First of all, closed captioning allows your video to hurtle barriers into demographics that are often neglected.

For obvious reasons it improves accessibility for the hearing impaired and for those without computer speakers or at work (don’t let your boss read this).  Adding closed captioning also crosses borders by adding Google Translate into the mix in just a few simple steps.

Find "Translate Captions" under the "CC" menu at the bottom of your video.

Users can also narrow their searches under “Search Options” to retrieve videos only with closed captions enabled.  Considering the limited number of people adding captions to their videos, you have the abliity to differentiate yourself from the crowd just like shooting your videos in HD would.

Users can filter their searches to only see images with closed captioning generated by the author.

Beyond the apparent benefits, YouTube is also indexing everything that is contained within your captions.  This has huge implications for the future of searching video.

It is clear that specific phrases from the transcript can be used in an organic YouTube search. While this is exciting for SEO nerds, it is highly unlikely that anyone will ever naturally search a long, cumbersome quote like “Whitewater rafting on the Gauley is a big adrenaline rush.”

"Whitewater rafting on the Gauley is a big adrenaline rush."

Search field contains, "Whitewater rafting on the Gauley is a big adrenaline rush."

But after taking two important keywords from the quote (Gauley, adrenaline) and using them as the search parameters, we find the same results.

Search field contains "Gauley" and "adrenaline."

Even though this would still be considered a long-tail search, it is much more likely to be typed in by someone who is looking for something very specific.  True, as we travel along the “long-tail” mass numbers decrease but motivation and, hopefully, engagement increases.

Hopefully the end result will be capturing the attention of the motivated users who are more likely to act on and share their findings with others in their niche.

The best part about the indexation of closed captioning is that you can pursue the niche groups without losing your mass audience and appeal.  By using captions you can add thousands of new keywords to your metadata that will attract fringe users while simultaneously preserving the integrity of your title, description and tags.

In other words, the title will attract the majority of vanilla users looking for a basic “Upper Gauley River Rafting” video while those who are specifically looking for a Gauley video with “adrenaline” will end up in the same place.  You get the best bang for your buck.

Unfortunately, adding captions does involve some work.  YouTube offers a service that will automatically caption videos for you but those results are not indexed or particularly accurate.

The speaker in the video actually says, “It's really intense how all of that water is going straight towards the rock and you just have to try to ride it out and make it all the way through.”

The best, most accessible tool that we’ve used to caption videos is CaptionTube, a Google app in its beta version.  While not particularly intuitive to begin with, the app certainly gets the job done once you learn the ropes.

CaptionTube is currently a beta app generated by Google.

Once you have your YouTube/Google account synced with CaptionTube, simply import the video you would like to modify and click the “Edit” button.

Google and YouTube have made the import process extremely easy so you can spend more time working on your captions.

You enter into the “timeline” interface but I have found the “list” option is easier to understand and edit.  The next steps in the process can be grueling so don’t be discouraged if it takes some time to get over the learning curve.

The "timeline" makes seeing how the individual captions interact easy but editing is a chore.

Even though the "list" interface lacks the ability to see captions in respect to time, it is still easier to navigate during the editing process.

Play the video until you would like the caption to appear and then hit the “add caption” button.  Wait until the end of the phrase and press the button beside the “Caption Duration” box.  This will set the amount of time that your caption will appear on screen.

Making sure your caption ends at the correct time will ensure individual captions won't overlap during the video.

Now, just enter your text and click the “Save” button.  Rinse and repeat.

Like many things in SEO, captioning web video definitely isn’t fast, exciting or glamorous but in the long run (and “long-tail”) it’s definitely worth it.

Work so you can play; play so you can work. It’s been a foundation of our culture here at WELD for quite some time, and with our latest additions to the video department, the lines between work and play are getting blurry. That’s because WELD recently purchased 6 GoPro HD Hero Cams to be used on our productions and after work adventures.

These tiny POV (Point of View) cameras are water and shockproof and come with an extensive mount system that allows us to put them in precarious circumstances and come away with some unique perspectives. So far we have used the cameras with mountain biking, whitewater kayaking and rafting, zip lines, and even a helicopter production.

One aspect that I think is neat is that we get to turn our filming subjects into the camera crew. People enjoy being on our side of the production. We give them the parameters for filming and then turn them loose. The camera set up time is minimal, so everyone can focus their energy into doing the activities rather than setting up for a particular shot.

