As a content creator and media consultant, I’ve harnessed technology and AI to fuel my personal and professional growth, turning my expertise into multiple income streams. Here are five powerful ways I’ve used these tools to build my brand, streamline processes, and boost revenue through my platform, cheptiony.com, while optimizing for SEO to reach a wider audience.
Technology has been the backbone of my personal brand at cheptiony.com. By creating a professional website, I’ve established myself as an expert in freelancing and business consultancy, sharing actionable insights and experiences.
This digital presence has opened doors to a lucrative niche: helping international clients register and operate businesses in Kenya. My website, optimized with SEO best practices like keyword-rich content and fast loading speeds, attracts organic traffic, converting visitors into clients for my consultancy services. This has become a steady income stream while strengthening my online authority.
2. Streamlining Content Creation with AI
AI has revolutionized my content production process, saving time and boosting quality. Tools like ElevenLabs provide human-like voiceovers for videos, while AI-powered platforms generate scripts, images, background music, and even full videos.
By automating these tasks, I produce high-quality YouTube videos, podcasts, and blog posts faster, allowing me to focus on strategy and engagement. This efficiency has scaled my content output, driving more traffic to cheptiony.com and increasing ad revenue and sponsorship opportunities.
3. Designing Graphics for Profit with AI
AI tools have unlocked new revenue streams by enabling me to create and sell stunning graphics. From photobooks and invitation cards to flyers and social media posts, AI-driven design platforms help me produce professional-grade visuals quickly.
These products are sold to clients offline in the local marketplaces, adding a passive income stream. By creating quality work, clients are confident to recommend me to their friends and families.
4. Brainstorming Content Ideas with AI
AI is my go-to for brainstorming fresh ideas for blog posts and YouTube videos. By inputting prompts into AI tools, I generate creative topics that resonate with my audience, from freelancing tips to business growth strategies.
This ensures my content stays relevant and engaging, driving consistent traffic to my platforms. SEO-optimized titles and descriptions, informed by AI-driven keyword research, help my content rank higher on Google and YouTube, expanding my reach and monetization potential.
5. Writing Articles and Books with AI Assistance
AI has transformed my writing process, helping me expand ideas into well-structured articles and books. By using AI prompts, I generate outlines, refine drafts, and ensure my content is clear and engaging.
This has enabled me to publish blog posts on cheptiony.com and work on e-books, which I sell or use as lead magnets to grow my consultancy business. SEO-friendly formatting, such as using headers, bullet points, and relevant keywords, ensures my written content ranks well and attracts readers.
Conclusion
Technology and AI have been game-changers in my journey as a content creator and media consultant. From building a professional website to streamlining content creation, designing profitable graphics, brainstorming ideas, and writing articles, these tools have helped me grow my brand and diversify my income.
By integrating SEO strategies, I’ve maximized my online visibility, ensuring my content and services reach the right audience. Embracing these technologies has not only boosted my productivity but also opened new doors for financial success.
Looking for help to create and produce AI assisted video content? I can help you out. Write to me here and we will kickstart the process from there.
You’ve probably heard the buzz: “AI is taking over writing careers!” But is that claim really true? I don’t buy it for a second. In my opinion, anyone who dismisses writing as a viable career path in the age of AI simply has a superficial understanding of what writing truly is, and what a writer actually does.
Writing isn’t just about stringing words together. It’s about crafting factual information and presenting it in a way that’s incredibly believable. The goal? To inform, persuade, and entertain your audience. And that, my friends, is something far more nuanced than what a machine can currently replicate.
It’s easy to see why some might feel AI has replaced writing, especially given how it shows up in their daily lives. However, for those of us who have dedicated ourselves to the craft of writing professionally, we view it through a different lens—one that reveals a vast landscape of exciting opportunities.
In this article, I will sharing with you my thoughts on why writing is still a great career to pursue full time.
The Foundation in Writing is Training
When you pursue writing as a serious academic discipline, you’re not just learning to string words together; you’re undergoing a rigorous training in critical thinking and communication. A solid foundation in writing equips you with the indispensable skills of in-depth research and robust message support.
For instance, if your subject is as complex as climate change, your training dictates that you don’t just state facts. Instead, you’re taught to consult authoritative sources, like leading experts in meteorological departments, to lend credibility and weight to your arguments.
Furthermore, you learn the art of presenting compelling evidence—be it through photographic documentation of environmental shifts or video footage illustrating their tangible impacts—to unequivocally back up your claims. This meticulous process demands significant investment of your time, resources, and intellectual effort to meticulously gather, analyze, and synthesize information.
