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Day 9: Video Impact

Megan Mcdonough

Flip VideoYesterday, I wrote about using audio on a website to build personal interaction. Today, on Day 9 of our 21-day challenge, I thought I would write about another tool that I have had great fun – and sometimes great angst – using in my yoga business: video.

Joan Dwyer, co-creator and owner of All That Matters, a yoga and holistic education center in Rhode Island, gave me a very helpful tip about video recording. She recommended the Flip video camera. Up until that point, I had always looked at videotaping as a cumbersome matter – just the thought of trying to set up a big, clunky camcorder with lots of buttons put me right off. Also, the video recording seemed limiting to me – like I was being chained to my computer to use the video function.

What I love about the Flip video is that it is easy to use and as small as a digital camera. Also, there are no fancy gadgets that I would never figure out how to use (I hate reading those technical directions). There is only a red button to begin and end recording, and some basic controls for playback. Then there is a trash button for the videos that don’t come out well. It’s very portable – I can take it anywhere just by tucking it in my pocketbook.

Boy, I sound like a Flip video sales person, but no, I am not on commission!

I just love it, that’s all. And to make me love it even more, the Flip video is not just a cool little toy – it also has a business function. I use it to add educational content on to my website, or to bring readers into my world by making an optional video available as an adjunct to the written word.

To stay focused on my personal 21-day Challenge, let me share how I used it in the website content for the Training the Trainer Virtual Program.

Throughout the content on that webpage, I mention a “facilitator kit.” Although this terminology is common in the training world, it is perhaps not so common in the yoga world. People have often asked me, “Can you give me an example of the tangible material I get in this course?”

So of course I had to find a way to make the idea of a “facilitator kit” tangible for the readers – and that was a perfect opportunity to use the Flip video. I did an (imperfect) video on my website, showing the facilitator kit. Now, I am still in the learning stage of using this fun gadget, so cut me some slack for my not-so-professional video job.

Sigh.

I cut off half my face. So while the Flip video did a great job, I’ve still got some more work to do on learning how to center the camera!

The Flip video is so named because after you are done recording, you flip a knob and out pops a connection that you attach to your USB port.

Voila!

The video downloads onto your computer.

Of course, you know that doing these techie things is never as simple as it sounds – in my case anyway, because technology likes to fight back at times to challenge me. I wish it would just play nice. I did have some initial problems with uploading the video (it turned out to be some weird codec problem – whatever the heck that means), but at least I was able to get it fixed and then uploaded onto YouTube fairly painlessly.

Technological fact #1: You must never be in a hurry when learning new technology. It is a well-known fact that technology gremlins have an innate sense of impatience and will throw roadblocks in your way. So take it one step at a time and (eventually) you will cross the finish line – exhausted but elated.

Do tell if you have used YouTube or video in your yoga work. I see it popping up all over the place and am fascinated with this virtual way of connecting to our students. What do you think?

Take the Challenge:

[tags]Megan McDonough, training the trainer program, yoga business, business marketing consultant, 21-day yoga marketing challenge[/tags]

Author: Megan Mcdonough

People with big ideas face a constant challenge: how to transform that vision into a new and better reality. Whether it’s change in your personal life or success in your business, vision needs action (and rest) to manifest.

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