Date post: | 30-Nov-2014 |
Category: |
Business |
Upload: | sikich-llp |
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Web Applications for Video
I. Overview
• Video once uncommon on the web
- Low Bandwidth
- Poor quality due to compression needed
• Video now commonplace and expected
- Free video sharing sites now available (YouTube, Vimeo)
- Quality of compression formats has greatly increased
- Web is quickly becoming the main source of video content
• Multiple ways utilize video for your business
- If you have the right server set up – you can stream it
yourself
- Utilizing video sharing sites
- Either way you can still integrate the video into your site
pages
Benefits of Video Online
• Video content appeals to everyone
- From kids to adults, watching video is second nature
• Video educates differently than text
- Attention spans are reduced, people have less time
- Watching video is much easier than reading
• Information from video is easier to retain
- People tend to gather more information visually
- Video can be watched over and over with less effort
Benefits of Video Online
• Great for SEO
- Video 53 times more likely to generate a first page
Google ranking
- Video content is showcased on the first page above the fold
• Infinitely cheaper than a 30 second TV Spot
- Not limited to 30 seconds
- Free to “broadcast”
- Viewing audience is more targeted than general demographic
that TV can reach
- Any company can do it
- Expectation of video quality is much lower than TV spot
Benefits of Video
Cheaper / Easier to produce
Benefits of Video Online
• Can drive traffic to your site
- Add a video teaser to your e-mail and people are more likely to
“click through” to your website
II. Web Video Applications
A) Educational
- Educate the public about your company and the products
or services you offer
B) Informational
- Introduce products, policies or procedures to employees /
public
C) Training
- Train employees / public on how to perform certain tasks
D) Marketing and Sales
- Raise public interest in your products or services
A) Educational
1) General Message
- Introduce / share / promote your brand. Show the world
what your company is all about… what you stand for
Web Video Applications - Educational
2) Upcoming Events
- Educate the public about upcoming programs, events
Web Video Applications - Educational
3) Generate Awareness
- Educate the public about a particular local / geographic
concern
- Influence public opinion for referendum votes
- Outline an important health or safety issue
B) Informational
Some uses of informational videos
1) Inform employees / public about new products or services
2) Relate policies, information or procedures to employees / public
3) Deliver a corporate message
4) Use as a public relations tool for public / press
C) Training
Some uses of training videos
1) Show how to use a certain product or service or how it works
2) Explain a hard to visualize step-by-step installation
D) Sales and Marketing
Some uses for training and marketing videos
1) Showcase facilities and amenities
2) Call attention to unique features / benefits
3) Appeal to donors and members
4) Outline company capabilities
III. Types of Videos
Video can be created using any one of or a combination of techniques
A) Live Action
Interviews, talking heads, walk-ups, B-roll footage
B) Animation
Motion graphics, cartoons, artwork, graphs, charts
C) Live Action plus Animation
Combination of the two
D) Photographic Montage
Also known as the “Ken Burns” Effect
A. Live Action
Utilizes video footage of interviews and B-roll to communicate message.
Advantagesa. Its real/believable - Actual people speaking about your product
b. Familiar – People are familiar with this style of video… they identify with people
in the video
Disadvantagesa. Compressed video file can be large, longer download, slower playback.
b. Production Cost – Time involved to create this type of video can be pricey considering
time needed to shoot all the footage.
c. Post-Production Cost – Editing costs can be expensive
B. Animation
Utilizes art to communicate message.
Advantagesa. Animated Flash files are much smaller than Live action video files
b. Quicker Download/playback
c. Efficient/cheaper production – every thing is being created for this video and can be
done
very efficiently (as opposed to video where you shoot more than you need)
d. They’re Fun!
e. They can look very HighTech
Disadvantagesa. Needs to be high quality artwork… amateur quality will compromise the quality
of your message
b. Can be interpreted as ‘Cartoonish’...not a good thing if your message is serious.
C. Combination
Utilizes best of both worlds, animation and live action.
Advantagesa. Quicker Download/playback – since most of the action is animated,
there’s less video to compress
b. Combines the ‘reality’ of live action, with the ‘fun’ of animation
Disadvantagesa. Larger production value – need to shoot on either a green screen or white and
composite
video onto animation
b. Can be perceived as not too serious.
c. Can be confusing if not done too well.
D. Photo Montage
Made famous by Ken Burns in Civil War and Baseball PBS Series. Uses
photos, music, and voice over to communicate the message.
Advantagesa. Inexpensive - only have to pay for editing. All pictures need to be in digital format
b. Emotional/inspiring - photos can evoke more emotion than video
c. Simple yet effective
Disadvantagesa. Limited amount of information
b. Quality is limited to photo/editor's level of quality
c. Can be very boring if not done correctly
IV. Video: Things to Keep in Mind
Similar to any marketing effort, hiring professionals to produce a video,
while more costly, greatly increases the perceived quality of the video,
and as a result your organization.
A) Expense: How much will it cost?
- Professionally done – Script, Producer, Camera Man,
Editor
General guideline about $1000 to $1500 per minute
- DIY – Script, Video Camera, Tripod, Audio Equipment,
Lighting
Equipment, Computer with editing software,
Knowledge
on how to use this equipment and software, TIME!
Good equipment and know-how IS THE KEY to
quality!
Could be from $3000 to $15000 (depending on
quality
of equipment)… including your TIME!
IV. Video: Things to Keep in Mind
B) How-to’s
- Most good quality videos have several things in common:
1. Introduction Screen – Take a moment to explain what is
going
to be presented.
2. Narrator / Text – You can use either a voice over, on screen
narrator, or text to help communicate and point out the
highlights
of what you are seeing.
3. Quality Video – Video is shot using a tripod or other
stabilizing
device. Hand held video is bouncy and hard to watch.
IV. Video: Things to Keep in Mind
C) Do’s and Don’ts
1. DO keep it short and to the point
- Most people don’t want to be stuck at their computers for
long
periods of time when they are just trying to get some basic
info
even through a video.
2. DO make the video easy to find
- Don’t bury the video at the bottom of a page or make
someone
dig through your site to find it.
IV. Video: Things to Keep in Mind
C) Do’s and Don’ts (cont.)
3. DO name your videos with easily searchable names
- SEO friendly names will make them easier to find
- Names should be descriptive to content
- Example: Naperville Park District Centennial Beach
Swimming Area
4. DO utilize video sharing sites to maximize SEO
- Even if you host your own website and serve your own
video,
your presence on YouTube will increase your SEO
- Some video sharing sites are free of Charge
- Help keep related videos well organized and easy to find
IV. Video: Things to Keep in Mind
C) Do’s and Don’ts (cont.)
5. DO transcribe your videos
- Adding transcriptions to meta data allows that content
to be searchable, good for SEO
6. DON’T just throw your video together
- Take time to plan out shots and narration
- Nothing says “we really don’t care” and reflects as poorly
on
a company than a hastily planned video
7. DON’T limit video to your site only
- Get them out there, post to video hosting sites
- Generate links to your video from other websites
IV. Video: Things to Keep in Mind
C) Do’s and Don’ts (cont.)
8. DON’T use cheese transitions and effect
- Keep it simple and to the point
- Poor transitions and effects just get distracting
9. DON’T get too trendy
- Don’t just knock off the latest “thing”
- Will look “dated” when that trend goes out of style
Questions?