Starting a Video Weblog - - A Vlog
A recent marketing webinar I attended made a statement that caught me off guard. It stated that the next biggest trend in marketing would be in the form of video. For some people, (myself included) this is a terrifying statement. Eventually that might mean that at some point, to promote myself or my work, I might actually have to be on camera. Perish the thought!
But for other people, the idea of sharing their opinions, thoughts, and advice on camera is a totally natural thing. They don’t feel the least bit intimidated by that lens in front of their face, and are happy to have their fifteen minutes of fame.
For those people, starting a video weblog might be the perfect choice. A video weblog - - or VLOG - - is simply a way capture video either via webcam or camcorder and then syndicate or attach that video to a RSS or ATOM feed. Just like a traditional weblog, these vlogs must have a theme, a title, and a host.
But finding a host for a vlog, is a slightly different process. Although traditional blogging hosts such as Wordpress and Blogger allow for embedded video, you will still need to find a separate host for the videos themselves. The choice of host mostly boils down to what you want to include on your vlog. Some hosts are strictly video-only, while others allow for more multimedia content such as text and graphics.
A video-only vlog can be as simple as opening up a new channel on YouTube. By posting specific videos from your playlist to your profile page, and then adding a title and any comments you want to make about it, you can officially and easily start a vlog! For more multimedia style videos, you will need access to a good video editor, such as Windows Movie Maker or iMovie, and you will need to consider the features of the hosting site such as:
- video storage space
- privacy and copyright policies
- monetization
Then once your video is created and hosted, you will want to make sure it gets some attention, so you will syndicate your content. Sites such as Feedburner provide a service just for this purpose and will help you enable your feed for podcasting.
Once your video is recorded, edited, and posted, then all you need to do is promote it. This process isn’t all that different from promoting a traditional weblog in that you will want to make sure to add searchable tags to each post, listing your vlog with appropriate directories, submitting your podcast to iTunes, add a signature with your vlog address to any outgoing emails, and visit and comment on other video weblogs.
If you are not camera shy, and have access to a quality camcorder and video editing software, and have something you think needs sharing with the world, then starting a video weblog may be the right course of action for you!
Until next time,
