Guide to Using Online Videos for Your Business

Online video content for training and marketing – and how to do it

By Geoff Kohl, Editor-in-Chief, SecurityInfoWatch.com

1. Promotion (especially as the line between ads and content has blurred in the world of rich media, companies are finding that audiences are especially willing to accept marketing if it’s skinned well inside of entertainment)
2. Training (for complex products and services, online video series can be archived and used to train sales staff or your potential buyers)
3. New product demonstrations (Can’t explain it well in a PDF or in a single ad? A 1-minute online video may be all you need.)

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Take a cue from the pros

Before you start, take a look at some of the ways other businesses are using video, from humorous ads to interesting training programs.

I recommend: Haggar (the pants company) uploaded some humorous videos on YouTube and in doing so, got free marketing exposure. Nike hosted a nice tribute video to the future of American soccer that encourages more support of the sport in the U.S. Idexx creates microbiology testing systems, and they’ve astutely converted their full training videos into an online format for instant download on how to use their products.

Invest in a camera

Video cameras have dropped in price at the same time features and quality has increased. Now you can pick up a decent camera for a couple hundred dollars, and a really nice amateur-videographer’s camera for around $1,000, or an entry level pro camera for about $3,000. Options to look for include a line in for external microphone, an attachment for a camera-mounted light, image stabilization, compatibility with a tripod, and quiet motor noise. Nicer cameras have more than one CCD image sensor; they will use three. The result is a much more accurate image, though this may be overkill if you solely plan to use the video on a Web site. HD ready cameras are dropping in price. They are nice if you want to use your footage on TV, but aren’t necessary if you’re just going online with the content.

I recommend: I’ve had good luck using basic Canon MiniDV camcorders because they offer good clarity and color representation and a low price, though everyone is partial to a particular brand. On the high end of the spectrum are Sony triple-CCD, high definition camcorders, which usually call for at least $3,000.

Use editing software

Just shooting the video isn’t enough – you need to put it in a decent format. You can outsource this or do it yourself with some simple software. For the software, look at ones that can “rip” video coming off of your camcorder. A general rule as you move into the editing process is that you will need a lot more raw video than you may believe. Shoot everything from different angles and get more video than you think you need. Then take the best of the best so you can keep your video lively.

I recommend: Macintosh computers come with a nice program pre-loaded called iMovie that makes it easy. They also support the high-end software Final Cut Pro (very nice and actually pro quality!). If you’re using a PC, look at Pinnacle Studio or just use the Windows Movie Maker software that comes with most machines. QuickTime Pro is a nice simple program for doing simple edits and for compressing files into many common formats and comes in both Mac and Windows versions.

Host the video

You’ve shot the video and edited a nice little package. Now what do you do with it? You can host it on your own site (though high numbers of downloads may exceed the bandwidth your ISP permits), or you can go elsewhere.

I recommend: You can’t go wrong with a free video service for sharing videos among peers like YouTube for just the ability to get it out to a broad audience segment. Other sites that do this include MySpace, Google Video, as well as Yahoo! to a lesser degree. You can also go with a company like PermissionTV, which can help you create broadband video channels that are incorporated into your own Web site.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Get some training. Making quality movies is something people can study for years to become proficient. Check with your local colleges to see if there are “community enrichment” classes you can take to improve your skills. Above all, don’t be embarrassed with your first attempt. Chalk it up to experience and then take what you learned to the next video.
• •  Because you’re using the video for a commercial purpose, you need to make sure to get permission from any persons who are captured in your short film. Get them to sign a waiver recognizing that they may be featured in your works.
• •  Keep videos short. TV crews know that our attention spans aren’t what they used to be, and they capitalize on short segments, with few static shots (no video of a man behind the desk talking for five minutes, please!) This goes back to the old mantra of “Show, don’t tell.”
• •  When shooting, use the rule of thirds. It’s a common mistake to try to center everything. The “rule of thirds” is the theory that you should visualize a tic-tac-toe grid on your screen and try to center your most important video element on one of the four points where the lines intersect. Don’t place the subject of the video in dead center of the screen, move them to the side to create some “drama” to the image.
• •  Convert existing videos. Already made a video that’s on a VHS tape or a DVD? Get your local video services firm to convert it for you.
• •  Offer videos in different formats. We’re not all connected to T-1 lines, so consider offering low, medium and high-speed connection versions, as well as different file formats like .wmv (for Windows Media Player) or .mov (for Quicktime).
• •  Watch the bandwidth. Many companies pay for website hosting based on how much server bandwidth is used. If you start using your website to distribute lots of video (which requires lots of bandwidth if your vides become popular), you may “max out” your capacity and find you need to upgrade with your hosting provider. Some companies have been surprised to find their websites temporarily “down” because they went over their bandwidth limit.