Producing a Video Blog | How-to Guides for running your business from Business.com

Online video, video blogs, vlogs or vodcasts are all different names for the same basic concept: Using the Internet to broadcast a video message. As an advertising and promotion tool, online video is exploding in popularity. Putting video on your Web site or blog is a low-cost way to maximize new technologies and stay ahead of your competition. There are several ways you can use your own “TV channel” on the Web:

Tape a personal introduction or welcome message for your Web site visitors.
Publicize and highlight a special product offer or company promotion.
Share company news, updates or executive briefings with your customers.
Use your video for product demos or training.
Videotape customer testimonials to generate new business.

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

Tape your footage

What you use to shoot your video depends on your goals, budget and available equipment. Fortunately, since your video is headed to the web, quality is less of an issue than if the final product was for TV. Web video can be shot with a standard consumer camcorder or, you can even capture your video using an inexpensive webcam. Your final product is only going to be as good as your raw footage, so shoot more footage than you think you’ll need and get several different takes and angles.

I recommend: For webcams, you can’t go wrong with Logitech. They’ve got cameras from $30 to $130. With consumer camcorders, your choices are nearly endless. Start your research at CNET.com

Optimize your video for the Web

Next, you’ve got to get your footage into your computer in order to format it for uploading to the Internet. Fortunately, you can usually connect your camcorder directly to your computer and transfer the footage right into your editing program. Once the footage is “digitized” in your editing system, you can optimize it by saving the file as a QuickTime movie or an MPEG-4 video file.

I recommend: In most cases, you can get your video Internet-ready with the editing/movie software that came with your computer, such as iMovie on the Mac and Windows Movie Maker for the PC. For a more professional product, upgrade to Final Cut Pro for the Mac or Adobe Premiere for the PC. Free editing software is also available from Cinelerra.

Learn how to vlog

New media jargon aside, you need learn video blogging basics to maximize your marketing opportunities. A vlog is, after all, a new and unique marketing tool.

I recommend: Vlogging pioneers Michael Verdi and Ryanne Hodson offer video blogging tutorials at Freevlog.org. Learn from other vloggers on the discussion list at the Yahoo! Videobloggers group.

Set up your blog platform

Although you can post your video on free video hosting sites, you’ll need to set up a blog account if you want to create your very own video blog. Once you’ve got your blog platform, you’ll be able to create posts – including video.

I recommend: You can set up a free blog very easily at Blogger. Other blog platforms include Movable Type, TypePad and WordPress. For more on blogs, visit blogging evangelist and author Andy Wibbels site at GoBlogWild.com

Add the video to your blog

Most online video hosting sites also allow you to copy the HTML code and “embed” the video into your own blog. Simply cut and paste the code provided into your blog. There are more advanced methods, but using “embed” codes is fast and free.

I recommend: Take the video you’ve posted on YouTube or Blip.tv, for example, and plug the HTML code they provide for your video right into your Blog’s HTML editor. For a good example of a video blog, check out marketing author Tom Asacker’s GuruBBQ. For more resources and examples, visit PeerProducer.com and TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. If you’re adding new video to your blog on a regular basis, offer RSS subscriptions to your vlog by using a service such as FeedBlitz.

Consider quick and easy vlogging solutions

You can simplify the process with “one-stop” software created specifically for creating and sharing video blogs

I recommend: Vlog It is a program from Serious Magic (now an Adobe company) that allows you drag and drop your video directly onto blog sites like Blogger and TypePad.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

Here are a few other ideas and uses for video blogs:
Provide in-house training videos for staff or new hires.
Share footage of company events or milestones.
Create virtual tours for real estate or travel sites.
Produce executive biographies or video “press releases.”
Send out video postcards via e-mail or include in your e-newsletter.

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