Posts Tagged → web video

4 Facts About Video Email That Are Often Overlooked

I have been sending video emails for over four years now. Needless to say, I have discovered lots of best practices.

In this post, I am going to cover four fundamental concepts about video email that people often overlook.

4 Things About Video Email

There is Web Video, and then there is Video Email

Video email is different from a video that you embed on your website or upload to YouTube. It is more personal and intimate. Video email is not supposed to be polished.

Video email is to regular email, what web video is to a professionally designed mass marketing email.  Videos you embed in websites or upload to YouTube are generally professionally produced  or at least edited. Video emails are done rapid-authoring style, straight from a webcam (start, stop, send).

Camera Anxiety is a Major Barrier to Use

Camera anxiety is the reason video email isn’t trending, like web video. I have talked with many people, some prospects of jiveSYSTEMS and even some existing customers. They all say the same thing.

However, the brave souls that are pioneering the use of video email technology, have a massive competitive advantage right now… you could almost call it a blue ocean.

My take on camera anxiety is, unless you walk around the world with a paper bag on your head, you can send video email.

No Fancy Equipment is Needed

Following up on the statement made in the first sentence, all you need to produce and send a video email is a webcam.  Well, that and a membership to jiveSYSTEMS. We do offer a 30 day free trial that comes with full use of the system and access to all our training.  So that’s a plus. You can try before you buy.

We recommend the Logitech C920 Webcam. Our testing revealed that Logitech has right-light and right-sound technology dialed in, more so than any of the other manufacturers. The Logitech shines in moderate indoor  light situations, where even $500 camcorders tend to struggle.

Video Email Can Save You Time

Feeding into my Do it, Automate it, Delegate it, or Ditch it mantra, if you write-down a list of questions you get asked  most frequently, you can record evergreen video emails to answer them. Thus saving you time answering the same question multiple times, while still maintaining the personal touch. When it comes down to it, automation only works if it provides a better experience for you and your customers.

At jiveSYSTEMS, we have customizable exit link sets that display to the right of each video. You can create multiple exit link sets. Our more advanced members, link to other videos in their jiveSYSTEMS account, when sending a response to an FAQ. The result……. the recipient can get the answer to their questions, and has the opportunity to get answers to other related questions as well.

Questions / Comments

I am a real person, not a robot. I am here to serve you. So if you have a question or a comment about this post, please leave it below.

Logitech C920 Webcam Test Footage

You will see the classics: the webcam has trouble focusing due to me waving my hands, and the overall picture is dark because there is not enough light in the room.

In my next post, I will show how to adjust the camera settings so the video stays focused throughout, and to make the picture brighter. With just these minor tweaks, you will be able to produce good quality video for your video emails, and even videos that go on your landing pages or in your blog, providing you can hit start and stop at the right points, which is usually pretty easy for short videos.

The next level up is using video editing software, e.g. Windows Movie Maker, Sony Vegas, or iMovie. You can then trim, splice, and make other edits to your footage before rending and publishing the video to your site.

Video Marketing Strategy: ‘Broadcasting’ and ‘Narrowcasting’ — Apples and Oranges: You Decide?

Are theses two strategies fundamentally different (and conflicting) ideas?

Broadcasting with web video
On one hand there’s the idea of widely distributing a video (or videos), which has its roots in words / concepts like “broadcasting” and “publishing”. It is an idea that sees the video itself as a product. It is an idea that defines the audience as cohesive and single entity. It is an idea that that is inherently imprecise in individual communication and measurement. It is an idea that is based on hope / entertainment / passivity as a marketing strategy and director of human behavior. It is an idea that can be defined by the phrase, “marketing a video.” This is by far the lion’s share of people’s general awareness and the perception of web video, related to this idea.

Narrowcasting with web video
On the other hand there’s a nearly opposite idea that has its roots in words / concepts like “narrowcasting” and “inbound marketing”. It is an idea that sees the video as a driver of well-defined and refined business workflows. It is an idea that defines the audience as a collection of individuals. It is an idea that is inherently precise in individual communication and measurement. It is an idea that is based on action as a marketing strategy and a direct0r of human behavior. It is an idea that can be defined by the phrase “marketing with video”. This is by far the minority of how people think of and understand the possibilities of web video. Especially as it relates to business.

One perspective is that these two ideas are simply different. They cannot be reconciled. As they apply to business, they aim to achieve very different results. Marketers should chose one or the other.

  • Broadcasting one’s video aims to generate greater awareness.
  • Narrowcasting aims to generate action.

