 videos needed – can you give us a bulk price per video?

    This one is really tricky. If you are not careful, you will loose 20-30% per video. In accumulation, you will have lost a lot of money.

    It works this way; after you have given them say 20% discount, the client ends up ordering only 10 videos.

    So to save yourself from this mystery, first, gauge if your prospect really wants 1,000 videos by asking them to order the first say 50 videos at the original price.

    Scammers From Freelancing Platforms

    Scammers from Freelancing sites vary. Freelancing platforms do not compromise with them either. So to keep up with the changes, they verify themselves as serious clients. And there and then, their show begins.

    Now, if they catch you- you both suffer suspension from the site for failing to keep up with the platforms terms. So how do they scam you?

    Request for Free trials

    For those who have been freelancing for a while, they know that doing this is violating the terms of service and will get you suspended.

    But not withstanding your desperate need for the job, you agree to do a free sample to demonstrate your skills.

    At the end, the client hires someone else and you are left out. There are many reasons why it is not a good idea to offer free samples for video services.

    One common reason is that the client may be using it to pitch- then sub-contract the project to you.

    If his/her pitch is not accepted, you both loose.

    Additional Small Tasks in the Middle of the Project

    Don’t dismiss small additional tasks that comes in as you accomplish a task assigned to you by a client.

    If you do, the client will take advantage of it. They will assume that this is part of the package.

    Don’t be scared that by asking for more pay, you will lose the job. You both know that it was not included in the package.

    Asks you to take the conversation outside the site

    This was ok 3 years ago because the video and voice call features had not been incorporated into the platforms. But now, it is.

    So why take your conversation outside when you can have it directly on the platform? Well, they know you will fall for it.

    Here they will suggest that you work with them directly and save Freelancing Platform fees.

    This is risky. Don’t ever accept to work outside the Freelancing site that connected both of you.

    These are few among the many techniques used by scammers to fleece freelancers. Do you know of any? Let me know in the comments below.

    If you need help to create professional screen-cast video tutorials for your SaaS application or website, let me know here.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Write a Video Script Like a Pro Even if You are Beginner

    While I am writing this blog-post from the video producers perspective- the secret formula of video script writing I am going to reveal in this blog post is very practical to any newbie in video script writing business.

    It took me many years to believe that I could write a video script. This is despite having several of them at my disposal that I used in producing videos. Video production and script writing is like art it revolves around imagination. Art is universal. It shares the same goal; to tell a story.

    If you don’t already know, copy-writing is the grandfather of story telling. A small tweak on the words that you use in selling and you get more sales or you lose more sales.

    Video relies on a written copy with an aim of persuading a prospective customer to take action. The ultimate end goal is to sell something to whoever watches the video.

    The formula I am going to share with you today on this blog-post is ridiculously easy. Please don’t complicate it by getting IMPATIENT or letting PRIDE take over. Creative inspiration come slowly and it is inspired by simple things.

    STEP 1 – Identify 3 Marketing Videos That Are Inspiring to Watch

    This step is quite obvious and you might be tempted think that you already know the formula I am going to share with you. I advise you to follow through to the end. You will notice that there is one or two things that you have not been doing right thus you are still certain of your ability.

    If your list of videos are more than 3, re-watch them and narrow them down to 3. This is for practical purposes. Most clients will refer you to a style of video they like and ask you to write a script of something related.

    STEP 2 – Transcribe The 3 Videos Into Scripts

    Yes. watch them and transcribe the videos into scripts. Study your scripts’ structure. See the approach that they have used when introducing the problem, offering solutions and asking the prospect to take action. What makes you get hooked to it?

    Step 3 – Take a Break For a Day and Think of Products That Fits into the Script Structure You Have

    Change a few keywords in the script and put in your words from the new product(s) you have picked. While doing this, read it loud and hear how it sounds. You will get encouraged when doing this exercise. The more you do it, the more you master the process. Also, you will realize that you can apply the same structure on many products and it will inspire you to write more using your own language.

