Marketing Innovations

As writers we know the value of showing not telling. As marketers, the mantra becomes "Sharing not Selling."  We need new ways to put the message across. 

Video streaming software lets you capture both whatever is happening on your computer screen and the interest of potential readers. You can use it to video a webcam where you talk about your book, to present a slide show demonstrating writing techniques, to show how to track changes in word processing software. If you are doing it on screen, you can show it.

Sharing knowledge helps build your author platform. Talking directly to readers builds friendships, interest in your work and best of all, sales.


image screen capture by Jing
When I started to research this article on free screen capture software, I intended to use my favorite CamStudio as the software of choice but the available freeware now is amazing. What you choose will depend on the operating system you use, whether you want to download software onto your computer or use online software.

Read the reviews, then choose. This list of ten free screen recorders may be helpful and scroll down to read the comments too. 

Have a look at Jing from TechSmithHere it is in action in a tutorial video about taking your first capture.

I made several little videos for this article, all very easy if...
you remember to turn the microphone on,
you remember not to say um,um,ummm every time you stick,
you remember to save them in the right place in the right format...obviously.

Next time I'll be scripting what to say first. And not talking/ummming for more than five minutes--the maximum time allowed for free recording with Jing.




 Anne Duguid is a freelance content editor with MuseItUp Publishing and she tries to pass on helpful writing,editing and publishing tips at Slow and Steady Writers 


11 comments:

Shirley Corder said...

Ooh I love it! Thank you Annie. Now to find time to play with these fun ideas. What a tremendous potential for marketing, provided we learn to use it well, as you've said!

Shirley Corder said...

Ooh I love it! Thank you Annie. Now to find time to play with these fun ideas. What a tremendous potential for marketing, provided we learn to use it well, as you've said!

Anne Duguid Knol said...

Shirley, thanks for the enthusiasm--and please leave links to some of the marketing you do with screen capture images and videos in the future. We'd love to see them.

Magdalena Ball said...

Great suggestions, Annie and lots more to play with.

Karen Cioffi said...

Annie, thanks for the screen capture link. I give you credit for working on video. I've done a couple of brief test ones, but have yet to dig in and create a fully useable video. It's on my to do for 2014. It's so important use video marketing today.

Heidiwriter said...

Video scares me! but I know I need to try it one day!

Mary Jo Guglielmo said...

Thanks for the tips

Anne Duguid Knol said...

Thanks Maggie for supporting play times, especially as you are already such an expert in marketing through video readings and presentations...think I'm going to label my efforts practical procrastination.

Anne Duguid Knol said...

Difficult to gauge the best ways of marketing but I would think that the short videos on You Tube get as much attention nowadays as the hours long webinars unless they are by already very famous marketers.
I happily spend five minutes watching and learning but it's hard to find the time to spend two or more hours to pick out the bits I want to learn.

Anne Duguid Knol said...

Screen capture is a nice easy way to start. Have fun, Heidi! You could start by sharing some of your WOTM posts--script done!

Anne Duguid Knol said...

Thanks Mary Jo. Glad you could stop by.

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