Tilt Shift Generator App Demo For Easy Image Editing
December 19, 2009 by Sherman Hu
Filed under Productivity, Video, iPhone
Takayuki Fukatsu (@takayukifukatsu, ArtAndMobile.com), a brilliant Japanese iPhone and Flash designer and developer, created Tilt Shift Generator to help us easily create ‘toy camera’ images.
Tilt Shift Generator is available as an iPhone, web-based and Adobe Air desktop app. Take your pick.
In this 2:38 min video demo below, I modify a colorful royalty-free stock image, turning it into a colored black-and-white image with additional effects (contrast, saturation, blur and vignetting). Check out this demo, try out the app, and would appreciate your feedback. Also would like to see what kind of images you’ve modified with this Tilt Shift Generator 
Sample of edited image after Tilt Shifting
Preview To ‘Building Your 6 to 7 Figure Consulting Business in 2010′ Interview
December 17, 2009 by Sherman Hu
Filed under Events, Interviews, Red Carpet, Video, Web Marketing
Many I’ve spoken with have big plans for 2010. Heck, the 2010 Winter Olympics is happening right in my ‘backyard’, so it’s a HUGE year for many businesses in Vancouver.
But if you have big dreams, without a solid business model, and/or a solid process or mentor to help you navigate to a 6-7 figure *recurring* (definitely NOT MLM or direct selling) revenue, you would surely end up where you are right now at the end of next year. It doesn’t have to be this way. Your situation can be different.
My good friend and associate, Mark Ress is a subject-matter-expert in (offline) business consulting, generating solid recurring revenue every month from his brick-and-mortar clients in his local area.
Mark and I recorded a 20-minute interview previewing a free webinar we’re organizing to show our readership how to build a profitable and recurring revenue based consulting business in 2010. View this short video below (moderate your volume as mine’s loud and Mark’s is softer) …
Here’s the details of the webinar:
What: “Learn How To Build Your 6 to 7 Figure Consulting Business In 2010″
When: Saturday, December 19th, 2009 9 am PST / 12 pm EST
Duration: 1.5 hours
Register For Free Here: http://norulesmarketing.com/webinar
Animoto Reveals High-Resolution Streaming On Unbranded Player Pages
December 9, 2009 by Sherman Hu
Filed under Video
Animoto (affiliate link), the movie trailer/music video style video creator I personally use and recommend, just released news of their 'high-resolution streaming' feature. It reminds me of the "HQ" button you can click on YouTube videos to see the High-Quality/High-Def version.
Recording & Publishing “Talking Head” Interviews Simplified
November 16, 2009 by Sherman Hu
Filed under Featured, Interviews, New Media Simplified Ezine, Video
Showcasing videos on your website/blog is a powerful method to attracting and engaging your audience. If you want to take it up a notch, showcasing LIVE video – especially video interviews – is a superb way to present expertise and authority on your topic.
Wetoku, a division of innovation company in Seoul, Korea – Zenitum Inc, is a web app that offers you a simple way to meet your interviewee online, record interviews in a side-by-side player view and immediately embed your recording to your blog. Simply brilliant!
In this tutorial, I’ll show you a walkthrough of Wetoku and how to use it to your advantage…
Visit WETOKU.com
As Easy As Meeting, Recording And Sharing
Register For A Free Account. Login To Your Account.
(1) First, register for your free account. Then (2) login to your account.
Click “Start Your interview” Button
Input Interview Details
Input your “Title”, “Interviewer” and “Interviewee” fields.
Next, click the “Advanced Options” link to reveal more options. In this tutorial, I’m selecting “Private” for my Privacy Options, so this video will not be showcased publicly. Add your “Description / Notes”, then click the green “Next” button.
Pro Plan Features: Watermark Logo, Pre-Roll Videos & Higher Quality Video
If you upgrade to a Pro plan, you’re offered a few more advanced options.
(1) You have a choice of opting out of using a watermark logo, or add a custom watermark logo.
(2) And you can also sport preroll videos (under 20MB, in FLV or MP4 format, sized to 256×192) that appears next to your interview recording video.
In your Pro plan, you also have the ability to increase your video quality too.
If you require your interview recordings to sport your branded watermark, preroll videos and better quality video, I recommend upgrading to the Pro plan.
Copy & Send “Invitation Link” To Your Interviewee
Copy your unique “Invitation Link” and send (via email, IM, Twitter, Facebook or pigeon mail) it to your interviewee.
I find Wetoku brilliant in this aspect, as they’ve super simplified the process to having your guest on video with a simple link and no need for any software or app downloads.
Modify Video And Audio Settings
While you’re (1) waiting on your guest to get online, you can modify your (2) video source and (3) audio source.
You will undoubtedly achieve a better quality video and audio recording if you have better quality video and audio sources. In addition, consider lighting your environment for a better end result.
Yay! Your Guest Is On…
Now that your guest is on, they can also modify their video and audio settings.
A text box to the right gives you options to text your guest in the case audio is not present or either of you would like to text private notes to each other during the interview.
When both of you are ready, click the red “Record” button.
On Air
A blue “REC” symbol to the left of your window will reveal the recording is “ON THE AIR”.
When you’re done, click the “Stop” button.
Finalize Recording Or Retake
You have a choice to finalize your recording by clicking the “Done” button. Or click “Re-do” for a retake.
Copy Embed Code
Simply highlight and copy your “Embed Code” to paste into your website or blog.
Your other option is to click the “Customize your embed player” button for more choices.
Customization Options
If you choose to modify the settings above, which I have, click the “Preview and get the embed code” button to reveal your changes.
New Embed Code Preview
When satisfied, highlight and copy the new “Embed Code” to your website or blog.
Talking Heads Unite!
Wetoku has built a gorgeous and simplified app to power your interviews. Now, there’s no excuses not to offer video interview recordings on your website/blog!
I especially like how Wetoku has provided side-by-side video windows, instead of picture-in-picture ones. Simply brilliant!
What do you think? Could you use this for your business? How do you foresee leveraging this beta video app? Appreciate your feedback 
Repurpose Your Videos Into Audio Easily For Maximum Marketing Leverage
November 13, 2009 by Sherman Hu
Filed under Podcasting, Productivity, Video
Repurposing your content and leveraging your web marketing efforts saves time and makes good business sense. In this article, I’ll demonstrate how to repurpose your videos into audio files easily for maximum marketing leverage.
Why would you want to generate audio files from your videos?
01. Mainstream Popularity: For starters, podcasting has evolved into a broad mainstream medium. Today, a vast majority of media entities are using podcasts to expand their existing radio, TV, cable or satellite audiences.
A survey by eMarketer projects growth of the US podcast audience to balloon through 2013. The projections show 37.6 million people downloading podcasts monthly, more than double the 2008 figure of 17.4 million. This also represents 17% of Internet users, growing from 9% in 2008.
If podcast downloaders and the number of downloads are poised for double digits growth, it would be wise to integrate it into your marketing mix.
02. Additional Learning Modality: Offering your audience another learning modality with audio / podcast media embraces auditory learners. A percentage of your audience dislike watching video and would rather listen to an MP3 file on their iPod any day of the week. Catering to this crowd increases your percentages of more of your audience engaging with your content.
03. iPod Generation: As shared above, there’s a percentage of your audience that listen to audio files or podcasts enroute to work, while exercising in the gym or while walking their dogs. Unlike videos which require their active attention, your audience can drive, walk or be active while listening to your content. Catering to this “multi-tasking”, active audience with audio podcasts is a wise move to engage this crowd.
04. Podcast Marketing: Distributing (aka syndicating) your podcast channel/feed to podcast directories is a sound strategy to increase your exposure on the web, listenership and credibility in your niche. Using software like “RSS Submit” (DummySoftware.com) to syndicate your podcast feed to the top 50 podcast directories will make easy work of expanding your reach with your podcasts.
05. Inexpensive Technique: With the lesson I’ll share below, the price tag (free) to accomplishing this task will be very attractive to small & medium sized businesses (SMBs) on a budget.
Step By Step Process To Repurpose Videos Into Audio
Disclaimer: The process below will not teach you how to create a video OR detail podcast marketing with your audio. This step by step process will simply show you how to repurpose a video into audio simply.
Video Tip: To export your videos to a Quicktime .MOV file, follow these instructions from Blip.tv: http://blip.tv/learning/export
The assumption is that you have a video you’ve created and I’ll walk you through how to repurpose your video into an audio file easily. This process is free, convenient, does not require the use of other software, and once complete, you’ll have access to the linked audio file on the web – ready for your podcast marketing.
This process takes advantage of the transcoding process Blip.tv offers to all its customers. Blip.tv will automatically transcode your videos into audio MP3s, iPod-friendly MPEG-4 (.M4V) videos, and Flash video (.FLV) from your one .MOV uploaded video file. Let’s dive into the process…
Login To (Or Register For) Your Blip.tv Account
Upload Video
Once logged in, roll your mouse over the "Upload" tab, revealing the drop-down table. Click the "Web upload" link.
Fill In Title, Description Fields. Upload Your File & Thumbnail.
01. Title: describe the title of your field here. Write your title to read naturally to visitors, while including your important keywords.
02. Description: describe your video in this field. I recommend including your URL to your destination page or site before your text description.
03. Your File: Click the "Choose File" button to upload your video.
04. If you have more than one format of the same video to upload, click the "Add additional format/captioning" link to do so. This is optional.
05. Thumbnail: If you desire a start image for your video, click the "Choose File" button to upload your thumbnail image.
Video Licensing
01. License: Click the drop-down table to reveal a selection of available licenses you can add to your video. (Note: The selection highlighted in blue above is not an indication of what you should select. Choose a license that best suits your needs.)
02. If you have a web address to a custom license for this video, add your URL in this field.
Categorize Your Video
01. Tags (keywords): Add all appropriate keywords pertaining to your video
02. Genre: Associate your video to a select genre in this drop-down selection of genres
03. Content Rating: Click the drop-down table to select the appropriate content rating for your video
04. Language: If your video is in English, leave this field as is. If not, change the language setting.
05. Event: If you want to associate your video to a current event, you can add the name of the event in this field or click "Find Event" to locate one that has already been added.
Populate The Distribute & Publish Fields
This is the section where the magic happens!
01. Cross Posting: To cross post to these services, checkbox the desired target destinations. (Note: In order for Blip.tv to cross-post to these sites, you’ll need to enter your access codes of your accounts into your account settings first.)