    Step 4 – Use This Formula To Write Scripts For Use in Your Portfolio

    Believe you me, when a client says he/she wants a similar style of storytelling, they mean it. If you can write a script similar to the one they are referring you to in your own language, they will love it. And when this happens, you confidence and creativity will blow up. Before you know, you will be writing more and more for TV.

    Step 5 – Use the Same Formula in Writing Scripts For Use in Different Industries

    When you master this formula in writing scripts for short videos, it will be easier to apply it on longer version of video copies. You just need to be a good story teller.

    And that’s it.

    If you need help to script and produce professional screen-cast video tutorials, let me know here.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • 6 Common Challenges New Clients Go Through on Their First Days of Hiring a Freelancer

    Signing up as client on any Freelancing site is the first exciting step towards hiring your first Freelancer online. Anyone who has been hiring and collaborating with Freelancers online for longer than 2 years will tell you that the process is not as easy as it sounds.
    One may argue that they are good at tech, but it’s more than tech because you are dealing with human beings. And if you don’t play along with them well, you will find yourself always distressed.

    In this blog post, I share with you 6 common challenges every client goes through before hiring a Freelancer.

    Identity Verification

    Even though no one speaks about this, people hate to verify their identities. With more and more security measures being implemented in most of the Freelancing sites, you might be tempted to give up the moment you are asked to confirm your identity. The identity verification process may require you to scan and upload your National ID or passport. The reason for this request maybe so that the admin can verify that you are the real owner of the Credit card you are using to pay the freelancer you hire. Also for compliance with GDPR new rules. It is also used to eliminate users joining with plans of defrauding Freelancers.

    Payment Method Verification Process

    Someone may think you just enter your card number and your secret code and voila! you are set. But there is more to this process. You will be charged a small fee as part of verification. You will be required to go to your bank and read the amount from your statement then confirm with the freelancing site to be verified. This process usually takes 1-2 days depending on your bank. If you wanted to hire a freelancer ASAP, this process- which is mandatory may irritate you. You just need patience.

    Posting Your First Job And Attracting the Right Freelancer

    Posting a job is easy. You just put a title, choose a category, indicate the number of Freelancers you are looking to hire and you are ready to post. The first mistake that first time clients make is choosing the wrong category when they are posting their job. For instance, let’s say they are looking for a freelance video editor, but you post your job under ‘animation’ category. You will attract freelancers who are fond of working on animation jobs. While they may do the job well, they will charge you more than a freelancer who specializes in video editing. Animation costs more than video editing. To get good at hiring, regularly do job split test. i.e posting the same job on two different categories.

    Temptation of Choosing the Lowest Bidder

    Fact is, in every decision we make in business, we want to save money. Most new clients will jump into hiring the lowest bidder. However, it’s good to be cautious when making your decision while wanting to save money at the same time. This is what I mean here. Let’s say your budget was $1000 and one freelancer quotes $500 for the same job. Their profile is good and you are convinced. Now before you hire, know this, a freelancer who quotes $1,100 and explains the process in which he/she plans to complete the job is more qualified than a freelancer who just quotes $500 without backing up his/her proposal.

    With a higher quote and a break down on the value you will get from the freelancer is a clear demonstration of professionalism. At the end, you will get more value for your money.

    Dealing With Freelancers Disputes After Unsuccessful Hiring

    Sometimes, Freelancers share a colorful portfolio. And based on that, you hire them. But, when they deliver their first work, you are very disappointed and when you express this to the freelancer, they disagree. You end the contract but the freelancer wants to be paid with the money deposited on escrow. And as result you get into a dispute. And whoever wins get paid.

    If the freelancer has some evidence that he/she did the job, you may loose your money in the process. To avoid this, it’s good not to hire someone because they are cheap, but because they guarantee satisfaction and it’s clearly spelt in their cover letter.

    Defining Working Terms With Freelancers in Different Timezones

    If you are in +8(UTC) Timezone and you hire a Freelancer in +1(UTC) timezone, your working schedule will vary. One will have to work at night in order to cover up for the other. Unless you are flexible when it comes to time or the freelancer is willing to work on your timezone, one of you will not like it at the end. Some Freelancers -especially from Asia- will convince you that they will work on your timezone only to disappoint you at the end.