Crucially, this intricate interplay of diligent research, informed consultation, and compelling evidentiary presentation is fundamentally a human endeavor. No AI, no matter how advanced, can replicate the nuanced judgment, the empathetic understanding, or the on-the-ground investigative work required to genuinely gather, verify, and meaningfully interpret such diverse forms of evidence.
It is the human element, with its capacity for critical inquiry and authentic engagement, that truly builds a strong and credible written work.
Writing Needs Dedication And Commitment
While the notion that AI allows for passive, lightning-fast content generation holds true to a certain extent, achieving truly effective writing demands a level of dedication that no algorithm can replicate. For those leveraging writing for business purposes, this often translates to a significant time commitment, bordering on full immersion.
Despite the advancements in AI, if writing isn’t your primary professional focus, or if you’re managing multiple facets of a business, you’ll inevitably encounter a point where engaging a professional writer becomes not just beneficial, but essential. Consider the diverse content needs of a comprehensive marketing strategy: regular blog posts, engaging video scripts, persuasive sales letters, and compelling website copy.
Each of these requires a nuanced understanding of audience, brand voice, and strategic objectives that goes beyond automated generation. This is where the true value of a dedicated writing professional shines.
By entrusting your content creation to someone whose career is solely focused on the craft, you free up your valuable time and energy to concentrate on other critical business operations. Rather than viewing AI as a complete replacement for human effort, consider it a powerful tool for refinement—a means to polish, optimize, and enhance the content born from dedicated human thought and expertise.
AI Enriches And Speeds Up Writing Process
Far from replacing the writer, Artificial Intelligence stands as a powerful ally, significantly enriching and accelerating the writing process. Gone are the days when meticulous manual editing was the only path to polished prose.
AI tools can now swiftly rewrite and restructure sentences and paragraphs, offering alternative phrasings and improved flow, while also catching and correcting grammatical errors with remarkable precision. Beyond mere technical correction, AI can even assist in broadening and deepening your content, suggesting related ideas, offering factual snippets (which still require human verification!), or helping to outline complex topics.
However, it’s crucial to understand that these capabilities enhance, rather than replace, human input. Your initial ideas, your unique voice, your specific research, and your ultimate strategic goals remain the indispensable core of any written piece.
AI functions as a sophisticated assistant, taking your raw material and refining it, making the process of crafting compelling content far more efficient and less laborious. Ultimately, AI is here to make writing more accessible and productive, allowing writers to focus their creative energy on the most impactful aspects of their work.
AI: A Powerful Ally for Confident Communication
or a vast number of individuals globally, English is not their native tongue, often presenting a significant hurdle to confident written communication. This is precisely where AI truly shines as an invaluable tool.
With its capabilities in grammatical correction and sophisticated sentence restructuring, AI empowers non-native speakers to present their ideas with a level of polish and clarity that was once a considerable struggle.
The anxiety of misspellings, incorrect verb tenses, or awkward phrasing, which historically bogged down the writing process for many, is now largely mitigated.
Unlike earlier times when one had to painstakingly self-edit or rely heavily on human proofreaders, AI makes the entire process of achieving grammatically correct and coherent sentences remarkably easy.
This technological assistance not only speeds up the drafting and refining stages but, more importantly, instills a newfound confidence, ensuring that the message is conveyed effectively and professionally, regardless of the writer’s linguistic background.
Writing: A New Frontier for Diverse Expertise
The landscape of writing has dramatically shifted, shedding its former image as an exclusive domain for a select few. Today, a career in writing has blossomed into a new-found opportunity, accessible to individuals from virtually any academic or professional background.
This democratization of writing means that your specialized knowledge, once confined to a particular field, can now be leveraged to build a thriving writing career. For instance, someone with a deep understanding of theology might specialize in creating compelling religious content, from insightful blog posts to comprehensive devotional guides.
Similarly, a medical professional can transition into medical writing, translating complex scientific data into accessible articles for patients, healthcare providers, or pharmaceutical companies.
The possibilities are truly expansive: a former engineer could become a technical writer, simplifying complex manuals; an environmental scientist could specialize in sustainability reporting; or a financial expert could excel in fintech content creation.
It’s now entirely feasible to undergo specialized training and emerge as a highly sought-after professional writer within a niche field, demonstrating that writing is no longer just an art form, but a versatile skill that empowers experts across all disciplines to effectively communicate their invaluable knowledge to a wider audience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while some perceive AI as a replacement for human writing, a deeper understanding reveals its role as a powerful enhancement and a catalyst for new opportunities.
