How to Get Started with Video-Blogging

Video-blogging is the new thing. Lots of people already blog by text, or by text-blogging, and now they’re exploring this new way of blogging where you can express yourself much better. Although video-blogging requires much more equipment, its content value surpasses regular old text hundred-fold. People say that a picture says a thousand words. So how many words does a video say?  Video-blogs require higher maintenance than traditional text-blogs. More space on the server and higher bandwidth are examples of higher requirements hosting-wise if you want to run a video-blog.

You might only associate video-blogging with people who simply want to share their thoughts with the world, and have no monetary goals. However, think about it this way. Video-blogging gives you the opportunity to introduce your product to your existing viewers. Also, if you syndicate your blog using Rss, you’re able to reach other audiences at no charge. Everyone wants content for their pages, so why shouldn’t it be yours?

People want to see a product before they buy it. They want proof that the product is legitimate before forking over their money for it. Think about it. What has more influence on buyer: A 45-second commercial, or a 3,000 word long sales letter? The commercial will because people want proof. Ever heard of the saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it?” Notice it’s not, “I’ll believe it after I read for 15 minutes about it.”

On the internet, most things are still. If you have something with motion, it will catch a reader’s eye. A lot of people don’t pay attention to TV commercials because it’s nothing special, compared to the actual show they’re watching. So, TV advertisers increase the volume on their commercials to grab your attention. But you don’t have to turn up the volume; you only have to provide a simple video.

If you have a relatively new business, you can start right off by making a video blog based out of your own home. Here’s what you’ll need: A camera with video capabilities (a webcam works), a light source, video editing software, and a microphone. If you go for the cheapest of each, you can start your video studio on about $30, considering that you can get the following:

• Webcam - $20
• Microphone /Headset - $5-10
• A Light Source - $0 (The sun, or your lamp)
• Video Software — $0 (Windows and Mac operating systems come with decent video software)

If you’re actually interested in making good videos though, a $20 webcam won’t cut it. A handy cam costs a few hundred dollars, but think of all the family moments you’ll be able o capture with it as well. If you’re going to be using a video camera instead of a webcam, I recommend a tripod. Sure, you can rest the video camera on a desk, but with a tripod, you have much more flexibility in terms of angle in your video.

If you’re going to be shooting outside, don’t worry about peripheral light sources. Outdoor light works fine in such a case. But, if you’re going to be shooting indoors, it’s nice to have a few lights you can move around and adjust instead of just your ceiling light. You want your entire frame to be lit and free of harsh shadows that are unappealing to a viewer.

Most of the time, simply speaking while shooting the video will give you the audio you need. Songs can be imported into the video after shooting using your editing software. But, if you’re going to want voiceover audio in your video, a microphone is a must. With a microphone you get much better sound quality then just speaking while shooting your video.

Most operating systems come with video-editing software:

• Windows: Windows Movie Maker
• Mac : iMovie

This software works great for your videos. There’s no need to go out and buy $600 dollar professional video editing software. These software are very user-friendly, meaning you can use them without knowing a thing about video-editing in the first place.

Video-blogging, although a great marketing tool, has its cons. It slows many computers down, since not all computers use high bandwidth internet connection. This causes some potential customers to not watch and stick to the sales letter format.

But don’t completely rule out video-blogging for the above reasons. If you incorporate both video and text marketing techniques, then you can reach your entire audience, regardless of the the quality of their internet connection.

These days, viewers want something unique, innovational, and creative. If you’ve been in the business, you’ll agree it’s not exactly easy to be innovational and creative at marketing using solely text. With videos, the amount of possibilities explodes. With video, it’s so easy to be creative and interesting that you’d be a fool to not use it. With the capabilities of editing software, you can turn your originally boring dictation of your sales letter into a snazzy, gripping, and successful marketing tool.