02. Internet Archive Cross-Uploading: The Internet Archive is another destination that is popular and receives Google love. Select the checkbox if so desired.
03. Conversion Targets: We’re finally here! Select the 2 checkboxes as Blip.tv will convert your Quicktime .MOV file to .M4V (for iPods and iPhones) and .MP3 audio files.
I wouldn’t bother about the Privacy Settings as you want your video as public as possible, right? So leave this alone.
Upload Your Video
The final step is to click the orange "Upload" button to begin the upload process including cross-posting and converting to additional formats.
Post-Distribution Results View
In your Dashboard, you’ll see the video you’ve uploaded, along with status updates of your conversion and cross-posting activities.
In this sample video in my account, you can see conversions to .FLV, .M4V and .MP3 completed, and completed cross-posts to Twitter, del.cio.us and Flickr too.
Now, let’s seek the link to the completed .MP3 converted file by clicking either the video title link or the "Share" link.
Save The .MP3 Link
Locate your video’s "Files and Links" module in the bottom of the right-sidebar.
Click the [+] sign to expand the module.
You’ll see the "MP3 Audio (.mp3)" field and URL to the audio file. See the "Right Click > Save" link? That’s how you can save the link for embedding into your blog or downloading to your computer.
Maximum Leverage Through Media Repurposing
With the mainstream popularity of podcasting and iPods, offering podcasts to your listening audience is not only an inexpensive venture but wise and effective to expand your reach and credibility.
The steps above details the easy and convenient process of converting your videos to audio. Armed with this knowledge, now its your turn to convert your videos to audio to maximize your marketing leverage.
If you decide to try repurposing your videos into audio using this process, I’d appreciate your feedback on how this process worked for you.
How To Set Up Ustream For Live Video Broadcasting
October 19, 2009 by Sherman Hu
Filed under Featured, Half Hour Huddle, New Media Simplified Ezine, Video
Business owners, coaches, consultants and information publishers know that video can be a powerful medium to attract, engage and convert viewers to new customers or clients. Video empowers you to easily make a connection with your audience, unlike text or audio.
However, pre-recorded static video that has dominated the web to date just can’t provide the live interactive, one-to-many, broadcast-to-viewer and viewer-to-viewer interaction that empowers a much more engaging experience for everyone involved.
As interaction and dialog is the name of the game in our era of social media, utilizing a live interactive video broadcast platform like Ustream.TV can enable you to quickly and easily broadcast to a global audience of unlimited size with just a camera and an Internet connection.
Ustream was founded in the summer of 2006 by John Ham, Brad Hunstable, and Dr. Gyula Feher as way to help overseas soldiers connect more efficiently with their families. Soldiers were limited by the phone or instant messenger to connect with family and friends back home, and they could only talk with one person at a time. John and Brad wanted to find a way to allow soldiers to connect with all of their loves ones, all at the same time. Their goal of revolutionizing communication was realized when they created a way for soldiers to stream with family members in cities all over the U.S. and the world.
Today, Ustream.TV empowers everyone from sports fans and guitar heroes to Presidential candidates and rock stars. Popular uStreamers in the news are Miley Cyrus, Barack Obama, 50 Cent, Tori Amos, Al Gore, Senator John McCain and many more.
In addition, Ustream has been used to broadcast:
- Major political events, debates, speeches and rallies
- Entertainment events, premieres and ‘red carpet events
- Music showcases, band performances and live jam sessions
- Sporting events at college and high school level
- Educational, Non-Profit & For-Profit events and training
- Conference sessions, talk shows and product launch events
- Holiday gatherings, weddings, grade school events, parties, and even births
With Ustream’s interactive broadcast functionality, viewers can personally interact directly with the broadcaster. Viewers can watch specific broadcasts, explore Ustream’s topical networks (eg. music, talk shows, sports and politics) or review past broadcasts.
In this article, I’ll show you how you can become a broadcaster by creating your own channel on Ustream (or by broadcasting through your own site), empowering you to engage with your audience. Let’s begin by visiting http://ustream.tv …
Go to Ustream.tv
As of this writing, this is the home page view of Ustream.TV. As you can see, there are many sections on this page that reveal details of Live Shows, Featured Shows, Most Viewed Shows, Highest Rated Shows, Upcoming Events and much more.
Let me be your Ustream tour guide as I give you a short walkthrough of the home page and what to expect.
Live, Featured, Most Viewed and Highest Rated Shows
(1) At the top of the above image, you’ll see that Ustream.TV offers “Live, Interactive Broadcasting” with the opportunity for you to broadcast your own web TV show to a global audience for free. All it would take is your camcorder (or webcam) and an internet connection. Never has it been easier to broadcast a live interactive, one-to-many, broadcast-to-viewer and viewer-to-viewer interaction that is FREE.
(2) To the left of the home page screenshot, you’ll see a Featured Live Show in action. As you can see, there are 856 Live Shows in action at the time of this capture.
(3) In this window, you’ll see the Featured Live Show video in action, along with the scrolling text of comments from that particular show.
(4) In the grey horizontal bar, you can see the number count of viewers watching the show, along with other video features eg. Poll, Play, Pause and Menu.
(5) If you’re interested in this show, you can click the “Go to Show Room and Chat” button to view the Show’s dedicated page.
(6) To the right of the Live Show video window, you’ll see 3 tabs. This “Featured” tab lists the video shows that Ustream.TV lists as “Featured Shows”.
(7) If you click the next tab that reads “Most Viewed”, you’ll see a listing of interactive broadcasts that have the most viewed stats. Often, you will find a show repeated across all 3 tabs, which mean they’re very popular and highly rated.
(8) This next tab that reads “Highest Rated” is one that lists live broadcasts with the highest rated comments for that show. (9) My “Half Hour Huddle” show at ShermanHu.tv is still rated on this list, a very proud moment
Ustream Originals and Featured Upcoming shows
Moving down the Ustream.TV home page, you’ll see 2 sections titled “Ustream Originals” and “Featured Upcoming”. These sections highlight additional Featured Shows, and what broadcasts are scheduled to go LIVE shortly.
Live Shows Recorded Recently
Scrolling down the home page, you’ll see a “Recorded Recently” section that also sports 3 tabs – Featured, Most Viewed and Highest Rated. Live broadcasts that went on air and were recorded will be featured in this section.
Upcoming Events
(1) To the right of the home page, there’s a column that shows you “Upcoming Events” that will air on Ustream today, tomorrow and later on.
(2) If you need help, there’s a section that offers you advice on getting started, FAQs, forums, live chat and also a way to contact Ustream.
See What’s Live Now
(1) I’d like to call your attention to the Live button at the top of the home page. If you click this button, you’ll see all the Live shows airing on Ustream at this moment. The image below shows you the detailed view.
(1) Why is this important? It’s key to study who is broadcasting on Ustream, especially Featured Shows with the most viewers and comments. Studying their topic, show details and audience type will give you insights on what’s hot and working for these Featured broadcasters that you can adopt for your own show.
(2) As an example, Chris Pirillo is a very popular “tech” broadcaster with 3 shows on schedule at Ustream.TV – one of the shows is recorded for CNN.com LIVE. In addition, he’s “Video Lifestreaming” on Ustream , whereby his camera is rolling and capturing Chris at his desk or not, 24/7. Chris has a large Ustream following of 2,500+ viewers, 8+ million views and 1,300+ comments across his 1,500+ video clips. Even when Chris Pirillo is working on projects and is not actively connecting with his audience, there are still hundreds of viewers interacting with each other on his show!
Now that I’ve give you the tour of the home page, let me give you a guided tour of my Live “Half Hour Huddle” Show page at ShermanHu.tv. This will give you a visual overview of what is possible with your own show. While guiding you with the setup of your own show, I’ll use my Live Show frontstage and backstage view as a case study.
Showcasing “Half Hour Huddle” at ShermanHu.tv
This is the “Half Hour Huddle” Ustream page. “Half Hour Huddle” is a half hour Live Ustream show that airs every Monday. The show’s purpose is to simplify and demystify new media and technology so business owners can profit from it. Because of the show’s topic and reach that Ustream offers, my show attracts business owners and entrepreneurs from all over the world.
(1) At the top of the page, you’ll see a masthead graphic for the show. In a few moments, I’ll show you how to add your own masthead graphic in your Ustream dashboard.
(2) This video window is what your viewers see when you’re LIVE on the air. In this recent episode, I invited my 10 year old son to be my special guest and to help me co-host my Huddle – it was alot of fun! When I show you around backstage, you’ll see the video and audio sources you have to work with. Naturally, the better your video, audio and lighting gear is, the higher the quality your output will be. WIth that in mind, you don’t have to spend alot of money to get a decent setup in your office or home studio.
(3) If you look to the right of the window, you’ll see the “User List” in the narrow far right column. When your viewers come on the show, their names will appear in this column. If they register for a free Ustream ID and login with it, their user ID names will appear in this column. If not, their user ID names are generic Ustream numbered IDs.
(4) In the horizontal text box, your viewers will have the opportunity to interact and dialog with you and the other viewers in your show. The side benefit to this feature is that viewers who are typically shy and do not speak up in teleconferences are more apt to type in their questions in this format. In addition, you control the pace of your show and do not have to mess with muting and unmuting conference lines.
(5) This text box shows the ongoing threads of conversation and interaction between you and your viewers. Hyperlinks will appear as clickable links in this window pane.
Let’s scroll down the page a little and I’ll guide you through a few more sections before we setup your own Ustream show.
Show Info, Schedule, Archived Video Clips and Comments
(1) This section of your Ustream page informs your viewers what your show is about, the topics (tags) you cover, and additional stats. Your viewers have the opportunity to rate your show by clicking on the stars below your Show’s Image.
(2) If you setup a regular schedule for your show, the details will appear in the Schedule section of your Ustream page. Your viewers can click the “Follow” button to follow and be notified of your show before it happens.
(3) After you “Stop Recording” each show, Ustream will encode and archive your videos in the “Video Clips” section. A tip for you: Title and describe your videos effectively will help in your findability on Google.
(4) Your viewers can add their comments, feedback and even testimonials in your “Comments” section.
Comment Thread
In this image, you’ll see the latest comment thread for my show. At the end of my broadcasts, you’ll commonly see me encouraging and welcoming feedback from my viewers to add their comments in the Comments Box. This helps me gain insight into their “takeaways”, feedback and suggestions on what they would like to see on future shows. It’s also helpful that the more comments they share, it improves my “Highest Rated” stats.
