New services - Podcasts

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Spruce up your site with some dynamic content.

You may have seen some twitter posts indicating some video work going on.  I am now offering podcasts, both video and audio, to my clients.  

How many people really understand what a podcast is? A podcast is any audio or video (sometimes even text according to iTunes) which is distributed via syndicated feed.  Traditionally when a user wanted content from a website they would have to browse over to the site, find the link, download the content, then play it.  With a podcast you set up a podcatcher (the aforementioned iTunes being one) and plug in the RSS (syndication) feed.  From there whenever the podcast is updated your podcatcher sees it, downloads the new content, and it is ready to consume virtually immediately.

The reason this is important to you the business professional is simple.  I like to echo what most web developers will tell you (the good ones anyway), "Content is KING!".  Without good content your site stagnates, withers, and dies.  I really should practice what I preach, but I have fortunately been busy with other clients and helping them develop their own content, but I digress.  So we need good content.  What if you could give your customers something they want in the form of a short audio or video clip through your site with a minimal effort?  We all know the power of multimedia.  Can you imagine giving your customers an ad for your site disguised as entertainment?

But there is a hitch; podcasts must be good.  So often I see people with their websites (they created of course) put up videos in an attempt to tap into that multimedia buzz.  The problem is they are not a very good videographer.  The lighting is wrong, audio is poor, and the encoding is abysmal.  Would you want to hire a company that doesn't take the time to put out a professional product?  MHI Labs has the equipment, knowledge, and experience to put together a professional product for you to give away.

So how does it work?

1. Come up with original content you can give your client.  It cannot be copyrighted material that you don't own.  I have no interest in any legal battles.
2. Find some people who are good on camera or mic.  These people can be employees, family, even yourself.  The most important thing is that they can accurately represent your company.
3. Give me a call at 661-513-3828 and schedule a time for a recording session or video shoot.
4. On the day of the shooting I will bring out my portable studio, give some instruction, and we can shoot several episodes at once.  I can be as involved in the directorial process as you like.  Direct it yourself or let me help, it is up to you.
5. Once all the footage is shot I will take it back to my secret underground bunker and start the post production process.  If we are using a green screen I can get creative with the number of virtual cameras.
6. Once the primary video or audio is processed we need to come up with music and graphics.  I have several cheap or free resources for music.  Graphics can be provided by you or developed by me.
7. Finally you get to see the finished product and approve it. 
8. Since we shoot several at a time I can either give you the finished product or if you have packaged this with a web maintenance package, I can release your podcasts on a set schedule.  

It really is easy to produce high quality work on a budget.  You can head on over to the Solstice Green Directory to see an example of a video podcast series called GreenSpeak.  You can also check out http://www.projectnofear.com to see and hear both video and audio podcasts I have created.   I think they came out great, but since I am a co-host I may be a little biased.  

Podcasts can be an excellent way to give your clients a free service and help them find your company.  It is advertising for a new age and we can help!

Talk to you soon.