There are some limitations to the cameras, but those limitations make for a simple production. Each camera has a fisheye lens. Currently, you cannot preview what you are shooting, so it takes a few trials and errors to get the positioning exact. Looking at the reflection of the lens will help. Also, there are no manual controls for exposure, so lighting conditions will really dictate the results. It’s no surprise, we have had some of our best shots during the “magic hour” in the evening.

Typically, we are setting the cameras to shoot at 1080p, 30fps and 720p, 60fps. If you are using these cameras with Adobe, you will also need to install a codec plug-in package from MainConcept to get the footage to play properly.

As we head into the 2010 summer, look for more weekly POV clips like the “Wednesday Night Paddle” video (below) on ACE Adventure Resort’s Blog, and of course, here on The WELDer.

There’s a lot of talk these days about how important a Twitter presence is for your personal brand and your company’s image.

There are 160 million people on Twitter right now and about 300,000 people are signing up every day, so tweeting isn’t something to be taken lightly if you want to reach these prospective customers.

For the very busy, there are a number of tools that can take the hassle out of updating your Twitter feed throughout the day. Here at WELD, our clients make use of HootSuite, one of the many Twitter applications that will update your status and shorten links.

The beauty of HootSuite is that unlike some other apps, you can update multiple accounts from just one platform. So, for instance, if you’re tasked with managing your company’s profile, you can also update your own without having to log out. You can even send the same message to both, cutting your typing time in half.

Here are the few easy steps it takes to set up a message in HootSuite:

1. Paste the URL in the box directly beside the “Shrink It” button, which you’ll then hit. The shortened URL automatically pops into the box above it, where you’ll type a message to the left of the link. The gray box to the direct right will show you how many characters you’ve typed, so no need for counting. You’ll always know if your link and message fit in the 140 character space allotted.

And remember to link to other Twitter accounts you mention by putting the @ symbol directly before the Twitter handle.

2. Next, click on the accounts where you’d like the message to post, and again HootSuite allows you to direct a message to as many accounts as you’d like.

3. Either hit “Send” to immediately forward the message or hit “Send Later.” If you choose the latter option, you can schedule messages to post later that day or even days and weeks later. That’s a quick time saver that can allow you to post all your updates for the day or even week without having to stop everything just to stay active with your account.

4. Once you’ve scheduled the posts, you can double-check each in the tabs that correspond to each account on the bottom half of your screen. These tabs are an excellent way to keep up with who has mentioned you and any direct messages you’ve received.

Another great feature is the ability to set up a tab that brings together all the mentions your accounts receive from other Twitter accounts. This way you’ll be able to check all your accounts quickly in one box.

Short cuts like HootSuite take the frustration out of keeping up with your online presence and more importantly save time for busy executives.

WELD intern Evan Moore, right, watches WELD Director of Video Keith Doherty prep the new GoPro POV cameras for a video shoot on ACE Adventure Resort's zip line canopy tour.

I had to read the week’s “Internship News” twice when I saw the WELD posting.

There was a company in the heart of West Virginia looking for a student interested in social media, multimedia, videography, new media and everything in between. I wouldn’t have been able to create a better opportunity for an internship if I had tried.

Throughout my college career at West Virginia University, I have been told (and reminded multiple times) that the career landscape for journalists is constantly changing. The traditional model of journalism that lands on your doorstep every morning just can’t keep pace with the 24-hour frenzy that defines the news industry.

So modern journalism students, like myself, have been given an ultimatum: Adapt and innovate or get left behind.

Seems straightforward, right? Well, unfortunately, no one has yet been able to figure out a consistent formula that will guide the industry through these turbulent times.

On a personal level, I think my internship with WELD is a step in the right direction.

I began studying journalism with the intent to write but instead soon began emphasizing visual communication. Since then, my education has established a path of its own as I have taken classes in graphic design, page layout, blogging, social media, videography, photography and visual storytelling.

When you add a love for the outdoors, WELD doesn’t seem like such a bad place to spend the summer.

It’s great that Oak Hill is near some of the best outdoor recreation areas in West Virginia, but I plan to learn a lot this summer as well. Working with WELD is already forcing me to develop and use new skills that I will be able to apply in my classes back in Morgantown.

So far I have shot and edited video, written blog posts, applied social media to a marketing strategy, and uploaded optimized photos and videos to the Internet. Since I have only worked a handful of full days, I’m excited about what else the summer has in store for me.

Evan Moore is a summer intern with WELD. Follow him on Twitter @evancmo.

WELD CCO George Rogers videos Becky Henderson of MountainMade during a recent production in Thomas, W.Va.

