Video podcasts are taking the world by storm. If you’re looking to build your brand, there’s no better platform for sharing stories, knowledge, and insights—and in return, growing a loyal fanbase.
But because of their recent popularity boom, you might be wondering whether you’ve missed the boat.
Well, the answer’s simple: no.
In fact, there’s never been a better time to create video podcasts. Here’s why:
80% of subscribers find podcasts through other social platforms
Few people dive straight into a new podcast on Spotify, without having seen a few clips on socials first. Nobody wants to hear an hour long show with a host they don’t know. Instead, discovery happens on Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube—where video dominates the algorithms.
Only 17% of active podcasts produce video
Video podcasts are still in their infancy—so there’s huge market share up for grabs. By creating video podcasts, you build a personal connection with your audience—positioning yourself as a trusted leader, while differentiating yourself from other brands in your niche. Start now and you’ll lead the way.
Advertisers pay more for video podcasts than any other ad placements
Engagement rates are huge for video podcasts. People share, comment—and buy from affiliate links—far more than with other content types. Advertisers know this, and they’re willing to pay for it—at a massive $18-25 CPM rate.
Grow your network and build your profile
Video podcasts are an exciting opportunity to connect with leaders in your field. By hosting guest interviews, you expand your personal network, learn from unique perspectives, and make your content more engaging. As an added bonus, your guests’ followers are likely to discover your podcast, helping you reach new people who may be interested in your content.
Keep the algorithms churning
An often overlooked benefit, but one you might end up appreciating the most. One video podcast can be chopped up into blog posts, reels, TikToks, memes, newsletters—or even a book. Not only does it make your content more accessible to a wider audience—but it also makes your job as a content creator so much easier.
Time to get started?
Our free video webinar, ‘Create Your Video Podcasts Like a Pro’ teaches you everything you need to start your own video podcast today—using equipment you already own.
Podcasts have exploded in the last few years, becoming an incredibly powerful way to build your brand and engage your audience.
If you’re thinking about starting a video podcast—or even a video webinar—but don’t know how to get started, you might be interested in our latest free masterclass, ‘Create Video Podcasts Like a Pro’.
It teaches you how to:
Use video podcasts to engage your audience and build a successful brand.
Create a month’s worth of content—for all platforms—from one video.
Create high-quality, multi-angle podcasts—using equipment you already own.
Record remote guests in high definition—from your Zoom meetings.
Cut your video creation process from days to minutes.
It might just be the best 28 minutes you spend this week.
Cinamaker is pleased to announce the release of Cinamaker version 2.23
Your success is our business. And with 2.23 comes new features to make your multi-camera video live streams and recordings more appealing and enhancements for adding and controlling your media, simplifying and extending the power of your in-app editor, improving output to YouTube Live and Zoom, and more!
Check out What’s New in Cinamaker Director Studio 2.23:
Video Templates
Cinamaker now includes high-quality video templates that make it simple to create and enhance memorable videos for any purpose. Choose video templates from the Template library that are free to customize.
Duplicate Media Objects
In addition to adding Media elements to your projects, you may Duplicate media objects within the same project for greater efficiency.
Import Video Projects into Cinamaker
Now you can import existing multi-camera recordings (shot with Riverside and other multi-camera recording platforms) and edit with Cinamaker’s in-app editor
YouTube Live Enhancements
Enhancements for live streaming directly to YouTube, including direct access to the YouTube Live Control Room, broadcast to scheduled meetings, and improved streaming for RTMPS.
In-App Editor Enhancements
To make it easier to navigate and edit your timeline we have added a zoom-in feature. To zoom-in, grab the handles on the new bar underneath the timeline. Make the bar less wide to increase the Zoom. When zoomed-in, you can also scroll the timeline horizontally by moving the zoom bar.
Live Stream to 3 Destinations*, Simultaneously
From an M1-based Mac, live stream your Cinamaker feed to two (2) RTMP destinations (social networks) and (1) Zoom meeting or webinar, simultaneously.
From a non-M1 Mac (2018 or later), live stream to one (1) RTMP destination (social network), and one (1) Zoom meeting or webinar, simultaneously.
From an M1-based iPad, live stream your Cinamaker feed to two (2) RTMP destinations (social networks), simultaneously.
From an non-M1 iPad (2018 or later), live stream to one (1) RTMP destination (social network)
Direct Output to Zoom Meetings (MacOS only)
Enhancements for sending your video and audio output to Zoom Meetings with one click.
Formerly, output to Zoom was established via the Cinamaker Web Cam Driver and Audio Driver. The new enhanced method makes it fast and easy to connect and send your output to Zoom without having to switch the Cinamaker Web Cam Driver and Audio Driver on from the Zoom interface.
Direct Output to Zoom Webinars (MacOS only)
In addition to Zoom Meetings, now you can send your Cinamaker feed directly to Zoom Webinars
Zoom Integration Now Included in Free Version
Now Cinamaker Free users have access to Cinamaker remote guest capability via Zoom and direct output to Zoom meetings and webinars.
By now it’s clear to most of us that remote meetings are here to stay. According to Buffer (2021), 97.6% of respondents said they’d like to work remotely, at least some of the time, for the rest of their careers.
Likewise, 23% of full-time employees are willing to take a pay cut of over 10% in order to work from home at least some of the time. (Owl Labs 2020)
This is a big deal for employers who want to retain top talent and maximize employee engagement, especially when most or all of their time spent interacting with the team is entirely virtual.
These trends are equally important for businesses that rely on platforms like Zoom for their live webinars. According to Optinmonster, using video in your marketing can generate up to 66% more qualified leads per year.