A strong foundation in writing remains paramount; it’s a rigorous training that equips individuals with essential research, critical thinking, and structured communication skills—abilities that no AI can fully replicate, as they demand human judgment, time, and resources.
Furthermore, effective writing, particularly in a business context, necessitates unwavering dedication and commitment. Despite AI’s ability to generate content quickly, the nuance, strategic intent, and continuous refinement required for truly impactful communication still call for significant human investment, often necessitating the expertise of professional writers for diverse content needs.
However, AI is far from an adversary; it’s an invaluable tool that enriches and speeds up the writing process. From streamlining grammatical corrections and sentence restructuring to suggesting content enhancements, AI makes writing more efficient and accessible, especially for non-native English speakers, boosting confidence and polish.
Ultimately, this evolving landscape has transformed writing into a newfound opportunity for individuals from all disciplines. No longer confined to a select few, specialized expertise across fields like medicine or religion can now be leveraged into thriving writing careers, proving that with human insight, dedication, and AI’s assistive capabilities, the future of writing is more expansive and exciting than ever before.
And that is it from me here. Do you think writing is dead?
As a freelancer or business owner, you’ve likely faced the frustrating situation of completing work only for a client to delay or decline payment. That feeling of “turmoil” is all too real.
But what if you could prevent this? Establishing a clear and efficient online payment procedure isn’t just about getting paid; it’s about protecting your time, effort, and bottom line.
In this post, I will walk you through the essential steps to ensuring you get paid reliably online, every time.
Step 1: Lay the Foundation with a Solid Written Agreement
The very first, and arguably most critical, step in ensuring you get paid reliably online is to formalize your working relationship.
Don’t just verbally agree on terms; create a comprehensive written agreement, whether it’s a formal contract or detailed terms of service published on your website and agreed to by the client.
This isn’t about being overly rigid; it’s about establishing clear expectations and demonstrating your professionalism. Your agreement should meticulously outline the scope of work you will deliver, the specific information, assets, or access the client must provide for you to complete the project successfully (and the implications if they don’t).
Furthermore, break down the cost of your service clearly, detailing what the client is paying for.
Crucially, this is where you define your payment terms: specify the total amount due, any deposit requirements, payment milestones (if applicable), the deadline for payment (e.g. within 7 days), acceptable online payment methods, and the exact process the client needs to follow to submit payment.
Having all of this in writing and agreed upon upfront significantly reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings and provides a clear reference point if any payment issues arise.
Step 2: Ask For Not Less Than 50% Upfront Commitment Fee/ Down-payment
Implementing a policy of requesting a commitment fee or down payment, ideally around 50% of the total project cost, is a crucial step in safeguarding your income as a freelancer or business owner operating online.
This isn’t about a lack of trust in your clients; rather, it’s a standard professional practice that offers significant benefits for both parties and drastically reduces your risk of non-payment.
Here’s why this step is so vital:
Demonstrates Client Commitment
When a client is willing to invest financially upfront, it immediately signals their seriousness and commitment to the project. This helps filter out potential clients who may not be fully invested or might be more likely to disappear before paying.
Provides Essential Operating Capital
Freelancing and running an online business often involve initial expenses, whether it’s software subscriptions, necessary tools, or simply the time invested in initial planning and setup before the main work is completed. A 50% deposit helps cover these upfront costs, ensuring you’re not out-of-pocket while you deliver the service.
Reduces Your Financial Risk
In the unfortunate event that a client becomes unresponsive or cancels the project midway, having received a significant portion of the payment upfront provides a safety net. It ensures you are compensated for at least a substantial part of the work and time invested, mitigating the impact of potential non-payment.
Improves Cash Flow
Waiting until a project is 100% complete to receive any payment can create unpredictable income streams. An upfront deposit provides an immediate influx of cash, helping you manage your business finances more effectively and providing greater stability.
Sets a Professional Tone
Clearly stating your requirement for a deposit in your initial terms and contract (as outlined in Step 1) reinforces your position as a professional business with established procedures. It sets a clear expectation from the outset and helps prevent awkward payment conversations later.
This 50% figure is a common starting point, striking a balance between securing significant commitment and not being an unreasonable burden on the client.
Depending on the nature and length of your projects, you might adjust this percentage, but the principle of getting a portion of the payment upfront remains a cornerstone of getting paid reliably online. Ensure this requirement is clearly stated in your contract and discussed with the client before any work commences.
Step 3: Leverage Safe and Integrated Payment Gateways to Build Trust
Once your terms are clear and you’ve secured a commitment fee, the next critical step is to make the actual payment process as smooth, professional, and secure as possible for your clients.
