“11 Pro Tips for Unmissable Talking Head Videos” plus 2 more

11 Pro Tips for Unmissable Talking Head Videos
How Video Interviews Can Help Grow Your Blog
Three Easy Video Formats for First-time Vloggers

11 Pro Tips for Unmissable Talking Head Videos

Posted: 17 Mar 2012 01:00 PM PDT

This guest post is by Marco Montemagno of Presenter Impossible.

Anyone can create a video and upload it to their blog or onto YouTube. But so many of the videos out there are boring, and viewers shut them off after a few seconds.

In my six years presenting my own TV show on Sky News on Italian television, I saw many great clips from the web—and an equal number of really horrible ones.

So how do you create a really great video?

The trick is to make a video clip that is not only inspiring and entertaining, but also interesting to watch. This can be achieved with good technique and knowledge—and it can be surprisingly simple.

Here are 11 tips to help you create better talking-head videos.

1. Use tools and other objects

This is very, very simple, but tools and props will keep the viewer interested.

A good example of this is the above video, which won the Davos YouTube video awards 2009. In it, a guy talks whilst showing cups—an instant attention getter. Or you can watch this Hans Rosling video where boxes and toys are used live to attract audience’s attention.

It’s simple, but it works!

2. Use a whiteboard with a countdown

If you think that a whiteboard is old-style, think again. Watch how Brendon Burchard uses it effectively.

His presentation may sound a little austere because he explains his topic using only a whiteboard, but the information he provides is interesting and worth paying attention to.

Plus, he uses countdowns. One easy way to create a countdown is to video a wall to which you’ve stuck pieces of paper showing the numbers one to ten. Remove or lift up a piece of paper as you count down through the items and show what’s underneath. Who doesn’t want to know what you’ve got hidden under number 1?

3. The “super-zoom”

Ze Frank is another good person to watch on video—he’s funny, but more importantly his editing is spot-on, fast, and unique. He has perfected the art of mixing images and profiles into powerful presentations using the “super-zoom. Check it out.

4. Use text and images

Text and images can give rhythm to your clip. Try to insert something every 60/90 seconds to break up the monotony of your direct-to-camera video, and keep the visual interest of the viewers piqued.

The audience will also find the video easier to follow, because you’ve made distinct breaks between sections. At the most basic level you can simply add a countdown or a slide with a phrase taht you add during editing.

5. Be active and pay attention to your body language

Don’t stare at the camera like a stunned animal caught in the headlights! Allow your eyes to move naturally, the way you would if you were talking to someone face to face. Use your eyes to give rhythm to your speech—let them move around as you think of something or when you collect your ideas and then look back to the camera.

This approach is natural and super-effective. Check Gary in the above video for some ideas about how you can be active in front of a camera!

6. Partner up

Think Batman and Robin, and consider tag-teaming with a partner. Everything sounds more interesting when discussed between two people. The topic of conversation is easier to follow, because the viewer’s attention is recaptured whenever the other person talks.

A good example of partners in presenting is given by Diggnation with Kevin Rose.

7. Use your voice creatively

Don’t speak in a monotone—that’s guaranteed to make the subject matter boring and dull. Change the volume according to where the emphasis is in your script. Slow down when talking about important things, and speed up when the content is not so important.

Watch in the video above to see how many voice variations Robin Williams can perform. For the average blogger, I think 1% of them will be more than enough!

8. Nail down the format

This should be done before you start recording. If you want to talk about your niche, think before starting about the best format to use. How long should the clip be? Where should it be filmed? I would suggest writing down exactly how long each block of content will be (for example: the opening jingle four seconds, introduction 20 seconds, chapter 1 topic four seconds, chapter 2 topic 40 seconds, etc.).

Timing is very important and will depend on the topic and the host. Work on your format and keep improving it. How about trying a video that explains your topic in 60 seconds, like the above video?

9. Use subtitles

I’m not a native English speaker. Yet I cannot tell you the number of videos that are presented in English which I have quit after few seconds because the audio is not good, or the accent is very difficult to understand. Like me, plenty of other non-native English speakers around the world are doing the same thing.

Subtitles are a great tool because they draw attention and make the video more understandable. They also boosts the SEO of the video. Still not convinced? All TED videos come with subtitles. English subtitles on a video that’s presented in another language (or vice versa) can also expand your video’s audience.

10. Use super editing

Are you a video editing god? Great! Cool video editing will pump up the number of views your video gets, so if you have access to video editing software, learn how to use it. Slick editing keeps the audience on its toes and surprises them. In Italy, a user called Zoro uses a selfmade fast editing format where the same person acts in multiple roles. His editing makes the video very exciting.

