Last year I already used more video in my blog than the year before. This year it will be even more. Video is going to be more and more important. If you want to become visible for your target audience, use video.

You can use video in various ways:

• Create video posts
• Do live interviews
• Video-interviews via Skype
• Record events
• Record your workshop or presentation
• Record a webinar
• Screencasts
• Recording a mentor or coach session with a client

All these possibilities require a different setup and some different cameras.

For the videos that I am working on now I have purchased two new webcams.
I want to record HD videos so that the quality of the image is perfect on YouTube and Vimeo.

Remember I am not a camera or video expert. I want to help independent professionals to attract clients. Videos will help me with that and it will help you to attract clients, if you sell products or when you sell a service.

Sometimes I get comments on my published video from so-called video experts. They pay attention to the quality of the camera, sound and lighting. Pleas remember: the main point is to get your message out there, to help your target audience. Focus on the content.

This is the setup at my desk:

Cameras

Logitech HD Pro webcam C920
The latest HD webcam by Logitech. It even lets you record video calls from Skype in full HD. Only for Windows and you need Skype 5.7+ (beta).
Connected to your computer you can use it for webinars, video-interviews via Skype, posts from your desk.

You can also place this version on a tripod
Cost EUR 99.00
http://www.logitech.com/webcam-communications/webcams/devices/hd-pro-webcam-c920

Logitech HD Pro webcam C910
Also a great HD webcam that you can use for Mac and Windows. In mac the control of the camera is limited i.e. zooming in is missing.
You can record 720p with Skype. Regular recording with camera can be done in Full HD (1080).

Cost EUR 99.00
http://www.logitech.com/webcam-communications/webcams/devices/hd-pro-webcam-c910

Kodak Zi6
A bit older HD camera that I use to do videos when I am on the road. I did all my recordings from Le Web 2011 with this camera.

Great camera, although the Zi8 is even a bit better with an external Mic connection. Both cameras are no longer available in the shop.
The replacement would be the Playfull

The Playfull Dual Camera has an external microphone in.
Price EUR 180.00
http://shop.kodak.nl/store/ekconseu/nl_NL/pd/PLAYFULL_dual_camera/productID.242813300

Important: Sound and Light

There are 2 other parts that are extremely important when you record a video: sound and lighting.

A good microphone is necessary so the viewer can understand the subject. The microphone build in the camera can be good enough, but then you have to be sure that you record in a quiet environment.

You can use daylight, make sure you have the sunlight in the back of the camera and shining on the subject. When you want to record and not be depending on the sun you can buy some lights.

Microphone

Blue Yeti – this is a great microphone USB for Win and Mac. I love the sound of it. You can find it at Blue Microphones

You can buy this later but for me it is a great product that I use for all my Skype calls, interviews and podcasts.

Price: EUR 135.00

Lights

2 soft box lights directed at your face from both sides is the minimum.
I have been searching for these lights at a good price for some time.
First I found it via Amazon but later via eBay.

My latest set of 3 lights were purchased via a Dutch shop on eBay for EUR 120.00.

Software

Tools to edit your video. You do not have to use it. I published a lot of videos directly from the camera to YouTube. Editing takes time.

Windows MovieMaker – free.
This is the basic software from Microsoft that you can download and use to add titles, add sound, add images to your video. It works good and easy.

iMovie (Mac) – free
Part of iLife. If you want the latest version it is iLife ’11 and comes with iMovie ’11, iPhoto ’11 and Garageband ’11. This upgrade costs EUR 12.00, that is a bargain.

Similar to Movie Maker, a basic video editing tool.

Camtasia (Win/Mac) – paid, to record from your screen and do screencasts for example.
The software is created by TechSmith.

You can Download a free trial.
Cost: EUR 285.50 for Windows and EUR 94.50 for Mac??

To make easy recordings of my Skype interviews I purchased seperate software. I want me and the person that I interview in 1 shot side-by-side.

Call recorder for Mac
Easy to use software by ecamm to record your video calls on Skype. You can use it for video interviews via Skype or coaching calls via Skype.