Think of a payment gateway as the digital equivalent of a point-of-sale terminal in a physical store. It’s the technology that securely authorizes and processes online payments, acting as a bridge between your website, your client’s bank, and your business bank account.
But it’s not just about functionality; the choice and integration of your payment gateway significantly impact client trust – you are, in essence, using it to “buy” their confidence.
Here’s why this step is essential:
Enhances Security and Professionalism
Reputable payment gateways employ advanced security measures like encryption and fraud detection. By using them, you signal to your clients that you prioritize the safety of their sensitive financial information.
A clunky or insecure payment process can be a major red flag for clients and lead to abandoned payments. A professional, integrated gateway reassures them that their transaction is protected.
Creates a Seamless User Experience
Ideally, your clients should be able to pay you directly on your website or through a secure, branded payment link without being redirected to an unfamiliar third-party site. Seamless integration of a payment gateway provides a smooth and consistent experience, reducing friction and increasing the likelihood of timely payment.
Offers Multiple Payment Options
Leading payment gateways support a variety of payment methods, including major credit cards, debit cards, and sometimes digital wallets or bank transfers. Offering your clients their preferred payment method adds convenience and further builds trust by accommodating their needs.
Automates and Streamlines the Process
Integrated payment gateways automate much of the payment process, from authorization to transfer, reducing manual effort and potential errors. This efficiency benefits both you and your client.
Builds Credibility
Associating your business with well-known and trusted payment gateway brands (like Pesapal, PayPal, Wise, Stripe, Square, etc.) lends credibility to your operation. Clients are often more comfortable paying through gateways they recognize and trust.
By carefully selecting and integrating a safe payment gateway, you’re not just setting up a mechanism to receive funds; you’re actively building a trustworthy and professional image that encourages clients to pay confidently and promptly.
Step 4: Exceed Expectations – Give it Your All and Deliver Exceptional Quality
While the previous steps focused on setting up clear terms and robust payment systems, this step hones in on the absolute cornerstone of consistent online income: the quality of your work.
No matter how well you’ve drafted your contract or how seamless your payment gateway is, consistently delivering high-quality results is paramount to getting paid without hassle and building a sustainable online business.
Think of the payment you receive as a direct reflection of the value you provide. When you “give it your all” and deliver exceptional quality, you not only fulfill the obligations outlined in your initial agreement (Step 1), but you also build significant goodwill and trust with your clients. This goes beyond simply meeting expectations; it’s about exceeding them whenever possible.
Here’s why delivering top-notch quality is so critical for getting paid:
Justifies Your Value and Price
High-quality work clearly demonstrates the value you bring to the client and justifies your fees. When clients are genuinely impressed with the results, they are far less likely to question the cost or delay payment. Your work becomes its own compelling argument for timely compensation.
Minimizes Disputes and Revisions
Poor quality or work that doesn’t align with the agreed-upon scope is the primary reason for client dissatisfaction and payment disputes. By focusing on excellence from the outset, you reduce the need for extensive revisions and the potential for disagreements over whether the work was delivered as promised.
Builds Trust and Credibility (Reinforcing Step 3)
Just as a secure payment gateway builds trust in the transaction process, delivering consistent quality builds trust in your abilities and reliability as a service provider or business. This reinforces the professional image you’ve worked to cultivate and makes clients more confident in continuing to do business with you and, crucially, paying you on time.
Generates Repeat Business and Referrals
Satisfied clients who are thrilled with the quality of your work are your best advocates. They are highly likely to become repeat customers and refer new business to you. This creates a virtuous cycle where your commitment to quality directly leads to more opportunities to get paid.
Creates a Positive Reputation
In the online world, reputation is everything. Consistently delivering high-quality work builds a strong positive reputation, making you a sought-after professional. This can give you more leverage in setting your terms and attracting clients who value quality and are willing to pay for it.
Ultimately, while contracts and payment systems provide the framework, the actual exchange of value happens through the quality of your deliverables. By committing to excellence in every project, you not only honor your agreement but also proactively reduce potential payment friction and lay the foundation for long-term success and financial consistency in your online endeavors.
Step 5: Cultivate Social Proof – Don’t Let Happy Clients Leave Without a Review
You’ve set clear terms, secured an upfront payment, implemented a smooth payment gateway, and delivered exceptional quality (Steps 1-4). Now it’s time to leverage that positive experience to build a powerful tool for future payments: social proof.
This step is all about actively encouraging your happy clients to share their positive experiences through reviews and testimonials.
