Creating Great Content for Websites through Audio, Video and Blogs
Background:
I speak to a variety of agencies and national organizations on social media or public relations and I usually create articles or PowerPoint’s to address their unique needs.
The material below is content for a PowerPoint on creating great content. It accompanies the first product titled, “The Advantages of Government Social Media” (link below) and will be followed by an article/PowerPoint on detailed aspects of hosting two-person video and audio interviews.
Creating Great Content:
Creating great content is advice given by everyone in social media but it’s like the Supreme Court’s definition of pornography; almost impossible to describe but you know it when you see it. If we all knew how to it consistently we would be rolling in social media and PR fame and dollars. I try to make the point that alternative methods of creating content like audio and video can help.
The Presentation Below:
The presentation below is directed to satisfying and expanding an established national audience by presenting them with options to satisfy customer learning styles through the development of audio, video, fact sheets, easy to read articles and other easily digestible material.
Yes, presenting PowerPoint content solely in writing is like describing a cartoon; it lacks context. But many asked for it as a blog post. The PowerPoint is unavailable because it addressed unique agency issues.
I place a lot of emphasis on inexpensive methods of creating media. For example, I believe that a pocket video camera, a tripod, natural lighting and an external microphone can create great video. A decent yet inexpensive audio recorder can create great audio.
PowerPoint Content:
1 Creating Great Content-Introduction
Introduction: All points apply regardless as to the product (Audio-Video-Blog)
This is about your website and content and ways to distribute your products via e-mail and social media.
EVERYTHING YOU DO IS INTERGRATED
CUSTOMERS WANT YOU TO SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER
The goal is to build a personal relationship with the customer
You want to be part of the daily working lives of your customers
2 Creating Great Content-Personalization
People buy from people-not organizations:
- Why personalization is important (letting your personality shine)
- Why hosting interviews is important (two-person interviews are better than talking heads)
3 Creating Great Content-What Customers Want
Customers like personalization; they like people/organizations they can identify with:
- They need/want authority
- They like friendly
- They like informal
- They like/need simplicity
- Some like interactions
- Some want to contribute to the conversation
4 Creating Great Content- What Customers Want
Customers want options as to learning styles. Some want to listen, some want to watch, some want to read.
They LOVE simplification and plain English
Social media needs to be incorporated into everything you do-do not release a product without media attached
Try to be trendy—what’s trending on Twitter or Google? Does it fit what you want to do?
5 Creating Great Content for the Internet
Audio and video transcripts are gold-they are essential to search engine optimization.
Great-descriptive titles are essential for customer service and search engine optimization
You are writing for the internet-You are creating for the long run
What you create could come into play 5-10 years from now
6 Creating Great Content for the Internet
There is no such thing as creating for today only. Your material lives forever
Search engine optimization—what makes it easy for people to find what they are looking for on the internet
You use terms customers are comfortable with, not what the bureaucracy is comfortable with.
Add something new to issues
7 Creating Great Content for the Internet
Controversy is the great page-view magnet that we must use very carefully if at all
Links from other websites to yours are essential for search engine optimization
You get links by creating material other agencies will publicize on their sites.
8 Creating Great Content-Think About Your Customer
Think of your customer when you create-form a mental image in your mind of him or her
Use the same questions a reporter would use
Do not be afraid to bring up tough issues
How would the average American react to your product or media?
9 Creating Great Content-Social Media Sites
There are no secrets to using Facebook, Twitter or YouTube
Short products
Post often
It’s all about the title
Incorporate key words
Twitter-use hash tags (#) for search
10 Creating Great Content-Social Media Sites
Facebook-use photos
Twitter-Facebook-use links to other material to populate posts
Facebook-pin to top
Facebook-prioritize posts
YouTube-short, interesting, personal videos that solve problems
11 Populating Blogs
Incorporate key words
It’s all about the title
Short
Forgot most of what your English instructors taught you (what they do in advertising)
Focus on communicating-what drives the message home
Four paragraphs or less are fine
12 Populating Blogs
One sentence paragraphs are fine
Make your material scannable
Must be personal
No jargon
Use Plain English
13 Hosting Two-Person Video or Audio
Title of the series that incorporates the organization AND the topic
Use agency seal and brand
Short—2-5 minutes
Two minutes better
14 Hosting Two-Person Video or Audio
Personal (people buy from people-not organizations)
Anything that personalizes you and your production-smile-laugh-screw-up
Tell stories (very important) but get to the point
The pre-interview is the most important part of a good video
Read the data well enough to know the most important points-you don’t have to be a subject expert to host an interview
Write down your introduction, name of guest, title, topic, phonetic spelling, top five-ten points
15 Hosting Two-Person Video or Audio
Summarize issues for your guest-let them focus on feelings, not facts
If your guest stumbles-help them by summarizing data
If your guest does well, minimize interaction
Use footage, audio clips or photos (b-roll)
You can buy audio clips or video footage inexpensively from Pound-5 or IStockPhoto or others
16 Hosting Two-Person Video
Close: shoot video chest-up (personalizing the shot)
Use natural lighting when possible
Always use a tripod
Mark your spots (where you stand) with colored tape
Sixty percent of good video is good audio—wear lapel microphones or use a quality handheld microphone
17 Hosting Two-Person Video
With short videos, if a mistake is made-reshoot
If doing two-minute videos-shoot several times-pick the best one
Minimize or eliminate editing
Use title-website-agency seal
18 Hosting Two-Person Video
Green-screen video is easier than ever to do and can be done for $1,000.00 or less
Cameras can be iPad, iPod Touch, iPhone, Smartphones
Better cameras ($400-$500 range) can offer vibration and low-light control and shoot in mp4
19 Hosting Two-Person Audio-Incorporate Tips for Video
Audio can convey ideas more powerfully than video
Short—2-5 minutes
Two minutes better if possible
Focus on stories
Focus on imagery
20 Hosting Two-Person Audio
Personal (people buy from people)
Anything that personalizes your production-smile-laugh-screw-up
Tell stories (very important)
The pre-interview is everything
Write down your introduction, name of guest, title, topic, phonetic spelling, top five-ten points
21 Hosting Two-Person Audio
If your guest stumbles-help them
If your guest does well, minimize interaction
With short audios, if a mistake is made-rerecord
If doing two-minute audios-record several times
22 Hosting Two-Person Audio
Minimize or eliminate editing
Longer audio for policy discussions
You can buy audio clips inexpensively from Pound5 or IStockPhoto
Devices: Digital recorders, iPad, iPhones, iPod Touch, Smartphone
A digital recorder with an external microphone is best
Regardless of the device, eat the mike (microphone two inches from the mouth)
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Daily summaries of social media and news media related articles are offered through my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LeonardSipes or via the Facebook button on this site.
Source of first article: https://www.leonardsipes.com/the-advantages-of-government-social-media/
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