    If the Freelancer is able to work independently with little or no supervision, that’s the best option. Such Freelancers are open minded and will not lie about their working hours.

    These are the common challenges most new clients experience on their first days of hiring. Are you a client hiring Freelancers online? What are some of the challenges you experience? Share in the comments below.

    That is it from me today.

    If you need help you create and produce professional screen-cast videos, let me know here.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

  • 4 Types of Freelancing Job Offers You Need to Think Twice Before Accepting

    Do you keenly look into details of a Freelance job offer before accepting? Have you ever regretted after accepting a Freelancer job offer?

    In this blog post, I share with you 4 types of Freelancing job offers you need to think twice before accepting.

    With the competition in the Freelancing industry becoming fiercer every day, it’s very tempting to accept any job that comes your way. In fact, getting interviewed after bidding for a job is becoming harder with more qualified freelancers joining the bandwagon.

     This thus means that if you get a chance to be interviewed after sending your bid, the chances of accepting the job you will be offered afterwards is high.

    So, how do you vet a freelance job offer before accepting? Remember, by accepting the job offer, you are responsible for any consequences that follow which include;

    Handling Poor Communication

    Some clients will hype you just before hiring you then go silent after hiring. They will promise to provide additional information to help you complete the project only to end up not communicating. Such behavior is truly heartbreaking and a total waste of time.

    You Ending the Contract Out of Impatience

    If the client does not provide you with all the required information to complete the contract, the only option you will have is to end the contract and refund the money deposited on escrow. Your freelancing sites’ support team will encourage you to communicate directly with your client in case of any dispute arising.

    Being Badly Reviewed

    This is the last thing any hard working freelancer will expect. If you have a high job score for delivering great service; one bad review will hurt your score. This is something you need to avoid at all cost.

    Client Refusing to Pay you the Full Amount Agreed

    This only applies to fixed type of contracts. Usually, it is based on agreement and is broken down into small milestones paid upon completion of a given assignment.

    All of these and more are the consequences of accepting a job out of excitement and not doing your due diligence well. Success in the freelancing industry is very dependent on your ability to look keenly on what you are being offered. Here are Four characteristics of jobs you should reconsider when you are offered;

    The client is Insisting that You use a Specific Software and You are required to Buy it

    Now, you will not know this until you check the software pricing. In most occasions, when you compare, the amount of money the client is offering, it is equal to 60-80% the cost of the software. This means if you accept the job, you will take home 20-40% of the pay. Unless, the client is offering to pay for software license, you should decline such job offer without event having a second thought.

    The Client is Requesting Your E-mail and Skype Address

    This was normal 3 years ago, but now things have changed. You can keep all your communications on the Freelancing site you are attached to. What happens is that, after you are done with the interview, they will ask that you communicate with them via e-mail and Skype. Some will even propose that you work with them directly and F**k the freelancing site that connected both of you. This is very risky depending on the Freelancing site you are using for two reasons; one, you will be violating the terms of service which discourages communication outside the freelancing site and two, you payment will not be protected. If the client fails to pay, your freelancing site will not be responsible for it.

    The Client is Interviewing More 10 Other Freelancers in a Row Under the Same Job

    When posting a job; the client is required to be specific on the number of freelancers he/she is looking to hire. In this case, you will find that the client is interviewing almost everyone and looking to hire only one. While some are genuine with plans of hiring, most of them will hire a number of the freelancers and deposit a small amount in escrow for each. When the freelancers deliver the first draft, they pay full amount to the one they like and dismiss the rest. If you are among those dismissed, you will feel wasted even if they pay you the small amount they had deposited as a milestone on escrow which in most occasions goes through a dispute.

    The Client is Not Sure of What They Want And They Want You to do Something for Them to Gauge

    This may work out at the end. With that said, be ready to do the donkey job. The client will only approve your work if they like it. So you may have to develop many drafts (if it was a video your were creating) to show the client. This is a good thing for a new freelancer, but not good for someone who has been in the business for long.

    And that is it.
    If you need help to create and produce professional screen-cast video tutorials with a professional voice over, let me know here.

