This week we’re talking about video podcasting specifically and why you should incorporate video into your podcasting strategy. We don’t talk about video enough in the podcast space, so I actually have a three-part series. This is part one.
Today is going to be about why we should be using video in podcasting, and why video podcasting is important. Then the next couple of episodes we’ll get into more of how to do it: the equipment, the setup, and all that stuff.
WHY VIDEO PODCASTING IS IMPORTANT
I thought we’d start with why this is important. The reason this is close to my heart is that for a lot of us, video could be the goal. It could be the final destination, but many of us didn’t start there because it’s intimidating. It’s difficult. There is a lot of setup involved.
Not only do you have to figure out how to look at a camera, how to talk to people through a lens, and get confident with how you look and present yourself on camera. You also have to understand all the setup and technology required to get that done.
Obviously, when I get through how to set it up, there are easy ways to do this, but I understand the barriers. I understand why that would slow people down. I know when I started, I tried video, blogging, and podcasting.
Podcasting stuck with me as the one that was easiest for me to be confident every day, turning it on, sitting down, and quickly recording something. I get why you are a podcaster first and not a YouTuber first.
However, I think that there are a few reasons we’ll go over today why video should be a part of your podcasting plan from day one. Now I don’t mean that you should be switching to be a YouTuber. I mean that you should always have a camera right in front of you turned on ready to go.
PRACTICE VIDEO PODCASTING FIRST
The first reason for that is practice. If you want to eventually get good at video, you should have your camera on and think of every podcast as an opportunity to get better at using video, at having a camera on. That practice is going to go a long way.
Now I understand that podcasting (for me) is the best way to practice getting used to speaking right and using your voice. However, if you’ve done that for long enough (or even from the beginning) and you want to combine that skill of using your voice with the skill of actually getting comfortable on camera, you should have it on every time.
You should have it on in your solo shows, in your interviews, and just get used to it being on. You can look back at the videos and say, “What did I do right? What did I do wrong? What can I do better?”
DON’T LOOK DOWN WHILE VIDEO PODCASTING
One of the challenges for me when having the camera turned on, especially when I’m doing a solo show is that I’m constantly trying to look down at my notes. I’m trying to remember what my topics are so that I have a clear flow.
When something is down on your screen or even lower, it makes it hard to constantly make eye contact with the camera. Instead, you’re looking down here, which is a little off-putting from a video standpoint.
One of the ways to combat that is instead of having all your notes down on the screen, just try to have three things that you want to make sure you cover in your conversation and the rest should come from you.
These are topics that you’re an expert in for the most part, that you’re comfortable talking about. Hopefully, you’re not creating a podcast that you have to do a ton of research on all the time, because that makes it harder to create. That takes more work.
For the majority of you, being able to speak from your knowledge is where you’re going to shine you’re your strongest. Otherwise, you might need some kind of a screen in front of you that sits behind the camera that you can look at and refer to. Just think ahead of time, what are the three points you want to make in your conversation right now?
YOU MIGHT CHANGE A FEW THINGS
If you want to get good at recording video all the time, you have to have as many reps in as possible.
The first practice is just having it on and figuring out what that looks like, where you can look and how you can get better at that. Not only practice the idea of getting comfortable with how you introduce the show; you might actually introduce the show differently.
You might have to bring energy to your intro in a different way because you now are looking at a camera. Get comfortable with those first few words.
EVALUATE YOUR VIDEO PODCASTING SETUP
The other thing that’s a great practice when you have the video turned on is you’ve got to figure out, am I too close to the camera? Do I need to back up a little bit? How far do I want this thing so that I can create something that’s an engaging amount of footage for me?
Right now I’m in the office that we have, which is a guest bedroom. We’re preparing for a move here so I don’t have my normal setup. That’s okay; I just have to get comfortable with that. I’m a little closer to the camera than I’d want to be.
If you have a place in your house where you can get comfortable consistently, you might want to start figuring out where can you place the camera that’s a little further back. Maybe have a second camera off to the side so you can get multiple angles and get used to what that setup would be.
When you eventually give this footage to an editor, they can zoom in, zoom out, and pick an angle that works and keep the show more interesting.
The challenge you’re going to find and maybe one of the confidence issues you’re going to have is that this footage isn’t going to be super interesting when it’s just sitting here in the same spot, right on your face the whole time.
