Web Applications for Video

Web Applications for Video

I. Overview

• Video once uncommon on the web

- Low Bandwidth

- Poor quality due to compression needed

• Video now commonplace and expected

- Free video sharing sites now available (YouTube, Vimeo)

- Quality of compression formats has greatly increased

- Web is quickly becoming the main source of video content

• Multiple ways utilize video for your business

- If you have the right server set up – you can stream it

yourself

- Utilizing video sharing sites

- Either way you can still integrate the video into your site

pages

Benefits of Video Online

• Video content appeals to everyone

- From kids to adults, watching video is second nature

• Video educates differently than text

- Attention spans are reduced, people have less time

- Watching video is much easier than reading

• Information from video is easier to retain

- People tend to gather more information visually

- Video can be watched over and over with less effort


• Great for SEO

- Video 53 times more likely to generate a first page

Google ranking

- Video content is showcased on the first page above the fold

• Infinitely cheaper than a 30 second TV Spot

- Not limited to 30 seconds

- Free to “broadcast”

- Viewing audience is more targeted than general demographic

that TV can reach

- Any company can do it

- Expectation of video quality is much lower than TV spot

Benefits of Video

Cheaper / Easier to produce


• Can drive traffic to your site

- Add a video teaser to your e-mail and people are more likely to

“click through” to your website

II. Web Video Applications

A) Educational

- Educate the public about your company and the products

or services you offer

B) Informational

- Introduce products, policies or procedures to employees /

public

C) Training

- Train employees / public on how to perform certain tasks

D) Marketing and Sales

- Raise public interest in your products or services

A) Educational

1) General Message

- Introduce / share / promote your brand. Show the world

what your company is all about… what you stand for

Web Video Applications - Educational

2) Upcoming Events

- Educate the public about upcoming programs, events

Web Video Applications - Educational

3) Generate Awareness

- Educate the public about a particular local / geographic

concern

- Influence public opinion for referendum votes

- Outline an important health or safety issue

B) Informational

Some uses of informational videos

1) Inform employees / public about new products or services

2) Relate policies, information or procedures to employees / public

3) Deliver a corporate message

4) Use as a public relations tool for public / press

C) Training

Some uses of training videos

1) Show how to use a certain product or service or how it works

2) Explain a hard to visualize step-by-step installation

D) Sales and Marketing

Some uses for training and marketing videos

1) Showcase facilities and amenities

2) Call attention to unique features / benefits

3) Appeal to donors and members

4) Outline company capabilities

III. Types of Videos

Video can be created using any one of or a combination of techniques

A) Live Action

Interviews, talking heads, walk-ups, B-roll footage

B) Animation

Motion graphics, cartoons, artwork, graphs, charts

C) Live Action plus Animation

Combination of the two

D) Photographic Montage

Also known as the “Ken Burns” Effect

A. Live Action

Utilizes video footage of interviews and B-roll to communicate message.

Advantagesa. Its real/believable - Actual people speaking about your product

b. Familiar – People are familiar with this style of video… they identify with people

in the video

Disadvantagesa. Compressed video file can be large, longer download, slower playback.

b. Production Cost – Time involved to create this type of video can be pricey considering

time needed to shoot all the footage.

c. Post-Production Cost – Editing costs can be expensive

B. Animation

Utilizes art to communicate message.

Advantagesa. Animated Flash files are much smaller than Live action video files

b. Quicker Download/playback

c. Efficient/cheaper production – every thing is being created for this video and can be

done

very efficiently (as opposed to video where you shoot more than you need)

d. They’re Fun!

e. They can look very HighTech

Disadvantagesa. Needs to be high quality artwork… amateur quality will compromise the quality

of your message

b. Can be interpreted as ‘Cartoonish’...not a good thing if your message is serious.

C. Combination

Utilizes best of both worlds, animation and live action.

Advantagesa. Quicker Download/playback – since most of the action is animated,

there’s less video to compress

b. Combines the ‘reality’ of live action, with the ‘fun’ of animation

Disadvantagesa. Larger production value – need to shoot on either a green screen or white and

composite

video onto animation

b. Can be perceived as not too serious.

c. Can be confusing if not done too well.

D. Photo Montage

Made famous by Ken Burns in Civil War and Baseball PBS Series. Uses

photos, music, and voice over to communicate the message.

Advantagesa. Inexpensive - only have to pay for editing. All pictures need to be in digital format

b. Emotional/inspiring - photos can evoke more emotion than video

c. Simple yet effective

Disadvantagesa. Limited amount of information

b. Quality is limited to photo/editor's level of quality

c. Can be very boring if not done correctly

IV. Video: Things to Keep in Mind

Similar to any marketing effort, hiring professionals to produce a video,

while more costly, greatly increases the perceived quality of the video,

and as a result your organization.

A) Expense: How much will it cost?

- Professionally done – Script, Producer, Camera Man,

Editor

General guideline about $1000 to $1500 per minute

- DIY – Script, Video Camera, Tripod, Audio Equipment,

Lighting

Equipment, Computer with editing software,

Knowledge

on how to use this equipment and software, TIME!

Good equipment and know-how IS THE KEY to

quality!

Could be from $3000 to $15000 (depending on

quality

of equipment)… including your TIME!


B) How-to’s

- Most good quality videos have several things in common:

1. Introduction Screen – Take a moment to explain what is

going

to be presented.

2. Narrator / Text – You can use either a voice over, on screen

narrator, or text to help communicate and point out the

highlights

of what you are seeing.

3. Quality Video – Video is shot using a tripod or other

stabilizing

device. Hand held video is bouncy and hard to watch.


C) Do’s and Don’ts

1. DO keep it short and to the point

- Most people don’t want to be stuck at their computers for

long

periods of time when they are just trying to get some basic

info

even through a video.

2. DO make the video easy to find

- Don’t bury the video at the bottom of a page or make

someone

dig through your site to find it.


C) Do’s and Don’ts (cont.)

3. DO name your videos with easily searchable names

- SEO friendly names will make them easier to find

- Names should be descriptive to content

- Example: Naperville Park District Centennial Beach

Swimming Area

4. DO utilize video sharing sites to maximize SEO

- Even if you host your own website and serve your own

video,

your presence on YouTube will increase your SEO

- Some video sharing sites are free of Charge

- Help keep related videos well organized and easy to find



5. DO transcribe your videos

- Adding transcriptions to meta data allows that content

to be searchable, good for SEO

6. DON’T just throw your video together

- Take time to plan out shots and narration

- Nothing says “we really don’t care” and reflects as poorly

on

a company than a hastily planned video

7. DON’T limit video to your site only

- Get them out there, post to video hosting sites

- Generate links to your video from other websites



8. DON’T use cheese transitions and effect

- Keep it simple and to the point

- Poor transitions and effects just get distracting

9. DON’T get too trendy

- Don’t just knock off the latest “thing”

- Will look “dated” when that trend goes out of style

Questions?

Business

Web Applications for Video