After watching Squadcast’s episode #9 on how to make web video, I realized people need to know as much (if not more) about what to avoid. If you’re considering your own web show, be sure to avoid these beginner mistakes.

1. YouTube is Your Show’s Home- If you don’t have a web site where you post your episodes, either you’re really cheap or you don’t want to see your show really succeed. Spend the $10 and buy your own domain. Eventually, you’ll probably want the flexibility to expand your content beyond just YouTube or another single video site. I suggest using WordPress as a great starter site.
2. You Use The Built-in Microphone - This was my first mistake on my very first web show. If your audience can’t understand what you’re saying, will they care to watch? Most newbies focus on a great camera shot, but viewers have no patience for a show with bad audio. You don’t have to buy a great Shure or Behringer microphone, but a simple lavalier microphone will do you wonders.
3. Your Webcam is Your Primary Camera - You don’t have to spend thousands to get a good camcorder, but using your webcam eventually becomes boring to watch. During Squadcast’s episode they referenced using your digital camera in video mode. That may surprise you, but many digicams have decent video quality. If you want to use your webcam for some footage ok, but don’t let it be your only shot.
4. Your Video Has Bad Lighting - While having bad audio is worse, you need to be sure to setup more lighting than normal. If you’re shooting at night or indoors, plan on how you’ll light your shot. Your audience will appreciate it because they can actually see you!
5. Copyrighted Material - If you’re using clips from “The Simpsons” or Jay-Z’s latest song, you’ll struggle to find an advertiser. If you don’t want to make money, then use it at your own risk. Eventually using other’s material will have consequences and no one wants to go back and edit a year’s worth of videos.

Many will argue good content is king (and it is), but don’t ruin your show’s great concept with these foolish mistakes. If you have seen other simple errors, leave a comment below.

Posted by Todd Earwood | 1 Comment »

Oh no, not another million dollar pixel site you say? But Million Dollar Web TV has video in its name, so this one will work, right? Wrong. As if we didn’t know, their post today shows(see below) they’re not so sure a million is in its future. Kudos for the transparency, but please find a new idea!

As you can well imagine, we are in the process of reassessing the effectiveness of our marketing efforts. Rev-up social bookmarking? Use direct visitor acquisition? Guerilla marketing? Advertise in MediaPost? A contest for affiliates? We’ll evaluate these and other venues this month to find the best mix.

Posted by WSS | 1 Comment »