Making Videos - Standalone Camera or Camera Phone?

Hi everyone ...

I am continuing on with my input on using video for marketing purposes. As explained at the outset of this journey, I am just learning myself and sharing as I go.

A couple of weeks ago I put marketing ideas in your minds, the comfortable part of this for me. Hopefully you've still got some ideas going around in your mind. I will pick up on those thoughts again next week, but for now .... this posting is about choosing a camera .. stand alone or on a phone? Again, my knowledge is strictly from research, not experience so I welcome input from any of you who have experience!

I guess the "trick" to making your decision is in the "options" that come with each videoing device and it all begins with knowing that just about any phone or camera with video will be "good enough" for the internet. The question you have to ask yourself is how "good" do you want your video to be? Is just "enough" .. good enough for what you want to do?

Knowing that fact I would love input from anyone on the four "options" for recording videos - tape, flash, hard drive and/or disc. What do you prefer? It seems that flash would be pretty easy, convenient and popular ... although my research says to go with tape for the best quality.

Again, how good is "good enough?" We might want to start paying more attention to the videos we see and ask the creators what did they use? Tape is old technology and time consuming, BUT has no compression so is a better quality. The other 3 options are really easy and quick to load onto one's computer. However all three use compression which can lower the quality of one's video. Hopefully just knowing the differences will allow all of us to ask the right questions and have a better discussion with an exisiting user, sales person or even in our understanding of a Google search result!

I am also told that an external microphone jack is a must because the better audio only comes from using an external microphone, NOT the mic that comes in a camera or phone. True?? Someone knows out there .. let us know for sure!

And lastly there is the question of editing. If you really want to be creative within your video this type of software seems to be a must. As I understand it you really want to ask which editing software is compatible with the camera you choose. There may be limitations with any of the cameras so , do play it safe.

One software I can't wait to get my hands on is some screen capture software. This software allows you to "capture" what is on your computer screen in a video. There are many videos I would love to make from using my computer screen. Software demos is a major one! But gosh, which one do I buy??

So tell me readers .. standalone camera or camera phone and which of which! Video is hot right now and I for one want to jump into the arena. I welcome your input.

Next week I'll get back to my forte and talk about using the videos for marketing and making money!! Meanwhile ...

Keep your business garden growing ....
margie

Need More Blog Subscribers?

Hello all ..

Hope your 4th of July was tremendous. I had a great weekend and woke up Monday AM with vertigo! Has anyone ever had it? It is extremely challenging ... took me literally off my feet for two days.

Alas I am back at work and wanted to find out how you are gathering blog subscribers? I just did my weekly mailing and included 4 tips for getting subscribers. First put links to your email subscription box at the end of your posting, or right in the post like this .... If you find this blog interesting, you can sign up for an email subscription by clicking here!

The 2nd way I offered was to build a separate subscription page where you list the benefits, third was to encourage sharing with friends and fourth was to verbally ask people if they would be interested in subscribing ( in which case you would send them a link to both you blog and the subscription link). You can read the entire mailing here: http://www.todaysway.net/weekly/gardengrowingjuly0809.htm

I want to know if you have more ideas? OR .. what have you found doesn't work? We all have far more people reading our blogs than we are aware of ... how can we get these people to subscribe?

Please share your thoughts with me. If you have already tried any of the above did they work? As always, I look forward to your input.

Keep your business garden growing ...
margie

Are You Marketing With Video Yet?

Happy 4th of July!

I am finally getting into video and am excited! Now is certainly the time for video and I've started a study that I want to share over the summer with all who are on my weekly mailing. If you are not on that list please go to my website today and sign up! http://www.todaysway.net/contactus.htm#join

People finally seem to have the time to watch a video. The quality is improving and for some reason even I am ready to slow down and give a video time to play if I am "really" interested. That is the trick ... record only what will be "really" interesting to your viewers. This can be what you use for content, the way you made the recording and/or the way you deliver the message on the recording! Be creative BUT interesting also!

So for step #1 of my study, I want to know if you are using video for your marketing? What is good about it .. what is bad. Also, please tell me if you are using a camera or a phone or something else!! I hope to be able to guide my readers and myself to some really good products

I so look forward to your input! Thank you and Happy July 4th!

Keep your business growing ....
margie

Get Your Google Profile Filled Out!

The latest tip I have received for getting online visibility is to fill out your Google account profile! I heard about it in a seminar on using blogs and having your blog be found. The Google account profile consolidates all that you do online and offers you a nice way to introduce yourself professionally and personally.

I have to admit I have a problem filling out profiles mostly because I just don't know how to answer some of the personal questions. Guess I have no life!! What "are" my interests .. what "do" I like to do? Do you experience that? Or ... are you a profile nut! My business also seems to be changing all the time in terms of all that I offer so how do I fill that section out and keep it in sync with what might already be out there? Do I even worry about this?

Profiles are vital right now. Your social network profiles are very, very important for your success and they also get listed in the search engines. Is this fact alone worth filling them all out? What do you think? Do we need to do this? I say yes but please.... prove me wrong as it is one of least favorite things to do.

Keep your business garden growing ...
margie

Note: I have to admit .. I did enjoy filling out the Google profile. Check me out .... http://www.google.com/profiles/todaysway Get yours done today!

Facebook Usernames

Hi all...

Well, facebook is finally letting us use our names in our page URL to make it easier for people to find us! However some people do not like this!

Some people simply do not like change. Are you one of these? They say people can search in the search window for them by name .. why do they need it in the URL? They are content just the way it is! If it isn't broken why fix it?

Others are past My Space users and liked Facebook cause of its differences from My Space. Using our names, they say, is making it be like My Space. Any former My Space users out there that feel this way?

Personally I am just worried that my name will get taken before I get it. Or worse ... that I mis- spell what I submit and then I'll be stuck with it! No one will find me! Other than that I'm cool!

What do you think? Let me know!

Keep your business garden growing ...
margie

Facebook Ads

Hi all,

Welcome to my weekly mailing readers who are joining us here.

Facebooks ads are quite interesting, aren't they! Has anyone given them a try? You will not find a more targeted way to market. You can define your outgoing and snail mail by targeted demographics but these are usually people you have already identified. If you are using email you "must" only communicate with those you already know.

Facebook allows you to target the exisitng Facebook demographics within the "entire" Facebook membership, not just your networks. You may target geography, age, sex, keywords, education, workplace, relationship status, even language! It really does hold true possibilities.

A client of mine, new to facebook, is a photographer. He had experienced seeing ads for some of the major players in his field appear "only" when he was on his photo gallery pages and when he would be thinking about such services! Choice of keywords made that happen. I really don't know in the world of the small business person where else you would have that happen. Does anyone have input on that?

Please share your experiences with us ... not just with Facebook Ads but pay per click on Search Engines as well! I welcome your comments.