08 Dec Mon 2008
How to use Online Video to Showcase your Farm and Products
The Marketing Power of Video
As most of you have noticed, Video is slowly but surely revolutionizing the internet. With new technologies and the average user packing a lot more bandwidth under their belt, more and more are able to experience internet video and even in HD Quality. Backed by the YouTube movement, more and more people are firing up those digital cameras and sharing their short clips with the world.
At Golden Touch Farm, we have been experimenting with online video over the last year and a half and would like to share with you all the power and utility it truly provides, even to an everyday farmer. One of the biggest obstacles for Alpaca farmers is showcasing their animals and their finished products to the general public. Pictures and long winded write ups can only provide so much insight, as this animal is really only appreciated after a first hand encounter. Through video, people can get a quick glimpse into the lifestyle these animals and products provide without making the road trip to the farm. As you all know, these charismatic animals have a wonderful ability to make people fall in love at first glance, and what better way to start that than through easily accessible online video.
We have been utilizing video on our blog for over a year now and the response has been tremendous. Whether it be a showcase clip of one of our herd sires, a short clip of our active hummingbird feeders, or a quick tour of the farm on a rainy day, all of our readers have loved it and it has helped sell finished products as well generate warm sales leads for people looking to invest in their own Animals.
In 2009 we will be upgrading our equipment and editing software and will be producing HD Quality DVD's of all of our investment quality Females and Herdsires. At first the task might seem too far fetched for the common computer user or Alpaca Farmer, but I can ensure you that with a little research and practice, you can produce quality videos of your animals and farm.
Here is a quick guide that will help you get started in capturing video of your farm and sharing it with the online community.
Today I wanted to share some resources on how to get the ball rolling on capturing, editing, and sharing video of your farm and animals on the web.
Capturing Video
Chances are the Digital Camera you use to take snapshots of your animals can also capture video. Here is a link to a list of easy to follow, beginner tips on capturing video with your digital camera.
Editing Video
Editing Video is becoming easier and easier. Chances are your computer came with some simple, user-friendly video editing software. For Windows Users, Look for Windows Movie Maker. For Apple fans, check out iMOVIE. Below is a good resource to help get more comfortable with the editing process.
How Stuff Works - Video Editing
Sharing Video
So you have captured and edited your video, now it is time to share it with the world. Below are several site that are free and easy to use. We personally use Vimeo.com because of it's rich community base and dedication to quality, and it also allows us to upload and embed our videos in HD Quality.
To get an idea of how we currently utilize Video on our Farm site, you can head to Video Section.
As always, If you have any questions on how to get started do not hesitate to ask!
-Sean
http://www.goldentouchfarm.com
http://www.goldentouchnaturals.com