Back to blog posts

The Golden Rule (and Serious “Don’ts”) of Branded Content Sharing

There’s so much content on the Internet that it’s impossible to see it all even if you were online all day, every day for the rest of your life. This is great news for consumers of cat videos and other YouTube addicts, but it isn’t so great if you’re a content creator trying to make your personal or corporate brand stand out in the crowd.

So how do you make your videos shine through the dark depths of the interweb? There are plenty of tips out there on what you absolutely should do — but you also need to know what you absolutely shouldn’t. Lucky for you, we’re here to share not only the golden rule of content sharing, but also some of the most serious sharing don’ts.

The Golden Rule of 5:3:2

Before we get into things you should avoid, here’s the one rule you must follow on social media to get the most traffic to your content. The 5:3:2 rule breaks content down to 5 of 10 posts, 3 of 10 posts and 2 of 10 posts, or simply 50%, 30% and 20%.

the-golden-rule-of-branded-content-sharing-600x1500

The 50% represents curation. This means that half of what you post on social media should be from other people, but relevant to the content you’re trying to promote. For example, if you’re a gaming channel this could be the announcement of a new game. Or, if your videos are dedicated to covering politics, you should feature articles and videos from various other news sources as well.

The next 30% is creation — content that you’ve created personally for your audience. While 30% may seem like a small percentage of your own work, any more can create a feeling of over-sharing, and may come across as boring or boasting. This can scare off your audience and ultimately cause your followership to decrease or become less active.

Finally, there’s the 20% dedicated to sharing your culture, whether it’s company culture or your personal values and experiences. This content should be candid and authentic, perhaps even funny, and make your audience relate to you on a personal level. Prioritizing transparency humanizes you and your brand to create trust and a genuine appeal.

The Serious “Don’ts”

Don’t Use Cutesy Confusing Titles

This may seem a little odd, but headlines that try too hard to be cute or clever can work against you.

While creativity is key to good content, overcomplicating your headlines for humor’s sake can confuse your audience as to what your content is actually about or ruin your SEO. It’s usually better to be straightforward. For example, while “Good Tips for Green Thumbs” sounds catchy and playful, “Tips to Improve Your Garden” is clearer and therefore more likely to attract clicks or appear in a Google search.

Don’t Use Complicated URLs

If you want people to go straight to your website, it’s important that you don’t use a confusing URL.

A URL with a bunch of numbers, symbols, or random letters is extremely hard to type or remember. Keep your URLs short and simple. Make sure it’s related to your content or name to make it easy for your audience to find.

Don’t be a Copycat

Like we said before, creativity is key. And originality is a requirement. Why? For starters, any plagiarized content is likely to be taken down from websites and can even result in a ban from the platform altogether.

In addition, if your content is successful in attracting your target audience, it’s more than likely that this audience follows similar brands and creators. So, if you copy or outright plagiarize others, your audience will eventually figure it out and lose interest, or worse, respect, for your brand.

Don’t Forget to Post!

Posting content consistently can be difficult, especially if you aren’t able to devote all of your time to the task. However, if you want your content to take off and potentially earn you revenue, you need to post as regularly as possible.

Regular posting does two different things. First, it helps your content stay at the top of search engine results, making it more accessible to your audience. Second, it keeps your audience hooked. If you post too infrequently, you’ll lose their attention.

* * *

So there you have it! While this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the do’s and don’ts of content sharing, we believe these tips are key to your success as a branded content creator and sharer. That being said, please feel free to comment with any experiences or tips of your own! It’s a wild world out there, but we can work together to make it a little less intimidating.

Share:

Other Articles

iphone recording a video podcast using Cinamaker
How to start a hit podcast—even on a budget
Preview
Create pro-level video podcasts using Zoom
Preview
professional video podcast studio setup using Cinamaker
Why video podcasts are the fastest way to build your brand
Preview
professional podcast studio
Announcing our free webinar: ‘Create Video Podcasts Like a Pro’
Preview
Cinamaker 2.23 Release Notes
Preview
Cinamaker makes recording and editing your Zoom sessions a breeze; in real-time or afterward.
How to Give Your Zoom Meetings a Much-Needed Upgrade
Preview
Cinamaker 2.19 Release Notes
Preview
Cinamaker Makes Remote Guests and Cameras a Breeze via the Zoom Meeting SDK
Preview
Back to blog posts

Cinamaker Captures InnovATL

At an engaging interview and talkback with Atlanta’s best and brightest innovators and entrepreneurs, Cinamaker’s sleek setup was virtually undetectable as it captured every bit of wit and wisdom from four stunning angles.

