Small Business Video: Life After the Flip

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Many small businesses were dismayed when Cisco Systems acquired and then shut down the company that produced the popular Flip video camera.

Many small businesses were dismayed when Cisco Systems acquired and
then shut down the company that produced the popular Flip video camera.

Some are wondering if they now need to obtain — and learn to use — a
“real” digital video camera. Or should they be shopping for a Flip
replacement? And is there anything out there that’s equally easy to use?

Real Is In
Relax. Although it’s certainly true that online
video is a great way to enhance the Web presence of your business — and
almost a necessity these days — there’s a very good chance you already
have everything you need.

The good news is that overproducing is out, and
straight-from-the-source is in. This is not just true of video; the
social Web revolution is about real contributions from real people
winning over slick content, flashy ads and murky algorithms. Businesses
now have more options than ever to generate compelling content their
customers will watch.

Here are some of the many uses of videos online:

  • Company mission and vision: Put a human face on your brand, and introduce your company and its mission in your own words.
  • How-tos and instructional videos: Show your product in action and demonstrate why it’s the best.
  • Customer testimonials, reviews and action shots: Build authentic credibility through the people who love your brand the most: your customers!
  • Hiring and interviewing: Get to know your employee candidates
    by asking them to submit short videos about themselves and why they
    should get to work with you.

What do all these uses have in common? They’re about real people,
authentic communication and breaking down barriers between companies and
consumers. You don’t need any special camera equipment to achieve
authenticity. In fact, slightly grainy, slightly shaky or otherwise
unpolished video can enhance the immediacy of your message (think The Blair Witch Project).

Put That Smartphone to Good Use
Most of us carry
everything we need to capture a great video right in our pockets. Is
your happy customer in tears as she picks up her finished custom wedding
dress? You can capture it all with your smartphone. No need to worry
about specs: Any smartphone currently on the market will give you good
enough video quality to create a compelling online video.

Or ask your fans to submit a video using their computer webcams. It
works: Our clients use our platform to gather tons of wonderful, usable
videos from their customers. And people love to watch them. Visitors to
our clients’ websites generally watch nine videos in a row.

Even how-tos and instructional videos, which are typically created
with professional crews and long hours of editing, can be immensely
popular and effective when produced on the cheap. Michelle Phan parlayed
her webcam-produced makeup tutorials on YouTube into around 8 million
views and a contract to represent the high-end cosmetics brand Lancome.

So embrace the age of authentic, inexpensive videos produced using
equipment you already own. It has never been easier to create compelling
content, and the impact on your business could be gigantic.

Richard JaramilloRichard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com,
a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children.
RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents
“Make Life Happen…Again!”

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Richard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com, a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children. RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents “Make Life Happen…Again!”