11. Be the next Tony Robbins

Tony is a motivational expert and storytelling guru—and he’s generating great content.

His web video clips normally just feature him in front of a white background. Sometimes he inserts a short sentence into the video to break the rythm, but that’s it.

Only if your content is great and you have his passion and charisma can you go “naked” the way Tony does!

Which techniques do you use?

So there you have some simple tips and tricks to make your YouTube video clip stand out and get your message across.

Let me know which tips you’ve tried—or plan to use—in your videos in the comments below.

Marco Montemagno is a tech entrepreneur and founder of “Presenter Impossible, lessons from a decade of unconventional presentations“, where he shares ideas and tips to create inspiring presentations.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

11 Pro Tips for Unmissable Talking Head Videos

How Video Interviews Can Help Grow Your Blog

Posted: 17 Mar 2012 10:05 AM PDT

This guest post is by Torrey McGraw of Grind & Thrive.

For beginner and more advanced bloggers, one of the most important questions we must ask is, “How will my blog stand out in my niche?” With the ever-growing list of blogs that are created daily, this can be a difficult question to answer.

One way to set yourself apart is by incorporating video into your content strategy while others are primarily using written articles. It’s a wise move—according to the 2011 State of the Media report, over 140 million people watched online video in 2011. That number has been and will continue to trend up each year.

But let’s say you understand that, and you’re creating video posts on your blog. What else can you do with video to stay ahead of the pack?

Online video interviews can be just the thing to breathe life into old blogs and kickstart new ones. From the comfort of your own computer, you can converse with anyone anywhere with little to no inconvenience or cost. Then, you can work those conversations into compelling video interviews for your users to enjoy.

How interviews help grow your blog

Here are five powerful ways online video interviews can help you grow your blog.

1. Create an opportunity to converse with your niche’s most interesting people

Getting on the radar of influencers in your niche is a great way to establish who you are and put your blog on the map. This can be done by asking influential people in your niche to allow you to interview them. With typical in-person interviews, it’s more difficult to secure because they may be in a different city, have a jam-packed schedule, or both. Either can make interviews unfeasible, especially if they aren’t familiar with you.

Conversely, the option of an online video interview is often more appealing. Essentially, you’re just asking them to sacrifice a few minutes sitting in front of their computer, rather than traveling to a specific location or totally rearranging their schedule.

2. Create a differentiation point between you and your competition

I alluded to this earlier. Think about the websites and blogs in your niche. Chances are only a few (if any) are creating content via online video interviews. How great would it be to separate your brand from everyone else’s? Online video interviews may be your ticket to do that.

3. Create compelling content

Online video interviewing gives you the opportunity to create compelling content. It is an awesome alternative to someone who wants to make a mark online, but lacks the writing skills or desire needed to create text articles. Or you may simply enjoy conversing with people, rather than emailing them the typical question-and-answer document that’s often reproduced on blogs. An online video interview will appeal to people who enjoy learning through an interactive conversation.

4. Build an audience

Of course you’re interested in growing your audience, right? My most popular interview to date is my conversation with Essence.com relationship blogger and professional matchmaker Paul Carrick Brunson. When he told his passionate online community of fans and followers to check out the interview, my site was flooded with people. Many subscribed to my site after our interview. Even to this day, he refers to our interview when asked how he got started as a matchmaker.

When that happens time and time again, you’ll see how easy it is grow your own passionate audience through guests promoting your interview.

5. Establish credibility

Make interviews part of your content strategy, and over time you’ll interview several key people in your niche, and come to be known as a go-to site for personal insight.

Let’s say you blog about natural hair tips for women. You can easily interview natural hair experts, natural hair stylists, and natural hair product creators on a regular basis. Over time, you’ll become a trusted resource because you’ve created a valuable resource on the topic of natural hair. People will begin to trust you because you’re providing awesome content from the best and brightest people in your industry. The end result is you establishing credibility with your community and your peers.

Tools of the trade

If the idea of online video interviews intrigues you, it’s quick and inexpensive to get started, and you won’t need much equipment:

a computer with webcam and microphone
Skype
Skype video call recorder, like Ecamm’s Call Recorder (Mac) or Vodburner. (PC) (Both options have free trials.)
a video hosting service (i.e. YouTube, Vimeo, Blip.tv).

So there you have it: everything you need to get started conducting online video interviews. Give it a shot and have some fun!

Do you think adding online video interviews to your content mix can help you grow your blog? Let us know in the comments.

Torrey McGraw is the host of Grind & Thrive, a webshow featuring candid one-on-one conversations with today’s trendsetters sharing lessons from their roads to success. Say hi to Torrey on Twitter.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

How Video Interviews Can Help Grow Your Blog

Three Easy Video Formats for First-time Vloggers

Posted: 17 Mar 2012 07:00 AM PDT

This is a guest post by Gregory Ciotti of Sparring Mind.