It’s Time For You To Setup Your Ustream Show
Now it’s your turn. Set this guide beside you as you walk yourself through your own setup with the instructions below. By the end of this, you will have setup and customized your own Live Interactive Broadcast show! Let’s begin…
At the top left of the Ustream.TV home page, there’s a “Login” and “Sign Up” link. Click the “Sign Up” link.
New Account Popup Box
In the New Account popup box, input your details.
(1) First, your desired login name.
(2) & (3) Next, enter your private password twice, once in the Password field, once in the Verify field.
(4) Next, enter your birthdate details. You have a choice to enter your real birthdate, or make up one if you want to preserve your privacy.
(5) Enter your email address in the next field. Use a primary email address so you can receive notifications from Ustream.
(6) Enter the text you see in the image in the Verification Text field. This is to ensure that only human visitors are registering for accounts.
(7) Checkbox this box after agreeing to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
(8) When you’re done, click the “Submit” button.
Input Profile Information
On the next page, you’re provided with a form to input your profile information.
(1) Simply enter your personal details in the fields requested of you. The only field that’s optional is the Promotion Code. Leave this field blank.
(2) When you’re done, click the “Submit” button.
Skip: Import Email Contacts & Send To Twitter
These 2 sections in the next page are to import contacts from your email account and to notify your Twitter followers of your new Ustream account.
Personally, I would not recommend you notify or invite your colleagues and friends to your Ustream page at this time. My recommendation is to get your account setup to your satisfaction (eg. consistent creative with your branding) before you update your “tribe” about your new initiative.
At this point, I recommend you click the “Skip this step” link to move to the next step.
Name Your First Show
It’s time to name your show.
It makes sense to name your show so it accurately describes your show topic. However, here’s an insider tip. This show name is appended to your Ustream.TV URL.
For example, my ShermanHu.tv URL redirects to www.ustream.tv/channel/shermanlive. And Gary Vaynerchuk’s “Wine Library TV” Ustream URL is www.ustream.tv/channel/wine-library-tv.
Hence, I recommend keeping your Show Name short and ‘radio-friendly’ so it’s easier to share it with your audience.
One more tip for you. To preserve brand consistency along with easy word-of-mouth promotions, use a short and memorable URL rather than the longer Ustream URL. You can redirect a domain or sub-domain to your Ustream.TV URL. In my case, ShermanHu.tv redirects to www.ustream.tv/channel/shermanlive.
As this new account sign up is only for demo purposes, I’ll name it ‘TutorialU’.
After naming your show, click the blue “Save My Show” button.
Your Ustream Dashboard Navigation View
After saving your show, you’ll be directed to the backstage dashboard where you have the opportunity to customize and design your show settings.
Right now, I’d like to show you what your show page will look like without any customization.
Open Your Show URL In New Browser Window
If you’re using a tab-able browser (eg. Firefox, IE, Safari), right-click the “Go to Show URL” link and open it in a new tab.
View Your Uncustomized Show Page
Here’s what your show page looks like without any masthead graphic, color customization and content. There’s no magic or pizzazz with it being “plain jane”. Let’s change that, shall we?
Return to the older browser tab where you have your Show’s dashboard and let’s start customizing your show.
Case Study: ShermanHu.tv Customizations: Modifying the Info Tab
Let me present my “Half Hour Huddle” (ShermanHu.tv) show as a case study to show you how customized your show page can be.
In the “Info” tab, begin selecting:
(1) The Recommended Tag categories, and (2) up to 4 appropriate sub-categories. (Pay attention to this section as you’ll see it in the frontstage view in the next step)
(3) Next, input additional tags (ie. topical keywords) in this field to describe your show. Be sure to separate each tag with a space or comma. When we view the fronstage of the Show, you’ll see these tags appear.
(4) If you would prefer to use the high quality encoder that Ustream offers, check this box and follow the instructions to make it work for you. At this present time, this encoder only works for broadcasters using PCs. Mac broadcasters will have to wait for the time-being.
(5) Begin to “Describe your show” in this box. This gives your audience a sense for your show’s topic and what to expect from you. You can add HTML but not Javascript code in this description box. You can see that I’ve added a hyperlink to my Show URL so it’s clickable. Feel free to add links to your websites/blogs here. (Pay attention to this section as you’ll see it in the frontstage view in the next step)
(6) When you’re done, click the “Save Changes” button.
Frontstage View of “Show Info” & “About ShermanLive”
As you can see, the “Show Info” section reveals the “Tags” as inserted into Step #2 in the previous image. And the “About ShermanLive” section reveals the description I inserted in Step #5 in the previous image. As a result of adding the hyperlink code in the Description Box, you can see the blue hyperlinks here now.
Modifying The Design Tab
This Design tab allows you to creatively customize your Show page. After modifying some of these settings, I’ll show you the frontstage view.
(1) If you would like to upload a background image, click the “Choose File” button and select your desired background image from your local files. Personally, I do not use this field, but I do customize the background color.
(2) If you would like to upload a header image, click the “Choose File” button and select your desired masthead graphic from your local files. Personally, I’ve uploaded a masthead that is 925px wide.
In the “Edit Stylesheet” section, you can modify the colors of the different sections on your show page.
(3) To modify your main background color, either input your “Hexadecimal Color Codes” or click the color box to select a preferred color. I’ve selected a black background for mine with the #000000 HEX code.
(4) Each content box section of your Show page has a header. This field allows you to modify the header color. I’ve selected a burgundy for my header color, #630000 HEX code.
(5) In this field, choose the background color of your content boxes. Personally, I prefer to see black text on white backgrounds, so this field gets a white background, #FFFFFF Hex code.
(6) This is the color field for the Header text in your boxes. Personally, I’ve chosen white text to stand out from the burgundy header background.
(7) When you’re ready to preview your changes, simply click the blue “Preview” button.
(8) And when complete, click the “Save Changes” button.
View Changes
(1) As you can see, the wide 925px masthead is visible on the fronstage section of my show page. How’s your masthead graphic look? If it’s looking good, super! If not, feel free to return to your Dashboard and modify as need be.
(2) The header text is in white on this content box header, along with the (3) burgundy content box header.
Modifying Clips Tab
In this “Clips” tab, you’ll begin to see an archive of your shows when you begin to record your broadcasts.
I’d like to call your attention to the “Past Clips options” and “Off Air Options”.
(1) If you choose the 2nd option, you’ll display all of your recorded clips from all your shows. This is my preferred option.
(2) With the “Off Air Options”, you have 3 choices.
Currently I’m choosing the 2nd option, where I have the last recorded episode auto-play.
Previously, I had selected the 3rd option, which is to rotate through my pictures. Except that I only had 1 image, so it acted as a static placeholder for my video show until I came on Live. The choice is entirely yours.
(3) After making your selections, click the “Save Changes” button.
Modifying Share Tab
In this Share tab, you have embed codes you can copy and paste to your website, blog or social media pages. You can use the URL link to paste into your Facebook, Twitter, blog or email. You can embed the video and chat into your website and blog too. However you do this, it’ll allow you to share your LIVE broadcasts on any or all of your web properties. When you go LIVE, all those video windows will also feature your broadcast and you get to be syndicated all over the place on the web.
Let’s walkthrough the “Advanced” tab for your show settings.
(1) Would you like to allow everybody to leave comments with or without your approval? Select the radial button of your choice.
(2) Let’s modify the chat display settings, shall we?
It makes sense to check the “Yes” radial button to have your chatbox display for audience interaction.
If you prefer your visitors to register for and login with their free Ustream ID before they can chat, then check this “Yes” radial button too.
If you have someone you’d like to assign as a moderator, here’s where you add their Ustream ID.
(3) There may be broadcasts you’d like to keep private and this is where you can do it. Simply check the “Yes” radial button and insert your chosen password.
(4) Ustream offers co-hosting opportunities. Here’s where you choose your co-host preferences. Personally, my choice is the 3rd option where I require permissions before I will allow co-hosting.
(5) If you’d like to see a count of the number of viewers seeing you show, then check this “Yes” radial button.
(6) When you’re done, click the “Save Changes” button.
Modify Schedule Tab
If you have a regular show or planning one, you can click the “Add new event” button and schedule one here.
Sample “Half Hour Huddle” Schedule
Here’s an inside look at my “Half Hour Huddle” schedule. You can add your Title, Description, Start Time and Length, Repeat schedule and Time Zone. When you’re ready, click the “Update” button.
Know Your “Metrics” Tab
It’s wonderful that Ustream offers a metrics feature to track your broadcast start and end times, total viewer hours, how many unique, total and average number of viewers watch your LIVE and Archived shows. You can filter your metrics by time periods too.
Check it, know your metrics, and modify your show to give your audience what they want and they’ll love you for it.
Time to Broadcast Your Show
Click the orange “Broadcast Now” button and let’s get you broadcasting!
Your Broadcast Console
(1) Video WIndow: Here’s the local view of you on camera. This is what your viewers will see when you go LIVE.
(2) Video Source: You have a drop down table selection for your video source. In the next screenshot, we’ll show you the options you have.
(3) Audio Source: You have the same selection options here. We’ll take a closer look at the options you have for audio in a moment.
(4) Text Box: During the show, you’ll see your viewers’ comments typed into this box. In addition, you get to respond in this field and publish it into the discussion thread too.
(5) User List: When you’re on the air, you’ll see a growing list of users in this right column. When you have moderator status, you have additional privileges to moderate viewers. I’ll show you some of those privileges in a screenshot below.
(6) Feature Tabs: The horizontal tabs above the text box give you additional features to work with. We’ll look at Twitter and Overlays in a moment.
(7) & (8) These 2 green buttons help you work your magic. Clicking on these buttons help you broadcast your Live Show along with recording your show for your video archives.
(9) Info Tab: Any actions you deploy during the show will update this info tab with status updates.
(10) No. of Viewers: This shows you the total count of viewers watching your broadcast. Remember, this count includes the viewers who watch your show via windows you embed on your blog, website and social media properties too.
Video Source Options
When you click the drop down table for Video Source, you’ll be offered a variety of video sources to use. If you’re using a webcam that’s connected and powered on, it should read in this selection. In my situation, my built-in isight webcam on my Macbook Pro reads “USB Video Class Video”.
