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Online video marketing is booming. Everyone recognizes the vast opportunity, the question is how best to develop the art into a practical and profitable adventure for us all.

Some people have big budgets, but most don’t.  Some people have video production skills, but most don’t.

If you have tons of dough and a crew of video wizards at your disposal, online video marketing is really easy.  But for the majority of you who have neither, what is the solution?

If you are a small operation wanting to begin marketing with video online, the #1 bit if advice I can give you as a 30-year video pro, I would say STAY SIMPLE.

Video is a task that can range in complexity from plugging in a web cam and yucking off the top of your head to a production requiring a staff of 100 to plan, organize and execute the two-hour video masterpiece extravaganza.

I suggest you stay close to the first example. A simple video can be extremely effective so I do not think it is necessary for you to feel compelled to produce something terribly complex.  Doing so will probably only bog you down and you’ll never get the damn thing done.   #1 rule is GET IT DONE.

If you wish, after you master a few easy videos, move on up and try something more difficult.  Video Production truly can be fun but only if you aren’t hopelessly confused.  Then it’s just plain aggravating.

The SIMPLEST, MOST EFFECTIVE and BEST way to promote your business using web video is to create short, simple talking head videos that you supplement with professional-looking graphics and royalty-free music.

A talking head video is easy to create and it fosters a relationship with your customers.  That is the #1 benefit of video marketing, building a relationship with your customers.  Seeing you (or some other representative of your business) on  camera is the easiest and best way to foment relationships.

Adding some simple, yet professional-looking graphics, (by “graphics” I mean words on the screen), will help the video be more entertaining to watch.  Plus, it will help the audience understand and retain the information better.  Graphics can be made in lots of easy programs.  You could even make them in Word or Paint if necessary.

If you do not want to use graphics, still pictures are very easy to add to video and will help spice up a plain talking head.

Screen capture videos are another option to use as video to cover your talking head.  However, screen capture can be more difficult to obtain than graphics. Camtasia is a fairly advanced program. If you are new, it can seem overwhelming.

Adding royalty-free music at the beginning and end also helps make your video more entertaining to watch.  It’s easy to add and makes a huge difference.  Put the music with some opening and closing graphics to make more of a beginning-middle-end story.

That’s enough.  You’re done.  Talk on camera for a few minutes, cover your talking head with some supporting graphics or still pictures, add some music and consider it finished.  A simple, yet effective marketing video.

SIMPLE VIDEO MAKING TIPS

Using a simple web cam or flip camera means all the video and audio are taken care of with the one gadget.  You do not need an extra mic.  Stay close to the camera as you speak, at most 3 feet away.  Speak loudly and turn off all background noise.

When you tape your talking head, make sure the light falls on the person’s FACE, not the background.  Make sure the audio quality is decent and can be easily heard in the final product.  Most importantly, DO NOT RAMBLE.   Get to the point quickly.  Stay focused on what truly needs to be said in order to communicate your core message.

Think about what you are going to say before you roll the tape.  Outline your main points.  Jot down how much time you want to allot to each topic.  Stay under 3 minutes for the entire thing.

Do not expect to cut a perfect take all in one sitting.  NO ONE you see on TV gets it right all the time.  That’s why you have take 2, 3, 4, and up.   I once worked with a reporter who was SO BAD, we made a spoof video of his cameraman turning into a skeleton before he managed to spit it out right.

It is much easier to say small chunks at a time and then piece them together.  It doesn’t have to be a fancy edit job, just cut out the crap.  Knowing you are going to do this kind of editing makes it less stressful when taping.

Here is an example of a marketing video I helped a client with that follows this format.  Brief beginning with music, talking head covered with graphics, music out.  Voila.  I think he went too long, it times out at 5 minutes.  But he felt the script was a concise as he wanted it.  As you watch the video, think about how much more entertaining it is due to all the whiz bang graphics.

Thanks for reading Video Production Tips
Lorraine Grula
Internet Video Gal