Used by the video interview pros TheRiseToTheTop.com and Mixergy.com
Price EUR 20.00

Supertintin for Windows
Looks similar as Call recorder.
I still need to test this one

Price EUR 25.00 (US$ 30.00)

Publishing

To get my videos out in the open, start shipping, I publish them on 3 channels.

YouTube
This is the channel that gets the most traffic. It is the second search engine after Google.
Using the right title can put your video on the first page in Google for your keywords.

YouTube

Vimeo
It has a better quality video. It also offers you a Pro account where you get more upload size (5G per week). You can upload videos of 1 hour or more with Pro.
The Vimeo Pro solution offers a lot more EUR 199.00 / year

I also use it to publish the videos that I sell from my webinars. You can hide the videos in Vimeo.com and only embed them on a specific website.
When you are just beginning the free version of Vimeo will get you high quality playbacks.

Vimeo

Blog
Once the video is published on YouTube and/or Vimeo I embed it in a post and publish it on my blog.

Inspiration

Here are some posts that I used to get some inspiration and information for my video recording setup:

• How To Record Skype Video – Skype Video Call Recording Tools
• How To Produce Video Interviews For Your Blog Using Skype
• How to record a video interview in 8 steps
• Studio of Brendon Burchard – a good overview of the equipment Brendon is using. Wow.

Subscribe to these channels to see my weekly Q&A’s and upcoming video interviews on attracting clients:
YouTube
Vimeo

What do you use?

So are you ready to start recording now?
What kind of equipment do you use for your video recordings?
Share it via the comments below.

Post from: Erno Hannink feel free to use the content but give credit to the writer (CC BY/SA)

More and better videos for your blog and the equipment you need to make it happen

I know this is a silly post. To claim this site on Technorati.com I need to have this claim code SEXYBFHUMJ64 in my feed.
The only reason I am posting this here :0)

Post from: Erno Hannink feel free to use the content but give credit to the writer (CC BY/SA)

Technorati claim

How much time do you spend on the web? A question I get asked a lot during presentations. So I have included a slide about this in my presentations and explain why it is smart to spend about one hour per day on marketing.

I am not the average person or a good example for how much time you should spend on the web. I spend a bit more time on the web than the average person. This is what I do.

For better results on the web you do not need to spend that much time. You don’t have to work hard, but you have to work smart on the web.

One CUP a day

So you can remember easily what to do every day on the web is, a CUP-a-day.

CUP stands for:

• Connect – connect with one or two potential clients on the social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or the network where your target audience is
• Update – put one status update on your most important social network sites. Ask a question, reply to your followers. Say something to get response
• Publish – publish something you created on the web. An article, a newsletter, photos a video. Post. It will make you visible on the web.

60 minutes

This CUP-a-day should cost no more than 60 minutes. This also a good alarm for you to set. So you don’t waste to much time on the internet going from profile to profile and update to update.

Spending the time on the right marketing means that you have to spend less time in sales. So if you ask where you should find these 60 minutes, in sales and live networking.

TLC

Another great idea is by Sandi Krakowski and she calls it TLC. Everyday you need some TLC and it stands for Tweet, Like and Comment. With some TLC you will connect with new people and with fans.

So go ahead and use a CUP-a-day or some TLC every day to get this in your daily routine.

Love to see your connection requests, updates and publications.

Credit photo: tracitodd cup bokeh

Post from: Erno Hannink feel free to use the content but give credit to the writer (CC BY/SA)

One CUP a day – your marketing trick

Got some questions on this lately. “I have uploaded a test video to my new channel on YouTube. Now, how do I remove it?” So I did a short screencast on removing a video from YouTube.

• You are logged in.
• Click on your username at the top right
• Select ‘My videos’
• Now you have a overview of your video’s. Select the video you want to remove
• Click ‘Delete’
• Confirm.
• Done

Screencast of how to delete your video from YouTube

Post from: Erno Hannink feel free to use the content but give credit to the writer (CC BY/SA)

Remove a video from YouTube

When you have important information for your audience it is good to inform them on the platform where they hang out.
In extreme conditions you want to inform as many people as possible. The weather conditions in Australia with the flooding is such an extreme condition.