When you work at a video production company, there is a good chance you’ll find yourself conducting interviews. It’s easy to forget how much more comfortable it is behind the camera compared to on camera. Here are five things I do to make sure my interviewee feels comfortable and relaxed on camera.

1. Do your homework.

What I mean is, know the story, the key players and the main themes of interest. At WELD, we have three distinct phases to video production: pre-production coordination, production and post-production.

During the first phase, production coordinators conduct extensive phone interviews and aggregate interview notes for our production team to read through prior to production. When your interviewee arrives, he/she will be that much more at ease knowing that you’ve got a plan and know who they are and what their story is.

2. Lay out a plan.

As a general rule, production is a vague process without clear time requirements for each phase. Still, laying out a rough plan which allots time slots to interviewees and denotes main themes that will be covered during each interviewee’s slot helps everyone get a handle on the big picture. No one wants to go into a video interview having no idea what is going on.

3. Demonstrate your team organization and project comprehension by keeping all key players informed.

When possible, send interviewees a list of possible questions you will pose during the interview or key speaking points for them to consider before arriving. Again, put your interviewee at ease by keeping him/her in the know and up to speed.

When your interviewee arrives, really stop everything to meet, greet and make eye contact. Smile. Yes, I know it seems obvious, but really smile. Create a warm, welcoming environment. Make sure everyone behind the camera, lights and sound is introduced. Check to see if your interviewee needs to use the restroom, get a glass of water or has any questions.

Run through your list of questions, ideas and main themes that you’ve already identified. See if the interviewee sees anything that is missing from the list.

4. The right crew.

We prefer to have two people behind the camera: the camera-operator and the interview coach. Running a camera requires focus and attention to sound balance, lighting, framing and focus. That person needs to focus completely on doing the camera job.

The interview coach can focus on running through the interview question list and speaking points, taking notes on good points to revisit later and most importantly giving the interviewee full attention. Again, smile! You are sitting someone under bright lights and a lot of eyeballs. Make sure your interviewee feels at ease, or the footage you get will be sub-par.

5. Have fun.

That’s sort of simplistic. There’s no exact equation that equals fun every time. This takes practice. Everyone on your production crew should radiate positive vibes. Remember, it’s not easy being on camera, so send your subjects love!

What does your production crew do to make sure interviewees feel calm, cool and collected on camera?

Many of us need a little more organization in our lives, especially for those day-to-day work tasks. A few simple tricks can help get all your wrenches, ur umm, files, in a row. http://www.flickr.com/photos/melissadion/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

If you do anything digital media or publishing related, you probably spend a lot of time working on a computer, writing valuable content as quickly as possible and keeping that content organized so you can find it when you need it.

If content is king, you’ve got to be efficient. Here are my favorite tricks of the trade to bang out content quickly, keep it organized and find it when it’s lost.

What’s really shocking to me is that I actually managed to make it through college without these most basic computer/keyboard commands and skills:

1. Right click, new folder: If you are reading this and thinking it is too basic to go over, think again. Many people are paralyzed by their inability to categorically organize content with logical folder structure. If you need help laying out your folder structure, call me. A sound foundational folder structure will dramatically increase your productivity.

2. A basic naming convention for folders, files, photos, everything. Establish it, stick to it, love it. Basic file and photo naming conventions typically start with a date when applicable and individual title components are joined with the beloved underscore.

3. The dual monitor set-up. If you are still trying to do multiple things on one lone monitor, you are living in the dark ages my friend. Writing copy requires no fewer than 10 tabs open at all times. Get your brain geared up to be moving among all of that data, and get your desk set up to allow you to keep several things visible at all times.

4. Ctrl + c and Ctrl + v (Command + c and Command + v on a Mac). Dear higher power, thank you for copy and paste keyboard shortcuts. If you are still right-clicking and following that cursed drop-down menu to copy and paste, I command you to stop it right now. Embrace the two key shortcut. Learn it, live it, love it young grasshoppers.

5. The keyboard shortcut for “Find” is Ctrl + f or Command + f on a Mac. Never, and I do mean never, skim for the section you want to revise or review unless you know exactly where it is. Instead, use the find command to quickly hone in on the desired content you are seeking. Work smarter, not harder!

6. Search (PC) or Spotlight (Mac). You have done all that you could to carefully organize all of your content, but something has gone amiss and you just can’t find what you are looking for. Windows Vista’s search capability dramatically improved the user’s ability to locate lost files and folders. The same goes with Mac Spotlight. Remember those keywords when hunting for lost content.

Do you already practice each and every one of these tricks of the trade? If so, you are well ahead of your game and deserve a sticker. If you don’t, it’s time to speed up your productivity post haste!

