How to Make Video Personal Notes Easily and Simply Using Youtube “Capture” on your Computer or Smartphone

By Joe Rand | March 8, 2013

After this week’s Tom Ferry event in Fort Lee, our managers met with Tom privately to go over some of his ideas for coaching agents and building careers. It was a great meeting, and one of the things that came out of it was the idea of using video as a means of person-to-person communication.

That is, we’ve all been talking about video in terms of marketing listings (which we should ALL be doing).  But making videos has become so easy, particularly with mobile technology, that we really can use it for all sorts of things.

When I started thinking about it, I realized something — video messages are really the high-tech equivalent of “personal notes.” The whole idea of sending personal notes is to cut through the clutter with a more intimate message clearly intended for just that person.  Well, if you make a personal 30-second video for someone, you’re really doing the same thing, but in a much more high-tech way.

Here’s what’s great about them:

  • They’re easy.  It will take you five minutes to learn how to do it, and about two minutes to make a video message.
  • They’re techy.  They demonstrate a facility with video and technology, which can impress an agent or recruit.
  • They’re personal and intimate.  You make a video for someone personally, and it seems like you did a lot more than you actually did.
  • They’re interesting.  So much more interesting than a text email or voicemail.
  • They make an impression.  Who is going to NOT click on a video sent to them called “Personal Video for Joe Rand”

Think about all the ways you could use them in your business, even as a substitute for a voicemail or email.  A message to a cooperating agent about a deal. A warm thank you to someone in your Top 100. A follow up message to an internet lead. Just this week, I tried it out with an email update to an agent who had a legal-type problem, and her response was this: “Oh God Joe, I love it, you put a smile on my face seeing your video email.”  I wouldn’t have gotten that response from an email or voicemail.

So I went through a bunch of options to find the system that I thought worked best.  What I decided was that the best way to do it is directly on Youtube.  As much as I love Videolicious, I think that it’s really designed to send a message where you narrate over pictures and videos, which is not what I’m trying to do. I just want to make a simple video with my phone or laptop that I can direct to someone privately.  Youtube is simple, easy, and it’s the dominant video player on the internet. Moreover, with Youtube, you can make videos on either your computer or smartphone, and they’ll be available in either place.

HOW TO MAKE PERSONAL VIDEOS

Here’s how to create a video “personal note” on Youtube, either on your computer and on your phone.  You can create a 30-second video message, save it, upload it, and email it to someone in about two minutes, or just a little longer than it takes to leave a voicemail.

WITH YOUR COMPUTER

You will need a camera on your computer, like what you use for webcamming.

1.  Log onto www.youtube.com
If you already have a google account, which you should, you log in with that account. If you’ve never used Youtube before, you might have some simple setup to do.  So just do that, and get to your Youtube.com home page.

2.  Click the “Upload Button” on the top right.

When you click on it, you’ll see a set of icon menu options on the right-hand side of the page.  The top one should say “Webcam Capture” with a record button.  Hit the “Record” button.

3.  Make Your Video

You’ll now see yourself framed in a window, with a “Start Recording” button underneath the camera window.  When you’re ready, hit the “Start Recording” button.  The recording will automatically start — no countdown or anything, so be ready.  When you are done recording the video, hit “Stop Recording.”  If you didn’t like your “take”, then hit the button again where it now says “Start Over” and you’ll do it all again. If you did like your take, then hit “Upload”

4.  Set the Privacy Settings to “Unlisted”

You can now give your video a title and description.  If it’s a personal note, just say “Personal Video for Jane Smith” or, depending on the content, it could be “A personal video for a wonderful client” or whatever.  You can also fill in the description and put on tags, but no one is really going to see it.  Why?  Because what you ABSOLUTELY NEED TO DO IS SET THE PRIVACY SETTINGS TO “UNLISTED.”  If you don’t do that, your video will be public and it will be like putting up a voicemail available to everyone in the world.  If you set the settings to “private,” no one will be able to see it. You need to set it to “Unlisted,” which means it won’t show up on a search or when someone looks at your Youtube profile.  The only people who can see it are people with the link.  (Your recipient could forward it around, so be careful with whatever you say.).  When you’re done, click “Save Changes.”

5.  Share your Video

When you’re done, click on your name on the top right and then click on “Video Manager.”  You’ll see the video on your list of videos.  It might still be resolving, depending on how long it is. Click on the video when it’s ready and you can play the video if you want to check it out.  On that video page, though, you can see a button below the video window that says “share.”  Click the “Share” button. Click “email.”  Fill in the email address and a note and click “send email.”  The video link will be sent to the recipient.  They will get a link, not the video itself, and if you’ve set the privacy settings correctly they’ll be able to play it.  Later, if you go back to that page, you’ll be able to see how many “views” the video got (hopefully you’ll get “1” view from the person you sent it to).

WITH YOUR PHONE

You can do the same thing with your phone using the “Youtube Capture” app available at your app store or marketplace.  Download the app, open it, log in using your Google account, and follow these instructions.

1.  Turn the phone sideways.

The app will only record if you turn the phone sideways. If you try to record with the phone held vertically, you’ll get a little popup that reminds you.

2.  Click the Red Button to Record

Like the website application, the phone application doesn’t count down, so be ready to record.  Hit the button and start recording. Make sure to keep your fingers away from the camera.  When you’re done, hit the button again — you’ll see how long your video is in the little circle. If you don’t like the video, just click the button and then hit “Back” to try again.

3.  Set the Privacy Settings to “Unlisted”

Once you’re done recording, you’ll go right to a title page where you can add the title to the video and set the privacy settings. Set the privacy settings to “Unlisted.”  That will allow anyone with the link to view the video, but it will not be searchable online or viewable by people looking at your Youtube profile.

4.  Upload and Share the Video

Click “Upload” to upload the video to your Youtube page.  If the video is short, it shouldn’t take too long.  When it’s done, you’ll see a list of your videos.  Click on the video.  Then click on the link that’s been created for the video, which is next to an arrow, which will give you choices of what you want to do with the link.  Click “Email” and fill out the email address, write a subject line, and whatever message you want.  The recipient will get the video in a link.

GETTING FANCY

Now, if you want to get fancy,  you can add audio and caption tricks.  Just click on the video in your video manager, and look at the little icons that are right below the video window. If you hover your mouse over them, you’ll see choices for Info and Settings, Enhancements, Audio, Annotations, and Captions.  Play with them if you want to try them out, but I wouldn’t bother for the normal video message — it just adds time to the production, and then takes a while for the edits to save.  Not worth it unless you want to learn some tricks for making some more ambitious video projects.

TIPS FOR MAKING GOOD VIDEO MESSAGES

Here are some tips when you’re making your video.

  • Smile for the camera before you hit record so you don’t have a weird look on your face when the video starts.
  • Don’t look at yourself on the screen.  Look at where the camera is!
  • You need about 125% of normal energy.  It might feel false to be that energetic, but it will look right on camera.
  • To get the best sound on your video, plug your phone earbuds in to use the earbud microphone.  Or get a good microphone.
  • Ideally, keep it to 30-45 seconds. Definitely don’t go over a minute.
  • REMEMBER TO SET THE VIDEO TO UNLISTED!!!  Set it for “public” and the world can see it.  Set it to “private” and no one, not even your recipient, can see it.

So try it out and see how easy it is.

My thanks to Tom for sparking the original idea.  If you haven’t signed up, he’s coming back to Fort Lee on April 16-18 for a three-day Thrive Event.  I would guess that he has a lot of other ideas that could probably help you build your business this year.  So contact your manager about getting one of our discounted seats.

 

JR

 

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