Cinamaker is proud to be among Atlanta’s top startups as a member of the Bridge Community Program. Our membership allows us unique experiences to grow our business, namely the enriching opportunity to grow among others.

Despite it being Friday the 13th, this past Friday happened to be one of those unique, lucky experiences for the Bridge Community members. This normally unlucky day was the first ever InnovATL conference, and we were even luckier to not only attend the event, but be the featured videographers as well.

For this busy day, we knew it would be important to secure our mobile studio with a wired configuration. We made sure to pack all our routers, switches, and cords in advance to make setup even swifter — and of course, arrived fashionably early.

Instead of starting from the router, we built our configuration backwards, beginning by placing our three iPhone 6 camera assistants and one Lumix camera around the stage: one phone at stage left to capture the right side, one at stage right to capture the left side, one at the back of the room for a wide shot of the whole stage, and finally our Lumix mid-audience for a tighter full-stage shots and panning.

After mounting our devices for the perfect angles on their tripods, we connected the Lightning Adaptor, Gb Ethernet Adaptor, and POE Splitter to the ethernet cables that then connected to the POE Switch and router that we tucked under the stage. Once we established our internet connection and double checked our angles and connection, we whipped out our handy dandy gaff tape to finish our setup with a polished, trip-free flourish.

Shortly after finishing up, the audience began to take their seats. With such small devices, our multi-cam setup was practically undetectable, and nobody had to worry about a limited view. Best of all, instead of a cluttered crew table in the back, our lead videographer was able to take a seat among the crowd with her iPad neatly on her lap. Thanks to the Director Pad, she was able to monitor and adjust every iPhone remotely, and only needed to stand up briefly to capture important movement with the Lumix.

We would like to thank our fellow Bridge Community startups and sponsors for making InnovATL a success and for all the support and wonderful opportunities this program affords us.

Stay tuned for videos and more lucky day updates in our Cinamaker story!

Share:

Other Articles

iphone recording a video podcast using Cinamaker
How to start a hit podcast—even on a budget
Preview
Create pro-level video podcasts using Zoom
Preview
professional video podcast studio setup using Cinamaker
Why video podcasts are the fastest way to build your brand
Preview
professional podcast studio
Announcing our free webinar: ‘Create Video Podcasts Like a Pro’
Preview
Cinamaker 2.23 Release Notes
Preview
Cinamaker makes recording and editing your Zoom sessions a breeze; in real-time or afterward.
How to Give Your Zoom Meetings a Much-Needed Upgrade
Preview
Cinamaker 2.19 Release Notes
Preview
Cinamaker Makes Remote Guests and Cameras a Breeze via the Zoom Meeting SDK
Preview
Back to blog posts

A Wired Ethernet Configuration for Cinamaker

This handy how-to is for those of you looking to create a wired setup for Cinamaker.

We recommend a wired setup for either a permanent studio configuration or for when using Cinamaker in environments where WiFi  may be overwhelmed by significant radio frequency (RF) interference. This usually occurs when many people (20+) are within proximity of the Cinamaker Studio or in a location with much technology being used.

When WiFi is not an option, Cinamaker works flawlessly with ethernet. We’ve even adopted an optional Power-Over-Ethernet (POE) configuration to minimize the cables and power requirements.

A wired Cinamaker studio configuration includes the following components:

Devices:

Connectors:

You will need one Redpark adapater for every device Apple device you wish to connect.

Setup:

Once you have all necessary components, identify a safe location for your setup with appropriate power accessibility. (If no power is available, go to bottom for non-powered solutions**) If working in a powered setting, connect power to your router first then power your POE switch next.

