The landscape of today’s marketing has changed yet again. Many businesses have seen a change in their customers’ communication patterns. The days of phone calls and e-mail have been replaced with instant messaging, texting and social networking. More and more people are asking the question of “How do I manage and utilize this new Web 3.0 technology to benefit and grow my company?” We’ll I’m here to tell you that I don’t have that one single easy answer. In fact the only way to understand social media and Web 3.0 is to begin to dig into its parts.

Social Media

Have you ever had someone say “Hey Facebook me” ?  Yes the term “Facebook me” has now replaced the phrase, “Send me an e-mail.”  Although e-mail is still a very dominant form of corporate communications, sites like Facebook, Linked In,  Twitter  and Bebo have started to elevate the business communications through their peer to peer interfaces. Social networking is in essence what all businesses try to achieve through traditional marketing and sales development. The synergy between the two forms of communications are so close that the framework many businesses are used to using in relationship building can be used in today’s social media platforms.

Video Marketing

Many, if not all, social sites have now incorporated video posting and link sharing. Videos can now be shared effortlessly to your on-line social friends while also being incorporated into any company’s website. This use of the video medium not only enhances your social networking, it allows many people the opportunity to get to know who you are and the business you offer. Potential customers are always doing research for the goods and services you offer, and time and time again video has proven to be one of the most effective mediums to convey that message.

The scariest part of the new world wide web may not be the mediums to which our culture has gravitated toward, but the absence of not using and embracing these new mediums to which your customers have incorporated into their daily lives.

Back when I was first learning photojournalism, my chief of photography taught me to show the viewer the video of what the reporter was saying–the old “say dog see dog.” For the first few years I did that, but I always wondered if the viewer was really needing us to say one thing and then re-enforce it with a piece of exact video. My third year in journalism, I started playing around with sound… I mean lots of sound (“natural sound” is what photojournalists call it).  The “nat sound” was like gold. The sound not only re-enforced the point of story, it brought the viewer into the feeling of the story.

Natural sound editing is more important sometimes than the video that appears on the screen. For example if you take a beautiful landscape shot in a national park, with waterfall, tall trees, and even maybe some wild animals, it means nothing for the viewer if they can’t hear each one of those. When the human body hears sound, we can differentiate between each of them. In journalism it is not good enough to record some background noise and call it good. You must find the sound that will further the story and provide the viewer with further insight into the environment.

As professional videographers, we have the challenge of finding those sounds that match our visuals. Photographers don’t have to do this, painters don’t have to do this, but we do. In order to become better, it is imperative that you push yourself down the path of most resistance. Every shoot I have every been on provides me today with another tool in my toolbox. I have put mics on some crazy things. Many times you feel stupid doing it,  but when you get back into the edit booth to take a listen, you are so glad you did.

It used to be something of a novelty or a royalty to produce video in High Definition. Many times the decision to shoot in HD is made based on the final medium. For example, local TV stations, for the most part, can pass through HD from their networks, however, many of them can not play out HD programs and commercials. The expense of HD was also in question for many people entering into the video production experience. HD costs are about 30% higher than traditional because of the added equipment needed to produce the final product.

That was about 18 months ago–things have again changed in my opinion. Camera’s have gotten cheaper, TV stations have upgraded to servers which can output HD signals and YouTube converted its entire site into an HD capable delivery mechanism.

Yes, HD makes things look better but what about the person behind the lens or in the edit chair? Professional videographers and editors are being challenged by inexperienced social media junkies who have a Mac and editing software and are not afraid to use them. I have shot beside, and in some cases, in front of new media journalist or video guy (or whatever you want to call them) trying to get a piece of the video production pie action. They don’t want to be told what to do and they certainly don’t want anyone with experience giving them production pointers. They knew what YouTube was long before any 34-year-old washed-up production guy did. Over the past 15 years I not only have seen new videographers join the ranks, but have seen an ever-changing type of new videographer. The difference between “seasoned-vet” and “newbie” today is confidence.  That difference is very hard to spot for many customers looking for a great videographer.

What I’m trying to say is that media has obviously changed and the people developing the media has changed, but not for the betterment. If you are new to the profession, respect those that have been doing it longer. As a veteran of this craft, I continue to learn from the “newbies” and hope that I can always stay up-to-date with what they are always so excited to try.  But I encourage the “newbies” to learn and recognize the rules of journalism and videography, as a solid piece starts from a good foundation.