4 Ways to Make Your Online Videos Stand Out

By Jenner Brown.

When you set out to create a video for your blog, there are a number of little things you can do to make them look and feel more professional. Here are a few ideas to unleash your inner filmmaker:

1) Shoot with a DSLR
If you've been shooting with an iPad or a point-and-shoot, you'll see the cinematic quality immediately when you start shooting on a DSLR. They have become the go-to camera of indie filmmakers for good reason--the gloriously large imaging sensor that provides the coveted shallow depth of field and high resolution picture. You can purchase an entry-level kit for around $800. If you're taking lots of pictures and video for your blog this is a must!

2) Learn iMovie
Pretty footage is the first step, but a basic knowledge of video editing is required to take your clips to the next level. It's time to learn the art of iMovie editing. Sign up for the online iMovie For Bloggers course on the Alt Channel where we'll be covering this software in depth with live tutorials.

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Links for Blog Love

By Melanie Burk. Photography by Misato Suzuki.

Sometimes it can be overwhelming when figuring out how to keep your site clean, polished, and sharp. Here are some great links to help you along your way:

1. Basic tips for a well-designed site

2. Designing a web site from beginning to end

3. Uploading pictures at a good size for best web viewing

4. My favorite place for tech design news and info on website and app design (and a great example for their articles on website design)

5. A few tips for adding text to your photos ( a sure way to make your photos on your blog interesting)

YouTube vs. Vimeo: Video Wars

By Jenner Brown.

A question I often get asked is which platform is best for hosting your online videos, YouTube or Vimeo? The answer is case specific. They are very similar, having the same underlying purpose and structure. The difference between the two is subtle, kind of like Mac vs. Windows. Let's dive in a bit deeper and look at the comparisons.

YouTube
Like Windows, YouTube has a much larger user base and is more utilitarian. It is owned by the mighty Google and that puts it pretty far ahead when it comes to reach and visibility. While both platforms use search, the YouTube search engine is much more commonly used by people searching for online content. If someone is searching solely from within YouTube, your Vimeo videos will be invisible. The key with YouTube is to take advantage of the keyword tagging to make sure people find you. Start with that and then focus on getting people to subscribe to your channel.

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Win an Alt For Everyone Ticket

We're so happy that our Alt For Everyone announcement was met with great enthusiasm. If you haven't registered yet, we encourage you to do so before May 1st to guarantee you get your bag full of goodies before the arrival of the event.

And another perk if you register by May 1st, you could be entered to win your Alt For Everyone ticket! Enter in three easy steps:

1. Get registered for Alt For Everyone.

2. Share your excitement for Alt For Everyone on your blog or Twitter. You could mention the class you're most looking forward to, what you're hoping to learn or how you can't wait to learn so much from your couch. If you write a post, make sure to give a thanks to Bing. If you tweet, use the hashtags #altsummit and #thanksbing. A big thanks to Bing for providing the five tickets. 

3. Email the link to the post or tweet to melanie@altitudesummit.com by midnight PST on April 30th. Five winners will be announced on May 1st and will receive refunds for their registration fees. Awesome! 

Where Are Your Customers Hanging Out Online?

By Piper Toth. Photography by Vladimir Kukorenchuk.

You've opened up your online shop, hung out your shingle (so to speak), and have done all the right things to find your online customers. Facebook page created? Check. Guest posts on other blogs/store featured on blogs? Check. Spending time daily doing the social media thing? Check.

And then you reach that point where sales and customers (or readers) visiting you hist a plateau. And it won’t budge. So you start wondering...WHERE are my customers hanging out?

This is where you need to step into your customer’s (or reader’s) shoes and think about who they are and what they like. Start with a close friend who you know loves your shop or blog. did this by choosing two friends who were completely my target market. One of them is a mid-west professional who loves traveling, baking, and hiking. The other is an east coast gal who loves reading design blogs, going to flea market, and entertaining. So even though they both are my target market, they hang out at completely different places online.

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