This document provides guidance on planning, building, and launching a video blog. It discusses identifying a niche and target audience, creating a basic business plan, determining equipment and software needs, and developing a content and marketing strategy. The goal is to help people plan, build, and launch their first podcast through learning, doing, and getting feedback at each stage of the process.

1. Planning, Building,
and Launching
a Video Blog!
(attacking the camera guy is optional)

2. plan-build-launch
a video blog
Oct 14th
thinkjose.com 2009

3. Who are you?
Why are you here?
Expectations?

4. Write down 1 thing
you want to take
away with you today.

5. Who the heck am I?
geek

6. What is a video blog?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlog
vlog, video blog, vidcast, show,
vodcast, video podcast, TV, etc.

7. key ingredients:
-regular videos
-syndication
-metadata
-platform

8. Why video?
http://blog.nielsen.com

9. Examples:
http://stevegarfield.blogs.com
http://tv.winelibrary.com/
http://tv.boingboing.net/
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks

10. Do it, do it…
(quick & dirty example)

11. How do we do it?:
Plan
Learn - Do - Q&A
Build
Learn - Do - Q&A
Launch
Learn - Do - Q&A

12. Todays Goal:
We (that means YOU will get involved) will
Plan - Build - Launch
a podcast

13. Plan - Learn

14. Why are we doing
this?

15. increase visibility,
revenue, marketing,
because we can, etc.

16. Identify a niche

17. What can you offer
this niche?

18. How do you want
them to respond?

19. buy more product,
increase brand
awareness, etc.

20. Who is involved?

21. What is the content-
length-etc.

22. How many episodes?

23. Where?
Who is our audience?
How will they find us?

24. How do we measure
the win?

25. viewers, more
product sold, brand
awareness,
impressions, hits, etc.

26. What is the business
case for my 57 year
old boss who still has
his secretary print out
his emails?

27. Agree to mini-bizplan

28. Set team-tasks-roles-
responsbilities

29. What equipment do I
need?

30. Plan-Do

31. Volunteers?

32. Why - Who - Where
How - What

33. mini-bizplan
(write it down!)

34. Host-
Interviewee-
Engineer-
Geek-
Marketer/Writer-

35. Plan-Q&A

36. Build-Learn

37. Agree and Review
Document

38. Workflow

39. Content -
Write a script
(or at least pretend on
a napkin)

40. short - sweet
funny - interesting
weird - entertaining
shocking - scary
be dramatically
different

41. remember the
audience
why should they
care?

42. Capture
rubber + road

43. Keep it simple
video blog ≠ studio production

44. The power of a video
blog is not in the
production value...
it’s the speed of
delivery, relevance of
the story, & value
added to the
conversation!

45. Edit

46. slash & burn

47. Tell a concise story.
Make others look
good.
Truth is stranger than
fiction.

48. bumpers
(watched TV lately)

49. format?
iTunes
http://www.apple.com/itunes/whatson/podcasts/specs.html
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/t/howto_makevideo
blip.tv
http://blip.tv/learning/export/

50. web ready format?

51. Post

52. Platform
free vs. paid
http://youtube.com
http://blip.tv
http://seesmic.com
http://viddler.com
http://vimeo.com

53. blog format
comments,
interaction, actual
conversations

54. What is an RSS feed?
Most video platforms automatically
create RSS feeds but...
http://feedburner.com

55. Market

56. submit to iTunes,
Podcast Alley, Yahoo,
etc.

57. digital marketing tools

58. show your best stuff!
not everything

59. free, cheap, cool

60. get others to market
for you - chicklets,
badges, user
submitted content,
etc.

62. Hardware

63. Basic
direct to digital!
(computer, digital
video camera, Flip,
digital still camera,
webcam,
mobile device)

64. Intermediate
digital tape
(MiniDV camera,
pro-sumer level)

65. Pro
Hire a production
company :)

66. My Tools:
Canon SD-750 Panasonic
PV-GS70
MacbookPro w iSight
Sony HDR FX1
Aiptek HD GVS

67. digital vs. tape

68. a word about lighting
use it!

69. a word about audio
people will tolerate
crappy video, but not
crappy audio!

70. wireless mic, usb plug
in mic, shotgun mic,
etc.

71. the simpler system
the better

72. dedicated hard drive
(and back it up)

73. accessories
stands, lighting,
tripod, cables,
adapters, racks,
power strips, etc.

74. Software

75. offline tools
iMovie, Quicktime,
Final Cut (Pro), Adobe
Premier, Windows
Movie Maker, etc.

76. online tools
livestream.com,
jumpcut.com,
motionbox.com
eyespot.com,

77. Live video tools
• blogTV
• Justin.tv
• Kyte
• LiveCast
• Livestream
• make.tv
• Stickam
• Twitcam
• ubroadcast
• Ustream

78. More video tools
flixwagon.com
qik.com
livevideo.com
veetle.com
twitvid.com
12seconds.tv
glomera.com
mobatalk.com
yfrog.com

79. iTunes
(you need this... trust
me)

80. blog
wordpress, movable
type, blogger,
custom, and
enterprise level

81. RSS
feedburner.com
sourceforge.com

82. Build - Do

83. switch to macbook
(not a subliminal ad -
just a note for me)

84. Build - Q&A

85. Launch - Learn

86. small is the new big

87. passion is key
personality matters

88. set clear start and
stop points

89. do what you say you
are going to do!

90. look back to the
mini-bizplan

91. keep it fresh and fun

92. Marketing

93. get others to talk
about you

94. do cool stuff
(dramatically different)

95. Launch - Do

96. Yay
We just did it!

97. Thank You!
please contact me
jose@thinkjose.com
twitter.com/thinkjose
423.943.5262

98. (5 Bonus Tips)
How not to be lame:

99. 1.
know your audience

100. askaninja ≠ pirates

101. learn spanish ≠
latinos

102. TWiT ≠ noobs

103. 2-way interaction.

104. 2.
good equipment is
cool (and cheap).

105. $99

106. digital camera
video camera

107. firewire and usb
rock

108. 3.
Be prepared.

109. You don’t
have to be an expert -
but it helps.

110. do your homework.

111. Passion is key.

112. 4.
um, like... edit.

113. Be kind to your
guests.

114. Edit for flow.

115. lean & mean

116. 5.
do like the pros do

117. intro/outro

118. theme songs rock

119. don’t steal music

120. pre-announce

121. wrap it up

122. 5.5
have fun

123. successful video
blogs mix passion,
fun, and interactivity.

124. It’s really over…
I promise.