So now I am a week or so into my journey and the next step is creating a blog about a popular online subject. I definitely didn’t want to write about all the regular online business opportunities that you see every day and I wanted to write about something I at least had some experience in.
Enter the Age of Moving Pictures 
It’s fairly obvious that videos have taken over as our favorite form of communication so I chose this subject to discuss. I watched over the last few years as videos slowly took over actual communications with my friends in Facebook. Now apparently it is much easier to type a one-line lead-in, copy a link of a video, and declare it a new post instead of writing a paragraph about what is going on in your life. I see the value but sharing someone else’s video with me feels a bit like cheating.
I like videos, and currently, I am in several training programs where they are very helpful; however, I am at the point in my life that I do not like wasting time, so I thought I would share a couple of things to consider if you are going to make a video.
What is the Goal of your Video?
– Know your targeted audience and make sure your video is sending a clear message. If it is a live webinar, ask the audience along the way if they are keeping up and that they understand the message (but try to save questions until the end). If someone can help monitor the event for you, that would be a great help.
– If you are planning to record a video – not just a spur of the moment thing – then you ought to give some thought to these things before recording: the video software, microphone and camera to use; where you will film, does the room have enough light and are there no distractions behind you; can you been seen and heard clearly and, most importantly, what type of film are you producing; is it a training video, podcast, marketing webinar, etc.; and finally, will this new film be treated as an “evergreen” product. All of your upfront decisions will determine the quality and effectiveness of your video.
Less is More
– Because, by nature, talking is so much easier and faster than typing, hosts can get carried away quite easily on videos. A long introduction will lose your audience. I would assume that you will be sharing your video with people who already know you are or were introduced through a lead in email or a welcome video.
– There should always be a script to help stay on track. Once you think you’re done you should have a third party review the video to make sure the voice-over and script match the video screens.
– I often see too much time spent on reiterating the video’s benefits before getting into the important stuff or too much time spent greeting webinar attendees. Keep in mind if you plan on republishing a live webinar recording, please either edit the start of the video or include an intro video that explains it is a recording of a live event.
– Training videos, like face-to-face meetings, should adhere to a specific timeline by starting and finishing on time and the timeline should include a Q & A if appropriate.
– Make sure you are not overwhelming your audience with too much information at one time. If necessary, break down the video into daily segments or lessons.
Keeping Videos Up-To-Date
– Creating any webinar, or any useful video tool for that matter is not for the faint of heart. To do video recording right requires good skills and lots of time. Check out Tom’s Guide, they offer a list of the best video editing software. Because it can be tedious work and difficult for you to catch all your snafus, I suggest you have a friend review it before publishing.
– To compound the problem, content updates can happen frequently, depending on the subject matter. This is bad news for “evergreen” videos. Revising videos can sometimes take as long as remaking them, so people will put this off or they get too busy to go back and update their work. Once this happens their work causes frustration and loss of visiting viewers and if left alone it will very quickly become unusable, adding to the mountain of bad junk on the Internet to sift through.
– Keep in mind that producing or updating a video will be tedious work and difficult for you to catch all of your snafus, so I urge you to have a friend review it before publishing.
To Write or Not to Write
– Many times note taking is encouraged but sometimes, like during live webinar sessions, it’s difficult to listen and take notes. Attendees can get frustrated and distracted from the purpose of the webinar or podcast. One way to alleviate this problem is to provide a typed version of the important concepts offered. If you want more than just a script then a translation of the audio could work. Keep in mind you will still need to review the text carefully both for accuracy and typos.
Audio is King
– This brings up the point that your audio is the most important aspect of your video. A quality microphone will make all the difference. Your audience will be gone in a heartbeat if the sound levels are too low or the speaker is talking too fast. Using a good microphone is like a double-edged sword in that the microphone is non-discriminating. It will pick up your voice, and distracting noises, such as your squeaking chair, paper rustling, or the sounds of swallowing a drink in the middle of your talk.
If You Love Being in the Show
– If you feel good about including yourself in your videos, make sure you are framed properly with the top of your head at the top of the viewing frame and you are centered in the frame. Make sure there is no stop/start interruptions in the playing of the video and the camera is stable. Soft light provides minimal amounts of shadows and/or glares, so it is a good idea to shoot your video either in the morning or evening
– Practice your “host” self. Run a few practice videos a few minutes long so you get comfortable. But, don’t get too comfortable 🙂 watch your manners. It would be a shame if your video went viral for the wrong reasons.
Anyway, I am still thrilled with my new journey so far, and I would love to share with you what I have found. If interested, click here.
All the best,
More soon,
This is a guest post from Peggy Uhal, if you would like to be considered for a guest post please contact me.
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