Here’s a video by Michael Locke comparing video blogging with basketball – in a good way. Included are some good tips about personal branding.
You Tube is stepping things up – again. Do you have the YouTube safety mode turned on? Now they are starting to add captions to English speaking videos. It’s not real accurate yet, but it’s a start!
Lastly, a great article by Perry Lawrence, aka askMrVideo, about Using Video as a Marketing Tool. You might argue that you aren’t marketing anything. Hmm… aren’t you marketing your blog when you try to get more readers?
I really appreciate the new safety mode available for YouTube. I learned about it from an article on ReelSEO. Whenever my children hear noise from the computer they run to see what it is and it’s just comforting to know that YouTube will try to block some of the objectionable things.
At Blissdom I recorded Kris and Kim asking a question for Say it Face to Face. I love their welcome video on The DIY Dish!
Scott Stratten talked to Real Life Sarah about making videos and unmarketing tips for moms. Great fun to watch!
Did you see any great videos this week?
My answer is a definite maybe. Bear with me – there are so many variables. Let’s talk a bit.
1. Can you type fast?
2. Are you comfortable with grammar and composition or do you have to look things up a lot?
3. Do you add pictures to your posts?
4. Are your normal posts a full page or just a paragraph?
5. Do you add links to your post?
6. Are you comfortable with your blogging software – can you get in quickly, know what you need to do, and get it done?
7. Do you have a quiet time to sit and write or are you up and down a lot?
8. How long does it take you to come up with content ideas?
Remember that you had to learn regular blogging. You weren’t so speedy at it when you first started.
1. Typing: Everyone knows how to talk at a good speed. This could make vlogging a bit faster.
2. Grammar: Do you say um, and, or okay a lot that you would have to edit or redo? A little bit of it is usually forgiven by your watchers.
3. Pictures: Adding things to your video will add some extra time, same as blogging.
4. Length: The longer the video the longer it takes to make, edit, and upload. Same as blogging.
5. Links: You might want to add links in your video notes same as if you only had written content.
6. Software: If you’re not sure how to get your video from your camera to your computer it’s going to take you longer to vlog. The good news is – the more you do and learn with your hardware and software the faster you will be.
7. Distractions: Writing posts can be easily saved and gone back to. While recording you probably don’t want to finish the next day because your clothes, light, surroundings, etc. might be different. However – sometimes you can include distractions [kids or pets] in the video or just edit it out later.
8. Content: This is probably about the same for both. If you need ideas for videos sign up for my free ebook, Inspiration from A-Z.
See what I mean when I said that there are so many variables? So much depends on what type of video you are making. Perfectionism and fast video blogging don’t go together.
It can be faster than regular blogging. Do you have something you need to say and you are ready to say it? You can just turn your camera on, talk away, and upload. One video blog done. You might use another half a minute to embed the video on your own site.
Which is faster for you? Let me know in the comments!
An interesting post from ReelSEO titled Videos Sell Products – Even if Users Don’t Actually Watch Them.
Top 5 Tips To Start Vlogging From LizzieBTV. A great gal I saw first at SayitFacetoFace and then got to meet in real life at the Blissdom Conference in Feb 2010.
Another awesome video from Carrie Wilkerson – Three Core Principles That Make You Unique. Although she gears her message to business people, vloggers, bloggers, and social media moms can apply it to themselves with no problems. It is a bit long but very inspiring. Even though she doesn’t really know me I feel like she does.
Doing a series is a great vlogging [and blogging] technique.D It helps keep your audience’s interest and gives you something to post about.
Another benefit of a series is that you – as the author of the series – improve through the series. Even though it’s a subject you already know about and enjoy [I hope it's a topic you enjoy!] you will be researching and talking a lot about it as the series goes on.
Maybe this is easier to see in the vlogging world. At first the speaker looks like a deer in the headlights, but soon they are chatting to the camera like it’s their best friend. You can see them experimenting with backgrounds and lighting, angles and editing. Sooner or later they will settle into a style that they like and that works well for them.
I know this is true for me. When I decided to pass on simple vlogging tips to members at NewBaby I didn’t even realize I was starting on the path to having this site and speaking in real life! I loved doing those tip videos and learning a bit more each time. If you want to see how scared I was in the beginning you can sign up for my newsletter from the home page of my site. The 10 free tips are the first 10 tip videos I made. From number 1 to number 10 there is a big difference in my comfort level – and my technique.
