Web 2.0 Tools
July 1, 2008
Wow! So much going on and so much to share!
However, I’ll make this quick because we’re all waaay too busy. Fortunately, this monthly, quick-read update will help keep you on top of the latest web trends without having to spend countless hours searching for cool, new stuff online.
In case you missed it, I’ve started sharing some cutting edge Web 2.0 tips, time-savers and tools on my new 3-minute videoblog, LouTube! Every week, I give you “must know” resources to boost your business. The latest episode reveals why you should be making quick videos and posting them on Blip.tv. Check it out at: LouTube: Episode 6.
I’m really excited to share with you a unique and innovative membership website called the “Master Business Building Club.”
This content-rich site features 14 new Web 2.0 tools and technologies to keep you connected with your clients and colleagues. The high-level networking opportunities are going to be incredible!
The web resource is the brainchild of Mitch Meyerson and Travis Greenlee. I’m proud to say that I was a part of the development team, as I created many of the “how-to” videos you’ll see on the site.
As a reader of my e-zine, you are getting an exclusive first-look, along with a “pre-launch” opportunity to participate in the Club! Please give it a look today - I think you’ll be impressed! Click here for a preview or a free trial!
Do you ever wish you could screen your friend requests on Facebook? How about being able to make a really cool first impression on your new Facebook contacts? Well, I’ve just developed a neat little Facebook application that does just that!
It’s called “Handshake,” and it’s basically just a way for you to send a choice of several clever e-cards to your new Facebook friends. It’s free and easy to use. Just add the application and impress your new friends. See what I mean at Handshake!
Online Video is here to stay and is becoming a mainstream part of promoting your business online. Maybe you’ve just dipped your toes in the water or have been hesitant to dive in. Well now there are two, brand new resources to help make it easy for you to test the video waters…
First is the “Online Video Association,” a new Facebook group where you can learn about and experiment with web video along with your peers. Jump in for free at OnlineVideoAssociation.com.
The other fun, fast and free resource is my new “LouTube” videoblog episodes. Each week, I give you a quick heads-up on the latest video-related or social networking websites and tools. Also, you never know who I’m going to be talking with or mentioning… Previous episodes have provided tips and tricks for Twitter, UStream, Facebook, TubeMogul and more. Check out the latest episode at Blip.tv!
Speaking of new sites, I’ve redesigned and relaunched my portal site to make it more user friendly. It’s my one-stop-shop for all the creative services I offer: Copywriting, ghostwriting, writing coaching, online video, and even a bunch of freebies and goodies. Check it out at: www.LouBortone.com.
GET YOUR VIDEO ON THE WEB – QUICK & EASY! by Lou Bortone
May 4, 2008
Online Video is here to stay, so it’s time for you to join the party! Fortunately, with the proliferation of free video hosting sites like YouTube, Blip.tv, iFilm and Veoh, today anyone with a camcorder and an Internet connection can produce a video and share it with the world. Best of all, you don’t need to be Martin Scorsese to create a video for the web! Online Video viewers are very forgiving…
Producing video for the Web can be a powerful marketing tool for your business. Some benefits include:
• Free or low-cost publicity and exposure for your company
• Instant access to a worldwide audience on the Web, 24/7
• The ability to use your video hosting site’s HTML code to add the video to your own Web site
Here are 4 simple steps for getting your video on the web:
1. Produce a short video “Short” is the key word here, for several reasons: First, online viewers have a much shorter attention span when watching video on the Web. Second, longer videos mean larger file sizes. Most free video hosting sites have a 100MB limit; some even less. For great, do-it-yourself, online video tools, visit Serious Magic and look at their inexpensive “Vlog It” software. You can use a webcam, an inexpensive camcorder or, my personal favorite, the ultra-cool Flipcam.
2. Output your video for online viewing
Once you’ve got your video, it still needs to be encoded and compressed to make it “Internet-friendly.” Video files can be enormous, but compression software shrinks the video file size so it plays more smoothly on the Web. Remember to save or export your file to an online-compatible size, which is 320 X 240 resolution; and compress it so it’s under 20MB, if possible. Be sure to save your video file in a format that most video sites accept, such as a Quicktime movie (.mov), a Windows movie (.wmv) or Flash (.flv) file. QuickTime Pro (for Windows or Mac) is ideal for compressing your video and transferring it to whatever file format you prefer (Windows, Flash, MPEG). Of course, if you’re using the aforementioned Flipcam, you just flip open the USB connector, and plug the videocamera directly into your computer.
3. Upload to several free video hosting sites
Now comes the fun part – You get to upload your video and share it with the world! Most of the popular video sites have relatively easy upload instructions: First, you’ll have to create an account for each site. The video hosting sites usually have a two or three step process that allows you to browse for your video file on your computer; add a title and description; and then click “upload” to post your video file. Most sites will also give you options for adding a thumbnail photo, selecting your genre or category or, in some cases, signing up for revenue sharing. I suggest that you go beyond the obvious sites like YouTube and Yahoo, and upload your video to some of the other, more feature-rich sites such as Revver, Brightcove and Stickam. Visit the individual sites for easy upload instructions.
