One-off or Series? Consider Your Video Strategy

Written By: admin, May 12th, 2010, No Comments

These days, one can hardly visit a web site that doesn’t incorporate video in some form or another. In a previous post, I talked about how vital it is to make video a part of your overall web content strategy. One of the mistakes people often make is they think about their video like this:

“I need to shoot one video of my CEO talking about our new line of business.”

There is nothing wrong with producing a video of your CEO – in fact, it can be a very powerful communication tool. However, there is a fundamental problem if that’s the only video you’re making. I’ll explain.

I could go on all day about how critical it is to have well thought out content in your videos – but that’s a topic for another day. Content is indeed King, but creating amazing content can be time consuming and expensive, if you haven’t thought about how to maximize the efficiency of how it’s created.

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Let’s say, for example, that you have actually managed to get your CEO in a room long enough to talk on camera about the new line of business. That in itself is challenge enough. You’re geared up to shoot 3 or 4 minutes of stellar content that your clients and prospects are going to LOVE. That is terrific, but after you’ve shot the piece, are you just going to let your CEO walk out? Who knows when you’ll be able to harness his undivided attention again!

Now, consider this. What if, when you were setting up the interview, you asked your CEO’s assistant to schedule him for 30 minutes instead of 15? You may need to wait a bit longer for an appointment, but eventually you’d get

a bit more of his time. Then, what if, instead of shooting 3 minutes of footage on the new business line, you decided to shoot 15 or 20 minutes on a variety of topics…you could talk to him about anything – strategic vision of the company, the importance of hiring good people, the success of the latest software release…the list goes on.

Suddenly, instead of a one-off clip, you have a whole pile of content to work with. You could then edit a whole series of “From the CEO’s Desk” videos that can be posted on your site, and even set them up like a podcast so people can subscribe to receive new content automatically!

There are other great reasons to approach your content from a “series” perspective. Many companies these days are opting to hire professional video producers to help them with their video content. This can be a great way to ensure you get a professional quality product without taxing your already busy in-house resources with the task of scripting, shooting and editing.

If you opt to go the pro route, then you’re going to save a ton of time and money by shooting and editing your videos in “batches”.

Instead of bringing in a video crew every time you want to shoot a new segment, you can bring in your videographer and interviewer for a full day or two. You’ll be able to bang off several interviews at once, often with only a few location changes (or all in the same location if you use a portable green screen, which allows you to superimpose any background you want). You pay once, but you get several “episodes” worth of content.

In addition, considering your content as a series (as in the “From the CEO’s Desk” example from earlier), allows your production team to create a graphic look and feel that is consistent across episodes, and therefore you’re only building graphics once and re-using them. That’s healthy for your budget and your brand.

So, what’s your next video project? Do you have an idea for a one-time clip? Is that idea something that could easily be worked into a series? Food for thought as you plan your online video strategy.

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Posted in video

5 Simple Ways to Get Started with Web Video

Written By: Susan Murphy, April 13th, 2010, 1 Comment

There was a time when in order to create worthwhile video content, you had to invest in complex equipment, tie up resources for days on end, and then find ways to distribute the content by buying ad or informercial time on a TV network or making thousands of DVD and videotape copies. Video was cost prohibitive and time consuming, and it was difficult to gauge response or ROI.

The Web has changed all of that. Now, anyone with a camera and an Internet connection can post video online in just a few minutes, and distribute it to a worldwide audience. The cost, time and level of expertise required has plummeted. This is very good news for small businesses with limited resources.

Video is one of the most engaging ways to tell your story. The use of moving images, music, narration and text can inspire, inform and enlighten. There are lots of ways to get started with video, and we wanted to share some basic tips that you can use to get you up and running, experimenting with video as a storytelling medium for your business.

Tip #1: Finding the Right Camera
A good camera is the best place to start. We recommend buying the best quality camera you can afford, but you still want to keep things simple. There’s no reason to run out and buy a $5,000 camera with more features than you need if all you’re doing is simple webcasts.

Consider what you’ll be using the camera for and how quickly you want to go from the videography stage to final product. There are many small cameras that are designed specifically for being super-portable, with point and shoot ease and one-or-two-click uploading. Our personal favourites are the Flip Ultra and the Kodak Zi8. Both offer high definition quality (albeit consumer-level high definition, but still very good), and point and shoot usability. For a couple hundred dollars you can have all you need to start making web videos.

But, even if you don’t have the money to get a video camera, making a video can be as simple as talking into your laptop web cam or cell phone camera!