    Until next next time, bye bye and take care.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony 

  • How Clients Are Changing The Way They Search and Hire For ‘Videography Services’

    Internet has completely changed the way people do business worldwide. People can buy and sell services to anyone across the globe.

    This transformation has affected all businesses; and videography/video production has not been left out. There is a huge shift. 

    As per BBC Research, the digital photography market is growing at 3.8% and its value was estimated to cross $100 billion in 2018.

    Early adopters are the ones ripping profits out this change while late adopters are struggling to fit in.

    These changes in many ways has negatively impacted the economy. Many traditional type of businesses are closing down on a daily basis because of one reason; customers no longer walk in to their offices and shops to buy their services.

    In this blog post, I share with you the strategies Videography clients are now employing when looking for video services and where you need to go in order to meet them.

    Searching Online

    The way people used to look for a videographer 5 years ago is not the way they do now. They prefer the easy way..which is searching online. It means that if your presence online is not that serious, your prospect will not take you serious.

    Your presence online is determined by the way you Brand yourself. First, you need a website, with your own domain e.g www.techtubestudio.com. It must be well designed with your own company’s images in it.

    This is how you make your first impression online before you meet with the actual prospect. But this is not all. It’s just the tip of the ice.

    Checking Your Ratings on Google My Business

    With Google leading as a search engine-and Google my business being their product, it follows that having your Videography business listed on Google My Business is the good idea. This is where people rates and reviews your business.

    As a result, you get a chance to appear on the first page of Google. You will most probably receive an inquiry call if you have a website and your business is listed on Google my business. But that’s not all. Internet is evolving every day. With more and more people joining, the competition is becoming more fierce.

    So, how do you keep your business sustainable if you get one or two enquirers a week with no one ready to commit yet? You can only survive if you have an advertising budget.

    But if you are depending on organic Traffic, you have to work more harder to get clients. As I write this post, there is a big shift now taking place and most videographers are not ready for it.

    Videography Clients are Hiring Freelancers and Agencies

    Well, believe it or not, companies are moving from dealing with companies to dealing with agencies and Freelancers. Freelancing is taking over. With this said, videography and video production jobs are now done by freelancers remotely. Freelancing sites like Upwork have simplified the process of hiring freelancers with specialty in a given skill.

    By simply posting a job, one can get many Freelancers applying for it. And in 3 days, they will be ready to hire one. One advantage of this is that, the client is able to offer bit sized assignments to gauge Freelancers skills before committing them to do a bigger project.

    Expanding International Businesses Can Hire ‘Freelance Videographers‘ in any Country Worldwide

    This is one of the biggest reasons international companies are using Upwork and other Freelancing sites to hire. Let me give you a scenario. Let’s say Uber-which is based in Amsterdam- wants to do a TV commercial targeted at people living in Nairobi Kenya. They don’t have an office yet in Nairobi. So because of trust and security that Upwork offers, they post a job saying that they are looking for a videographer in Nairobi to film a story according to their storyboard. They receive 10 applications. And they settle on 2 since they have two scripts and they want to do 2 commercial videos for split testing purposes.

    The funds are held on escrow until they job is completed. Uber pays the freelancer once they are happy with the delivery. Because of the time saved, the Freelancer is paid well and gets a 5 star review.

    Bonus Point-Value Addition

    Videography and photography business is changing it’s face. It’s now more of ‘value addition’ rather than actual shooting of videos and photos per se. Camera’s that come with smartphones are doing a better job. So as a videographer, what value can you add to videos already recorded to grow your revenue? That’s the question you should be asking yourself. 

    On the other hand, what value can you add to existing photos to make them good and get people paying you for them? That is where the money is now. 

    Did you learn something from this article? I know you did. Leave your comment below and sign up for new post updates.

    Until next time bye bye and take care.

    If you need help to create professional Screen-cast videos, let me know here.

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • How to Create Youtube Icon and Channel Art For Your Business in 60 seconds FREE

    People start their YouTube Channel with just the passion to share information. That’s it. As a ‘creator’ with passion, you will want to make your channel look attractive with the least amount of effort.

    The first thing you will need is a channel icon and art. In this post, I will share with you how to create both in less than 60 seconds for FREE. Once done, you will be able focus more on being ‘creative’ with the videos you share.