Using video in your marketing can generate up to 66% more qualified leads per year.
And with more and more companies using video for their marketing, it’s more important than ever to find ways to stand out from the crowd.
One surefire way to do this is to make sure you’re making the most of your Zoom presentation, thereby maximizing engagement and ultimately, ROI.
Following are a few simple tips that you can use to upgrade your Zoom meetings, events, and webinars so that they’re more professional, engaging, and impactful.
First, Master Zoom Basics
Even if you’ve logged hours as a Zoom participant, when it’s your turn to lead a meeting, it can be frustrating to find yourself stumbling around the user interface, looking for the right button to record, share screen, or adjust permissions.
Fortunately, Zoom has recently introduced its Learning Center, which is a great resource for familiarizing yourself with the ins and outs of the software.
By spending just a few minutes reviewing some of its basic functions and how to use them, you can save yourself a lot of embarrassment in future meetings.
While this is helpful to review, your best bet is to learn by doing. Start a meeting by yourself, and test out the different functions so that, when it comes time to go live, you’ll feel confident and in control.
For some features such as guest permissions and the like, invite a trusted friend or colleague to a test meeting to make sure that everything runs smoothly from their perspective.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to start thinking about eliminating distractions that might cause your audience to lose focus.
Curate Your Environment
To get the most impact out of your presentation, you want your meeting attendees to focus on what’s being discussed, not on your pile of unfolded laundry lingering in the background.
Opinions differ widely on what constitutes an acceptable Zoom background, but at the very least you want to minimize the number of distracting background objects in your room.
Another thing to remember is the importance of reducing or eliminating background noise. While parents (of pets and humans alike) will recognize that it’s not always possible to keep the little ones from making noise, much of this can be eliminated by adjusting the background noise settings within the Zoom app itself.
But remember, these are just the basic starting points for minimizing distractions for your meeting participants. If you want to really make an impact at your next meeting and stand out from the crowd, read on.
How to Level Up Your Zoom Meeting
Understanding the basics above might be enough to get by without embarrassing yourself in your next Zoom meeting.
However, if you really want to make an impact, you’ll need to move beyond the basics and deliver a polished, professional look to your meetings, webinars, and presentations.
Option 1: Upgrade Your Microphone
Over the past few years, the market for headsets has expanded to more than just gamers. People working from home have quickly discovered that headsets with built-in microphones are a convenient way to hear and be heard in meetings, without the annoying feedback that can result from using built-in audio.
However, even high-end headsets often fall short of achieving the level of sound quality that can be had from most standalone microphones.
The most popular microphones on the market today range anywhere from $30 to under $200
And with the rise in popularity of plug-and-play USB condenser microphones over the past few years (thanks in no small part to the proliferation of podcasts), you won’t have to break the bank to get started.
The most popular microphones on the market today range anywhere from $30 to under $200, and unless you’re a major audiophile, you’ll get great results even from a modestly priced condenser mic.
Option 2: Upgrade Your Lighting
If you want to make a good impression in your meetings, then it’s probably a good idea to not look as though you’ve set up your home office in a medieval dungeon.
The good news is that, with a few simple lighting upgrades, you can go from “shadowy figure” to a respectable presenter in no time.
A quick search for “improve webcam lighting” turns up dozens of great tips, with a range of costs and technical difficulty to set up.
The good news is that, with a few simple lighting upgrades…
From ring lights to webcams with built-in lights, all the way to full-on lighting rigs, once you find the best option for your budget, space, and skill level, you’ll be well on your way to looking your best in your next Zoom meeting.
Option 3: Upgrade Your Camera Setup
When it comes to running an engaging, professional-grade Zoom meeting, we’ve saved the best for last – upgrading your video quality.
While the improvements listed above (curating your environment, upgrading your mic and lighting) are all great investments, you’ll get the most bang for your buck by upgrading the quality of your actual video presentation.
The first way you can do this is by upgrading your camera. Prices vary widely here, and what you buy depends largely on how good you want your picture quality to be. Options range from high-end DSLR cameras to camcorders and HD webcams.
One option for achieving high-res video is actually your smartphone. Even smartphones that are a few years old have cameras that are extremely good, and can easily connect to your computer using third-party software.
And if you really want to show off at your next Zoom meeting, one of the best ways to do this is through a multi-camera setup. By switching between multiple camera angles, presenters, and media sources, you maximize engagement by tapping into the power of storytelling and professional-level visual presentation.
If the technical complexity of setting up multiple cameras seems daunting, a simple solution is to use third-party software that allows you to connect multiple video sources without the use of excess hardware.
One such example is Cinamaker, which allows you to compose your Zoom meetings and webinars using multiple Zoom remote cameras, local iPhone and built-in Facetime camera, visually appealing multi-media, set up picture-in-picture for presenting your latest slide deck, and edit in-app with Cinamaker’s video editor.
Cinamaker allows you to compose your Zoom meetings and webinars using multiple Zoom and local cameras, include multi-media, edit in real-time or after recording.
This lets you generate professional-grade video, stories, presentations, and more, without the need for expensive video production teams or video editing software with steep learning curves.
Conclusion
Whether you’re leading a team, recording a podcast, or building a webinar funnel, your success in delivering your message relies heavily on the quality of your video presentation.
And with online audiences expecting a high level of quality from the video content they consume, it’s more important than ever to make sure you keep pace with the trends if you want to be effective in your messaging.
Fortunately, by following the strategies listed above you’ll be well on your way to creating video content that is engaging and inspiring for your viewers for years to come.
