Get found online – how to create a professional online video for your business

With more than 12 million Australians online, Australians are regularly turning to the internet to find information and answers to their problems. Interestingly more than 60 percent of these 12 million internet users are turning to online videos to find these answers.

So what is a business to do? Start creating compelling online content in the form of YouTube videos, online news releases, blogs, podcasts and online media to reach your target audience directly. This is your chance to tell your businesses story and maybe even go viral!

Video carries a lot more impact than text – yes video is linear and your audience has to sit through it – but video gives you the chance to create an impact, guide your audience through things and give your audience the chance to really get to know you. Most importantly it helps you stand out from the crowd and get found on the internet.

Jim Stewart from Stew Art Media has provided some tips to help you create a successful and professional video for your business:

Be unique
It is important to offer something different that no other business is doing. Try to stand out from the crowd and offer something your target audience actually needs. Make sure you inject personality into your video, but most importantly make sure you are yourself.

Timing is everything
Generally speaking people have short attention spans, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that people are busy. Your audience rarely will watch a video longer than ten minutes so aim to keep your video within this time frame.

Live Vs pre-recorded video
You will need to make a decision whether to offer your videos live or pre-recorded. Don’t just offer your video live because you think it is a good idea. You need to have a legitimate reason. If you don’t need to go live, then don’t.

Statistics show that pre-recorded videos have roughly double the amount of viewers than live videos. When live, you need to comply with global time zones and compete with people’s busy schedules. Pre-recorded videos give people the flexibility to watch the video in their own time.

Content
Make sure you use your video to tell your businesses story. Sometimes we are so close to what we do, we don’t realise people are interested. You might think everyone already knows this, but they don’t and it is worth talking about and sharing. However, make sure there is a point to the story.

If you know the story and your material it will help you look more professional and credible as you will not need to read from a script. Pretend the camera is your audience and speak directly to the camera. Your audience will feel more engaged.

Equipment
You don’t need a lot of money, a lot of equipment or a lot of people to produce a video. The higher quality your equipment is the better in the long run, however a video camera, three $20 flood lights and a microphone are the basics to get you started.

Lighting
Invest in three flood lights and use these to light your personal studio. Set up a light in front of you and behind you. The most important is to set a light shining on you from above. This will eliminate shadows and help your video look professional.

Microphone
Invest in a directional microphone and use this instead of a microphone included in a web cam. This will make sure people focus on what you are saying rather than the echoes of your voice.

Camera
The better quality the camera, the better quality your final product will be. A better quality camera will allow you to re-purpose content if needed. The larger the camera, the more light will be let into the video.

Format
If your video is being produced purely for online, than you don’t need to worry too much about the format as long as you are using popular software. When you publish to a site such as You Tube, they will take control of the format for you. Video editing software such as Windows Movie Maker which comes free with PC’s or iMovie free with a Mac can help you in your video making process.

Set
Think about where you are going to film your video, chose a quite location, with no distractions. Wear professional clothing appropriate for your area of business and chose a stable non-swivel chair to sit on. Remember, you want the audience to focus on what you are saying, not you swinging back and forth in your chair.

Use key words
You Tube is now number one in search engines, so it is important to think about your video’s keywords and use these in your descriptions to make sure your video is found. It is a good idea to look for the number one video on a similar topic and use some of their keywords – be careful not to copy.

An interview with Bridget Davis, The Internet Chef

How has social media influenced the food industry?
Social media has made the food industry accessible to everyone. The food industry has to be more accountable as the average person now has a voice and opinion that can go up in 140 characters or as a status update. Up-to-the-second reviews are being written while people dine, course by course photographed and sent out for their world to see and be a virtual part of.

Best produce buys are being discussed online, and people are meeting and dining together based on recommendations by their virtual networks. Trending and topical recipes are shared by the millions of people every day – so why not ask your social media family what you should do with the 5kg of limes you just bought at the market?

The consumer is taking back control and the food industry is reinventing itself in order to accommodate. Chefs are creating fan bases across the globe, and restaurants are taking bookings via a tweet. Never before has the food industry been so accessible and needed to be so transparent.

Why have foodies taken to social media?
Foodies are passionate individuals, passionate about their food, ecstatic over the wines and enthusiastic about their favourite eating establishments. We are a group of individuals who love to share, and social media is the ultimate sharing tool.

What social media application do you think has the most influence for foodies?
It’s tough to choose only one as they all have varying roles that are dependent on what you want to achieve.  If you want to have real time conversations about food, recipes, restaurants and the like then twitter is the winner. I would suggest to any foodie reading this that they should get on twitter and follow as many chefs, restaurants, food writers, food enthusiasts and food lovers out there. You will be amazed at who you might meet!

Just last week my partner and I had drinks with one of the top chefs in America, Roy Yamaguchi from Roy’s Restaurant. He owns over 30 restaurants worldwide and has been named as the godfather of Hawaiian fusion cuisine. We met him on twitter!

Facebook is another great social media app, if you want to create Fan pages for your restaurant or food business, start a food cause like Jamie Oliver and the #foodrevolution or like to post links to your favourite online food sites. Facebook can help you reach a whole new audience and you can bring your family and friends along for the ride!

