Video is for more than killing the radio star
I started using Camtasia when I was making videos for Reportapalooza back in the day. I immediately fell in love with filming and editing these goofy little videos.
Why do I like video? It is often easier for folks to digest what you’ve created in video format than in the written or even just spoken word. Video allows for non-verbal cues to come across to viewers so they know whether you are being sincere, snarky, or jovial without having to try to gather that out of your text.
Here are some examples of how you can engage your audience and network with online videos.
- We’ve know for a while that videos are a great way to train people technically (as with Reportapalooza) but they are also a great way to connect with people.
- It’s also a great way to get your name out there. Many of our SCN community leaders thrust themselves into the limelight by participating in the #SCNotties, a pre-TechEd online video competition where everyone gets judged but no one is found wanting (regardless of the inadequacy of their accent).
- It’s also a great way to drum up interest in your community events. Last fall I decided I’d try to encourage people to prepare themselves for a fall conferences (TechEd or SBOUC) and ended up creating four themed videos on the subject (Agenda, Schwag Shelf, Superheroes, and — by far the most popular — Flashcards)
- Sometimes you can’t make the big conference, though, and you just want people to know you were thinking about them.
- Videos are also a great way to win things, such as this entry into one a contest that SAP Analytics hosted.
This isn’t to say there aren’t risks, most of which involve future employability and the fact that the internet is forever. In any event, get yourself a camera (or use the one in your phone) and start sharing.
However, there are many times when I think I'd like to learn more about something, and am dismayed when it's a video link (this occurs mostly with the news). Sometimes I just prefer to read the information.
But nothing compares to kitties in a suitcase. That message surely requires video (and you!)
Not sure, in your particular case, that having some Elvis tribute artists would have meant as much if they were just written about and not visible.
so if there's not something extraordinary special about the presenter or interviewee I definitely prefer written communication, which I can digest probably 5 times faster than video communication. not to mention that re-reading a paragraph, searching, paging, ... is much faster and more efficient in text than in video.
for example, to understand the latest features of the new ipad, I'd never ever watch an 85 minute video of Tim Cook, but I could get all the essence in about 6 minutes from any written summary.
my 2 cents,
anton
🙂
for me this is a very telling experience, I want to share:
- in my company youtube is blocked, so I couldn't view it there
- at home I had to mute my TV first
- then I had to adjust the volume on my PC
- since the comment started with the very first second of the video, I had to view it twice since I was distracted with volume control in the first place
And what did I learn?
You think that there are situations where written communication is more efficient and other situations where a video is more appropriate.
Pulling out my stop watch and reading the above sentence. 5 seconds. No technical issues whatsoever.
Anyway, I probably have to accept that I am member of a diminishing generation, which put a lot of emphasis into developing their skills of reading and writing to efficiently communicate, but today this cultural techniques are increasingly perceived to be uncool or old-fashioned.
But no, I am not sending hand-written snail mails anymore, don't worry 😉
anton
The lesson for people with a message to broadcast? Send it out in a few different formats.