It came from topLingo's blog ...

A client recently needed some help on setting up video tutorials on her website. I realized that this info is probably of value to just about everybody, so here it is. Disclaimer: these are my opinions as to what constitutes an effective tutorial and this is by no means authoritative.

• Initial capture:
  1. Script out the mouse clicks and screens that you want to hit in order (sometimes I do this in PowerPoint)
  2. Capture that workflow in a video with Camtasia or Captivate (possibly run the PowerPoint in another window for visual queues OR just print it out)
  3. Edit LIBERALLY to get tutorial down to final runtime
  4. Play video and record VERY rough voice over to get the basic structure down
  5. Replay voiceover and transcribe into a script, editing for brevity
  6. Read your script while the final video is playing and capture audio
  7. In Captivate or Camtasia, marry the audio with the video
• Stay away from the post-it style popups that are so popular in Captivate … people are way too impatient to read in a video, so these are not effective (example: subtitled films don’t do well)
• Instead, to highlight content or actions, perform a ZOOM in the video editing software
• When doing the VO, keep a consistent distance from the mic. I’d say 12 – 14 inches if you have a standalone mic. If it’s clip on or headset, then ignore this.
• I like audible clicks and typing sound effects in tutorials.  In Camtasia, this is one click box.
• Make sure the volume is fairly loud, but not blaring on the final version … people always have their speakers wayyy too low
• If this is an intro-style of video, it should be really fast, like 30 – 45 seconds (you are telling your audience that your service or product is as easy as 1-2-3 … so REALLY make it as easy as 1-2-3)
• Unless you have an insanely complex form (and if you do, you might consider redeveloping it), when demoing a form being filled out, show the beginning of filling out a form, then do a blur transition to “fast-forward” to the completed form.  If you must, fast-forward blur to the challenging parts of the form and in your voiceover, give users clear, concise direction.  Or, like I said, redevelop.
• Break non-intro tutorials into 1 minute to 1:30 chunks
• Use an SEO-friendly player like Longtail

That’s a messy, incomplete set of guidelines to making an effective tutorial.

It’s no longer cool to have a brown box on your Twitter profile.

Way back in March just HAVING a Twitter account said “savvy”.  Now the marketing  mavens  are branding the holy lights out of all things “Tweet” and Twitter’s gone main stream.

Here’s some examples of what I’m talking about:

Executives, and the publications that target them, are talking non-stop about how Twitter should be leveraged in the enterprise - as in  this video of CIO’s from Home Depot, Baxter, and Yahoo, and this  CIO Magazine article “Twitter’s Potential for Business Users“, and in newly coined vernacular like  “Real Time Monitoring” used by Lenny Mendonca in this Think Big video.

For a great example of how one brand is leveraging Twitter to extend its brand reach, increase goodwill, and improve customer service, check out Whole Foods. (Thanks Denise, @denisess for tweeting this).

How to leverage Twitter for your enterprise is a fundamental strategy question that should be carefully studied by your organization’s executive team.

The take away message is this: Ignoring Twitter is a way to get noticed - only not the way you want.

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P.S.  Your mid to large size organization may qualify for a free 60 minute executive workshop customized to your brand.  Contact topLingo

We’re not talking about the Carl’s Jr. chili burger mess on that guys face. We’re talking about how your visitors are going to find what they’re looking for on your web site.

Google offers a very low cost - $100 a year - custom edition search engine called the “Business Edition“. (50,000 page sites cost more).

The coolest thing is that you can fit Google Search Business Edition seamlessly into your site - sans the “Powered by Google” logo - and with no results page ads. To completely customize the look and feel around your core branding instead of theirs, Google offers an XML API.

So the topLingo tip for today is: Google Custom Search Business Edition with the XML API is the way to go if your site needs a commercial grade search that won’t detract from your core branding.

Now you got it. Now you’re good.

