Using video blog to boost online presence

Vlogging.  The mere sound of the word can be intimidating.

But if you're already blogging for your business, it's not that far a leap into the world of video blogging. But what is it, exactly?

"It's a video form of blogging," explains vlogging expert Erica Bennett, marketing manager at Docent Prodigy, a Charleston, S.C.-based creative services firm. "It's using video to engage with your audience and interact with your target market."

And if done right, vlogging can be a great way to boost your online presence and connect with your audience on a more intimate level, say experts.

"It's a good way for you to put a personality with your product or services," adds Bennett. "You're giving prospective clients and consumers a chance to get to know you better."

How you do that varies and depends on the message you're trying to get out, Bennett notes. Some businesses use it as a vehicle to share company news, while others may use it for product demonstrations or simply to have more intimate conversations with their audience.

"I want people to get to know me," explains Hilary Topper, president of HJMT Communications, a public relations/social media firm in Westbury, who tries to post a vlog weekly on her corporate blog.

Her vlogs vary, from a demo she did on her new iPad (hilarytopper.com/?p=1463) to a plea she made to local attorneys and accountants to nominate themselves for an awards event her client, the New York Enterprise Report, is holding in June.

Getting started
It's not difficult getting into vlogging, says Topper. All you need is a camcorder with built-in microphone (you can also use a lapel or handheld mike); a tripod; an account with a video sharing site like YouTube, where you can upload your video and then embed it to your blog; and video editing software, which her Flip camera came installed with, she says.

Good lighting is also essential, as is good audio, notes Stephanie Cottrell Bryant, a Las Vegas-based technical writer and author of "Videoblogging for Dummies" (Wiley; $26.99), who recommends using an external mike because it eliminates some of the extraneous noise.

Resources available online
If you're just starting out, you may want to check out video blogging resources like freevlog.org (accessible through freevlog.blip.tv/) for some tutorials/tips, suggests Bryant.

You don't want to look unprofessional, so be mindful of the quality of your video and presentation and seek professional help if necessary, adds Bennett.

Bryant advises taking a look at your vlog through the eyes of your audience. Film the area you're shooting and view the footage to see what your audience sees, she says.

Fast fact

Since 2007, the number of vlogs has grown from 20,000-plus to more than 110,000, according to a State of the Vlogosphere report released in January by MeFeedia. About 15 percent of those are business vlogs.