After establishing your location, confirm your router is connected to the Internet through the WAN port . Then connect your router to the POE Switch with one of your ethernet patch cables.

Next, wire devices to POE Switch with the following steps:

  1. Connect Ethernet cables coming from the POE Switch to the Redpark POE adapters
  2. Connect your Apple iDevices to the Redpark POE adapters using the USB Micro B to Lightning Cables lighting into iPhone or iPad.
Redpark USB Micro B to Lightning       Redpark Gigabit+POE Adapter
 

Get Started:

Once you have your physical connections in place and each device is assigned an IP address from the router you will be able to begin using your wired configuration. Simply launch the Cinamaker Director Pad and the Cinamaker Capture app for a much faster and more stable connection between devices.

Considerations:

When using a wired configuration, you must get your Internet connection from a wired ethernet connection. To setup simply connect your available Ethernet connection to the the WAN port on your Cinamaker router.

Note: If you do not have a wired connection available you can purchase a wireless bridge device to convert a WiFi internet connection to a wired Ethernet connection that will plug into your  Cinamaker router’s Ethernet WAN port.

Today we do not support the mixing of wired and wifi connections.

Network Diagnostics:

After you’ve secured all wired connections between devices, make sure each individual device is connected to your router by checking that they are all on the same IP subnetwork

Do this by going to “Settings” and checking the “Ethernet” tab under “WIFI;” here, you should see the IP address and confirm it matches your router’s.  If the “Ethernet” tab isn’t showing up, double check your physical connections.

Share:

Other Articles

iphone recording a video podcast using Cinamaker
How to start a hit podcast—even on a budget
Preview
Create pro-level video podcasts using Zoom
Preview
professional video podcast studio setup using Cinamaker
Why video podcasts are the fastest way to build your brand
Preview
professional podcast studio
Announcing our free webinar: ‘Create Video Podcasts Like a Pro’
Preview
Cinamaker 2.23 Release Notes
Preview
Cinamaker makes recording and editing your Zoom sessions a breeze; in real-time or afterward.
How to Give Your Zoom Meetings a Much-Needed Upgrade
Preview
Cinamaker 2.19 Release Notes
Preview
Cinamaker Makes Remote Guests and Cameras a Breeze via the Zoom Meeting SDK
Preview
Back to blog posts

ONA Update: Pro #MOJO in Action

This is Cinamaker reporting that the future #mojo is alive and well.

The 2017 Online News Association conference (ONA) in Washington D.C. was a whirlwind of information, business cards, and free stickers. But between all the handshakes and giveaways, real progress was made for the future of mobile journalism. Every conversation and interaction added just another powerful connection in the huge network of talent, education, technology, and organizations that allow journalists of all sorts to keep doing their thing.

For Cinamaker, ONA was a terrific opportunity to collaborate and learn from other pro #mojo companies, institutions, and individuals. We were among the ranks of such internet platforms as Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit, and talked shop with Film and Journalism Professors and Professionals. We even had the opportunity to film an interview conducted by Trint, which they graciously credited us for filming on their social feeds.

jeff-kofman-at-seattletimes

The best takeaway from our ONA encounters was discovering that Cinamaker’s place in the #mojo movement could be even bigger than we thought.

As we conferred in our Atlanta headquarters about how Cinamaker might improve the modern journalist’s toolbox, we thought of the obvious, exciting features our mobile studio offers: portability, affordability, live stream capability, mixing, editing… the list goes on!

We knew we had a powerful, professional tool that could be accessible for a range of journalists, from independent bloggers to international correspondents. But what about a tool for teachers? A tool for personal brand growth?

Once we expanded our conversation to include the thousands of ONA17 attendees, the possibilities for Cinamaker truly seemed endless. A professor of video production explained that if he had Cinamaker for his classroom, he could give live examples of core film concepts like composition, perspective, and lighting in real time for his students. A journalism professor noted its importance for teaching students how to become one-man production studios. And many independent journalists and organizations cited Cinamaker’s live stream capabilities as a huge plus for creating content to define and grow their own brands.