Where to go, on what online platform are you likely to get the attention of as many people as possible? Facebook and YouTube.
Using a Facebook page and publishing content on YouTube will also get you quickly in the search engines.

Let’s check the Facebook stats for Australia:
Facebook Users: 9,247,320
Penetration of population: 43.49%
Penetration of online pop.: 54.29%

So the Queensland Police is posting updates on their Facebook page like crazy.
They are using smart hashtags so you can find the updates fast: #qldfloods.
They inform the followers about livestreaming that’s coming up with more information on the floods.

On the info tab you will find more contact details of the police. Where to go if it is about other situations that need the attention of the police.

A special, separate, tab with more information about the floods, official information from the government and media coverage.

A separate tab where you follow the livestream of the press conferences that they organize with updates.

You can find the press conferences on YouTube on the Queensland Police channel
@QPSmedia on Twitter.

In this video you can see how serious this is and how fast it develops.

Our thoughts are with the people in Australia fighting for their lives and homes.

Post from: Erno Hannink feel free to use the content but give credit to the writer (CC BY/SA)

Inform your audience on their platform – example Queensland Police

Sunday November 14th the voting closed and Leigh collected the final reviews of the panel. Leigh Kostiainen of Advanced Fan Page Solutions collected al the reviews in a full report. Download the report, look at the finalists, read the reviews and see where you can improve your Facebook page.

When you are working on your Facebook page it is interesting to look at the 13 finalists (see this overview of the finalists). Most of the finalists have 1.000+ fans, one even has 8.000+. Still, these Facebook pages have some points to improve their visitbility on Facebook and get even more ‘Likes’.

These are the reviews of Cathy’s Creations:

PMFP finalist Cathy’s Creations in Promote My Fan Page Best Fan Page Awards

Panellist 1 Review
The best thing that Cathy’s Creations is doing with their Page is fan engagement, great use of Reviews, use of an Etsy tab, and an active discussion board. They can improve the Page by adding a custom landing tab. The purpose of the Page is clear.

Panellist 2 Review
Best thing: Engaging all over!
Place to improve: Consider getting a Welcome Tab with email capture.
Page purpose clear? Very

Panellist 3 Review (mine)
The keywords “bead crochet bracelets” could be added to the title of the page to be better found in the search. Good selling from the Etsy shop on a separate tab. Landing on a welcome tab and showing some examples and call to action can win some more likes. Missing branding possibilities in the profile image, name of company.
Lots of topics in the forum. Good photo’s that support the sale and good interaction on the wall.

• land on Wall
• No welcome tab
• Wall shows message of page and not fans
• info box misses link to website
• lots of topics in the forum
• 12 reviews
• Etsy store where you can buy directly
• good photo’s
• good interaction on the wall

Panellist 4 Review
The fan page of Cathy’s Creations has got nearly 1900 likers selling beautiful bead crochet bracelets for every age and size using a variety of glass beads, Swarovski crystals, pearls and sterling silver. The landing page displays a selection of those bracelets using an Etsy shopping tab.
The pictures are of good quality and it’s easy to move around and pick the item of your choice. You also have the possibility of using the share button on each item to share it with your friends on your wall.
The profile picture is not using the full possibility of 600px x 200 px but it gives the page a personal touch with the drawing of a girl showing bracelets on her wrist. This personal touch continues throughout the page, for example on the wall.
This is social media engagement at its best- being transparent and authentic. Not only is Cathy posting all the information needed about the bracelets, but posting jokes, homemade videos and pictures which keeps the community active and engaged.

Panellist 5 Review
Some very humorous updates and interactions on this page, something this community obviously enjoys. The use of photos is very important for this product and works very well. Inclusion of reviews (some are very flattering) and the Etsy store are great moves in making this a profitable Facebook Page. The conversion of visitors to likers to buyers will be improved by creating a custom landing tab and a branded profile pic. A strong page with a powerful mission, well done.