Personally, for best video quality, I choose “DV Video” to select my prosumer camcorder that’s connected to my laptop via a firewire cable. I have a dedicated camcorder on a tripod that’s ready to be fired up and connected ot my laptop at a moment’s notice. You’ll see the vast difference in video picture quality of the previous image, compared to the USB webcam image below.
There are video drivers you can use to show video effects and to flip the camcorder view to your desktop. I won’t detail them in this guide, but you can research it for yourself. For Mac users, there’s a free video driver called CamTwist (www.allocinit.com/index.php?title=CamTwist). For Windows users, there’s a paid video driver called WebCamMax (www.webcammax.com). Both of them achieve similar results with giving you creative effects for your broadcast videos.
Sample Built-In Webcam Video Quality
(1) With the “USB Video Class Video” option selected, you can see the picture quality captured by my built-in isight camera on my Macbook Pro.
(2) Video & Audio Broadcast Checkboxes: In the case you want to only broadcast audio or video, you can check or uncheck these boxes. Personally, I use this when I want to keep my video or audio private at a moment’s notice.
(3) VU Meter and Volume: You can monitor your volume and modify volume settings here.
Audio Source Options
There are 2 options I commonly use for Audio Options. Either my “Built-In Microphone” or the “Built-In Input” setting. The “Built-In Input” setting is used when I plug the cable that is connected to my mixer and professional RODE NT1-A podcast mic into my Macbook Pro. If I’m without my mic, I would then use my built-in mic on the laptop.
If you are in the market for a good and affordable podcast mic, I would recommend the RODE Podcaster mic. It’s white in color, has a very high quality sound, and even allows you to plug in a headset to itself to monitor your sound. It sells for approximately $200 on Amazon. You can go for inexpensive options too, but you get what you put into it.
One piece of advice: Your viewers will be more forgiving of your video quality if your audio and lighting is solid.
Start Moderating Your Broadcast
One of the privileges you get as a broadcaster is to moderate your viewers / users. But first, you have to type in:
!moderateon
into your text box. This gives you right-click functionality when you perform it on a viewer’s user id. Let’s view a few of these privileges below.
In addition, if you type in:
!topic
followed by a space, then your topic name, it’ll appear as the topic at the top of the Text box to your viewers.
Banning and Devoicing Users
If you right click on a users’ ID, you have these options:
- Send them a private message
- Ban them from your show, which means their user IDs disappear from the User ID list
- Devoice them, which means they can text chat, but none of your other users will see their messages
You can view Ustream’s help files for more information on these moderator privileges. The above 3 features are what I use most often.
Feature Tabs: Send Twitter
Want to notify your audience of followers at Twitter that you’re broadcasting LIVE? If so, click the “Send Twitter” tab, modify the text details if needed, then click the “Send ” button. Ustream will send out a tweet to your followers, notifying them that you’re on the air.
Feature Tabs: Overlays
Ustream is offering a new feature called Overlays. You can overlay a YouTube video on your video window while you’re broadcasting or overlay a line of text eg. the title of your show, an announcement or your latest product/service offering.
Ready To Go LIVE?
These 2 green buttons help you make magic. When you’re ready to bring on the thunder, click on them.
Bring On The Thunder!
When you click on “Start Broadcasting”, the button turns to red. This means you’re broadcasting LIVE now. Clicking it again will help you to “Stop Broadcasting”.
When you click on the “Start Recording” button, it’ll turn to red. This means you’re recording your broadcast now. Clicking it again will help you to “Stop Recording”.
Recording Preview and Saving Your Recordings
After you click the “Stop Recording” red button, a “Recording Preview” screen will appear. You can click the “Play” button to preview what you just recorded, click “Delete” to erase your recording, or click “Save” to begin encoding the video and archiving it. I recommend saving your recordings.
If you have setup your YouTube settings in your Dashboard and your shows are around the 30 minute mark, this Recording Preview screen will also ask you if you want Ustream to send your video to YouTube for you. This is an additional opportunity for you to distribute your recorded broadcasts to the all popular YouTube.
Voila! You’re Now On Web TV!
Once your broadcast is encoded, Ustream files your video archives in your “Video Clips” section of your show page. This gives your viewers who did not catch you LIVE to watch your archives.
And there you have it – a very simple process to utilize a live interactive video broadcast platform like Ustream.TV to enable you to quickly and easily broadcast to a global audience of unlimited size with just a camera and an Internet connection.
If you do it well, this live interactive broadcast platform will not only be an engaging experience for your viewers, but it will also empower you to expand your exposure, credibility and attract a flood of tangible and intangible business results for you.
When you take action on this guide, please share your results with me at twitter.com/shermanhu – I would love to see you how you leverage this video broadcasting platform to your advantage.
35 Video Tools I Use And Recommend (NMS006)
October 7, 2009 by Sherman Hu
Filed under Featured, New Media Simplified Ezine, Video
In today’s issue, I’ll share 35 video tools I personally use and/or recommend.
There are many ways to shoot video. For the solopreneur/small biz owner, there’s a few video styles you can use in your business today, and my video tools lineup will fit the video styles below.
The 5 Video Styles I’ve Used And Recommend To Business Owners
01. Full Motion Video (ie “Talking Head Video”)
02. Live Video Broadcast (recording LIVE video)
03. Screencast Video (recording motion on your desktop)
04. Dynamic Slideshow Video (photo slideshow on steroids)
05. Video Conferencing / Webinars
:::
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Over the past couple of years working with Sherman, my practice has grown tremendously. Before employing some of the video techniques I learnt from him, we were just a regional law firm. Now we are representing clients in every continent, except for Antarctica.”
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This video gear list will get you what you need, inexpensively, to begin creating media for your business. What you create or how you do it is up to you. Let your imagination flow, think out of the box and rock it!
I’m NOT including expensive pro equipment or services as I haven’t the need for it and have done well without them to this day. Plus, I’ll only stick to what I’ve used and / or recommend – this article is not meant to be an extensive list of all available resources per category.
In addition, I won’t dive deep into each resource. I’ll just give you a snippet of what I like about it, and link you to the manufacturer or Amazon (for reviews), so you can research more into that tool.
Why do I recommend this list of video gear?
It’s because I’ve either:
- tested it
- used it (even to this day)
- own it
- demo’d it
- broke it but still dig it
- on wishlist but Santa hasn’t brought it
- constantly get asked what equipment I use or recommend
- or a combination of all of the above
In addition, if you’re going to dive into video for business, pick a style that suits you, your objectives, your budget and just get going.
Video Resource Categories Include:
Camcorders
A. Point & Shoot Digicams (shoots video) or Budget Camcorders
B. Consumer Camcorders
Hardware Review Sites
Video Editing Software
A. Desktop Software (Mac & PC)
B. Web-Based Editors
Live Video Broadcast Platforms
Video Drivers
Screencasting Software (Screen Recordings)
A. Desktop (Mac & PC)
B. Web-Based Services
Dynamic Slideshow Video Platforms
Video Conferencing / Webinar Platforms
A. Software
B. Recording Tools
Video Syndication Services
Additional Gear
Backdrops, Lighting and Royalty-Free Stock Images & Videos
NOTE: All Amazon links below link directly to Amazon, NOT via any affiliate link.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Camcorders
A. Point & Shoot DigiCams (shoots video) or Budget Camcorders
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 [ Panasonic | Amazon ] See image above
10 megapixel digicam with 12x wide zoom, that shoots 720p HD video! Check out
YouTube for sample video tests shot with this ZS3.
And click the image below to view USC Professor, Andrew Lih, on NBC TechRaw presenting this camera:
Creative Labs Vado HD 720p [ Creative | Amazon ]
- Good quality wide lens, superior in comparison to Flip MinoHD, Kodak Zi6 and Sony Webbie. Check out YouTube for sample video tests shot with this Vado.
My 2 Cents:
I would use either the Zs3 or the Vado for travels or family outings – just stick it in my jean pocket and go. You never know when you need it, especially if you have a brilliant business thought and want to record it. If I’m planning an organized shoot and want top quality, I’ll use the camcorders below.
B. Consumer HD Camcorders
Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000 [ Sanyo | Amazon ]
Shoots high-definition 1080p (progressive) @ 60 fps (frames per second), 240p slow motion, along with 8MP (megapixel) still photos, all in this “dual camera”. I especially enjoy the pistol grip format as it doesn’t tire my arms as fast while shooting a long scene (when I don’t have my tripod).
Canon Vixia HD Camcorders
[ Canon: Vixia | Amazon: Vixia HF200 HD ]
If I plan on using a higher end consumer camcorder, I would graduate to one of the Canon Vixia models, like the HF200 HD Flash Memory camcorder with 15x optical zoom.
My 2 Cents:
I would use the Sanyo more often due to its form factor and ease of use. Carrying a camcorder while you’re out of your office is a commitment to keep it safe and protected, especially when out with family. The smaller the cam, the better it is for me. If you’re shooting in office, with the cams on tripods, then either will work great.
Wearable Camcorders
Your adventure business might take you to the slopes or waves. If you want to record your adventures or thrills to showcase to potential customers, here are two options for you:
VholdR’s ContourHD Helmet Cam [ VholdR | Amazon ]
Record your adventures in high-def hands-free with ContourHD, a small wearable video camera. It slides onto mounts for your googles, helmet, handle bars, vehicle or anywhere else you want. 8 hours of action recorded on an internal microSD memory card – no wires or tapes. Includes its own editing software to share your adventures online easily.
GoPro’s HD Helmet HERO [ GoPro | Amazon ]
HD Helmet HERO is a high performance wearable 1080p HD video and still photo
camera. Professional quality 1080p / 960p / 720p HD resolutions record at 30 and 60 frames per second (60 fps in 720p). Record up to 2.5 hours on a single charge and up to 9 hours total on a 32GB SD card (not included).
Hardware Review Sites
CamcorderInfo.com is the 1 camcorder review and information site I visit all the time. Comprehensive tests, comparisons and reviews of top makes and models makes it easier to perform research on video hardware.
Video Editing Software
A. Desktop Software for Video Editing
PC Video Editing Software
Windows Movie Maker [ Windows | Free ]
If you want to edit videos without spending an extra cent, then WMM is your best bet. It’s included in your PC, located in ‘Start Menu’ > ‘All Programs’.
