Communicating to Your Users Through Video Paul Meeker
Who am I? Paul Meeker Franklin University BlueQuill – Manager of Product Development
Question What makes communicating with users so challenging?
People don’t read! Why Doesn’t America Read Anymore? –NPR April Fools Joke
I Don’t Read! Release notes, bug fixes, documentation, terms and conditions etc....Don’t expect others to read either. Then how do we communicate to users?
Video (+) Engaging Visual Just in time Users can go back to reference it Can skip over stuff
Video (-) Learning curve Takes time Often done last minute (release cycle) Maybe not as in depth
This session It’s not that hard It’s more effective You just need the right tools and process
Software Tools Camtasia Studio (for longer videos) Jing (for shorter videos) Microsoft Word
Hardware Tools Computer USB Mic (Blue Yeti) Headphones (Sony MDR )
Distribution
Process Types of videos New features Releases Training Support Mockups
Process for short videos Use Jing and screencast (example)
Process for long videos Script Audio Screen Effects Publish Upload
Script Intro 3 columns Conclusion
Audio Test your mic levels Use inflection Make sure it’s loud Read paragraphs Turn it up!
Screen Record the screen while listening to the audio One piece at a time Stop and start
Effects, publish, upload Finishing touches that make a difference Music in the background (free from YouTube) Text on the screen Zooming Transitions Highlighting Video Dimensions Consistency Publish and upload to YouTube (public, private, allow comments?)
Example
Let’s make a quick video!