Tip #2: Consider Your Story
Before you start rolling, take some time and really consider what you want your video to be about. You don’t need to script it entirely, but do think about how you want to present things. If you’re the CEO and are giving a daily update to your customers, take some time to make some notes on your key messages. Don’t be afraid to try it a few times – it’s not live TV, so it’s okay if you make a mistake – you can just do it over and over till you get it right. What’s most important is that you’re communicating your message well. Preparing ahead of time will help your story to be clear.

Tip #3: Quality Matters
It’s all fine and well to have a great story to tell, but if nobody can see or hear it, it’s not going to fly. Presenting a substandard quality video could reflect poorly on your company, so you want to make sure that you’re presenting something technically sound. You don’t have to have the fanciest equipment in the world to make it look and sound good. Make sure you’re shooting in a well-lit location. Be careful that you don’t have any windows or bright lights directly behind you, or you’ll look like a silhouette. Try to limit background noise, like people talking, or phones ringing. Of course, if you’re outside on the street, this will be more difficult. In this case, do a test recording to make sure you can be heard over the background noise.

Tip #4: Put it all Together
If your video is just you talking straight to the camera for a few minutes, then minimal editing will be required. However, if you want to get a bit more fancy, by putting in an opening title, some graphics, music, or different visuals, then you’ll need to do some editing. There are free tools available, such as iMovie for Mac and Windows Movie Maker, and for simple stuff, this is all you’ll need. If you want to get more fancy, you can check tools like Adobe Premiere Elements or Corel VideoStudio. The pro tools, like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro are expensive and probably overkill for simple web videos, and have a steeper learning curve, so there’s no real reason to consider those.

Be warned…editing can take time. You have to decide if it’s worth it for you or someone in your office to spend time in their day editing videos. If you do, then rest assured that you can get up and running pretty simply using the consumer level tools mentioned here.

Tip #5: Ask an Expert
There are lots of people who do just fine putting together their own web videos. They have been able to invest a bit of money and a few resources into it, and it’s paying off.

In some cases, you may decide that it would be a more effective use of resources to bring in the pros. Hiring a video production company that specializes in corporate web video is a good option, if you are looking to produce a one-off special or series, or to do multiple projects over a longer period.

A professional production company can help you refine your stories, hire professional on-air talent, and has access to better quality equipment. The videographers and editors are capable of making your finished product polished and professional, and this can reflect well on your customers and ultimately on your sales.

No matter whether you choose to be an in-house video crew or hire a pro, one thing is clear…video is the way of the future. If you don’t already have plans to incorporate video into your online efforts, now is the time.

Good luck!

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Posted in video, web design

The Evolution of the Website

Written By: Susan Murphy, October 6th, 2009, 1 Comment

I’ve been at this whole web thing a while – pretty well since the beginning actually (well at least the beginning of the popular “Web”). I remember the first time I saw the Internet – It was 1996, and my brother called to me from his computer room. “I want to show you something that will blow your mind!” he shouted. I went into the room and sat down beside him. The computer screen was displaying nothing more than a murky grey background and some black text. A few of the words were blue and underlined. “It’s an ugly page of text. So what?” I said, and got up to leave. “That ugly page of text is coming from a computer on the other side of the world.”

I sat back down.

In that instant, I knew that things were about to change in a big way. I’d been working in television for about 6 years at that point and was pretty savvy about all kinds of media. But this…this was different. I realized that if people had the ability to post information that anyone in the world could see, then this could have a significant impact on the way people communicate.

Fast-forward a few years and the Web had become mainstream. By the late 90’s and early 2000’s, there were millions and millions of web sites. Many of these sites were basically online business cards – text and images on a screen, that in large part, displayed company descriptions and contact information, and not much more. There were some nifty new languages and tools appearing on the market that let you have some amount of interactivity and animation…but they weren’t the norm yet. Video was a bit of a pipe dream, as connection speeds simply weren’t fast enough to handle it. But companies were really starting to see the value in having a web presence.

Today, the Web is ubiquitous, to the point where companies that don’t have a web presence are perceived as lacking credibility. And it’s no longer just about having an online business card. Sure, it’s vitally important to ensure that your contact information appears, and that your site tells visitors something about your company. But there’s so much more to it now.

The Web has evolved from a relatively passive viewing experience (like TV) to a dynamic, two-way conversation. Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs have revolutionized the way that companies interact with their customers.

But perhaps one of the biggest progressions on the Web has been online video. YouTube went online for the first time in 2005, and changed the way we perceived video. Video used to be mysterious and expensive. Now, anyone with a web cam and an idea can make a video. Bring some professional video people into the mix, and you can do something truly remarkable.

There’s no question nowadays that having a solid web presence is an integral part of marketing your business or organization. Using the amazing tools we have at our disposal to craft compelling stories and create real, engaging, two-way conversations is a key step in the process. The Web is a powerful medium, and it’s within reach of anyone.

So what are you waiting for?

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Posted in video, web design