It has been predicted that by 2014, 70% of all internet traffic will be video content: digital footage and photos. All kinds of subject matter. All levels of quality from movies, personal experiences, TV programming, tips, info and more. Targeting the right audience will be critical.
Search
engine optimization (SEO) for dummies will be on everyone's list. What is it? How does it work? How can I adapt
it to my content? Before we can promote
that content utilizing SEO we have to make sure our content works. For most independent contractors and small
business owners who wear many hats, it is a period of trial and error.
'Include
images in content' -- but how do those images look and what do they say? We are not talking friends and family photos,
folks -- we are talking business.
'Include
video in content' -- but how do those videos look and what are they saying, how
do we shoot them, and how can we make them 'sales calls'?
Let's begin with
images: You don't have to be a
commercial photographer, although I recommend using one for important photos and tricky situations. If
the image tells your story and it looks good--it's a win, win. Some tips:
Lighting. When the room is filled with natural light
from a lot of windows, photos will look too dark --when your camera is set at
an automatic mode. All that natural
light tells a camera that the room is lighter than it really is. Tip:
Frame your photo looking at the windows, then focus on another area away
from the windows. Press the shutter down
half way to lock the exposure, then focus back on the window area and press the
shutter button down the rest of the way.
When the
room is in shadow, turn on the lights and use your flash. You may require an auxiliary light pack--if
so, get help, unless you are really into photography.
Planning the shot. Consider what you are shooting. 1) Expect
shooting stars, ufo's and other glaring shapes when you aim your camera and
flash at a reflective surface. 2) Focus
on what's important--for example, when shooting a bedroom, are you selling the
bed, the size of the room, or the doors to a walkout. Remember: you don't have to do it all in one shot. 3) Remove the nonsense straighten the
lampshade,clear off the desk, fluff the pillows, remove the stack of papers. A viewer's eye always goes straight to the oddity, the imperfection--so
they can miss the point of your photo. 4) Blurriness? Try shooting with a tripod.
Fixing your mistakes-- or the wonders
of Photoshop. If you are brave and computer savvy, Photoshop
is the ultimate image doctor. A political "fashionista" and I use
that term loosely, could lose her hips, bring down her waist and eliminate her
overbite with Photoshop --all without a surgical cut.
 |
| Original image |
 |
| Enhanced image |
Photoshop Elements doesn't require as
much savvy-ness, but working with layers may prove to be more than you
bargained for...but for cropping and adjusting light, contrast, it's
terrific.
 |
| Original image |
 |
| Canvas look added to image |
And for really easy photo
enhancement, check out PicMonkey.com. Turn images into canvas versions and more. You can work wonders, even with
wrinkles. It's fun, too.
So how about video -- or, do I have be another Hitchcock, or
Spielberg? No, not everyone is expecting
an academy award winner. Content and
reasonably good digital footage works. The critical element?
Appealing to your target.
Lighting and sound--the 2 banes of
video. Just the right amount of light
bouncing back into a speaker's face can make a change. Bags and wrinkles can be diminished. Eyes can look brighter. Chin lines can look sharper. It takes practice, but before you know it,
you can shoot simple videos that are sharp and clear--sometimes using simple
light sources in a room. Experiment. Just remember you can't make a Julia
Roberts out of a Maggie Smith, or a Mercedes out of an Edsel.
Sound is
a real difficult issue. If your camera
has the capability of utilizing wired or wireless mikes, you can win the audio
battle. But if you depend on your
digital movie camera to supply the sound, prepare to beef it up in edit. Most editing software lets you separate the
sound and image in digital footage. That
way you can strengthen the voice track, add music and balance the sound. Or,
once you've separated the voice track work it over with Audacity--this is
spectacular and free. It's one of the best recording and editing
software programs, I've used. Download
it at: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/. Again, remember, you can't turn a crow's
caw into a Nightingale's song.
Editing. When shooting simple demonstrations, position
your camera as close to the action as possible.
Use editing software to highlight areas you are demonstrating. Software I prefer includes Corel VideoPro, Camtasia Studio, and Photoshop Premier. Camtasia has the best tutorial videos in my
opinion. And all three programs allow
multiple rendering options, even direct to You Tube.
Content and Timing--who is your
audience?
No one sits before their computer and is willing to watch a 7-15
minute dissertation on who you are or what you are selling--have I learned that
the hard way! Can you spit it out in a
minute? Two if it's something your
target is really interested in. Three to
five, if it's informational? Take a
trip through some video channels and try it yourself. Select an area you want to know something
about, then make notes. After 10 or 20 videos, you'll get the
picture.
I wanted
to know how to remove the internal hard drive of a non-working computer so that I could remove the data via a
connection to another computer. I
watched 10 videos and finally decided I was better off on my own. 7 of the 10 videos had no sound. I was supposed to understand what these
people were doing just by watching them point their finger at an area that was
so poorly lit, I didn't know what
electronic device they were working on.
The other 3 videos had a voice track that just talked about how easy it
was. Maybe for a computer repair guy,
but not for a middle aged user who couldn't find a screw driver small enough to
remove the screws. That should have been
the first step in the explanation. The
first seven guys would no doubt have pointed to a hardware store in the dark. Just for the record, use a screwdriver that is
used for eyeglasses.