WELDer Keith Doherty videos MountainMade artist Theresa Holcomb in 2009.

When people ask me what differentiates WELD, I respond that while we create strategy and design campaigns for our clients, we are also entrenched in the production of our client’s content and in the empowerment of our clients to create their own content.

And following the content demand trends from the past five years, video continues to emerge as a dominant medium for reaching target audiences.

Since their earliest introduction, moving pictures have simply been the most compelling and succinct method of storytelling.

Video conveys the sights, sounds and emotions of any subject better than any other format, and the turnaround time to capture content and send it to the world has gone from weeks to days to seconds.

The statistics for online video viewership are staggering. Citing comScore.com’s March 2010 release for U.S. Online Video Rankings:

• 31.2 billion videos were watched during the month of March 2010
• More than 180 million viewers watched an average of 173 videos per viewer during the month
• 84.8 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video
• 135.3 million viewers watched 12.9 billion videos on YouTube.com (95.6 videos per viewer)
• The average Hulu viewer watched 26.7 videos, totaling 2.6 hours of video per viewer.
• The duration of the average online video was 4.3 minutes

And the numbers will only continue to grow as access to video content becomes more readily available. According to Ben Weinberger, CEO and cofounder of Digitalsmiths, “Consumer convenience will continue to be the driving force in video innovation. Users will get more access to the content they want, when and where they want it.”

We are seeing this attention on consumer convenience every day. Video content on mobile devices continues to be more available with an increasing emphasis on live streaming applications.

More users are connected to the Internet and video content through their gaming consoles, and this year there will be an additional push with direct Internet connectivity televisions entering more households. And the current war between Flash video and HTML5 video already has online video platform providers tweaking their delivery methods to reach more consumers.

So what content will a company have ready for the viewing masses when they come to the company’s website?

When a user accesses a website they have come to expect a rich experience. Whether a website utilizes video truly reflects on the brand of that business. It’s just as important as having relevant text, intuitive site navigation and Search Engine Optimization.

And while larger businesses were among the first to utilize video on their sites, smaller businesses are now joining the movement. According to C. Lee Smith, president and CEO of Ad-ology research, “28 percent of small-business owners say they plan to spend more on online video in 2010, up 75 percent over last year’s plans.” The growing trend is obvious, but it doesn’t necessarily guide you in your content creation.

What has always interested me most in the world of viral video is the balance of quality vs. quantity. While I personally will always be more captivated and inspired by high quality productions, I can’t ignore the fact that for a video campaign to be successful it doesn’t have to be high quality - it has to engage.

Does this mean that there shouldn’t be an emphasis on high quality productions? Absolutely not. Rather I think for most of our clients, a hybrid campaign blending a professionally produced piece to represent your brand and quickly produced clips to satisfy your customers’ content demand will ultimately achieve the best results and net the value of video.

As many companies jump into the Web 2.0 waters, others are standing on the sidelines bemused and skeptical. They just don’t “get” other companies’ interest in all that blogging / Facebooking. Why pay a digital marketing firm when you can just keep making calls and do some of this stuff in-house?

There are a few reasons, and I’ll list three because, as we all know, consumers go gaga for lists:

1. You don’t actually have the time it takes to run a successful social media / blogging campaign without some support. You think you do and, again, it looks so easy. As a Web content editor, I spend eight-plus hours a day working on social media with our customers.

So no, you don’t have the time to run a major national corporation and also plan a holistic social media strategy via Facebook, Twitter and a fully functional blog. But, and this is the fun part, as a really smart boss you’ll encourage employees to Facebook and Twitter all day.

And with a solid strategy team and some social media workshops under your belt, you’ll combine knowledge and your workforce to create a social media presence that draws in customers and leads to sales. After all, sales are the reason for marketing.

2. You also don’t have time to keep up with all the social media research that’s being compounded every day. Social media is a really new field, and so we constantly learn and readjust the tactics used to bring in consumers to our customers’ websites and social media pages.

I would be remiss if I deigned it unnecessary to mention how many blog posts and articles I wade through every day just to keep up with how I most effectively do my job. Yeah, it’s hard learning to do your job properly over again every day.

3. You’re not a multi-tasking Vaudeville show that can juggle, sing and do acrobatics all at once. You also can’t design and operate a Web 2.0 website, manage / write a blog, update Facebook and Twitter, interface with Web designers, lay out a content strategy and research the market.

At least not without giving up your day job as a CEO / CCO, etc., at that same company where you would love to find and execute a free social media strategy. You’d actually have to hire an entire department of folks to do that for you, and as we all know, outsourcing rocks when it comes to cost savings.

