You've finally settled into a comfortable routine of updating your blog regularly, making sure the content is fresh and has plenty of colourful pictures.
After countless hours spent making sure it updated other accounts you work with, such as twitter and facebook so that your exposure levels were keeping up with the latest trend, you're satisfied that you've got the foundations of a good campaign that will grow over time and you're getting regular feedback and building relationships.
But what if you're not good at creative writing? Sure twitter has condensed this down to a couple of lines, but if you're trying to build a following, you need that following to be led to something more substantial every once in a while. That can be daunting if the only place to send them looking for new content is a blog you struggle to fill.
So what else is available to produce interesting content easily and cheap?
Four years ago I would have given you an answer of "not alot", but 2005 was the year of the blog, now we have options.
Video, audio and still image. I will not waste time explaining what Youtube is, you already know, and for most it is not seen as the ideal replacement to a blog or addition to their social media marketing.
I want to look at the subject of video as a means to engage, whilst highlighting a couple of sites that have made the process as easy as putting an update on twitter.
Firstly, I think it's necessary to point out that, if the video process is to be a simple as a twitter update, it still needs to be given thought in order to make it engaging and relevant. Most of us don't have anywhere near the experience of working with video that we have with writing, so the key to working well with video is to keep it short until you get better.
Secondly, the issue of the right equipment - used to be an expensive area. Got a webcam? Now you're ready.
So who's here to help?
I'm highlighting two sites that I feel have covered all of the above well. the first is 12second.tv
It's obvious what you are expected to do and they give you plenty of ideas for content and quality, (they even have competitions for the best vlog that day). Whilst at first it may seem like most people are using it to show off their gorgeous pet that only they love or yet another head and shoulders comment, the advantage is the shortness of the media.
For businesses who need to produce quick updates on time sensitive offers, 12second.tv is a perfect opportunity to get the message out fast.
If you're the point of contact that the customer sees when they enter your business, and it's your face they've seen on the vlog, you've already established a relationship without ever meeting them, they will feel like they know you, makes it easier to sell.
The second site is twitvid.io It's the same concept as 12second.tv except that it directly associates itself with Twitter. The use of short video messages combining with twitter was inevitable considering you have always been able to view web links and images through twitter.
twitvid.io appears to be used more predominately by business who want to engage whilst at their place of work as opposed to pet lovers.
The ability to share and tag your videos on both sites makes them powerful tools for seeding the message fast.
Combined with their capacity to communicate seamlessly with your webcam and the fact that they provide options for other cameras if you don't have an integrated camera, takes the cost issue and throws it away. Time is now the only cost in getting your message out there, (and perhaps a bit of make-up) whatever media you choose.