YouTube is the next big thing for blogging.

Seems like pretty poor advice, since everybody is hopping all over Pinterest and people have known about YouTube for a long time.

The thing is, few bloggers are utilizing YouTube to its full potential.

And it’s not just me thinking that: on a recent post on Social Media examiner, many of the 30 experts featured agreed that YouTube was going to see a tremendous rise in use by bloggers in 2012.

Why?

Because YouTube has finally come out of its “Wild West” past.

That means people are taking original content more seriously on YouTube these days—it’s no longer for Family Guy clips and videos stolen from elsewhere.

YouTube partners are making some serious coin, and many bloggers are learning that the traffic generated from YouTube can be big. David Edwards has been pointing this out here at ProBlogger for a while.

Check out the traffic just one of my blogs receives per week from YouTube:

Most bloggers get stuck when it comes to video content, because they’re unsure of what to make. (We’re not all illustrators and animators like David, after all.) Don’t worry, you won’t be forced to make any cheesy comedy videos, or “S_____ People Say” style viral videos either.

We’ll be taking a more serious and proven approach. Let’s look at three kinds of videos you can make to capitalize on the rise of YouTube.

1. Screen-capture videos

This is a biggie: screen capture videos can bring in huge amounts of search traffic. Why? Because people are constantly searching for “How-To” videos on YouTube, and nothing beats the good old-fashioned screen capture in a tutorial.

If you title your video “How To _______”, get some views on your blog, pick a good how-to topic, and do a great job presenting it, you are guaranteed to have made a video that will give back for years to come in terms of views and traffic.

Not only do your readers benefit, but you get big exposure from the browsing YouTube audience who have the very real possibility of turning into future blog subscribers.

Leveraging your blog’s audience by embedding your video into a post is a great way to ensure you rank well for the “How To” term as well, since view count affects how high videos display in YouTube’s search results.

Get started by checking out programs like Camtasia and CamStudio (free) to record what’s on your screen.

Example video:

This is a great video by Pat Flynn detailing how to create whiteboard videos, so you’ll learn something else too!

2. Interview videos

You know if you read my blog that I’m a huge fan of interviews to bring in traffic. I’ve done plenty, and they’ve all sent a tremendous amount of shares and links my way:

The thing is, as much as I love these text interviews, I’ve seen the obvious benefits of video interviews from a few of my other favorite sites.

Not only are you going to rank well for the interviewee’s name (it’s YouTube after all, and YouTube videos rank easily on Google), but you’ll also get the obvious additional traffic from people finding your videos on YouTube from search and related videos.

Not only that, but having an interview means that anyone can share the interview on their own site, even the person that you interviewed! (It’s like a free guest post on content you already created for your own blog!)

That’s a whole other audience right there with no effort, so you should really consider making your next interview of the video variety.

To get started with interview videos, check out the programs Call Recorder (for Mac) and Pamela (for PC) to record Skype video chats.

Also, look out for a post on how interview videos can help grow your blog here on ProBlogger later today.

Example video:

Two of my favorite bloggers, Corbett Bar and Jeff Goins in a great discussion on writing.

3. “Talking head” videos

The last video I love to see bloggers using is the classic “talking head” video.

In this style, you are simply going to be facing the camera, and chatting with your audience about advice, tips, a personal update, a story, showing them something live—really, any topic works for these videos.

You can feature someone else (non-interview style) discussing a certain topic, as Derek Halpern did with his videos on blog design.

Or, you can simply record yourself, which gives a really personal take on your content and allows you to mix things up from the standard blog post.

Darren is known to do this himself on his YouTube channel, and you’ll see through the comments that people really enjoy getting a personal take from a blogger via video. Nothing adds “you” to your blog like video content.

To get started with a talking head video, all you need is a camera with video recording capabilities (HD preferred) and a YouTube account, which makes this one of the easiest forms of video to get start with. Darren’s also handily explained the setup he uses for his videos.

This is another topic we’ll look at in detail later today, when an experienced video blogger shares his tips for making talking head videos like a pro.

Example video:

This video example from Amy Porterfield shows how to relay a quick tip via video, using an in-person recording and screen capturing, which we discussed above.

Over to you

Have you tried out video content yet?

What is your favorite form of video style that I’ve discussed above? Any that you are looking forward to trying? I’d love to hear your thoughts on video in the comments.

Gregory Ciotti is the author of Sparring Mind, a content marketing blog that focuses on research & facts to find what really works in creating valuable content that creates a loyal following. Find out how Greg does things or follow him on Twitter.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

Three Easy Video Formats for First-time Vloggers

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