Sony Vegas
Vegas Movie Studio HD [ Studio HD | US$40 ]
Vegas Movie Studio Platinum [ Studio Platinum | US$85 ]
I’ve only demo’d Sony Vegas, but it gives you more features and control than Windows Movie Maker.
Cyberlink’s “PowerDirector” [ Cyberlink | US$70-100 ]
This software comes highly recommended by a colleague. I’ve never tested it, but looking at the features and the positive reviews/awards by reputable companies, it would be safe to recommend this app to you.
My 2 Cents:
If you’re starting out, try Windows Movie Maker to edit your videos on a PC. After all, it’s free. If you’re looking for more features and control, either Vegas or PowerDirector will do, though if I was a PC ( <shiver>Nightmare!</shiver> ), I’d lean towards PowerDirector (check out its Features).
MAC Video Editing Software
iMovie [ Apple iMovie | Free, included in your Mac ]
Personally, I use iMovie 09. Recently created this video for a client using just this software. It’s free, gives me decent control and effects with iMovie 09, and with a little imagination, it can make you look like a ROCKSTAR!
B. Web-Based Editors
Jaycut [ Jaycut | Free ]
I’ve tested Jaycut and it seems slick and proficient for a web-based video editor. If you’d like to give an online video editor a test drive, try Jaycut.
Live Video Broadcast Platforms
Ustream.tv [ Ustream | Free ]
My personal favorite Live Video Broadcasting platform. Ustream has served me well for over 50+ episodes and counting at ShermanHu.tv
Video Drivers
Use of these video drivers come in handy when broadcasting live video, and you want to flip the “video source” from your “talking head” to a view of your desktop, and vice versa.
PC Video Drivers
Web Cam Max [ WebCamMax | Varied pricing based on license type ]
WebCamMax helps select your webcam, screen, movie or photos as a video source.
Mac Video Drivers
Camtwist [ Camtwist | Free ]
The Mac equivalent to WebCamMax, but available for free. Yay, Go Mac!!
Screencasting Software
A. Desktop Screencasting Software (Mac & PC)
PC
Techsmith’s Camtasia [ Camtasia | US$299 ]
When I was a PC, Camtasia was the only professional app available for screencasting. Since moving away from the dark side , I’m now using the app described below.
MAC
Telestream’s Screenflow [ Screenflow | US$99 ]
Screenflow is the cat’s meow in capturing screencasts of your desktop tutorials and much more! In fact, Screenflow was instrumental in helping me create this Mac parody video.
B. Web-Based Screencast Services
Screenr [ Screenr | Free | Cross-Platform ]
Screenr is brilliant as a web-based recorder for both Mac and PC users. Just click the
record button and when done, you can download a HD quality screencast or share it with friends on Twitter or YouTube. Here’s a 30-second screencast I created in September 2009.
GoView [ GoView | Free | PC Only ]
A free screen recording software by Citrix, the creators of GoToMeeting. Download app, record, edit, save and its on the web. Now easily share it with friends or colleagues via email or download to your desktop. The good news? The URL to the video is private and can be password protected, so you can keep your recordings private if you so choose.
Dynamic Slideshow Video Platforms
Animoto [ Animoto Business | US$249/year or $99/3-months ]
A powerful video montage creator mashing up photos, videos and music to give you a one-of-a-kind dynamic video that will wow your audience.
Here are samples of videos I’ve created:
Bike club demo video (fast action)
Wedding video (slower video)
Video-In-Video (demo’d their video and music collection)
Boinx’s Fotomagico [ Fotomagico | Mac only ]
Fotomagico is a storytelling software for photographers. It helps you to turn your pictures and movies into a dynamic video, simply. Here’s an example of a video I created awhile back for Thanksgiving, titled “Are You Thankful?”
Video Conferencing / Webinars
A. Video Conferencing / Webinar Platforms
GoToMeeting (GTM) / GoToWebinar (GTW)
[ GTM - US$49/mth | GTW - US$99/mth]
An industry standard platform for web conferencing. GTM holds up to 15 attendees, while GTW can accommodate up to 1,000 attendees.
Glance [ Glance | US$9/day or $49/month ]
One of my personal favorites. Glance makes it quick and easy to get a web meeting or conference setup and running. They can accommodate up to 100 guests. Since I don’t use web conferencing as often, I’ve opted for the next app below.
Mikogo [ Mikogo | Free ]
Mikogo is what I use to connect with my team. It’s a cross-platform desktop sharing tool that is easy to use and doesn’t cost a cent to use for both commercial and private use. Mikogo can accommodate up to 10 participants and also offers session recording and playback (Windows only).
Skype [ Skype | Free ]
Skype video conferencing offers a quality video feed for both parties (using good quality webcams) and it doesn’t cost anything to use it.
B. Recording Tools
eCamm’s Call Recorder [ Call Recorder | US$19.95 ]
Call Recorder is an add-on for Skype. Use it to record Skype calls and podcast interviews into Quicktime movies.
Article: “How To Record Skype Conversations“
This article sheds light on the various ways, tools, resources and tips to record Skype conversations.
Video Syndication Services
TubeMogul.com [ TubeMogul | Free ]
A free service acting as a single point for deploying uploads to the top video sharing sites. Powerful analytics share who, what, and how videos are being viewed, including per-second audience dropoff, audience geography and much more.
HeySpread.com [ HeySpread | Credits ]
HeySpread is a professional video distribution and tracking service. You can easily and quickly mass-distribute to promote and track your videos over the Web. Just like TubeMogul, it saves you time having to manually upload your videos to all the popular video sharing sites.
// Added October 23, 2009 after Eric Fontaine commented on my “Comparing TrafficGeyser.com and TubeMogul.com” post //
Eric Fontaine, the Marketing Director at HeySpread, shares this, “HeySpread for Professional Video Analytics and Video Distribution – http://bit.ly/4Kxy9. Far cheaper, with exclusive features such as YouClone (copy/paste your YouTube videos to any other platform automatically and in one shot), powerful and user-friendly interface, REST API for an easy and fast white label integration“.
::
Additional Video Related Resources
Backdrops
I purchased my backdrops (white, black, mixed brown/taupe) off eBay. It has been awhile, but I don’t recall spending alot of money on them at all.
Lights
Philips CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lights) are the bulbs I use in my studio, screwed into light bulb shields with clamps.
Royalty-Free Stock Images / Video / Audio
iStockPhoto.com [ iStockPhoto.com | Credits ]
A massive repository of royalty-free stock images, audio and video. There are several free royalty-free stock image sites on the web (eg. MorgueFile.com and SXC.hu) but I’ve always found the appropriate image or video at iStockPhoto.
// Added “Royalty-Free Music” on Oct 16, 2009 thanks to Ted Wahler’s prompting in the comments //
PremiumBeat.com [ PremiumBeat.com | Per Track Purchase ]
If you’re looking to mix royalty-free music to your videos to add that extra punch in your production, Gilles Arbour’s PremiumBeat.com gets my highest recommendation for a comprehensive, exclusive collection of tracks and superb service! I was a customer of PremiumBeat.com way before Gilles agreed to be the sponsor to my live video show. Check them out and let Gilles know I sent you
- – -
That’s it for this long blog post, my friends. Thank you for reading, and you can share your feedback and comments below or via Twitter
Until next time, here’s wishing you much health, happiness and prosperity – and video success!
Sherman Hu
Animoto Adds New Video Feature
August 31, 2009 by Sherman Hu
Filed under Video
Animoto is now accepting your video clips in creating Animoto videos – a super addition to Animoto’s easy video creation service!
For those who aren’t familiar with Animoto, its proprietary engine spits out dynamic, music-video/video-trailer style videos, simply by combining your photos and music (or use their stock pics and music), along with captions, to produce engaging videos that are synced to your music, which you can embed anywhere or burn to DVDs. Learn more about growing your business using Animoto.
Previously, you could only upload your own (or use their stock) photos to create Animoto videos. With the recent addition of using video clips, you can easily knock out dynamic and engaging videos in a cinch.
I created the video below, simply with just their stock videos in the video library. I could’ve added stock photos, but I was curious how it’d look with just the use of videos. This opens up a new way of using Animoto videos, and creating engaging videos for your business. Play the video and let me know what you think. Could you imagine the possibilities for your business?
Simple 3-Step Process
1. Get your video clips – upload your video clips from their video collection, your computer or retrieve it from another site (Flickr, Facebook, SmugMug, Picasa and Photobucket).
Animoto claims you can retrieve it from your phone, but I assume they mean when the phone’s connected to your computer and acting as an external drive.
Mix your videos liberally amongst your pictures and text captions.
2. Select your video highlights – spotlight the parts of your video/s you like best with their built-in video editor.
Animoto recommends 3-5 seconds for best flow, though you have up to 10 seconds to play with per video.
3. Fine tune your preferences – Animoto offers you the the choice to hear your clip’s audio or allow the soundtrack to to play instead. To select more than one highlight per clip, you can use the duplicate feature.
The UI and experience in creating the above sample video was so smooth and pleasant, I could see creating many more videos using video clips in my Animoto mixes. Congratulations Animoto – a job well done!
Register for your free Animoto account (with limited features) or an inexpensive business account (with important features like removing Animoto branding on your videos) today – it’ll make you look like a video editing genius!
What are your thoughts on this new feature? Do you like the process in using Animoto and their new video feature? Tell me about your experience…
Half Hour Huddle on ShermanHu.tv for 20090126
January 26, 2009 by Sherman Hu
Filed under Half Hour Huddle, Video
Saw 65+ audience on today’s Huddle. We had “thedvshow“, “CreativeOil” and “eldonletkeman” in attendance today, fabulous peeps involved in video. Also had “gesman” (developer of MemberWing Wordpress plugin) in attendance.
We covered topics from blogging (Wordpress, plugins, membership plugins), shopping carts, video (camcorders, live broadcasting platforms) and even homeschooling curriculum!
Watch the video, read the show notes below, and please share your feedback and comments below. Thanks.
Show Notes
10:29 shermanlive : !moderateon
10:29 shermanlive : !topic Half Hour Huddle with Sherman Hu for Jan 26, 2009
10:29 shermanlive : hi Mike!!
10:30 ustreamer-7098 : Sean
10:31 shermanlive : U#7098 is Sean, wlcm 2 da party dood!
10:31 shermanlive : Hiya Graphic Guy!
10:31 ustreamer-7098 : ty looking forward to what we just looked at
10:31 graphic_guy : Hey Sherman. Watching you from across the water in Victoria
10:32 shermanlive : NICE!!!!
