Video For Radio
New technologies have made radio a visual medium. In order to compete, stations need to have interactive Web sites with photos, blogs, podcasts, downloads, polls, contests, and video. Due to the popularity of videos online, DJs are becoming VJs. On-air personalities are online personalities creating video blogs, behind the scenes videos, music news videos, promotional videos with advertisers, etc.
Is this good or bad? That kind of depends on the content you create and how comfortable you personalities are in front of a camera. If you are capable of creating a compelling product with relatable hosts than this can be great. If you can’t then don’t waste your time cheapening your brand.
What do you need to create a decent video? First of all, you need a staff that really wants to do this. If there is no passion there it will show. Second, you need someone with a steady hand and technical knowledge of video cameras. You don’t want your videos to make your viewers feel seasick. Third, keep the videos short! The shorter the better, anything over 3 minutes is too long. There are instances where videos over three minutes will work, such as interviews with artists, or how-to videos. Viewers are willing to give videos more time if they are a fan of an artist or are learning something they find useful. Breaking up interviews or how-to videos into a series of short segments is a good idea if you want to keep the videos short but give viewers the full content.
How do you give your videos the professional edge? If you want to come across as professional you should have someone who knows how to work a video camera and someone who can edit the video. Having someone on staff or a freelancer who has gone to school for video production would be best. It is also important to plan your shoot and be prepared. Sometimes shooting on the fly works and has a reality feel, but it doesn’t always work. Graphics and special effects can make a video look great or extremely bad. Only use special effects and graphics when necessary, overuse will make a potentially good video look amateur.
Are your personalities right for video? Just because your talent is good in front of a mic doesn’t mean they’ll be good in front of a camera. They need to feel comfortable in front of the lens and come off as likeable. It’s not worth it if they look awkward and uncomfortable, this may diminish their on-air presence. If your talent comes off as confident and comfortable then by all means let your listeners put a face to the voice.
What can your personalities do to look professional in front of the camera? They need to be organized and concise. A personality floundering around in front of a camera is not a good thing for anyone. Make sure they get to the point and don’t fall in love with the sound of their own voice. They don’t have to be overly scripted but they need to know what they’re talking about. Having a basic outline and covering topics that they know well works best. Do multiple takes and run the camera when they are practicing. If they don’t know they are being recorded they may be more natural. Be honest with them, it will only make them better.
Commitment! Don’t expect to do a new video everyday. It takes time and effort to produce and edit videos. Once your personalities and staff realize the amount of work that goes into a video they may lose their excitement. Shoot multiple videos at once and release a new one every week. This will give you time to plan the next group of videos. Just don’t post videos consistently for a week and then trail off to whenever you get to it. Your listeners will stop looking for new videos if they don’t know when they are going to be there. Condition your listeners just like you condition them with on-air specialty shows.
What are the downsides? Putting out poor videos may affect your listener’s perception of your on-air product. If you post your videos yourself on your site you may get a surprise when you get your hosting bill. Bandwidth is expensive. Your best bet is to use a service like YouTube. Even if you have permission to use copyrighted music, YouTube may extract the audio from your video because of their deals with the major record labels. Camera and editing equipment can be pricey. It takes time and effort to create videos. Always factor in the time it takes to produce and edit the video as part of the cost. Once you start doing videos your listeners may expect them. Make sure you’re committed before you start.
Conclusion:
Video can be compelling content for your Web site visitors but it takes time, effort, and talent to produce them. Getting clients involved with sponsorships can more than make up for the costs. The problem is that online videos are easily measurable and clients won’t pay top dollar if you don’t have the numbers to support it. So before you jump in, make sure you factor in all of the pros and cons. Videos can definitely be compelling content for your listeners and an alternate source of income. They can also give listeners a less than professional view of your station and be a drain on your staff and your wallet.