Let’s talk about the most critical do-it-yourself video hacks with a Startup Drugz community member and our resident (all things video-marketing) expert and #girlboss #badass (Shaina Weisinger, CEO of Repurposehouse.com. Read the post and watch the video for a low budget-high impact marketing and content repurposing strategy and tactical execution hack. You are welcome! 

TL:DR For a further explanation by your amazing Startup Drugz community member Shaina Churchfield on the tech production tips discussed above watch below

Entrepreneurs who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users according to Hubspot, and 4 out of 10 people listening to podcasts monthly in 2017. If these stats don't have you seriously thinking about creating a video podcast for your business then it should be added to your to-do list in that "right now" or "yesterday" section.

But "what is worth doing is worth doing right", as the saying goes, so the three most important, but often overlooked variables to master below are your shortcut to success and deeper engagement.

There are so many elements that go into creating an awesome video podcast (i.e. music, etc) that it can definitely tend to get overwhelming. Some people think that the gear and setup are all that really matters, and let's face it, buying new gear is always fun. Once you dive into it you'll realize that things like how to interview, how to choose and reach out to guests, and how to give a great listener/viewing experience can quickly fill your head with questions.

A single article on all of the pro tips would be something that nightmares are made of, so I asked my friend and producer Shaina Churchfield, CEO and Founder of Repurpose House (insert affiliate link behind that) to stick to her roots and get the 3 most important technical basics nailed down for a high-quality production.

1. Bad audio is podcast suicide.

Nothing kills the viewer or listener experience like bad audio. Viewers of any visual content will often forgive less than perfect video production if the audio is up to par, but not the other way around. And once you have a viewer or listener "walk out" on your podcast it's next to impossible to get them back.

While there are a few options for setting up sound for a video podcast, I prefer the lapel mic. Some people don't love the look of it, and to be honest I hide it when I can, but it is the absolute best way to ensure that you'll be getting even sound from both sources. Another way to do this is if you like the "filming my audio podcast" look and you can snag a few cool looking "on-air" type microphones and that really solves the problem of making sure you've got audio for everybody on the show and keeping the visual of the mic out of the shot.

2. "Lights" are first in "Lights, Camera, Action" for a reason

The most effective way to turn an amateur video into a professional looking production is to spend a couple of hundred bucks on Amazon and get a decent light set. I could fill an entire article on lighting because it is THAT important.

One of the best overall tips to stick by, though, would be to make sure that you use a softbox or diffuser to avoid really hard shadows across the set. Shadows pop up everywhere: on the talent's face, on the wall behind them, behind the prop, etc., and the more that you can avoid those shadows the better. You can help this by lighting the wall behind the talent as well as having the lights that are in front of the talent come from about 45 degrees on each side.

3. Find your angle.

I always do a 3-camera shoot when creating video podcasts. This is great because it gives us options if something happens on an angle that we don't want the viewer to see. For instance, if the host has to look down at their notes while the guest is answering a question then we can cut to close up shot of the guest and avoid making the audience think the host isn't interested in what they're saying. The set up that works well for us is one wide angle that shows both people in the interview and a closer shot of each person.

Remember the rule of thirds and the 180-degree rule if you do a multi-camera shoot. The rule of thirds means to make sure that your subject on the close shots should generally be on the 1/3 line of either side of the shot like this:

The 180-degree rule means that all cameras must be on the same side of the talent. If you have two people talking to each other, you would be showing more of the left side of the face of one and the right side of the face on the other. If you break the 180-degree rule it becomes confusing for the viewer.

4. Repurpose, Reframe, and Republish it!

There's so much more to creating a successful audio or video podcast but the largest mistake entrepreneurs make is that they don’t repurpose the content they have in multiple mediums. Cutting up blogs, audio podcasts, books you have written, and video or speeches into snackable and stand along videogram and audiogram branded assets allows you to not only leverage and refine some of your best stuff in new ways, but it also allows you to more efficiently feed the social media beast and short organic shelf life of these major platforms. Engage your audience with branded nuggets multiple times a day using a resource like Repurposehouse.com and watch your engagement and followers rise while keeping costs low.

If you like to "Think Outside the Box" you can let the world know your secret with this awesome Startup Drugz tee