I don’t want to sound snide. It’s just that social media is really a new, brave world to so many companies that they don’t want to believe it’s something they have to do.

Reality hurts when your competition eats up a much larger market share because they were online when you weren’t and consumers came to trust them because they are so interactive and vocal about all the content around their product.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindenbaum/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

I have a newfound love for @DanSchawbel, personal branding and Web marketing guru. He is to me what the Jonas Brothers are to President Obama’s daughters. Huge crush.

At some point during his keynote at the Generation WV Young Leaders Conference last week, he asked the audience to stand up. The exercise: He’d list social media sites, and anyone not signed up would sit down. He said Facebook, a few people sat down. Then Twitter, and a few more people sat down, and the same with LinkedIn and finally Google Buzz. Actually, a whole lot of people sat down on that last one.

OK, so I wasn’t the last woman standing as crickets chirped in the background, but there were far too few of us in the room still on our feet. The question wasn’t “Are you an active participant on these sites?” but instead “Are you on them?” Have you signed up? That simple.

I don’t use Buzz everyday like it’s Facebook, but I did due diligence and signed up the day it came out. That’s what you’re supposed to do. When there’s something new and innovative, and you’re pretty sure it won’t hurt you, it’s actually OK to try it.

Everyone else isn’t on all the social media sites, and that’s a positive for you. Sooner or later they’ll catch up, but you’ll already have a solid following and, get this, be an “expert.” That’s the beauty of technology and platforms that are rapidly and continuously changing. If you’re brave enough to try it you’ll be on the cutting edge and that’s where there’s money to be made, even if you haven’t quite figured out how yet.

Schawbel had a lot of other great points about your personal brand, all in his book, “Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand To Achieve Career Success.”

Here are a few of my other favorite takeaways from his lecture and slides (oh, how I love a slideshow):

• There are three ideas shaping the world right now:
  1. The Internet forces us all to become marketers
  2. The economy has forced us to become experts
  3. The recruitment system has forced us to become networkers
• Passion, expertise and a support system equal success.
• Brand yourself before someone else does it for you. Snap up your name on websites, Twitter, Facebook and the like. No one wants to suddenly have a reputation as the best act at a Detroit strip club instead of as a social media expert (my example, not Schawbel’s).
• Find your niche online and you will stand out. An example: don’t choose marketing or digital marketing, but digital marketing in Iowa.
• 4 Rules of brand relationships:
  • Mutualism
  • Targeting
  • Giving
  • Reconnecting

His book’s on the shelf as my next read. These sorts of marketing tools aren’t only important as you job hunt or create your personal brand, but for your business, too. Each business should strive to talk each of its employees into enhancing their personal brand.

An entire team of all-stars with digital marketing savvy will only increase the reach and presence of your business’ brand. And that’s what working together is, each person doing as much as they can to make the most effective and powerful team.

Comments from anyone else on Schawbel’s thoughts or book?

The Commodore 64 at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. All the baby boomers I know have upgraded their hardware since this fine piece of machinery was released. Hence, they have the Internet, buying power and are an important group that digital marketing should target. http://www.flickr.com/photos/thedoctor856/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Companies today are striving to gain attention from their niche audience and better communicate their product and all the issues that surround it.

But we’re trying to reach baby boomers, you say? And they surely aren’t online like these young kids who have no money?

That’s actually wrong. Research has about 38 percent of actual baby boomers online, and 70 percent of the 50-64 set and 81 percent of people ages 30-49 online. None of those figures are too shabby when it comes to marketing any distinct age group.

OK, now that we realize people are online and we want to make them your customers, it’s time to start a blog and get that information out.

It’s important your company have something to say when you blog, so please don’t waste readers’ time with drivel trying to “grab attention” so someone will immediately buy your product. Consumers have wised up to that one and aren’t going to make the quick buy without research and the determination your product is truly of value to them.

So instead, give them information that will make their lives better. For instance, our client beBetter Health sells the Portion Plate, a tool useful in helping people control their portions and weight. In workshops, we tell the bloggers at beBetter to pass along good health tips, exercise habits and recipes.

With the right SEO optimization, people searching out all the dieting and exercise keywords in these blog posts will stumble upon their blogs and, tada!!!, the beBetter website. And once they’ve finished reading through a couple blogs, with the right design, there’s a really good chance they’ll continue into a website and buy the product without any extra urging.

And that’s how interactive, inbound marketing works for our customers.

You can follow me on Twitter @gretchen_stone.