In the online world, trust is currency, and social proof is gold. Potential clients looking for freelance services or online businesses rely heavily on the experiences of others to make their decisions.
They want to know that you are reliable, deliver on your promises, and provide genuine value. Positive reviews act as powerful endorsements, validating your expertise and significantly influencing a potential client’s comfort level in hiring you and, crucially, in trusting you with their payment information.
Here’s why actively seeking reviews is essential for consistent online payments:
Builds Credibility and Authority
A collection of positive reviews across different platforms (your website, Google My Business, social media, industry-specific sites) immediately builds your credibility with new prospects. It shows that others have trusted you and had positive outcomes, making you a more attractive and less risky choice.
Increases Trust in the Payment Process
When potential clients see that others have successfully worked with you and were satisfied, it extends their trust to the entire interaction, including the payment process. Knowing that happy customers have navigated your payment system and received quality work reduces anxiety for new clients when it’s time to pay.
Acts as Powerful Marketing
Positive reviews are authentic, third-party endorsements that are often more persuasive than your own marketing copy. They highlight the real-world benefits of working with you and can attract clients who are a good fit and are likely to value your services – and thus pay for them willingly.
Provides Valuable Feedback (and Helps You Improve)
While the focus here is on getting paid, the reviews themselves also offer invaluable insights into what you’re doing well and areas where you could improve. This feedback loop helps you maintain and even enhance the quality of your services (Step 4), further reducing future payment issues.
Reduces Hesitation for New Clients
For someone considering hiring you for the first time, seeing positive testimonials from satisfied clients can be the final push they need to commit. This reduces their hesitation and makes the initial payment (like the commitment fee in Step 2) feel less like a gamble and more like a worthwhile investment.
How to Ask for Reviews Effectively
Timing is key. Ask for a review when the client is happiest – immediately after successfully delivering the final product or service, or after they’ve expressed genuine satisfaction. Make it easy for them by providing a direct link to where you’d like them to leave the review. Personalize your request, reminding them of the specific positive outcome you helped them achieve.
Where to Showcase Your Reviews
Strategically display testimonials on your website, particularly on your homepage, services pages, and a dedicated testimonials page. Share them on your social media channels and include snippets in your proposals or email signatures. The more visible your positive social proof is, the more it will work for you in building trust and encouraging timely payments from new clients.
By making the collection and showcasing of positive client feedback a standard part of your process, you leverage the power of social proof to attract better clients, build trust, and ultimately ensure you get paid online consistently and reliably.
Conclusion
Getting paid reliably online as a freelancer or business owner doesn’t have to be a source of stress. By implementing these five essential steps – from setting clear terms and securing upfront commitment to delivering exceptional quality and leveraging positive reviews – you build a robust system that minimizes risk and fosters trust. Follow this guide consistently, and you’ll pave the way for predictable income, stronger client relationships, and the sustainable growth of your online business.
Did I miss a step? Let me know in the comments section.
And if you need video production services, let me know here. Alternatively, you can visit our company website here.
Video: Unlock Your Superpower: Free AI Tools for Creators, Freelancers, and Bosses in 2024
Sometimes as a creator or a freelancer, you feel stuck,,I mean you want to do cool stuff like write blog posts and design fancy graphics, but you lack the inspiration.
Well, I have good news for you! You can try using AI to boost your creativity. And guess what? Most of the AI tools available out there today are FREE! In this video, I will show you secret tools that can make you a content creation champion, a freelance superhero, or even a boss-level business builder.
Writing is a skill that can be enhanced with the help of artificial intelligence. There are many free AI tools for writing that can assist writers in various tasks. These tasks include generating ideas, correcting grammar, improving style, and more.
Some examples of these tools are Copilot, Bard, and ChatGPT. All of these AI tools are free.
Copilot
You can use Copilot for free on Microsoft edge browser. Install Microsoft Edge browser on your computer first, if you don’t already have it installed. To get started, open Microsoft edge browser and to the far right, you will see a blue round icon. That is the copilot logo. Click on it to open. Here you have 3 options. The first one is the chatbot version. With the chat feature, you can ask the Copilot any question and it will be able to give you an answer.
For example, I will ask copilot to code for me a simple calculator app that I can install on windows. And within seconds, I have the code that I can paste on visual studio for further modification. This is helpful to every tech person.
The second option is the compose feature. This is an ideal feature for writers. You can use this to write different types of content. You can compose content in different tones, formats and length.
The last option is insights. This for researching trending content online and discovering new things. .
All of these options are good and can help one craft powerful content.