4. Promote and share your new “online TV channel”
After you’ve uploaded your video, the video hosting sites provide the option of “sharing” your video by giving you a link/URL that you can e-mail to your contacts. Most sites also include a great feature that allows you to copy the HTML code and “embed” the video right into your own website or blog. Simply cut and paste the code provided into your own site.
Follow these four steps and you can have your own video on numerous video websites and on your own website or blog – quickly, easily and inexpensively!
Lou Bortone is an author and entrepreneur with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. Before starting his own company, Lou was an award-winning marketing executive in the media industry. Lou served as National Promotion Manager for E! Entertainment Television, and later as Senior VP of Marketing and Advertising for Fox Family Worldwide, a division of Fox, in Los Angeles. Today, Lou helps entrepreneurs and solo professionals navigate their online businesses with services such as copywriting, video production and creative services. Sign up for Lou’s free mini audio course about using Online Video at http://www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com.
Online Video: The Next Generation
April 25, 2008
As a former television producer and video editor, I’ve got some deep-seated beliefs about video quality. After 20 years in TV, old habits die hard. To me, a “jump-cut,” or video where the scene or frame “jumps” or cuts without a smooth transition, is the cardinal sin of video. In traditional television, jump cuts or bad transitions are simply unacceptable. That’s why we use devices like cut-aways and B-roll (background footage)
But online video is totally different. Anything goes. Quality takes a distant back seat to content. Even those dreaded jump cuts seem to be tolerated. I can’t fight back the tide any longer. I give up! I guess I was wrong to insist on broadcast quality when it comes to online video. After all, sometimes I just use a $35 web cam. And my only “real” video camera is a cool, little $150 “Flip” cam. (OK, so my video partner has a professional $15,000 camera!) Still, I’m finally willing to drop the quality argument and join the online video masses.
The thing about web video is that it’s easy and accessible – so anyone can play! The medium is the message, as sixties scholar Marshall McLuhan once said about traditional television. And when it comes to online video, only the message matters.
It’s not easy for a former TV producer to say this, but don’t worry about the quality of your online video. Just fire up your web cam and join the party. Jump in. Upload to YouTube. Put your face on facebook. Online video is guerrilla marketing at its core: Fast. Easy. Inexpensive. And driven by imagination more than technology.
Want an even cooler, easier way to send and receive video postcards at the click of the mouse? Stay tuned and watch this space for a really big announcement about a new environment that leverages the best of Web 2.0 innovations like online video. It’s going to change the way we collaborate and communicate!
Lou Bortone is an author and entrepreneur with extensive experience in marketing, branding and promotion. Before starting his own company, Lou was an award-winning marketing executive in the media industry. Lou served as National Promotion Manager for E! Entertainment Television, and later as Senior VP of Marketing and Advertising for Fox Family Worldwide, a division of Fox, in Los Angeles. Today, Lou helps entrepreneurs and solo professionals navigate their online businesses with services such as copywriting, video production and creative services. Sign up for Lou’s free mini audio course about using Online Video at http://www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com.
Flip Video
December 8, 2007
Just ordered the new Flip Video mini video camera that’s been getting a lot of positive buzz.
Here’s a link to the WSJ article about the Flip:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118955080803924331.html?mod=technology_main_promo_left
I’ll post a review as soon as I receive my Flip!
LB
Video Post Production - Part 6
November 15, 2007
Here’s our final post-production tip in this series:
Once you’ve edited your video, it still needs to be encoded and compressed to make it “Internet-friendly.” Video files can be enormous, but compression software shrinks the video file size so it plays more smoothly on the Web. Remember to save or export your file to an online-compatible size, which is 320 X 240 resolution; and compress it so it’s under 20MB, if possible.
Be sure to save your video file in a format that most video sites accept, such as a Quicktime movie (.mov), a Windows movie (.wmv) or Flash (.flv) file. QuickTime Pro (for Windows or Mac) is ideal for compressing your video and transferring it to whatever file format you prefer (Windows, Flash, MPEG). If you think you’re going to be creating a lot of videos and uploading them to the Web, then the QuickTime software is the best $30 bucks you’ll ever spend!
Online Video Uses and Benefits
March 30, 2007
Online Video Benefits Free! Immediate, Global. Available 24/7, Search Engine-Friendly, Low Barrier to Entry, Opportunity for Feedback, Peer to PeerRevenue Opportunities Online Video Uses
- Uploading to video websites
- Adding video to your own website
- Videoblogging
- Short films or sketch comedy
- (One of our skits got more than 20,000 views on Yahoo!)
- Viral video (share and spread)
- Webcam rants
Beyond YouTube (My favorite video sites) Blip.tv
Veoh.com
VideoEgg
Revver
Brightcove
Yahoo/CurrentTV
iFilm
Metacafe
Vimeo
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