10:32 shermanlive : you bet, Sean!
10:34 ustreamer-76257 : live feed here work kinda like mine?
10:34 shermanlive : u shld b seeing a replay of the last live broadcsat
10:34 shermanlive : i’m going live in 10 secs
10:34 ustreamer-76257 : what time your live start?
10:34 ustreamer-76257 : cool
10:37 shermanlive : Hey Sandra!!
10:38 graphic_guy : 10k race yesterday on the island
10:38 sandraschubert : Hi guys.I am on a call but will go live w. you. I hope
10:38 shermanlive : awesome!
10:39 graphic_guy : Part of the Island Race Series – supports local running clubs
10:39 graphic_guy : 44:13
10:40 graphic_guy : 41:30
10:40 ustreamer-54847 : Morining
10:40 eldonletkeman : hey dude!
10:41 SelfMadeCelo : =)
10:41 graphic_guy : The super fast guys were 31 minutes!
10:41 SelfMadeCelo : Hi Sherman
10:41 eldonletkeman : My play opened this weekend, it was great!
10:41 SelfMadeCelo : Hey Eldon how was the play?
10:42 SelfMadeCelo : Everything go off without a hitch?
10:42 eldonletkeman : Amazing, great response from everyone
10:42 eldonletkeman : yeah, pretty much
10:42 SelfMadeCelo : Awesome, congrats
10:43 eldonletkeman : thanks, now seven more performances
10:43 eldonletkeman : www.gallery7theatre.com
10:43 eldonletkeman : Houise of James
10:46 TCTC : Afternoon all
10:47 james_harmon : i am all signed up
10:48 colmcgunnigle : internet connection is *hideous* here in Florida … keep getting dropped … but just wanted to pop by and say hey! Supporting u Sherman!
10:48 colmcgunnigle : Really I wanted to come by and dance
10:49 ustreamer-24996 : wassup peeps keep the music spinnin
10:49 colmcgunnigle : Will be good to be back in NY this week … back to normalcy! Although I do love the sun!
10:49 thedvshow : <— knows how you perfected that white background
10:50 thedvshow : wasssssup!
10:50 thedvshow : its ok to say nerd
10:51 eldonletkeman : yeah, I answer to nerd
10:51 eldonletkeman : geek just means you’re bragging
10:51 eldonletkeman : Yeah, cuz I’m humble!
10:52 RobNelson : I did and U?
10:52 james_harmon : geek is more of a pocket protecter guy
10:53 RobNelson : Looked like U had a fun weekend!
10:53 ustreamer-47476 : Hi Sherman! : )
10:53 ustreamer-47476 : It’s me Shama-watching 1st time live.
10:54 ustreamer-47476 : hiiiii! : ) thanks!
10:54 ustreamer-47476 : lol. okay will do1
10:54 gesman : hello Sherman
10:54 gesman : Gleb Esman, thank you man
10:55 TheSecretFog : Hello to you…Mo
10:55 ustreamer-66426 : this is Bizartist99 – ur BIT buddy
10:55 gesman : (im the author of MemberWing – in case anyone has live question about this wordpress membership site plugin)
10:56 ustreamer-80507 : Hi Sherman
10:56 thedvshow : hey gesman
10:56 thedvshow : I have memberwing and love it
10:56 ustreamer-59838 : jeetkundo here how do you sign in
10:56 ustreamer-66426 : ur going to be crystal clear on HD this week – we will rock
10:56 gesman : thedvshow, thanks, man. Update is in works
10:56 thedvshow : bring it on
10:56 SelfMadeCelo : MemberWing eh? URL?
10:56 RobNelson : Can gesman give us a link?
10:57 gesman : Sherman, could you give a link to memberwing?
10:57 SelfMadeCelo : I’ve been setting up a membership site with aMember..and I hate it
10:57 gesman : ok: thanks – it’s www.memberwing.com
10:57 thedvshow : www.memberwing.com/
10:57 SelfMadeCelo : Thanks will check it out
10:57 shamahyder : : ) all signed in. music is great.
10:57 RobNelson : Thanks for the link
10:58 gesman : Rob, my pleasure. feel free to send me email in case of any Q’s…
10:58 gesman : Thanks Sherman again….
10:58 gesman : are you in Montreal?
10:59 gesman : Ottawa here, -20 degrees here !
10:59 SelfMadeCelo : Sherman whats your favorite shopping car tin terms of being able to customize and functionality?
10:59 RobNelson : Sherm wearing your kevlar today? scary event there lately!
10:59 gesman : Lovely – marriage conference? wow
10:59 CreativeOil : Hi, Sherman!
11:00 RobNelson : shooting by the keg
11:00 CreativeOil : Hope youwave when you fly over Toronto!
11:00 gesman : CreativeOil, how’s weather in To ? So chilly in Ottawa. Only my standard poodles enjoy it – they’re too furry
11:01 shamahyder : Sherman, remind us of your favorite video camera (HD) for online video?
11:01 ustreamer-80926 : hi Sherman
11:01 shamahyder : actually-open to all suggestions for a video HD camera for the net!
11:01 shamahyder : woo-hoo! highest rated show.
11:02 thedvshow : i’m dancing right now
11:02 jeetkundo12 : het everyone
11:02 lenapple : Hey Sherman
11:02 CreativeOil : Crossing Delancy was a great movie!!
11:03 eldonletkeman : The play is even better!
11:03 gesman : lots of video / graphics guys here!
11:03 acemaker : Good afternoon from NH
11:03 eldonletkeman : but I’m kinda biased
11:03 RobNelson : eldon kid friendly show?
11:03 Tom_M : hey Sherman
11:03 ustreamer-21684 : Hi from London
11:03 shamahyder : the 2nd one
11:03 shamahyder :
11:03 shamahyder : Sha-mah.
11:04 gesman : Sherman, how many simul. viewers ustram can handle per channel?
11:04 shamahyder : yea!
11:04 gesman : 5k – not bad.
11:04 colmcgunnigle : So sorry I’m not gonna be able to interact, the video is cutting out way too much I only hear 1/10 of what you say … dang! I’ll connect again when I’m back in NY.
11:04 colmcgunnigle : Luv u guys!
11:04 Tom_M : Sherman, dropped my static site and went all SemPro this past week, converted the whole site…thanks!!!
11:04 aishaladon : hey sherman my iphone is stuck, trying to stream you with ustream app
11:05 reslynn : hi sherman dude…new haircut/hairdo?
11:05 solidmastery : Is ustream the only freely avaible video streaming site?
11:05 colmcgunnigle : Great hair, right?
11:05 colmcgunnigle : (Sherman’s hair is always a hot topic
11:06 shermanlive : Shopp Plugin
11:06 technorev : TechnoRev is in the house
11:06 colmcgunnigle : Hey Techno
11:06 thedvshow : that is a great plugin choice sherman
11:06 shermanlive : www.Interspire.com
11:06 lenapple : I’m gonna throw in Zen Cart. You can drop a wordpress blog into the cart. But I do them separately.
11:07 shamahyder : for a VERY simple cart- ejunkie.com does a decent job right.
11:07 SelfMadeCelo : Magento?
11:07 jeetkundo12 : what’s going on with the wordpresstut membership site
11:07 ustreamer-85086 : 1 shopping cart
11:07 gesman : SelfMade, Magento is sweet, but it’s not like it’s a plugin
11:07 SelfMadeCelo : I’ve been looking into X-Cart as well. That one is pretty widely used
11:07 colmcgunnigle : I use zencart too … anybody know any super-knowledgeable zen guys who I can hire out?
11:08 shermanlive : camcorderinfo.net
11:08 colmcgunnigle : I usually do it myself but am getting too busy
11:08 shamahyder : thank you
11:08 lenapple : I exclusively use Zen Cart
11:08 ustreamer-85086 : 1 shopping cart makes it easy for affiliates, credit cards and auto responders
11:08 colmcgunnigle : (guys or gals, that is
11:08 lenapple : I can do a lot of customization…
11:09 IanStuart : Is there a plugin/widget to insert 125×125 ads in WP or do you have to use a theme that already supports them?
11:09 SelfMadeCelo : 1ShoppingCart is okay, but I’m looking for something I can host myself
11:09 colmcgunnigle : if interested in extra work, drop me your contact info
11:09 sandraschubert : Hello everyone off my call…
11:09 SelfMadeCelo : I’ll check out Zen Cart as well. SO many choices lol
11:09 realsource : I have seen 15k during the Obama acceptance speech
11:10 lenapple : difference between 1 shopping cart (which is great) and zen cart would fall in product numbers. I have a cart online that has 5000+ products. This would not be pratical w/ 1 shopping cart…
11:10 ustreamer-9875 : My zencart has 7000 products and is working great!
11:10 realsource : I have seen 15k simultaneous users on Ustream during the Obama acceptance speech
11:10 reslynn : from my experience when it comes to videocam. esp. in HD, windows/mac compatible, ext. mic/headset capable,..if possible webcam capable too…im using canon hg 10 w/c is HD and also great doing static pictures
11:10 thedvshow : cams I recommend cli.gs/SM6sYm
11:10 SelfMadeCelo : How’s the support with ZenCart? Noticed it was a free solution
11:11 sandraschubert : Does Sherman have a cold? Sherman?
11:11 shamahyder : looks good!
11:11 aishaladon : Im not sure if this is a geeky tech question, but what method of homeshcooling do you do. Unschooling or what?
11:11 ustreamer-9875 : Zencart Forums have helped me through 4 years of hickups and coding
11:11 seabix : www.nowlive.com/
11:11 ustreamer-77636 : Have you heard about youtube rejecting duplicate video submissions? What is your best way to get video ranked?
11:11 TheSecretFog : I used 1 shopping cart for a year…they refuse to delete any member/affiliate who are inactive..total waste of space and you can get better for less.
11:11 colmcgunnigle : there are always tech peeps on the zencart forums and they respond pretty quickly
11:11 realsource : @Selfmadecelo – I use cubecart and oscommerce
11:11 SelfMadeCelo : okay cool, thanks colmcgunnigle
11:11 lenapple : Great forum support. 1000’s of knowlegable users www.zen-cart.com/forum/
11:12 SelfMadeCelo : thanks realsource, i’ll check it out
11:12 ustreamer-77636 : Have you heard about youtube rejecting duplicate video submissions? What is your best way to get video ranked?
