The Do's & Don'ts of Online Video
1/7/2010 9:55:23 AM

By Robert Leitch, Techology Manager, Senior Producer/Director

As we begin a whole new decade, let's take a look WAY back to the year 2000. Could anyone have imagined YouTube or Hulu back then?

Today, more people are watching online video. In fact, YouTube estimates that they serve up 100 million videos a day! As more people watch online video, more people, both professionals and people at home, are producing online video. That’s all well and good, but how do you make a great online video? Here are a few “Do’s and Don’ts”:

DO:

Tell a story:
Even the most random video has some kind of a story. Having a beginning, a middle and an end is the most basic skeleton. Even better, drive viewers to a Web site or have them do something after they’ve finished watching.

Keep it short (kinda):
As time goes on, our attention spans get shorter, meaning if you don’t get to the point, you’ll lose your audience. The average video length being watched online is now 3.8 minutes. While that may sound like a lifetime, it’s not, so keep things moving along.

Be real:
Don’t get too cute or too serious. Real people talking about real events, first person accounts and honest narrative make some of the most interesting online videos.

DON’T:

Assume that only young people will see your video:
Women aged 55 and older are the fastest growing segment of people on Facebook, and these types of numbers are consistent everywhere online. That said, don’t make a boring video, but don’t feel obligated to produce everything for the 18-year-old set.

Be afraid to balance quality for quantity and speed:
All videos do not have to be “super produced.” Creating five short, straightforward online videos might make more sense than producing one longer, more involved video. Or, creating a video that goes live hours after an event (or even while the event is still going on) is sometimes better than a more produced video that goes live weeks after an event. Online videos are unique in this way.

Forget your brand:
Just because you are making videos for YouTube (whether professionally or for yourself and your family) don’t get too crazy!  Think about the image you want to portray and know ANYONE could view your video.

These are just a few tips to help you create better online videos. Good luck!

P.S. Shameless self-plug: While you're cruising YouTube, check out the MediaSource channel!