Just as our multi-cam made easy technology improves the quality of mobile video production, multiple perspectives improved our understanding of Cinamaker’s true mojo potential. After all, 3,000 head are better than one!

We’re thankful to all who came out to this engaging, three-day event. ONA17 and the enlightening personalities we met there will never be forgotten. See the highlights here!

Goodnight, and happy Cinamaking.

Share:

Other Articles

iphone recording a video podcast using Cinamaker
How to start a hit podcast—even on a budget
Preview
Create pro-level video podcasts using Zoom
Preview
professional video podcast studio setup using Cinamaker
Why video podcasts are the fastest way to build your brand
Preview
professional podcast studio
Announcing our free webinar: ‘Create Video Podcasts Like a Pro’
Preview
Cinamaker 2.23 Release Notes
Preview
Cinamaker makes recording and editing your Zoom sessions a breeze; in real-time or afterward.
How to Give Your Zoom Meetings a Much-Needed Upgrade
Preview
Cinamaker 2.19 Release Notes
Preview
Cinamaker Makes Remote Guests and Cameras a Breeze via the Zoom Meeting SDK
Preview
Back to blog posts

Cinamaker is Pro #MOJO. Here’s why.

Everybody’s got a story to tell. From the dawn of civilization, humans have sought new ways to record information and new ways to share that information with their peers. Some people have even made it their life’s mission to bring news to others as fast as possible and as accurately as possible. We call them journalists.

Today, journalism looks a lot different than it did even 10 years ago. As society constantly innovates new platforms for consuming and sharing media using digital technologies, journalists must find faster, better ways to produce and report their news. And if “the medium is the message,” today’s message is mobility. More specifically, mobile devices: phones, tablets, laptops, you name it. These are the devices through which news is consumed and where it can also be made. That’s where mobile journalism, or “mojo” comes into play.

More journalism, more problems?

Cinamaker is “pro mojo” because the mojo movement empowers more people to share their experiences and perspectives. We’re no longer limited to just two or three major networks or newspapers. However, with great mojo comes great responsibility. Modern journalists aren’t just good writers, they have to be good producers, performers, and editors as well. And consumers can’t just rely on the first headline they see in this new ocean of information. We always need to check the facts and be sure not to fall victim to #fakenews.

Cinamaker is “the creator’s mobile studio.” We believe creators come from all walks of life and deserve production technology that’s ready to keep walking with them. We’re always eager to share new ways to use and improve our technology. Mobile Journalism represents an ideal application for Cinamaker: mobile-native production for mobile-native news. That’s why we’re so excited to demonstrate our technology for so many savvy mobile journalists at this year’s ONA conference in Washington D.C.

With just two apps, the Director Pad and Cinamaker Capture, Cinamaker transforms a simple tablet into a control room capable of real time switching and editing with a powerful graphics engine and audio mixing. Sync up to four smartphones, tablets, or other IP, studio grade cameras to capture your news in multiple angles.

Our solution eliminates the time, money, and learning curve that comes with traditional video production and embodies the most affordable option for mojo on the go. You can live stream to multiple destinations and save all your footage for post editing within the app or on your computer with your favorite software. Whatever you do, do it when and where you need to.

News doesn’t stop, so nothing should stop you.

(P.S. Like the mobile setup in our picture? See the video here.)

Share:

Other Articles

iphone recording a video podcast using Cinamaker
How to start a hit podcast—even on a budget
Preview
Create pro-level video podcasts using Zoom
Preview
professional video podcast studio setup using Cinamaker
Why video podcasts are the fastest way to build your brand
Preview
professional podcast studio
Announcing our free webinar: ‘Create Video Podcasts Like a Pro’
Preview
Cinamaker 2.23 Release Notes
Preview
Cinamaker makes recording and editing your Zoom sessions a breeze; in real-time or afterward.
How to Give Your Zoom Meetings a Much-Needed Upgrade
Preview
Cinamaker 2.19 Release Notes
Preview
Cinamaker Makes Remote Guests and Cameras a Breeze via the Zoom Meeting SDK
Preview

Sign up

Request a call

Get Free

Download Cinamaker Web-cam Driver