Sunday, January 31, 2010

YouTube Biggest Hits of 2009

Here we have it - the official list of the most popular videos of 2009 - click here.

Deconstructing the News Format

This is the not only a send up and a put down but also a how to! Enjoy:

Thursday, January 28, 2010

The Class of Jan. 22, 2010


Here's moi (Pam) with web video marketing class from last week held at Techliminal, a wonderful walk-in tech salon and beehive of activity in downtown Oakland.

This intro class had four students: a volunteer from the Oakland Rose Garden; Tora Rocha, of Oakland's Morcom Rose Garden; John Klein; and Michael Mitrani, Earth Island Institute (not pictured).

Tora made a very successful video for the rose garden which has been posted on the garden's Facebook page and has attracted a lot of comments, attention and PRAISE. Tora says it's also attracted many new friends and followers to the garden's Facebook group.

Here's her Animoto video about the wonderful volunteers in the garden:



NEXT CLASS: FEB. 19

The next Intro to Web Video Marketing Class will be held Friday, Feb. 19, from 9 to 3 pm. For more info, visit www.webvideomarketingclub.com where you can also register for the Feb. class. The fee is $95. You'll learn how to use web video for your business or cause, without having to learn how to shoot and edit video, using free or low-cost tools and services. Come discover how video can make your organization grow!

Your Own Look on YouTube

You know when you go to a YouTube channel and the channel sports a custom background? Have you wondered how to do that?

Well, here's how to upload your own custom background. See here.

A FREE Professionally Made Video - Yes, FREE

Turnhere.com's been experimenting with various pricing over the last few years as it tries to become the go to place for professionally produced, low-cost videos for small businesses and others. This summer the price was $500 for a 2 minute piece (shot on location at your place). Earlier it was $899. Now - it's FREE. Yes, you read that right - FREE.

It's free for three months, at least.

After that, you'll need to start paying - you have choices. The $19.99 a month plan promotes your video here there and everywhere online. If you want to download a copy of the video and post it yourself, that'll run you $599. Still, it seems like the steal/deal of the century to me.

So let's review the economics of the situation here:

You order and receive a video - FREE.
If, after three months, you like it and want TurnHere to promote you in search, online, in Google Local, etc. - you pay only $20 a month. That's $240 a year including SEO, etc.

If you want to do your own online placement, you pay $599.

But if you get a video and use it for a year, that's going to run you 9 months at $20 = $180. Yowsa.

I say - Go For It - and soon. Who knows when this offer will change up on you. And you'll go - oh no, I shudda, cudda, wudda. Sign up now! You've got nothing to lose.

Check it out here.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Class Tomorrow: 9 AM at Techliminal in Downtown Oakland


We'll be having a great intro to web video marketing class Friday (tomorrow) in downtown Oakland. I am going to be showing a few Animoto videos made by former students including this one from Martha Edith Hernandez at Peterson Power (Caterpillar).

Here are Martha's comments about the results of the class she took (in Sept.):

"These videos have been so much fun to create. I've created several. We just used them at a tradeshow in December in Vegas. I had my sales team put these videos on there iPhones and show customers. The one I am sending you was on a continuous loop on our monitors. All of the managers love it. It only took me 5 minutes to create it! Amazing!! Thanks so much for showing me this amazing tool."

See her video for Caterpillar here: http://animoto.com/play/00cf0ZHh4rm1pUO9ylv9OA

Of course, Animoto is just one of more than 20 easy to use options the class covers...come to class and find out about the rest!

A reminder of more upcoming classes: Feb. 20 in San Francisco is the next one-day intro class in the city. Signup online at the U.C.Berkeley Extension web site here.

YouTube Gets Its Makeover - So Your Video Gets Its Closeup

OLD YOUTUBE


YouTube is getting a graphic upgrade! The new design makes a lot more room on the page for the video to play. Less fussy and fewer distractions to make you click on to yet another link - which means people may continue to actually watch YOUR video.

NEW YOUTUBE







Read about the new version in this article posted on Mashable.

Friday, January 15, 2010

A Great Example of a Simple Video with Big Impact

Remember the word palindrome? That means something that can be read forwards and backwards.

Here's a very clever video using the palindrome principle - taken to new heights!

By the way, this video was created by a 20 year old in an AARP video contest - who says contests don't work!

Web Video Marketing Class in Oakland Jan. 22

How can you find out how to use web video to promote your business or organization? Come to this one day intro class. Details:

Date: Friday, Jan 22
Time: 9-3
Location: www.Techliminal.com

Register now at www.webvideomarketingclub.com