Panellist 6 Review
Cathy’s Creations has some beautiful bracelets to sell on their My Etsy tab. They were very eye catching. I would consider putting some of those beautiful images on a welcome tab that will serve as their landing tab and a call to action to capture email subscribers. They have a unique way of engaging with their fans which is apparent and effective.

Connect on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cathys-Creations/333061195652

En dit was de reactie van Cathy op het rapport:

“I will echo Jennifer’s sentiments. Thanks to all the panelist for your professional feed back. I wasn’t even aware a landing tab existed so I will be working on that today!
Also want to thank Trish, I think she needs a vacation ”

Cathy already improved her page Check it out.

You can download the complete report here (PDF) – report Promote My Fan Page Best Fan Page Awards

Post from: Erno Hannink feel free to use the content but give credit to the writer (CC BY/SA)

Improve your Facebook page with the Report Promote My Fan Page Best Fan Page Awards

I have been impressed with the great presentation that @jessedee is publishing on Slideshare. I love his presentation on presentations Steal this presentation and 10 Ways to be a Marketing Genius Like Lady Gaga.

He actually build a website on the presentations solve99problems.com/.

Now he has done a social media experiment: 72 Hours in Jordan using an iphone, camera, facebook and twitter.


See this great presentation:

This is the page on Facebook 72 Hours in Jordan and Twitter #visitjordan

What do you think, can you setup a campaign like this for your company or area or small town?
Do you already have a campaign like this? Share it below.

Post from: Erno Hannink feel free to use the content but give credit to the writer (CC BY/SA)

Promoting a country – 72 hours in Jordan a social media experiment

Just created this cool video on YouTube with ‘Search On’. This video is about attracting clients with social media for independent professionals. The tools: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress. Your coach: Erno Hannink.

Do you like it? Want to make your own? Go to http://www.youtube.com/searchstories and Search On

Drop the link to your video in the comments. Love to see them.

Post from: Erno Hannink feel free to use the content but give credit to the writer (CC BY/SA)

Attracting Clients via Social Media video

At the last day of SOBCon 2010 we worked in groups on 4 charity projects. The first day was Hank Wasiak shared a great story with us about Asset Based Thinking.

Just before we all departed on this last day of SOBCon, Hank did me this favor of a short video.
He is sharing that Social Media is not about media anymore it is about the 5th P in your marketing mix. The P of People.
Watch Hank rand.

Follow Hank on Twitter.

Post from: Erno Hannink feel free to use the content but give credit to the writer (CC BY/SA)

Fifth P of People in your Marketing mix – Hank Wasiak

WordCast is a blog and podcasts about blogging, social media and WordPress. Every week Dave Moyer (@davemoyer) and Kym Huynh (@kymhuynh) interview experts for WordCast Conversations. It is broadcasted live and published as a podcast for about an hour.

Via Lorelle Vanfossen (@lorelleonwp) I was invited to join WordCast Conversations. Lorelle is the founder of Bitwire Media, the company that hosts podcasts like WordCast conversations.

In the interview I answer questions on how I started as an independent professional, my work, WordCamp Netherlands and more.

This week on WordCast Conversations, we’re heading to the Netherlands one more time, to chat with Erno Hannink, an independent social media consultant and the lead organizer of WordCamp Netherlands.

It was a lot of fun to do, although I feel that I was talking a lot…

  Download this episode

• Independent social media consultant, dedicated to “helping independent professionals to use Social Media to get more clients.”
• Organizer of Social Media Event
• Organizer of WordCamp Netherlands
• Author of Let the Customer Come to You

Erno recommended Darren Rowse’s Problogger as inspiration for those aspiring to a career in social media.

As a WordCamp organizer, Kym discussed the WordCamp format with Erno, who also shared many of his own experiences and tips for up-and-coming WordCamps.

Post from: Erno Hannink feel free to use the content but give credit to the writer (CC BY/SA)

WordCast Conversations 9 – WordCamp and social media