Jumping on the Video Bandwagon: Albeit Late in the ‘Early Majority’

Many of us have been taught about the 'fascinating personality traits' that help humans organize how people will accept a new innovation. 

Innovators are a small group of people (2.5%) who lead the way with adopting new technologies, products and services. Early Adopters (13.5%) are the second category of individuals followed by two groups of roughly the same size: Early Majority and Late Majority both at 34%. Laggards are the last to adopt new things and they comprise about 16% of the population.

In terms of adopting new technology innovations - like multi-media technologies used to share your face, voice, mannerism and emotions - I consider myself part of the Early Majority. As much as I’d like to think I’m an Innovator or Early Adopter, I realize that I am not. 

Sticking Your Neck Out

When it comes to bringing a bunch of technology together to share more of myself – my ideas, opinions and beliefs via my facial expressions, tone of my voice and my emotions – then I’m comfortable being in that Early Majority category. 

This blog post provides a bit of insight to hopefully help you join the Early Majority of people adopting video as a means to share on social media.

Why Should I Use Video to Share Information?

1. Reach a Wider Audience: your content can transcend certain communication barriers

2. Encourages Active Engagement: rich media will convey emotions and engages at a richer level than text only

3. Stand Out from the Crowd: ability for most people to easily share video is a relatively recent thing

4. Generate Content to Re-purpose: graphics and text can be easily captured from video

Here’s How To Get into the Early Majority

Not much is needed to get going with video/audio recording and publishing. 

You’ll Need Some Equipment

1. Video Camera: your PC probably has a good one but a USB camera costs about $40. And offers the ability to more easily move and re-position the camera angle.

2. Microphone: you'll want a good microphone. I use a GoMIC from Samson – it’s great! And has other uses too. And a good headset can work too.

3. Fast Internet Connection: needed for Live Streaming but not all that important for capture only.

4. Editing Software: lots of options here. And there are a lot of cheap editing services. $20 will get you a lot of professional editing via several online services.

Of course, ‘mobile versions’ of all of the above are good to have too – but in my experience desktops provide best capture, editing and publishing facilities.

Publish Once, Share Everywhere

Capturing a raw video recording offers up all kinds of content creation opportunities. Not only can a simple video provide immediate value just by publishing it, but a video file also provides source material for all kinds of other content too – especially when some up front considerations and actions are taken about how the content is presented and captured.

Some byproducts of a good video can include:
1. Transcript based on voice-to-text translation or manual transcription (Several options)

2. Infographics and SlideShares – Combine your video with some screen shots, commentary, and add some losed captions.

3. Aa podcast episode – Simply drop the video from the audio and you have a rudimentary podcast (Audacity)

4. Dozens of short snips, tweets and soundbites. (Canva)

Next: Some Tips I’m Learning

Over the next few months, I’ll share some more tips about capturing, editing, sharing and re-purposing video to advance your information sharing agenda. 

For more actionable insight, ideas and opinion about healthcare data, technology, an services – and my experiences about digital health and communications, consider following me on Twitter where I share as @ShimCode.