Don't let PERFECT be the enemy of the GOOD when it comes to producing your content. That familiar axiom is my answer this week to a LOT of questions that came my way!
Specifically about social media – and more-so – social media and video! Oh... it's not true about BBQ Brisket though... that has to be perfect but that's a different blog... sort of. I'll tell ya what I mean later.
'I just don't have the gear... or My production team doesn't have the time.'
Depending on whether you are creating content yourself or you are in the media industry... Understand that the expectations that the public has for online content has changed.
They want to be entertained and/or informed. They honestly don't care what graphics program you use or the font's drop shadow. Stick with me here... I'm not saying it can suck... but it can 'NOT suck' and still be efficient and inexpensive! Moving on...
Oh, and we'll talk a little bit more about the gear that can get you started at the end.
To illustrate with extremes here: Of course you don’t want to create you content with a dumpster in the background... unless of course you're talking about a dumpster.
There are kids making millions of dollars with a cell phone and a LAV mic. I shoot videos in my studio sometimes and I use the green screen too. BOTTOM LINE... It's the content! If the content sucks, I don't care how well you dress it up it is just not going to fly.
Think of content as the food in a new restaurant – BBQ brisket perhaps. If you have boring, uninteresting content (crappy food), people will NEVER come back... or it will be VERY hard to get them to come back to your stuff.
Now if you're a small business, clearly you can work your way up in quality as revenue comes in. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to invest in the bells and whistles... I'm just saying you don't have to wait! Start NOW... you're customers want your content, right?
As a broadcasting professional, I don't know how many times I had to reset expectations with editors and managers. A team would take hours to polish up a production piece to go online. By the time it was ready, the news was old. And in NEWS – if that's your bag – that is a BIG deal online. And we ultimately changed that process to great success.
But it's a big deal in any business really – not just news! Especially these days when everything is available online!
I have found that getting a video online just a minute later could be the difference between 10,000 views and 5 million views.
So let's put a bow on this...
Don't suck... but don't build the Taj Mahal with everything you put together. You really have to evaluate case by case.
This applies to media organizations and to small businesses.
The team I ran back at CBS put together content QUICKLY and we benefitted from that swiftness. And we weren't tying up an entire newsroom and production staff to do it.
I'm going to talk about some basic gear that can get you up and running quickly here below. But FIRST.
No matter what people are looking at online (or on air for that matter) they want to be entertained – or they want to be informed in a way that does not bore them to tears. I'm not saying drop a bunch of DAD jokes in your content... but try and stay away from sounding like your reading something you're not even interested in.
Depending on your business... imagine how you talk to your customers and do that!
OK... the gear...
Really you can start with a phone – perhaps a ring light - and a basic LAV mic... I highly recommend the LAV mic. I'm also going to put some links on my site for the basic gear that I recommend folks purchase to get started. It doesn't take much to ramp up your production but this can get you started.
Whether you want to use a basic green screen with your own backgrounds or just film in the office, this gear connected to your i7 computer or your Mac... can get you started
Now if your budget is BIG, I recommend the BEST Camera You can get (I'll give you some links below too) especially if you're working with a green screen. You'll thank me later!
Remember... You can always start with a ring light and an iPhone. But this basic starter kit below worked very well for me. Be sure you have a decent computer and a tripod for your camera/phone too. Many of the ring lights come with a MOUNT for your phone.
(Most of these are Amazon Prime links... If you don't like it... return it for sure! )
If you have questions, feel free to head to the contact form on the home page.
BASIC STARTER KIT
 | PTZ Camera - Here's the camera I started with. It is remote control (very handy if you are solo) and can mount on a tripod. Cameras can be a personal thing. This one works great for what I do. And it's not so much money that you feel bad when you upgrade! LINK (Amazon) |
|---|---|
 | 16 inch Large Teleprompter (iPad NOT included) - You have t to use your OWN iPad or a small monitor in this prompter. This works well with most cameras. If your camera is a little bigger (like mine was) you may have to put a larger cloth or towel over the top. LINK (Amazon) |
 | Genaray SpectroLED Bi-Color LED Light - I have one of these but many people use three. LINK (B&H) |
 | RAUBAY 78.7in x 74.8in Large Collapsible Green Screen - I love this green screen... it's really wide and rolls into a convenient case. No wrinkles! LINK (Amazon) |
 | Yamaha AG06 6-Channel Mixer - You have to have a basic mixer to run your microphone when using a separate camera. LINK (Amazon) |
 | LAV Mic For Mixer - I have an upgrade recommendation below. LINK (Amazon) |
 | LAV Mic For iPhone - If you are going this route, I know several people who love this WIRELESS LAV mic for their iPhone. Make sure to check if it is compatible with YOURS! LINK (Amazon) |
Now... here are the upgrades I recommend if you can afford them.
UPGRADES
 | Canon XF400 Professional Camcorder - 4K video... great quality. Depending on your set-up you may have to get a video capture card. LINK (Amazon) |
 | Electro-Voice RE20 Microphone - This is the one I use. It is the industry standard when it comes to radio microphones and it is quickly becoming popular with many podcasters! LINK (Amazon) |
Remember... you have to have room to set all of this stuff up... and a decent computer (i7 PC or MAC with i7) to make this work well.
A reminder I am putting together a seminar we'll have online soon that will address a lot of these challenges.
Be sure to follow me on YouTube and Linked in and you can also reach me at our contact form on the home page.
Thanks checking out GEOFF ON DIGITAL. Catch ya next time.
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