Think of this as practice. If nothing else, that is a great reason why video podcasting should be a part of your plan. It’s something that you can get better at and eventually move to have video all the time. In the meantime, you have all that content there.
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VIDEO PODCASTING IS MORE ENGAGING
Why is video so important to begin with? Let’s be honest. Video is a more engaging platform for the most part. If you want someone to really connect with you on a consistent basis, video is a stronger platform for doing that.
Yes, I understand; I am a podcaster, and I understand that when people finally tune into your show, they might actually listen for forty to forty-five minutes.
It isn’t the same on YouTube. I understand that it’s closer to ten or twenty minutes for the good YouTubers and less than that for the how-tos and whatnot.
That doesn’t mean that the engagement is comparable. If you can have someone who finds you on a video channel, that is a strong channel for you to engage with. It’s been proven over time. Advertisers know that video is a better way to connect with people than audio can ever be.
Knowing that just think about the power of eventually having a show that is including video and work towards how you can create content that might be engaging on that type of platform.
USE VIDEO PODCASTING FOR REPURPOSING
The other reason why video podcasting is so important is that it is huge from a repurposing standpoint. That’s the thing that I hope you guys take away if nothing else.
Besides practice and engagement, if you can start with video as a part of your process every time, then eventually when you are ready to move to a video stage and you want to share all this content, you have it all saved.
Every episode you’ve created, if you have the video turned on, you can go back to it and repurpose that in the future. You can bring it up as an old highlight so when you start building your video channels, whether it’s on your website or on YouTube, you don’t have to create content every week that’s brand new.
You can actually pull content that you’ve already created, clip it to the size you want, and share the parts that are most important not just on YouTube, but also on social media.
Figure out how you can get more posts going on a regular basis and become more consistent on social media platforms. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, all of those platforms are all moving towards video and even video stories, which are the vertical version of it and in shorter form.
REPURPOSING VIDEO PODCASTS GIVES YOU FRESH CONTENT
Instead of having to create brand new content every time for these platforms, take from content you’ve already created that is in a video form and just clip it. Clip out the best parts. What’s great about that is from a repurposing standpoint is you don’t have to take everything.
Not everything in this show is going to be intriguing from a short form, social media perspective. Just take those little clips that really grab people’s interest. Prepare those and repurpose those.
At the very least, if you have the cameras turned on, you’ll have that with you as an asset that you can use in the future in whatever way you see fit. It’ll be there. It didn’t cost you anything. It just costs you the opportunity to push the button and hit record on that.
Yes, the camera costs money, the one-time sunk cost. It’s around one hundred dollars or less for a digital camera or a webcam that you can put on top of your laptop. That’s not much to ask for what you’re getting out of it, and it’s a one-time cost.
I think everyone out there can find the money to do that. Again, once you have that, it’s like everything else. You’re pushing record anyway for the microphone. You’re already here sitting here creating content. You might as well do the video as well.
VIDEO PODCASTING IS THERE FOR YOUR ADVANTAGE
I guess what I’m trying to tell you guys is it should be easy enough to do, so why not do it? Have that for yourself as an advantage when you’re building your brand later. Think about the future. Where are you going? Right now, you’re just trying to get comfortable using your voice, finding what your show’s about, and creating new content.
By the way, if you are trying to figure out your first show, your first podcast, or even ideas on how to make your podcast better, check out Episode 150: 10 Podcasting Ideas For Beginners. There are ideas that might help you get going with this process.
For most of you, whether you’re starting or you’ve already started, getting that camera finally turned on is a huge step in the process. I’ll admit I didn’t have it turned on for the first few shows myself. I regret not having that as part of the plan. I hope that you guys take the leap and jump into building video as a part of your podcasting strategy.
NEXT UP ON VIDEO PODCASTING
Next time we’ll talk about how to set that up and the things to think about to make it good right now. I’m just hoping you push the button and turn it on. However, there are some things you can do to set it up to make it good so that eventually the stuff that you record you’ll be proud of.
Even though this wouldn’t be an example, what I have right now behind me, which is just a bedroom, not the best lighting and not the best angles, I think it’s okay to start like that.
However, I’ll tell you what you need to take it to the next level. It’s not as much as you guys think. It’s not as much work, but I understand that it’s intimidating. Let’s go through that in the next couple of episodes and at least get you guys towards taking a step in the right direction considering video as part of your strategy.
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10 Podcasting Ideas for Beginners
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