Get Video Blogging

Video blogging can be a dynamic, engaging way to get your organization’s message out, allowing you to create a more interactive dialogue between your organization and your donors and constituents.

And while a video blog may not be your nonprofit's top priority, in reality they are easy to create and can be uploaded fairly quickly. This is the message of Learn About Video Blogging, a series of short Web videos from MIT's New Media Literacy project describing the uses, benefits, and mechanics of video blogging.

Here are some highlights from the series, which you can watch for free in their entirety online:

1. Know Your Medium

Don't look at video blogging in the same way you would if you were creating traditional television broadcasts, which tend to be a more one-way form of communication.

Instead, take advantage of video blogging's many dynamic features that allow you to interact with your audience. For example, video blogs allow users to post comments, which can be a great way to elaborate issues and answer questions. Many video blogs also allow for social networking and community-building in a way that TV and radio cannot.

Here’s what Henry Jenkins, Director of Comparative Media Studies at MIT had to say about video blogging:

“As we’ve moved into the 21st century, we’ve moved from a media that’s defined around fixed, pre-programmed interactivity to one that’s open-ended and participatory. So there’s an explosion of grassroots creativity at the present time, which is enabled by the emergence of these do-it-yourself cultures.”

2. Provide an RSS Feed

Provide an RSS feed with your video blog so that it can be delivered automatically to subscriber's desktops. This is a good way to advertise new content and encourage your audience to return to your blog frequently.

3. Take Advantage of Free Editing Tools

The series makes a point of noting that you do not need a whole arsenal of tools to start a video blog. In many cases, a digital camera, a good Internet connection, a computer, and video-editing software are all you need to begin.

There are many video-editing tools you can use for free. Mac users can use iMovie to edit video, which comes bundled for free with newer Macs. PC users can edit using Avid Free DV, which you can download for free.

Other Resources for Video Blogs

My main criticism of New Media Literacy's guides is that they don't get too specific on production aspects of video blogging. Parts focus too much on the benefits and philosophical significance of video blogging rather than getting into the nuts and bolts. Yet all in all, it was still worth watching — and I did learn how to video blog.

For those looking for additional help in creating and uploading blogs, here are some articles from TechSoup:

• Share Your Nonprofit’s Videos with the World
  An overview of popular video-sharing sites, and what you should consider before you upload.
• What Video Sharing Site Do You Recommend?
  This TechSoup Community forum thread weighs the pros and cons of various video-sharing sites.

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