Now you can schedule Google Analytics to automatically email site statistics. Schedule reports to be generated and sent at the interval that works best for your situation: daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly. Reports can be generated in PDF or other formats, and sent to one or multiple email addresses.

Most web builders are familiar with Google Analytics. It’s something every web site should run and that every web builder should make their clients aware of. Not just because it’s FREE, but because the reporting and dashboard functionality is just plain awesome. Google could easily charge thousands of dollars for this functionality and get paid for it because the ROI is there, so why would you NOT use it?

Learn more here: Google’s three minute video tour.

Need a solid video host?

Brightcove, an internet TV platform, not only hosts your vids but also helps you promote it via:

1. Community: Leverage viral video sharing.

2. Distribution: Attract affiliates and list content with video search engines.

3. Advertising: Generate revenue from advertising.

Check out their 2 minute demo: http://www.brightcove.com/products/index.cfm

When it launched we blogged a review of Google Audio Ads, the marketing service that allows you to manage your radio advertising campaigns online.

Now intending to get people excited, Google is offering a $2000 future ad credit if you spend $1000 in advertising.

Nice two for one deal! Enjoy it while it lasts!

Actual Google Promotion

Man I love Google! Not only are they buying up some very cool companies handsomely rewarding the owners, they’re hooking up the users as well by “Googlizing” the products.

For those of you using Feedburner, a new Google purchase, two critical features and reasons to pay monthly for the service are now free. MyBrand which allows you to remove the Feedburner URL and use your own, and TotalStats which gives you more analytics are now FREE! Here’s how to enable:

http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/07/feedburner-give.html

Recently beta launched Google Audio Ads allows you to create radio advertising campaigns by producing high quality radio ads and allowing you to set your own budget and decide when and where your ads air.  And for a little as $400 … I can hear that!

Google Audio Ads

According to Google “Website Optimizer, Google’s free multivariate testing application, helps online marketers increase visitor conversion rates and overall visitor satisfaction by continually testing different combinations of site content (text and images).”  

So, after I looked up what the word multivariate meant I then checked out the demo.

    This free new tool comes with a Google AdWords account and lets you rotate and track ROI on webpage variations.  The example they present is scenario with three different homepages that only differ by a unique headline, photo and paragraph of copy.  These pages are then auto rotated and tracked by Google whose analytics reveal which message is the most effective.  Try it out.  

Google Website Optimizer

On March 23 we announced the launch of an online mortgage marketing toolkit portal for Silver Hill Financial and three days later were featured on DSNews.com.   

Proof that press releases can get really you press!

http://dsnews.com/broadcasts_archive.cfm?streamid=285

Recently a friend of mine ramped up to invest in a new website application.  However, it wasn’t really a new project rather one with dozens of major competitors.  

His development budget was realistic, his drive was impressive, his operation plan was on par for success and his marketing dollars seemed enough.  $40k sounded like it would do the job.

Then he did something very smart.

He dug deep into his competition and discovered that their marketing budgets ranged from $500k to $1mil a year.  So, in order for him to realistically compete in the same space $40k was only a drop in the bucket.  $40k would get him going but he’d struggle massively to launch.

 Lesson learned … Digest (info) before you invest (cha-ching$$).

Want a better alternative to taking a marketing class at your local college? Then pay attention marketing guru Seth Godin.  Here’s a 48 minute online video of him speaking to the people at Google about why they rock and what marketing means in web 2.0.   

Seth recaps his permission marketing, purple cow, idea virus and all marketers are liars concepts with remarks like “Tiffany’s doesn’t sell necklaces.  They sell blue boxes with the Tiffany’s logo on it.  They charge you $1000’s of dollars for the box and then give the necklace away free inside!”

“All Marketers are Liars” - Seth Godin speaks at Google

Need more info about e-marketing?  I attended this informative webinar from Salesforce.com which did a good job outlining e-marketing concepts tips and tricks.   

Click here to watch it online.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ONLINE
(12.7MB Flash)

Or for your iPod:
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
(22MB M4V)

 Podcast Video: Download