So if you’re thinking of starting a series – go for it! You and your vlogging/blogging will be better for it.
- 1. Audrey McClelland from MomGenerations.com
- 2. Danielle Smith from ExtraordinaryMommy.com
- 3. Jennifer Hinton from JenHinton.com
- 4. Jo-Lynne Shane from MusingsofaHousewife.com
- 5. Lynette Chandler from TechBasedMarketing.com
- 6. MollyGold from GoMomInc.com
- 7. Esther Brady Crawford from FaintStarLite.com
Download the 7 audios now for only $7.99!
Although the basic questions are the same every woman has a different answer. That is what makes them – and their videos – unique and interesting.
They tell how they started vlogging, how they use vlogging in their business, give a simple tip for starting vloggers, and much more!
All of this is available for the very affordable introductory price of $7.99!
Plus a BONUS written interview with Maria Bailey from MomTV.com!
You can even sign up to be an affiliate and sell this product for a commission.
Already a WahmCart affiliate? Login to the affiliate center.
I’m finalizing a digital product to sell! I’m excited about it and hope to have it finished in 2 days. What is it? It’s a collection of eight interviews – one written and seven audio – titled How Videos Help Women in Online Business.
For this week’s link love I’m going to send you to the sites of the talented women that I interviewed:
These ladies do a wide variety of things online, but they have all used videos to further their business. Some of them are technical wizards and some of them are just learning how to edit, but they have all used videos to further their business. They answered my questions and gave some great tips. Stay subscribed to find out how you can hear their interviews.
You might have watched a stop motion video without even realizing. Do you know what stop motion is?
Wikipedia defines it as an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. (also known as stop-action or frame-by-frame) In other words it is when you move an object slightly, take a picture, move it slightly again, take another picture, etc. Then edit it all together to make it look like the object is moving all by itself. You might have seen it used with clay for cartoons like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.
This Deadline post-it stop motion video is pretty amazing. They have a behind the scenes video if you click the “more from” 3 months of planning, 4 days of shooting, and 6000+ post-it notes!
Smashing Magazine has a list of 50 Incredible Stop Motion Videos. My favorites from their list are:
More resources:
Stop motion animation is a type of video that I’ve never tried, but I’m trying to think of a storyline now. Have you ever done stop motion animation? Leave me a link in the comments!
I’ll start this week’s links with another great video from Perry Lawrence/Mr Video about adding authority to your videos.
Next is an excellent article by Karri of Snap Virtual Assitants, INC. with A Quickstart Guide To Get Vlogging in 2010.
This post on Fuel Your Blogging has Jen Hinton’s thoughts about micro-vlogging and a list of micro-vlogging sites. If you can record and upload video from a mobile device you will want to check out the list.
Here’s Amy interviewing Maria Bailey about balance and Mom Select. If you’re not a part of Mom Select I highly recommend it!
This Simple Vlogging Podcast 23 is a behind the scenes look at my green screen studio.
Any of you use green screen? Any questions or tips?
Here’s my Monday Mingle for this week.
1. Do your kids have chores? Do you pay them to do chores?
2. Were you in Girl Scouts/Brownies or Boy Scouts? Are your kids? Favorite Girl Scout Cookie?
3. Does your family go camping? If so, do you have a funny/interesting experience?
If you have a bunch of videos [...]
Below is the link-up for your 1 minute videos. Here’s something I learned this morning- It takes a long time for a video to be available on Vimeo if you are using their free service. Much longer than any other site has ever taken me. I’ll embed mine as soon as it’s available.
Next week’s challenge: [...]
Here is my Simple Vlogging Podcast #22 with 3 more tips on how to get more attention for your video as I promised when I talked about How To Tag Your Videos.
It has to do with comments, tags, and descriptions.
Feel free to leave a comment with any questions!
This week’s Monday Mingle is about gardening, drink preferences, nationality, and Olympics – quite a mix!
If you want to join in visit eightymphmom.com.
Do you have any videos that fit a Vlogging Challenge? Feel free to link them! Tomorrow’s link- up is for a one minute video with no editing or even moving.
Below is the link-up for your videos with food in them. Anything food related. I embedded one of the first vlogs I ever made from October 2008. It’s “How To Make Cookies In Less Than 10 Minutes” and the video itself is 6 minutes long! A definite no-no now.
Next week’s challenge: Make a [...]