11:12 thedvshow : youtube is supposed to have a live option soon
11:12 jeetkundo12 : what is the best wordpress plug in for seo
11:12 colmcgunnigle : I have a client who used to use 1shoppingcart and recommended “stay away!” … Myself I’ve always used others
11:13 gesman : e-junkie is alovely cheap digital goods delivery service. Only from $5/mo
11:13 thedvshow : and its in your software gesman
11:13 gesman : i use it and like them
11:13 Tom_M : gotta say Denis @ SemPro was pretty helpful with SemPro. Very responsive, it took one day. My experience @ Elance, guru and Craigs was not so hot (for this) looking for help on the conversion of the static site to SemPro
11:13 lenapple : @jeetkundo12 – I use “metatags” simple and very simple, quick to use. Get great SE results
11:14 gesman : yes, thats why i can safely recommend it
11:14 graphic_guy : Sherman, any suggestions for managing passwords online or Mac app
11:14 Tom_M : Sherman, am I the only one who’s having a tough time getting used to the new dashboard in WP ????
11:14 gesman : my wife uses 1ShoppingCart, so I’ll have an extra vote for it
11:14 IanStuart : sidebar
11:15 shermanlive : Who Sees Ads
11:15 ustreamer-94355 : @Sherman It’s Chinese New Year today – you should taken a day off -!! Kung Hey Fatt C!hoy
11:16 gesman : senate.gov crashed during Obama speech, lol… CNN.com was holding well
11:16 solidmastery : What are the current business models for making a living with web content. How much can the average salary a high-quality blogger can expect to make.
11:17 sandraschubert : Did he say if you are here Nude?
11:17 solidmastery : ^what is the average salary a high-quality freelance blogger can expect to make.
11:17 thedvshow : it takes a few years and lots of dedication solidmastery
11:17 gesman : solidmastery, it’s like a standard data entry job. Lots depends on your creativity and how other people feels about it
11:18 gesman : (it’s *not* )
11:19 ustreamer-28727 : 1password = great password manager on MAC
11:19 sandraschubert : Ok get some water we don’t want a live passout to happen
11:19 gesman : sticky pad on a side of a monitor – makes password recovery easy. For everyone 
11:19 solidmastery : @thedvshow it comes primarily from advertisments or products sold to membership after developing a “name” for oneself
11:19 thedvshow : lol gesman
11:19 thedvshow : I write it on my hand
11:20 realsource : What is the best software for ripping dvd’s
11:21 aishaladon : where do you see technology an education in the future? Using blogging, podcasting, virtual worlds like second life.
11:21 realsource : got kicked off of vimeo – using tubemogul
11:21 Sean_w : pg1search.com award winning video marketing site!!!!
11:21 lenapple : with the url on youtube and other sites remember to use the “http://”
11:22 eldonletkeman : realsource – PC or Mac?
11:22 brandrider : Hi Sherman. What’s the 4 part of the 10/10/4?
11:22 realsource : @eldonletkeman – I have both – I use my PC the most
11:22 lenapple : no one will copy and paste your url…
11:22 eldonletkeman : Xilisoft for PC is great
11:22 gesman : custom permalinks – the best non-plugin for Wordpress SEO: /%category%/%postname%/
11:23 lenapple : @gesman permalinks are the only way to start!
11:23 gesman : Sherman – sure., would be happy too. i’m on Facebook and on Twitter (‘gesman’)
11:23 jeetkundo12 : how can you split test adsense vs banners on wordpress and track it
11:24 realsource : @eldonletkeman thanks i am getting more and more clients sending dvd’s to rip for their websites
11:24 eldonletkeman : @realsource – no problem
11:24 gesman : lenapple, i found custom permalinks gives me 5/95 results
11:24 Weltonian : Happy New Year Sherman! Kung Hee Fat Choy!
11:25 gesman : lenapple, with just permalinks I got on first page of Google in 32,000,000 competing pages only 5 months after registering domain
11:25 aishaladon : Sherman is this what you do full time, or do you have a day gig, what is the title of your consulting stuff?
11:25 shanej : Hey Sherman – what would you recommend for live feeding 2 live audiences together – tried LiveVideo but latency was crap
11:25 thedvshow : I use all of the above models sherman just mentioned
11:26 Weltonian : How do you like Revolution2 compared with your old Sem Pro WP site? Curious about your thoughts since the changeover…
11:26 gesman : Revolution2 are adorable – i love their designs
11:26 lenapple : @gesman keywords in url, title, blog content, tags, and metatags is the formula I use. Lots of relevant keyword density – this strategy works gret for me!
11:26 gesman : I am soon probably will be switching memberwing.com to revolution2
11:27 realsource : I have revolution2 to be a little difficult to manuveur
11:27 thedvshow : gesman what is your twitter
11:27 technorev : www.twitter.com/technorev
11:28 gesman : thedvshow, ‘gesman’
11:28 thedvshow : tx
11:30 Weltonian : Aloha!
11:30 acemaker : I use Rev 2 Love it too.
11:30 Weltonian : Thanks!
11:30 realsource : www.twitter.com/realsource
11:30 lenapple : Thanks Sherman!
11:31 shermanlive : twitter.com/shermanhu
11:31 acemaker : You are right but they hav egreat support
11:31 RobNelson : twitter.com/RobGNelson
11:31 eldonletkeman : www.twitter.com/eldonletkeman
11:31 acemaker : @acemaker
11:31 aishaladon : twitter.com/aishaladon
11:31 technorev : www.twitter.com/battleforthefam
11:31 gesman : twitter.com/gesman
11:31 BiggiFraley : twitter.com/BiggiFraley
11:31 sandraschubert : twitter.com/sandraschubert
11:31 SelfMadeCelo : twitter.com/selfmadecelo
11:31 CreativeOil : www.twitter.com/creativeoil
11:31 technorev : www.twitter.com/technorev
11:31 Sean_w : twitter.com/video_delivery
11:31 lenapple : twitter.com/lenapple
11:31 thedvshow : twitter.com/thedvshow
11:31 ustreamer-34179 : twitter.com/JoAnne_S
11:31 shanej : www.twitter.com/shanejohnston
11:31 griff366 : www.twitter.com/jimgriff
11:31 reslynn : www.twitter.com/reslynn
11:31 ptnetwork : twitter.com/ptnetwork
11:31 ustreamer-28727 : www.twitter.com/perry_droast
11:31 graphic_guy : twitter.com/leighlundgren
11:31 TCTC : twitter.com/JeradB twitter.com/TCTC
11:31 marions : www.twitter.com/marions
11:31 EdShaz : Thanks Sherman! Always Accurate!
11:32 acemaker : twitter.com/acemaker
11:32 james_harmon : : twitter.com/james_harmon
11:32 FemmeFilmmaker : TwitterKathleen.com
11:32 solidmastery : Thanks Sherman and thedvshow
11:32 Weltonian : twitter.com/welton
11:32 sandraschubert : *****
11:32 jeetkundo12 : twitter.com/BobbyGordon
11:33 IanStuart : twitter.com/IanStuart
11:33 gesman : I want suggestions for full page flexible width Wordpress theme for memberwing.com . Anyone? send me twits if you know good one
11:33 SelfMadeCelo : =)
11:33 ustreamer-83112 : Did I Miss the Show already?
11:33 lenapple : @FemmeFilmmaker – love the url forward to your twitter!
11:34 SelfMadeCelo : gesman i use Artisteer to create my own themes, works great
11:34 focusbeyond : yeah baby
11:34 FemmeFilmmaker :
11:34 jeetkundo12 : can anyone help me with split testing on wordpress
11:34 focusbeyond : home schooling ROCKS
11:34 gesman : SelfMadeCelo, will note it – thanks
11:34 CreativeOil : Hope to see you in Atlanta too!
11:34 jeetkundo12 : I will write some freea rticles for you
11:34 FemmeFilmmaker : thanks lenapple… makes it easier to share
11:34 focusbeyond : great stuff, once aaain!
11:34 SelfMadeCelo : gesman-definitely worth the 99 bucks, new version does Joomla and Drupal themes
11:35 RobNelson : Have a Happy New Year Sherman!
11:35 EdShaz : Thanks Sherm
11:35 shanej : Thanks a ton Sherm
11:35 CreativeOil : Thanks Sherman!
11:35 sandraschubert : Thanks sherman
11:35 shermanlive : Thanks peeps!
11:35 jeetkundo12 : thanks for your time
11:35 shermanlive : u r wlcm!
11:35 gesman : SelfMadeCelo – interesting site – never heard of it – would love to check it for sure… Thanks!
11:35 shermanlive : hope U had some good takeaways this Huddle
11:35 eldonletkeman : Thanks Sherman
11:36 shermanlive : Thx Eldon
11:36 thedvshow : my cup is running over sherman
11:36 james_harmon : Thanks Sherman
11:36 ustreamer-83112 : did I get here too late Sherm? not seeing a video in the left column?
11:36 eldonletkeman : thanks for the plug for the show as well
11:36 sandraschubert : digging the music
11:36 realsource : Selfmadecelo – i have looked at this software a few times – i will give it considerable look through this time around
11:36 RobNelson : Let’s talk some more about VRE?
11:36 RobNelson : Yes we will it sounds great!
11:36 IanStuart : Thanks Sherman
11:36 jeetkundo12 : next huddle maybe we can discuss split testing rev streams on wordpress
11:36 FemmeFilmmaker : thanks Sherman! Great info, as usual.
11:37 RobNelson : post eldons link to the show!
11:37 graphic_guy : Sherman, where are you speaking on the island?
11:37 SelfMadeCelo : realsource – it’s really easy to use, i put up WP sites in no time with their own templates
11:37 griff366 : Sherman, great as always.
11:37 FemmeFilmmaker : not sure yet… will do my best to get there
11:37 SelfMadeCelo : realsource and gesman – theres a demo you can play with as well
11:37 shermanlive : sounds good
11:38 realsource : Anyone want split a business animoto account tweet me
11:38 james_harmon : what show are you talking about? with filmmaker
11:38 Weltonian : Thanks Sherman. Will get up with you next week to work on our project.
