Video is probably the highest-value and highest-impact content you can create. There are a number of different types of devices you can use to record your own video.
Here are the ones I use and recommend:
Webcams
Webcams are excellent, good-value devices for recording video via your PC or Mac. Most PCs nowadays have basic webcams built-in.
For example, this means you can login directly to YouTube and create videos using the 'Quick Capture' option
Logitech Pro 9000
If you want to record higher quality video via a webcam, however, you need to use a more sophisticated device. The most widely recommended 'professional' webcam I've seen recommended and used personally is the Logitech Pro 9000 (£50). This webcam records video at a resolution of 2MB so the quality of your 'talking head' video will be much higher than most basic laptop webcams.
Mobile Video
Webcams are fine if you're sat in front of your computer, but obviously that format has some limitations. You can't exactly record outside, for example, or when you're networking at events.
The new kid on the block, however, for recording videos is undoubtedly the new generation of high quality mobile video recording devices. While many mobile phones can now record video, the quality is still generally poor, plus its generally not that easy to take the video that you've recorded on the phone and do something useful with it – like upload it to YouTube and put it on your website.
There are now a number of different mobile video cameras, but there is undoubtedly only one major player…
Flip Video Cameras
The Flip camera is probably the hottest gadget of the last 12 months (after the iphone). You know when something is a phenomenon when people refer to it to describe a category of product.
'Flip' video cameras are mobile-phone sized devices that are really simple to use. There are only a few buttons to press… record / stop /playback / delete is about all. Simplicity and ease-of-use is paramount, and much like the iphone, the combination of simplicity and quality output has created some raving fans – including me…
Its called 'flip' because when you've recorded a video and you want to upload it to your PC or Mac, you simply 'flip' open a little USB connector that simply connects to your computer.
What's more, when you attach the Flip Video to your computer, the camera automatically starts up its own software that quickly and easily allows you to upload your videos to YouTube, or download them to your machine and edit them if you prefer.
There are three types of Flip Video, the Ultra (£80), the Mino (now reduced to £95) and the Mino HD (£170). The main difference between the first two and the last is that the Mino HD records video in amazing High Definition. You can now even watch videos on YouTube in HD mode, and the quality is amazing.
The non-HD Ultra, however, despite being half the price can still produce more than impressive results, and for just £80 its a great. If you're on a budget, however, the new reduced price Mino (non-HD version) is probably the best deal, as its a smaller, sleeker version of the original Ultra.
I personally use the Mino HD, however, and if you'd like to see examples of my videos check out my YouTube Channel and or my blog.
There are other brands of 'flip' video from manufacturers like Kodak ZX1 (£136). However, from the reviews I've read the quality of these don't quite match the original Flip Videos – hence I'd recommend sticking with the original Flip brand itself.
The lesson is this… creating video content has never been as simple or as cost-effective… and creating video products or even your own TV channel is now within reach of anyone. Are you going to take advantage of this opportunity for your internet business?
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Yesterday I spoke with Wendy Dashwood-Quick, a qualified coach and soon-to-be published author, about her experience using a diverse range of tools and strategies to promote her coaching business.
Wendy has successfully used a variety of methods to help build trust and rapport with potential clients, as well as to firmly establish her expertise as a coach in the areas of career change, time management and self-confidence.
During the call Wendy talks about her strategy of using free reports and ebooks to give away in return for building a list of names and email addresses of potential coaching clients.
This has led to her current project, the launch of her first ever published book, called "Discover Yourself On The Yellow Brick Road – 7 Core Principles of Career Success".
Interestingly, Wendy is employing cutting-edge tactics to help ensure her book on its launch day has the best chance of going straight into the Amazon Top 100 sellers list. Wendy reveals the details of some of the best ways you can effectively motivate people to buy your product within a short period of time and create maximum publicity and impact for your launch.
Wendy is also making great use of the free social media tools available to any coach or business owner who would like to promote their product or service. These social media (or web 2.0) tools, include Facebook, Twitter and the use of blogging – and the impact they can have on the success of your business is considerable.
So enjoy this interview, and if you have any questions about how you can use the internet to market your product or service, feel free to contact me for a free consultation.
Interview with Wendy Dashwood-Quick
Filed under Book Publishing, Podcast, Social Media by
Spread the Word!
I had a great conversation with Sports Success Consultant Jonathan Griffin this week, after he contacted me and asked to take me up on my free 30m telephone consultation call offer.
Before Jonathan saw me speak at the recent Coaches and Consultants Superconference, he was pretty-well confused about web sites. He wasn't sure what his website should look like, nor more importantly how to get one created without spending thousands and thousands with predatory web design companies…
After watching my presentation about just how straightforward it can be to set up a proper-looking, 'normal' website using inexpensive easy-to-use blogging software like Wordpress, he immediately took action. Within a few days he'd registered his own domain – www.jonathangriffin.co.uk – got his own low-cost hosting account, installed a copy of Wordpress and instantly his website was live!
Although Wordpress is designed primarily as blogging software, its also immensely flexible and can easily be used as a 'content management system' i.e. a means to create and edit basic pages on your website. For example, I used Wordpress to create a website for a local Osteopath client of mine, even though it doesn't have a blog at all. But now at least the Clinic owner and all the practitioners can edit and update their pages themselves without having to pay the web designer they had to previously.
During our call, I was able to give Jon some further pointers about where to find the best Wordpress themes, what some of the key plugins are you need to allow you to track your website visitor statistics, easily embed videos onto your pages, and ensure that all your pages are naturally optimized to rank well in Google search engines.
We also discussed the vital importance of building an email list via an opt-in page and again, I gave Jon some useful resources to use to kick-start his new coaching business.
So, if you're a coach or consultant who currently either don't have a website at all, or have one that your not happy with and would like to change or at least take control of, then you too need to contact me and request a *free* 30m telephone consultation.
Because my time is limited, however, so are the number of spots available, and these will be filled strictly on a first-come first-serve basis. So, don't delay, and I look forward to also getting you 'unstuck' with your website soon.
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