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7 Tips to Creating Great Video to Increase Your Audience

by: Kenneth Cossin

With how easy it is today to create video, we, as bloggers, need to think of how to leverage video content to increase traffic to our site. I will give you some video tips that are easy and inexpensive enough for anyone to use to get started with video content for their blog.

Why make a video?

  • You can cram a lot of content and information into a short 5-10 minute video than you can into paragraphs of words.
  • When used effectively, you can build an audience and gain returning visitors through visual content.
  • Video helps to build trust with your audience. They see and hear what you are talking about, therefore they understand better the message you are trying to convey.

Types of Videos

Below are five types of videos that work well with blogs. They can be applied to almost any subject.

  • Teasers – These are short 30-90 second videos that show your viewers a product or service. They are much like a TV commercial.
  • Leadership – Demonstrate your authority on a subject. You can provide useful and unique information from your perspective.
  • Interviews – Open dialogues about a subject related to your blog. These videos can be fancy and shot in a studio or simple Internet conversations recorded with Skype or another video conferencing tool. Check out these five video interviewing tips.
  • Demos/Training – These videos show step-by-step how to do something or provide an overview of how something works.
  • Storytelling – A narrative related to subject matter associated with your blog.

Storyboarding

Starting off with a storyboard is very important whenever you set out to do a video. It does not need to be fancy, have awesome drawings or graphics, or have details that everyone would understand. It is a tool to help YOU plan out how the video will go from how the camera shots and angles will be set up to where the person or object on camera will be placed in the frame.

Equipment

Start off with some basic tools such as a simple video camera with an on-board microphone and 3-point lighting. There is no need to invest in expensive equipment. Find things around your house that will suffice. For example, locate a lamp that will light up a large area. Fill in the shadow areas with other lamps of varying intensity to minimize shadows. Be sure to strategically set them up to be flattering on the subject. When recording a video over the Internet, you can usually get away with only one light source and the built-in audio and video capabilities.

Talent

Whether you are doing an interview or having someone be your talent on camera, you always want to have a specific thought in mind. Therefore, you can clearly convey to your talent why you are choosing them and what you want them to do or talk about.

Scripts

Assemble a detailed verbatim script of what the person or people will say on camera. Also, have your talent practice the script to avoid bloopers and other mistakes. Your goal is to always capture on camera exactly what you want for your final product so that you minimize the amount of work you have in post-production. In essence, the more work you do in pre-production, the less work you will have in post-production.

Audio

Avoid recording outdoors at all costs unless your audio will be replaced with other audio. You do not want to ask your talent to return to your location to do voiceover work for inaudible parts. Also, test your audio to see if the recording volumes are set correctly.

Editing Software

It is very easy to edit your videos using iMovie for Mac or Movie Maker for PC. These software packages are inexpensive and have a small learning curve. They will allow you to cut out any undesirable parts and insert a leader, royalty-free music, images, graphics, cuts, or information.

Have Fun!

My last tip is to simply enjoy the process. No matter what type of video you create for your blog, you can make it a fun process with these simple tips above.

If you are ready to start your video adventure take a look at these tips on how to optimize your Youtube channel and how to optimize your videos.

Republished with permission from Marko Saric of How to Make My Blog.  Original post: http://www.howtomakemyblog.com/video/creating-great-video/

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Why Nature is Marketing Inspiration

by: Kenneth Cossin

The other day, I decided I would drive home for lunch to save money and to let my dogs out for a midday bathroom break. I live about two miles from my place of employment, thus it is a quick drive.

by: Kenneth Cossin

I made a sandwich and went outside to eat on the porch swing while the dogs ran feverishly around the yard in excitement.  Suddenly, I spotted a gorgeous butterfly sunning itself on the lawn with its wings spread.  I was able to get close enough to capture a photo of it on my iPhone.  I was thrilled!

So, why is this event such an inspiration that it still stands out in my mind?  Well, when we least expect it, beautiful things will inspire beautiful ideas.  Being the creative-minded individual that I am, I always seek inspiration in the form of natural beauty.  It also doesn’t hurt that I am a nature,landscape, and architecture photographer at heart.

Thus, here is the challenge that I pose to my readers: take a moment to use your creative mind to find anything in your surroundings that you find inspiring.  Then leverage that inspiration to solve questions, problems, issues, and concerns in your daily marketing efforts.  I bet you, too, will find doing so to be successful.

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11 Tips for a Great Video Résumé

by: Kenneth Cossin

For almost any employer, creating a video résumé is not the end-all be-all for applying for a job. But a video résumé can be a great way to showcase your portfolio of talents. Here are a few tips in creating this supplemental visual that can really make you stand out from the crowd.

  1. Maintain the length of your video from one to three minutes; much longer and you will have lost your chances.
  2. Dress appropriately for the camera.
  3. Use an eye-pleasing backdrop if you do not have access to a green screen.
  4. Make your background appropriate for the job that you are applying for. For example, a mountain landscape would be great for a Forest Ranger, but obviously not for a Public Relations Director.
  5. Be aware of ambient sound, especially outdoors. The audio should be your voice, that is, no airplanes flying overhead.
  6. Have a script prepared and practice it!
  7. Be sure to include not only voice-on-camera but also voice-over work while demonstrating your portfolio.
  8. Use both close-ups and mid-shots. What about long shots? – Not so much… This one is common sense.
  9. Have several friends and trusted working professionals look at your video before finalizing your post production.
  10. Hand out your video résumé during the interview if possible. Be mindful of the employer; some may wish to view it after you have left.
  11. Have fun! Enjoy the creation process. If you are stressed or “stiff” on camera, you will be perceived in that fashion by the viewer.
Below is a great example of a video résumé.  How do you think it could be better based on the 11 points I mentioned above?
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I, too, was Born this Way…

by: Kenneth R. Cossin

Below is a YouTube video of young Ms. Maria Aragon singing Lady Gaga’s a cappella rendition of “I was Born this Way.”  I understand that this message is echoed across the world, yet we truly do not listen to the message.  Let us take a moment to listen to this young, talented lady sing the message from her heart.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.