11:38 realsource : www.twitter.com/realsource
11:38 eldonletkeman : www.gallery7theatre.com/content/view/126/1/ This is the direct link to the show
11:38 realsource : thanks Sherman – going to try and start my own show this week
11:38 james_harmon : cool thanks
11:38 gesman : Sherman, good luck at Stompernet conf. I missed being there
11:39 SelfMadeCelo : StomperNet Live is open to the public this time around? Huh..didn’t know
11:39 SelfMadeCelo : Missed the last one =(
11:40 realsource : @eldonletkeman – great joomla template
11:40 DorothyBeach : ‘Got distracted – thanks for this!
11:40 eldonletkeman : it’s not mine
11:40 lenapple : bye all, awesome hanging with you! twitter.com/lenapple
11:40 sandraschubert : bye, bye Sherman. wonder who called hmmm
11:40 eldonletkeman : but yes, it is great, that’s a show I’m directing right now
11:42 realsource : looks like the show is great – wish i was closer
11:43 gesman : Anyone interested to beta test new wordpress membership site plugin that allows gradual content delivery? (great for these autopilot membership sites / empires) send me email to: gleb@memberwing.com
11:43 eldonletkeman : thanks, it is a charming show
11:44 RobNelson : Thanks Sherman U always give sooo much great Advice!
11:45 aishaladon : thanks for the suggestions sherman
11:46 eldonletkeman : well, I’m off, cya later all.
Wendy Y Bailey Interviews Sherman Hu on Wordpress Blogging for Business
January 15, 2009 by Sherman Hu
Filed under Blogging, Interviews, Video
Wendy Y Bailey of DIY Tech Talk is a colleague and social media buddy on Twitter. She interviewed me about the use of Wordpress for business, and expanded on topics ranging from purpose of a blog for business use, plugins – along with my favorite plugins, themes – along with which 3 I recommend, integration with social media, and how to rank well and be visible on Google with blogs.
In this conversation, I shared edu-taining strategies using video to be visible, outrank your competition, and build your brand and expertise – tune in to this part of the conversation!
As always, I appreciate your feedback and comments on your takeaways, and your thoughts on this video’s content. Cheers!
Show Notes
01:22 AngelaBaden : Great, great show!
01:22 shermanlive-1 : Thanks peeps!
01:22 shermanlive-1 : thanks Angela!
01:24 AngelaBaden : That really helped, I was feeling rather stymied by what wasn’t going on
01:24 shermanlive : good! rock and roll now!
01:26 AngelaBaden : Will do! Will tweet you and andy
01:55 shermanlive : let me un-password my show peeps – sorry
01:56 shermanlive : ok, go ahead and refresh the page – there shouldn’t be a password requirement now
01:56 shermanlive : !moderateon
01:56 shermanlive : !topic DIY Tech Talk: WordPress with Sherman Hu – Interview Host: Wendy Y Bailey
03:00 lisamariemary : Hi Sherman!
03:02 shermanlive : HEY HEY LISA MARIE!!!
03:02 shermanlive : let your peeps know we’re gonna party about … now
03:03 lisamariemary : Will do!
03:03 lisamariemary : Yes
03:03 DaveMarshall : good here
03:03 lisamariemary : Volume just right to me
03:09 shermanlive : wazzup peeps!
03:10 lisamariemary : Hey Tony! Man, I need to visit your forum!
03:11 WendyYBailey : snipurl.com/diy-wp-wendyy
03:11 WendyYBailey : that’s to join the webinar!!
03:12 TonyBlake : Yes you do Lisa… LOL!
03:13 TonyBlake : SHOUT!
03:14 lisamariemary : Eeks – I know, I’ve neglected you 
03:15 lisamariemary : eeks, sound gone
03:15 lisamariemary : what happened to the audio? is it just me?
03:16 LifeCoachMary : I love the pictures of food!! Yummo.
03:16 shermanlive : do u hear us now?
03:16 AndreaC : I hear fine
03:16 shermanlive : HEY LIFECOACHMARY!!!
03:16 lisamariemary : No, maybe I need to log in and out…hmm…
03:16 LifeCoachMary : sound isn’t synced to the phone…
03:16 shermanlive : refresh?
03:17 lisamariemary : All better! Ahh!
03:17 LifeCoachMary : do you know what the link is for Wendyy’s snip.url?
03:17 shermanlive : yes there’s a delay
03:17 shermanlive : snipurl.com/diy-wp-wendyy
03:17 AndreaC : No better to make a choice with the audio, either or
03:18 lisamariemary : Audio’s all fixed for me
03:18 AndreaC : lol
03:18 AndreaC : whats “for” dinner?
03:21 LifeCoachMary : Thanks…all this technology is very cool.
03:22 WendyYBailey : I love SEO, especially the All In One SEO Plugin for WordPress!
03:23 WendyYBailey : What questions do you have about SEO and WordPress?
03:24 AndreaC : Besides using the SEO plugin what else do you recommend doing?
03:26 WendyYBailey : What’s a trackback?
03:26 LisaVanAllen : Thanks for asking that WendyY
03:27 lisamariemary : LOL!!!
03:27 LisaVanAllen : I was getting scared
03:27 WendyYBailey : LOL
03:29 AndreaC : would you only do one or the other – comment or trackback?
03:34 LisaVanAllen : When my prospects google “LisaVanAllen” these days, they find pg 1 filled with info on a woman involved in a notorious lawsuit (NOT ME). Any way to knock her off and regain page 1??
03:36 LisaVanAllen : Is that QAlias?
03:36 shermanlive : www.qalias.com/
03:37 WendyYBailey : qalias.com/af/wb01
03:37 LisaVanAllen : Got any contacts for me??
03:37 shermanlive : i’ll send U “TONY”
03:37 lisamariemary : LOL!
03:37 LisaVanAllen : heehee
03:38 lisamariemary : lol
03:38 LisaVanAllen : It was NASTY!
03:38 lisamariemary : Squidoo!
03:39 LisaVanAllen : Not yet… will now!!
03:39 LisaVanAllen : Just getting started with video
03:39 lisamariemary : And use blogspot and youtube, too – they seem to get in the SERPS fairly quickly
03:39 LisaVanAllen : How FUN!!!!
03:39 AndreaC : brilliant!!
03:40 lisamariemary : Oooh, yeah!!! That’d be cool!
03:40 WendyYBailey : You got the right one, baby!!
03:40 lisamariemary : Awesome!
03:40 shermanlive : TubeMogul.com
03:40 LisaVanAllen : That is a fabulous idea!!
03:40 lisamariemary : I love it! And it’d make a cute Squidoo lens!
03:41 LisaVanAllen : THANK YOU!!!
03:41 LisaVanAllen : Yup with R Kelly
03:41 LisaVanAllen : NOT ME!
03:41 LisaVanAllen : Yes… very white!
03:41 lisamariemary : lol
03:41 lisamariemary : lmao!!!
03:42 AndreaC : So when I search Lisa Van Allen next month, hope to see this video
03:42 lisamariemary : No problems with new version? I’m scared to upgrade
03:43 TonyBlake : No probs so far Lisa… upgrade was easy and no probs
03:44 lisamariemary : Groovy!
03:44 TonyBlake : I’ve upgraded all my blogs to 2.7 and have yet to have a prob — and I have like 35 blogs
03:44 lisamariemary : OMG, Tony – wow!
03:44 LisaVanAllen : 35?!?!?!? Where do you find the time?
03:44 WendyYBailey : WOOHOO!
03:45 lisamariemary : Tony is super groovy!
03:45 LisaVanAllen : Tony – can we be friends?
03:45 AndreaC : www.ablakeforum.com
03:45 TonyBlake :
03:45 TonyBlake : @tonyblakelive
03:46 WendyYBailey : What plug-ins do you suggest?
03:47 TonyBlake : I love sharethis… makes life so easy
03:47 WendyYBailey : plug-ins: sharethis
03:47 WendyYBailey : plug-ins: twittertools
03:49 WendyYBailey : post a digest of your tweets on your blog
03:49 WendyYBailey : kewlio!
03:49 LisaVanAllen : Loving this!
03:49 WendyYBailey : Me too, Lisa!
03:49 SelfMadeCelo : Another great plugin is “Lifestream” reads RSS feeds from a ton of different social sites (Digg, FaceBook, Twitter, Flickr, etc) and posts it on one page
03:49 LifeCoachMary : Where do we find that twitter to blog tool? Very cool!
03:49 shermanlive : “Share This”
03:49 WendyYBailey : plug-ins: podpress
03:50 shermanlive : “Twitter Tools
03:50 TonyBlake : lifestream is another cool plugin — it posts your twitter or a twitter digest directly to your blog as a post
03:50 shermanlive : “Podpress” MightySeek.com
03:50 SelfMadeCelo : @Tony, great minds think alike eh? lol
03:51 TonyBlake : LOL!… didn’t see your comment
03:51 shermanlive : WishlistPlugin.com
03:51 SelfMadeCelo : I’m actually setting up Lifestream right now =)
03:55 WendyYBailey : snipurl.com/diy-wp-wendyy
03:55 LifeCoachMary : Are plugins easy to install, or is it best to delegate to VA?
03:56 LisaVanAllen : Give me a call Wendy!
03:57 LisaVanAllen : Answer Mary’s question about whether we should hire a VA for our plugins??
03:57 WendyYBailey : Plug-ins are easy but do delegate to a VA so you can focus on doing what you truly love — coaching!
03:58 LifeCoachMary : Thank you!! Now I know how my peeps feel not understanding all this language. Thanks for doing this!
03:58 WendyYBailey : You’re quite welcome!
04:02 WendyYBailey : tutorialu.com
04:03 WendyYBailey : wordpresstutorials.com
04:03 WendyYBailey : diytechtalk.com
04:03 WendyYBailey : GENIUS!!
04:04 WendyYBailey : You might also have a web dev/project manager to handle that stuff too.
04:04 LifeCoachMary : You make it sound not so scary…but I’ll probably still delegate.
04:05 shermanlive : lol – good for you!
04:05 LifeCoachMary : If we’re a newbie with plugins, what’s the one or two we should add first?
04:05 WendyYBailey : elance.com
04:05 shermanlive : odesk.com
04:05 WendyYBailey : guru.com
04:05 WendyYBailey : odefk.com
04:05 WendyYBailey : lol odesk.com
04:06 WendyYBailey : Do you know joselin mane?
04:06 LisaVanAllen : Joselin Mane is awesome!
04:06 LisaVanAllen : So, so helpful!
04:07 WendyYBailey : groupcoachingmastery.com is a Semiologic pro/WP blog.
04:09 WendyYBailey : That’s way kewl!