Gemini
You can access bard on gemini.google.com. You will be required to login using your Gmail email address. Gemini is basically good for everyone, especially writers. With the help of Gemini, writers can come up with engaging stories and characters. Gemini uses natural language processing and deep learning to generate plot outlines, character descriptions, dialogue, and more.
It is important to mention that you can use bard for anything. For example, lets say you are applying for a job in a certain company, let’s call it company C. And you don’t have time to write a cover letter. Gemini will do the job for you. Just instruct Gemini to write a cover letter to company C for the position advertised. Tell Gemini to mention that you have the skills needed listing them one by one. Gemini will do exactly as you have instructed. Here is an example of a cover letter.Â
ChatGPT
Nearly everyone knows of ChatGPT. It is a product of OpenAI and utilizes chatbots to generate accurate responses. This tool can help writers create conversational texts and chatbots. Also, those in tech can ask GPT chatbot to help them with coding.
You can access chatGPT on Openai.com.
Microsoft Designer
If you are looking for free AI tools to design posters, social media GIFs, YouTube thumbnails and more, you might want to check out Microsoft Designer. Microsoft Designer is a web-based application that lets you create stunning graphics with the help of AI.
You can choose from hundreds of templates, customize them with your own text and images, and download or share them online. Microsoft Designer also offers smart suggestions and tips to improve your design. Whether you need a flyer, a logo, a banner or a meme, Microsoft Designer can help you create it in minutes.
Use AI Tools To Write Social Media Memes!
Tired of struggling to come up with funny captions for your memes? Or are you tired of designing memes on Photoshop? Well, Copilot, ChatGPT and Bard AI can save the day!
Yes, these AI tools are now helping everyone create awesome memes that make people laugh out loud.
Just tell them a funny story or what’s trending online, and they’ll come up with hilarious captions that will make your friends say, “OMG, how did you come up with that?!”
Memes are not just about the LOLs. Memes can also be used to make important points about the world, spread awareness about cool stuff, or even teach people new things. Imagine using AI to make science memes that are actually funny, or memes that get people talking about important issues. That’s pretty amazing, right?
So, get ready to ditch those old-school meme makers and embrace the power of AI. Just remember to use your meme powers for good, not evil!
Wow, we just explored through a universe of free AI tools that can make 2024 your most epic year! From writing like a wordsmith to designing stunning graphics, AI is your secret weapon for crushing deadlines, conquering content, and building a business that rules.
If you need help to create content using any of these tools, let me know here.
Remember, you are the hero of your own story, and these AI tools are here to help you out.
Up until next time, bye bye and take care. My name is Cheptiony Mutai.
Before you start measuring the Return On Investment(ROI) of a video, it is important to first look at why you created the video at first , and who is their target audience. Businesses and brands create videos for different purposes. Some of the common reasons why people create videos are:
To be Famous. i.e. Via Youtube, Facebook and Tiktok.
For Reporting purposes– N.G.O’s and corporate organizations set aside money for documentation of their achievements through video.
For Marketing Product and services – Good example of this is advertisements, landing page videos, explainer videos e.tc.
To Educate – Through online video courses shared online that people can learn from.
To Entertain – E.g Music videos, drama, comedy e.t.c.
To express creativity or show people how to do things – e.g How to build, cook, edit videos e.t.c
For memories – e.g Travel videos, anniversaries, events e.t.c.
With all these factors considered, you will be in a good position to know if your video strategy is working and you can start measuring your video ROI.
On this blogpost, I will share with you 5 key metrics to look at when measuring your video ROI.
Watch Video – 5 Key Metrics to Measure Video Video ROI
Views
This is the easiest and most obvious metric to track. It tells you how many people have watched your video, either on your website, social media platforms, or other channels.
View count can give you an idea of the reach and popularity of your video, but it doesn’t tell you much about the quality of the views or the impact on your business goals. This metric is ideal for fame videos, educational videos, entertainment videos e.t.c.
Watch time
This metric tells you how long people have watched your video, either in total or as a percentage of the video length. Watch time can indicate the level of interest and engagement of your viewers, as well as the effectiveness of your video content.
A high watch time means your video is engaging and relevant to your audience, while a low watch time means your video is boring, off-topic, the sound is not clear, poor editing or the image quality is down.
Engagement
This metric measures how your audience interacts with your video. By liking, commenting, sharing, subscribing, or clicking a call to action on a video. Engagement tells you how your videos resonate with viewers, influence their behavior, and encourage them to take action.
A high engagement rate means your video is engaging and compelling, while a low engagement rate means your video is unappealing.
