Video is a good way for businesses to show product demos, interviews, or other useful information. With prices dropping in many areas such as video cameras, edit software, and computers (and ease of use) it is becoming easier for an individual to produce their own multimedia. Video cameras can be purchased for under $300 and with cameras like the Flip camera or the Kodak Zi series, it is more affordable to buy and use your own camera. Of course if you use your own camera it is highly recommended that you use a tripod, this will help keep your video from getting your readers motion sick and it looks more professional.
Each one does come with its own edit software, but there are others out there that will do more than the basics. Again the prices on these have dropped and can be easy to use. Also, with each one of these cameras you can upload your video to YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, and others – though you want to peruse the terms of use. Many say that if you upload a video you are giving the site you are uploading to the right to use that video, whether it is edited and put into a montage or other type of video. Here is the section from YouTube’s Terms of Services:
“For clarity, you retain all of your ownership rights in your User Submissions. However, by submitting User Submissions to YouTube, you hereby grant YouTube a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicenseable and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, display, and perform the User Submissions in connection with the YouTube Website and YouTube’s (and its successors’ and affiliates’) business, including without limitation for promoting and redistributing part or all of the YouTube Website (and derivative works thereof) in any media formats and through any media channels. You also hereby grant each user of the YouTube Website a non-exclusive license to access your User Submissions through the Website, and to use, reproduce, distribute, display and perform such User Submissions as permitted through the functionality of the Website and under these Terms of Service. The above licenses granted by you in User Videos terminate within a commercially reasonable time after you remove or delete your User Videos from the YouTube Website. You understand and agree, however, that YouTube may retain, but not display, distribute, or perform, server copies of User Submissions that have been removed or deleted. The above licenses granted by you in User Comments are perpetual and irrevocable.”
You don’t necessarily need to use these types of sites to add video to your sites, you can host the videos on your site. Though you many need to check with your hosting service to determine your bandwidth and space you have for your site. Of course all of this seems like a lot of work, but remember that video is a great way to show product demos and many other aspect to help your business grow. We can answer any questions you may have about adding video or other types of multimedia here at WBC.
