Keith Parnell of keithparnell.com to a group of Hampton Roads professionals, hosted by Realty Executives, on the use of video for their business. Of the many topics touched on are:
- Should video be used as a part of your toolset.
- How video should and can be used in your daily activities.
- How video can be used effectively for lead generation.
- How video can be used efficiently during your busy day.
- Where you should store your video and using storage as part of your social network.
- When you should quick produce your own video and when you should hire a professional.
- What type of video camera should you use.
- Live streaming video, when and why.
2. Video blogging, sometimes shortened to
vlogging, is a form of blogging for which the
medium is video, and is a form of Internet
television.*
* Source: Wikipedia
Tidewater Mortgage
Services, Inc.
@parnellk63
1st video blog
January 2, 2000
By Adam Kontras, The Journey
3. Pros Cons
Visuals excite your readers Server space can be expensive
Encourages word-of-mouth traffic Video shoot more difficult
Some can talk better than write Can be time consuming
Builds your visual brand Equipment could be expensive
Still holds a uniqueness factor Requires more prep than blogging
Can set you apart from the crowd Not optimal for search engines
Can be more personal Not all viewers like video
Reaches more online channels Not all viewers can watch video
Tidewater Mortgage
Services, Inc.
@parnellk63
4. Avoid constant zooming and panning.
◦ If you must zoom, consider walking closer.
◦ If you must pan, move slower than your instincts
tell you.
Avoid shaky-cam.
◦ Unless that’s the look you’re going for, invest in a
tripod.
Watch the headroom.
◦ Depending on your audiences’ viewing screen,
buffers on the edges can be a catastrophe.
Tidewater Mortgage
Services, Inc.
@parnellk63
5. Think about shooting interview style.
◦ Sometimes you will look silly looking directly into
the camera. Imagine someone interviewing you.
Check the lighting.
◦ If you’re shooting outside, notice what the sun is
doing to your shot.
◦ If you’re shooting inside, be careful of the shadows.
◦ Good lighting can sometimes make lame cameras
look good.
Shoot for the edit.
◦ Don’t worry if you get off topic. Sometimes the best
content comes from carry-on conversations.
Tidewater Mortgage
Services, Inc.
@parnellk63
6. Get close to your subject.
◦ No nose hairs please but make sure you don’t have
tons of dead space surrounding the subject.
◦ The tighter your shot, the higher the perceived
video quality.
Check your backgrounds.
◦ Avoid busy or moving backgrounds when possible.
◦ Don’t let the plant behind you look like it is your
1960’s bouffant hairdo.
Tidewater Mortgage
Services, Inc.
@parnellk63
8. YouTube
◦ Up to 2 GB per video and 10 minutes long.
◦ Direct app upload from iPhone, Palm Pre & Android.
◦ Can email video from any device or computer.
Vimeo
◦ Up to 500 MB per week.
◦ Up to 10 videos per day.
Viddler
◦ Up to 500 MB per video and no length limit.
Blip.TV
◦ Up to 1 GB per video.
Tidewater Mortgage
Services, Inc.
@parnellk63
9. Qik
◦ Can stream directly from your mobile phone.
◦ Supports Android, iPhone, Nokia, & BlackBerry
smartphones.
ustream.TV
◦ Can stream directly from any Internet-based camera.
◦ Can create “shows” containing many videos.
◦ Can embed “shows” into your website/blog for live
viewing.
◦ Unlimited viewers. Unlimited number of videos. Up to 3
hours per video.
◦ Enables live chat with video recording.
◦ Enables live social stream (Twitter) with video recording.
◦ Allows simultaneous use with Skype.
Tidewater Mortgage
Services, Inc.
@parnellk63
10. Be smart with SEO.
◦ Add descriptive text to each blog entry using as many
relative keywords as possible.
Where is the Call-to-Action?
◦ Webforms are a critical asset for lead generation.
Host give-away contests on video.
◦ Everyone loves to hear their name called at a drawing.
Publish great content.
◦ The content should be what your viewers want to hear.
They don’t care what you want to hear.
Upload your videos everywhere.
◦ Your blog, YouTube, Vimeo, Viddler, Blip.TV, Facebook
WITH LINKS BACK TO YOUR BLOG!
Tidewater Mortgage
Services, Inc.
@parnellk63