Conversion
This metric tracks how your video leads to a desired result, such as generating leads, sales, sign-ups, downloads, or donations. Conversion can show you how your video contributes to your business objectives and generates revenue.
A high conversion rate means that your video is effective and profitable, while a low conversion rate means that your video is not aligned with your objectives or value proposition.
Customer satisfaction
This metric measures how your video affects the contentment and devotion of your customers, such as increasing retention, referrals, reviews, or testimonials. Customer satisfaction can show you how your video builds trust and relationships with your customers, how it improves their experience and gratification, and how it creates advocates for your brand.
A high customer satisfaction score means that your video is valuable and memorable, while a low customer satisfaction score means that your video is disappointing or irrelevant.
And that is it.
How much have you invested in creating videos for your brand? How often do you measure ROI with your creator or producer in order to improve? Let me know in the comments section below.
And if you need someone to help you create professional video content for your brand or business, let me know here. That’s my line of work.
Please follow me on x and Youtube using the links below here.
When people hear Artificial Intelligence(AI), what comes to everyone’s mind is ChatGPT by OpenAI because many people are currently using it. From college and university students using it to do their homework, to bloggers using it to write blog content. AI is the new goldmine and is here to stay.
Watch Video
But lets shift our focus today a little bit and look at free AI tools that we have with us on our phones and computers. Many people just see them on their phone or computer but they don’t know how powerful they are.
That’s what I am going to share with you on this blogpost.
Google lens is an app that comes preinstalled on every android phone. Many people don’t know how utilize it for productivity. When you open Google Lens on phone, it just start the camera and displays images from your gallery below.
On top just below the camera, you can see the menu tittles. These are things you can do with google lens.
You can translate text from an image, you can search online using images, you can take photos of your homework questions and google will answer it for you, you can take a photo of a product and google will show you the price of the product on different outlets that sell it and with location setting enabled, you can take a picture of a signboard in the place you are in and google lens will tell you where you are.
In this review, I will demonstrate to you how to simply copy text from an image using google lens without typing it. It doesn’t matter if the text was written by hand or typed; google lens will do the job of copying and converting it to typed text that you can edit.
I have some notes hand written on my book here. Instead of typing them, we will use google lens to type it. So I will point the lens on the page where the text is, and google lens will highlight the text and prompt me to choose the action I want with the text selected.
In this case, I will select ‘text’ menu then select copy text on the new window. The text will copied to clipboard. Open google docs or a word processing app on phone and paste it there.
As you can see here the text is copied and pasted. From here I can easily edit.
Another way you can copy text is from an image on your phone. Select the image with text that you want to copy. Google lens will select the text. Tap on copy and it will be copied to clipboard. From there, you can paste it where you want e.g. on google docs, on e-mail e.t.c.
Google lens has a total of six things you can do with it and will safe you a lot of time.
When you install Microsoft Edge browser on your computer, it comes with Bing Chat. Bing is an AI-powered search engine owned and operated by Microsoft. Bing chat is an AI feature within the browser that works like ChatGPT but its free. No login is required.
Bing chat appears at the far top right corner on the Edge browser. Click on it to open.
Bing chat has three features; chat, compose and insights. This a a very powerful tool for anyone in the communications business.
You can use this to write various communication messages like website landing page content, social media posts, cover letters e.t.c. To remain unique, always know which feature to use when.
Since most people are familiar with the chat feature based on their past experience with chatGPT, I will explore the compose feature in order to give an idea of how AI can positively change the tone in which you communicate for good.
When you open this feature, you will realize that it gives you 3 choices that you need to pick after keying in your idea on what you want it to write. Among these choices include tone, format and length.
With compose feature you can write basically anything. Just type in the keywords of what you want it to write and chose the tone, format and length and Bing chat will give you the results.
So far, from my experience, the compose feature does a perfect job. Just think of anything, and ask it to compose it for you. It will phrase it so well that you will be happy to post and share.
Conclusion
AI is a powerful tool that can help you create, communicate and collaborate. But it also comes with some challenges and responsibilities. You need to be aware of how AI works, what it can and cannot do, and how it might affect your audience.
You need to use AI wisely and ethically, and make sure that what it presents to you reflects your intended message. Don’t rely on AI blindly. Always check, edit and improve its output.
AI is not a substitute for your own creativity and critical thinking, but a partner that can enhance them.
And that is it.
Have you embraced AI in your communications? If not, what is preventing you from taking advantage of it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
And if you need professional help in building vibrant digital media and communication channels for your business that you can rely on, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here. I will be glad to help.