Why do you think foodie blogs are so popular?
I couldn’t imagine a world without the food blog! You can access millions and millions of recipes online which are mostly free. The food blog is also a social media app, and it has become a place to leave comments and bring communities of people together to celebrate food.

Celebrity bloggers are being born and traffic to some food blogs like Lorraine’s Not Quite Nigella exceed those of well respected and known food websites. It is the decade of the blogger, as they become more internet saavy and delicious with every blog post.

How has social media influenced your professional life?
Social media has enabled me to connect with my peers directly and in such a way that no other networking tool has done before. Social media has become my search tool of choice when organising nationwide events, trying to find a food photographer for a shoot or even tracking down the elusive ingredient for my degustation breakfast.

Tell me about The Internet Chef.
The Internet Chef is a portal for good honest food. The aim of the Internet chef is to empower, encourage and inspire people to cook and eat better. I come from a very humble background where food was a means of survival at times, and eating healthy and deliciously wasn’t always top of the culinary agenda.

As a Maori, many of our people are suffering from years of poverty and uneducated food choices so that food related illnesses like diabetes and heart disease are strongly prevalent in our communities. Food related illnesses are a global epidemic with the ever rising increase in popularity of fast food and convenience products. Less and less people are cooking at home and playing less of an active role in their daily food intake.

The internet chef aims to inspire and encourage folks back into the kitchen, teach some sound simple skills so that they feel empowered to take control of their diet and that of their families and then encourage them to keep learning and exploring all the wonderful elements and ingredients that make this such an exciting culinary planet.

What social media applications do you use for The Internet Chef?
I have a few favourites that I would like to share. For chatters and great conversation I use twitter. On Facebook I have an Internet Chef Fan page and you can also follow me on Facebook as Bridget Davis. I use Friend Connect, Stumble and Google Connect. I do have a Google Wave account as well, but I’m finding it a bit clunky so am waiting for the next couple of versions to see if it’s improved its fluidity. I also have a YouTube channel and my blog is a great way to connect with my social media posse!

See Bridget at Media 140 Foodies on 5 May 2010 as she prepare a variety of canapés as part of her renowned degustation. The event will bring together Sydney’s gourmets and gourmands, chefs, food writers, bloggers, critics and restaurateurs. Book here.

Public relations becoming the communications method of choice.

IBISWorld has reported that paid advertisements are losing out to communication campaigns. The $1.9 billion Adverting Services industry is struggling to match the agility and ability of public relations providers to engage consumers within a changing media landscape.

The emergence of digital and new media, including web-enabled mobile phones, faster and cheaper internet, iPods and podcasts, pay-TV, new free-to-air channels and social networking websites such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook has fragmented consumers viewing habits. Marketers are increasingly turning to public relations for more subtle methods to ensure their message reaches the target audience. To do this, public relations techniques are incorporating communications into media content that consumers choose to view and interact with. In particular, social media such as blogs, discussion forums, video sharing and social networking sites are a key avenue for public relations communications.

The mushrooming of this new media and its use to target specific audiences is taking its toll on mass media paid advertising in TV, newspapers, magazines and billboards. While paid online display advertising has increased strongly, many popular websites and social networks such as YouTube and Facebook have limited advertising so as not to turn away visitors. Additionally, the fear of viruses and spyware has caused consumers to be sceptical of online advertisements.

Public relations revenue has also been more resilient than advertising revenue during the recent dip in the economy’s fortunes. While marketing budgets tend to be one of the first items targeted in cost-cutting efforts, public relations services are often seen as more focused and therefore better value for money than media advertising. Additionally, some aspects of public relations such as communications with stakeholders can become more important during a downturn.

As a result, public relations revenue is expected to fall in percentage terms by less than half that of advertising revenue over the two years to June 2010. Over the next five years, advertising services in Australia are expected to grow by an average of 3.0% a year. Public relations services, which currently generate less than a quarter the amount of revenue of advertising services will grow by an average of 3.4%.

Advertising agencies are not retreating in the face of this fall from favour. Rather, they are doing what they do best: reinventing themselves. They are acquiring public relations agencies, market research firms, digital advertising agencies and web developers to become diversified marketing communications companies. The line between public relations and advertising is blurring.

Why proof reading is essential!

The BBC UK has reported that  an Australian publisher has had to pulp and reprint a cookbook after one recipe listed “salt and freshly ground black people” instead of black pepper.

Penguin Group Australia had to reprint 7,000 copies of Pasta Bible last week, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported.

The reprint cost A$20,000 ($18,000; £12,000), but stock in bookshops will not be recalled as it is “extremely hard” to do so, Penguin said.

The recipe was for tagliatelle with sardines and prosciutto.

“We’re mortified that this has become an issue of any kind, and why anyone would be offended, we don’t know,” head of publishing Bob Sessions is quoted as saying by the Sydney newspaper.

Penguin said almost every one of the more than 150 recipes in the book listed salt and freshly ground black pepper, but a misprint occurred on just one page.

“When it comes to the proof-reader, of course they should have picked it up, but proof-reading a cookbook is an extremely difficult task. I find that quite forgivable,” Mr Sessions said.

If anyone complains about the “silly mistake”, they will be given the new version, Penguin said.

What’s your personal brand?

What’s your story?