    Ready? Let’s go.

    Step 1: Go to www.hatchful.shopify.com

    Click on get started.

    Step 2: Choose your business.

    Click on ‘I don’t see one’ if you don’t see your business category and click next.

    Step 3: Choose your visual style.

    I like ‘youthful’ so I will choose that. I recommend you pick one that speaks well about your business. Click next.

    Step 4: Enter your business name.

    If you have a slogan, which is optional, enter it. Click next.

    Step 5: Choose where your logo will be used.

    For this case, It’s social media. Click next. Wait for your logo to be generated.

    Step 6: Voila! Your logo is ready.

    Pick your the logo you like from the list and sign up to download. The logo will be sent to your e-mail.

    Upload the ‘YouTube profile image’ for as your you-tube icon.

    For the channel art, I recommend you use the same logo but on white background.

    To do this, open the transparent logo on Adobe photoshop. Create a new template with dimensions 2560×1440 pixels. Have the background white.

    Drag the logo to the template you created and have the logo centred. Save it as PNG.

    Upload the new image as channel art. And that is it.

    If this was helpful hit the like button and leave a comment below.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

    If you need help to create professional step by step manuals for your software and video tutorials to show users how to navigate through your software or App, let me know here.

    You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Tuxler VPN Review

    We are living in a age where everything online is customized according to a specific market. This is where a VPN comes in handy. For instance-in an e-commerce site- there might be a high demand for one product in Africa and no demand at all in US.

    As a result, some products may not display in some countries where demand is low. The website URL will be the same, but at the end of the URL, after the forward slash, it will indicate your country based on your IP.

    URL

    So how do you go about this if the product you are looking forward to purchase is not displaying in your country? 

    What if you are a video producer and one of your prospects wants you to create screen-cast video tutorials specifically for a particular country answering the Q&A?

    The answer lies around Virtual Private Network (VPN). You can unlock access using a VPN. 

    Now here comes the problem, how can you differentiate between a secure and non-secure VPN? It’s simple, giving it a try. With hundreds if not thousands of VPN’s out in the market, downloading and trying each VPN is a lot of work. 

    Besides, one of them may leave traces of bugs in your computer in the process. 

    In many occasions, I have found myself downloading a VPN, using it, and uninstalling it immediately after accomplishing my task. 
    But for the first time, I have kept one of the free VPN’s I recently stumbled upon.  

    What surprised me was the VPN’s speed. Of all the VPN’s I have used in the past, both free and paid, none of them beats this one when it comes to speed. It’s called Tuxler. Here are 5 reasons I recommend Tuxler VPN. 

    Speed 

    There is nothing exciting like a VPN connecting to a selected server at a lightning speed. If you are used to a buffering one, you will be shocked when you first install Tuxler. There is no unnecessary pop ups on your browser.    

    No Several Ads Requesting You to Download an Additional Software

    Normally, when you download a free VPN, during the installation , you will find several ad’s requesting you to either download an anti-virus or another software related to the VPN. This is not only alarming that bugs may be coming along with the installation; but you are left prepared for more disasters like computer crashes and more. 

    Residential IP’s 

    Most VPN’s do not offer residential IP’s of a given country. With Tuxler, you get this. You have over 70,000 residential IP’s to choose from every-month. You get all this for Free. 

    Security

    How do you differentiate a secure and non secure VPN? It’s simple. Non-secure VPN’s have several pop ups when not in use. Also, some will cause your computer to slow down. You experience non of these with Tuxler. Their terms are very clear and straight forward. 

    Tasks 

    If you sign up as an affiliate, they regularly post tasks which you can claim and accomplish for dimes. You earn points when you accomplish a tasks. You can use the points earned to purchase premium version’s of the VPN. 

    Lastly, they don’t hard sell on you on e-mail. They let you make the decision when using the app. Isn’t it great? 

    Go try out for free here. If you like it, Come back here and share your experience. 

    That is it from me.

    Until next time, bye and take care. 

    If you need help to record professional screen-cast video tutorials, let me know here 

    Follow me on twitter @cheptiony