At the end of the month of June 2023, the government of Kenya under the leadership of His Excellency the president of the republic of Kenya Dr. William Ruto officially launched Ecitizen portal making over 5,000 government services readily accessible to its citizens.
In this blogpost, I will review the New Ecitizen portal.
Landing Page
Generally, the landing page looks clean and neatly done. The information is well organized starting with the most requested services like application for a driving license, showing on top of the page. Before you can signup or sign in, you are able to check if the service you are looking for here is available.
You can do this by typing the name of the service, ministry,department or agency on the search bar on top and hit enter on your Keyboard to search. This will display the service if available.
Website loading speed is fast and seamless compared to how it was in the past. With clean landing page design, its easy to locate the sign in and register links on top of the site once you are here.
Here, services are classified in two categories namely National and County. Aside using the search bar to find the service you are looking for, you can access them using the menu links on top and below the website.
Logging In, Registration and Security
If you are new to Ecitizen, you will need to register in order to access the services here. Click on register to get started.
You will taken to a page to confirm the account type that you would like to create. Depending on your background, you can choose either citizen, resident, diplomat or foreigner.
For Citizens, you are required to provide your ID number, contact, password and profile photo. Some of the things needed today on the platform was not required in the past. E.g The profile photo.
For those who already have an account on Ecitizen, you just simply login with either your e-mail or national ID number as username and enter your password. One thing that you will notice when logging in is that 2Factor authentication has been introduced, something that was not there in the past. This is a good move to a more secure digital future for Kenyans.
One Time password Verification can be done via e-mail or phone. This is the phone number and email you signed up with.
Account Dashboard
Once you are logged in to your account, you will taken to the dashboard that looks like the image below. On top, you can see summary of your personal details. Also on top you can find menu links to manage your profile and account.
From here you can start searching for the service you want.
Profile & Account Management
When you click on profile, you can view your identity documents like your national ID and driving license. As it looks, the details on the previews available here are not complete. However, there is a note below the preview to notify users that its only for illustrative purposes.
There are other new menu tabs under your profile which I believe it will be active once population of data from relevant organizations is complete. As it looks, in future, the government will have all your data including your health, income, taxes, family and more. When that time comes, no one will be excluded from government activities.
Under the Account Management menu tab, make changes on your account critical data like phone number, e-mail and password. Also, you can choose to disable the 2 factor authentication here.
There are other additional menu items that are not active yet like biometrics and electronic signature which I think it will be active in future.
With all this information, what else will the government need in order to control it’s citizens? absolutely nothing. I am just saying.
Help & Support
If you encounter problems while accessing services on the portal, there is a dedicated team ready to assist you with your problem. Click on help and support menu on top and you will be taken to this page here.
Here you can choose which way you would like to get help and support. There is a phone number and e-mail address that you can use to contact support team. Alternatively, you can visit Huduma Center to get the help you need.
But before you reach out, its always wise to go through all the Frequently asked questions (FAQs) and see if the answer you are looking for is there. I have reached out several times to the support team on Ecitizen in the past and I got the assistance I needed. So, good news is that the contacts you find here are working.
Downsides
While ‘recent applications‘ tab is visible on the dashboard, it’s no yet active. Same thing with notifications. The only way to see the request you have made in the past is going to the site that you requested service in and you will be able to view your request. E.g BRS portal if you had applied to register a business or company.
Secondly, there used to be a live chat feature which only a bot responded to in the past. That was a clever idea. With more and more government services being linked to Ecitizen, its important to also reintroduce live chat so that users can get help via chat in real time.
Finally, the portal is sometimes down. I guess it is due to the amount of traffic/visitors to the portal. It notifies the user that their internet network is down yet in reality, the internet connection is ok.
At the time of doing this review, the site was down for almost a whole week and I had to hold the review until it was back. The government through the ICT cabinet secretary later responded to the downtime saying there was a cyber attack which was not successful. He said that the technical team was able to block the attackers IP address on time.
Conclusion
Unless the service you are looking for requires you to be there physically, there is no need of paying a visit to the government office issuing the service. First check if they have the service on Ecitizen portal. If they do, well and good, make your application online.
Technology is here to simplify work and make everything convenient. Take advantage of it because you can. Moreover it’s cheaper that way.
And that’s it from me.
Have you made any applications on Ecitizen portal? How was your experience like? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
And if you need help to create and produce professional video tutorials or any other video production service, reach out to me here.
Until next time, bye bye and take care. Please follow me on twitter @cheptiony and also check out my YouTube channel here.