The main benefit of narrowcasting is that it is more closely aligned with the “rhythm” and resource realities of businesses today. Marketers are tasked with showing measurable results immediately and budgets for creating video(s) that are tight and heavily scrutinized. As such, marketers must bring as much focus as possible to one’s story or message because they may have only one video with which to work. They need as much control over viewer engagement as possible because they need to prove that the investment in video enables more predictable and effective conversion processes that impact top-line revenue.

The other perspective is that marketers should leverage both strategies. The two approaches may be like water and oil under normal conditions, but if you add a little heat… everything changes!

One of the major benefits of broadcasting is that it is self-serve and self-propagating, and this works well to generate free publicity. While marketers may be tasked with showing results now, they shouldn’t overlook the benefits of casting a wide net. One can pull someone on into their world using a longtail search phrase for search engine optimization and then convert that interest to curiosity about web video. Broadcasting, especially when tracked properly, adds to the amount of data that one can collect. Especially if the on-site behavior is logged and then added to their contract record when they ultimately opt-in. A concept best described by the CEO of Eloqua, Steve Woods, in his book “Deciphering Customers Intention in the Online World (aka Digital Body Language)”.

What do you think? Please leave your comments below.

Credit: This post was derived from a brainstorming session via email between myself and Adam Zais (VP of Sales & Marketing at Wistia).

5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Videos Today

Throughout the years, I’ve helped many people integrate web video and video email into their marketing activities, and while the power of successfully using web video is immense, it can be hampered by not paying attention to certain aspects of the video production process.  These details are relatively insignificant by themselves, but when combined, they can make the difference between a web video that produces and one that makes you look like a rookie.

Here are a few things that you can do to ensure that your videos have maximum impact:

1. Frame Your Shot

Time and time again, I see video emails where the person is sitting either too close to the camera or too far away.  The ideal shot, provided you are sitting down, is framed from your chest to slightly above the head.  You don’t want to have too much head room (unless the point of the video is to show something behind you), so keep it to less than 6 inches above your head.

2. Maintain Good Posture

Nobody looks good slouching so stand or sit straight.  Poor posture gives a negative perception in person, and web video is no different.  Besides, when you maintain good posture, you’ll look and feel more confident.

3. Make Sure You Have Proper Video Lighting

Lighting is something that often gets forgotten.  You want to have enough lighting so that your viewer can actually see you but not so much that you look like you are on-board an alien spaceship.  The quality of your video depends on proper lighting.  Low light situations cause digital cameras to produce grainy video.  You don’t have to spend a bunch of money on lighting, just make sure you are in a well-lit area, and if you need to, plug in an extra lamp.

4. Make Eye Contact

What is one of the first things they teach you about public speaking… besides picture everyone naked?  Make eye contact!  In this case, it’s more like lens contact.  Make sure you are looking at the video camera when you record a video.  It’s pretty obvious when you’re reading a script, especially when the camera is within a few feet of you.  The only time you can get away with reading without looking like your staring down is when the camera is a good seven feet away (the farther the better).  Even then, you had better keep your notes right under the video camera.  If you want a better solution, just keep your eyes on the video camera, and pay close attention to bullet 5 below.

5. Have a Conversation

Don’t memorize or read a script!  If you really want to make great web videos, quickly, learn an outline of what you are going to say, and then say it.  When you make videos that have a conversational tone, you will be able to fully leverage the power of video.  I want to make sure the difference between memorizing a script and learning a script is clear.  The former is when you try to learn every single word in order, and often results in you sounding like a robot.  When you memorize, you lose a lot of the value derived from tone and inflection.  Learning means you know the gist of what you want to say, and then how exactly that comes out is left to nature.  I would compare it to having a conversation with someone about your favorite book or TV show.  You already know the topic; what you say about it comes out naturally.  Even if it comes out a little differently every time, it doesn’t matter.

If this sounds hard, it doesn’t have to be.  Here is one of the simplest ways to learn your script:

1)  Figure out what you want to say.
2)  Create a list of one to two word bullet points for each sentence or idea you want to convey.
3)  Practice saying your message using the list as a guide [ideally each bullet should remind you of what you want to say].
4) As you continue to practice, look at the list less frequently, weaning yourself off of it.
5) Once you can say the whole thing smoothly and comfortably without the sheet, you’re ready to record your video!

So there you have it.  I’m sure there’s more I could write about, but this covers the basics.  If you practice this strategy, you’ll be more than a step ahead of the pack when using web video and video email marketing in your business.

Let me know if you found this post helpful.  I can start writing more about the elements of producing high quality videos for the web, quickly.