Video marketing has greatly grown in popularity, because it is one of the mediums used to expose a brand to millions of viewers. Internet marketers who have experience exposing websites and brands using SEO (search engine optimization) have spread their marketing abilities to video sharing platforms found online. YouTube is an online video sharing platforms which is greatly used by internet marketers. This article will explore the use of YouTube’s audio transcription and closed captioning services as video marketing methods.

Video marketing is definitely a field which every business owner should strive to learn. Google has been improving and broaden the scope of search engine results by launching a beta machine for the transcription of online videos. The beta machine is accessible to YouTube and Google, but video owners have to manually upload active transcripts and YouTube closed captioning. It is important to note that these technologies are still relatively in their early stages and the result is still dependent on the clarity of audio accompanying the video. In the end, uploading your own transcript to accompany your YouTube video is the best bet to guarantee accuracy.

The best way to gauge the capabilities of Google transcription is to simply try it out. From your YouTube account select a video and edit it. From the editing options choose caption/subtitles and then download Google’s beta machine to your computer. You will then be able to access the file using note pad or any other text editor to view the contents.

Since Google has now accommodated audio transcripts, it would be beneficial for you to come up with transcripts for your videos. These transcripts will prove to be highly useful, because Google crawler can access them and broaden the reach of your message/brand/website online. The great thing is that you can provide as many transcripts in different languages, to further broaden the reach of your video/website/brand. It is easier to have an English transcript and use Google Translate to create multiple language versions of the transcript.

It is also important to note that not all audio transcription providers will provide closed captioning. You can manually insert time codes to your videos using your Google machine transcription file or an equivalent online service. The transcription might seem like an arduous task and most people generally don’t have time to carry out the task personally. YouTube closed captioning might appear to be technical for some people and in this case the best choice would be to outsource the services of an online marketing service provider. more on YouTube transcription

Your website can be made interesting by adding audio and video material so that it does not only act as a reading information portal. If you are looking to record anything the below steps will help you do it in the correct manner.

How do you find a great interview?

The main aim here is to provide facts, words opinions and reasons so that the listener can draw conclusions. The questions as well as answers are supposed to be of benefit to the audience that is eavesdropping. An interview therefore is:

• Not a discussion- you should not comment on the answers or pit opinions against your own, the word “I” should also not be used
• Spontaneous event- rehearsal hints usually discredit the interviewee. Only tell them about general issues and not the questions that will be asked.
• For the audience- it is best to ask the listener what they would like to ask so that they can get what they want.

Types of interviews

• Facts- make sure they are right before the interview begins
• Explanations/reasons- always question the reasoning and explanations should be clear. You can also investigate the reactions to the facts and ask for illustrations where necessary.
• Emotive- this is where you try to get into the interviewers state of mind.

The manner the questions are asked is as important as the questions’ content. You can be sensitive but not to over caring, become impartial not indifferent.

Top journalism tips

• Be unbiased and balanced
• Keep the audience in mind and know them
• Know the subject that the interview is based on
• Put the interviewees agenda in mind
• Try and get opposing views
• Be wary of assumptions
• Always treat people with respect
• Make people think sharply by challenging them

Interview preparation

• Know the main pints that will be covered as well as what needs to be achieved
• Establish the facts for the questions
• Find out the counter arguments on the subject
• Write down questions
• Create a rapport with the interviewee

Recording interviews

Always perform a test recording and listen to it before the actual interview to make sure that everything is in place.

• Make use of non- verbal communication to avoid any distractions
• Listen/monitor the recording to be sure that everything runs smoothly
• Keep aims of the interview on track
• Look out for supplementary questions
• Keep timings

You should also consider the questioning technique as well as how it will end to have a successful one. More on interview transcription.

Focus groups can be defined as small interview groups that are structured.  People who go through the interview usually have similar characteristics (e.g. different backgrounds with the same views on various topics, they could also be part of the same community or financial group). The main aim of the interview is to collect information about a certain topic that is guided by a set of focused questions. Participants listen and interact with each other as well as the facilitator or leader which usually results in different views as opposed to interviewing different people separately.

Purpose of the focus groups is to come up with a deeper understanding and broad view rather than get a quantitative summary. A lot of emphasis is put on opinions, responses and insights. Focus groups are normally made up of 8- 12 people. Multiple groups are normally encouraged as all the discussions are mostly influenced by the comments from the individuals who are involved. The discussions are normally held for about one or two hours. There are some special cases however when it can last the whole day or two.

It is important to have a skilful leader or facilitator to handle the focus group. An outsider can be used especially if you are familiar with the participants so that they can be comfortable enough to address their views.  The questions should be set in such a way that the conversation flows naturally.  Do not ask too many questions and they should be classified as broad or specific. When recording the sessions always make sure that the speakers identify themselves before they go ahead and speak. This is usually easier for the transcription process.

The interview usually consists of 3 parts:  opening, questions and conclusion.

The opening section is supposed to welcome all the participants, introductions and thanking them for attending the focus group. Purpose of the focus group should be reviewed so that people are in the same page. Don’t brush away negative comments as they help to provide insight on the topic.

Remember to guide all the participants through the questioning part so that there are no confusions.

When it comes to the conclusion part, this is where things that were being discussed are wrapped up. This is done by summarizing the discussion and giving the participants the chance to say their last words.  Finish off by thanking the participants for spending their time in the discussion and offer to give them transcribed material once it is available. More on Focus group transcription.

There are some people who were born to be journalists. They are usually audacious and inquisitive and always want to be successful in everything they do. Unfortunately there are some people who are the complete opposite of this and will find themselves wanting to bury themselves every time the word interview is mentioned. When conducting an interview, writing skills are usually not enough. Below are some of the tips that can be followed to handle an interview successfully.

Research

It is recommended that you do a lot of intensive research when you are interviewing a member of the rotary club or a famous celeb. Talk to associates and use Google to get all the information you need. Know all the important details before you sit down with the person.

Be prepared

This is where you need to write down all the questions you want to ask the person as well as anticipate some of the responses they might have as this will help you come up with other questions. This will help the interview process to flow which is good for both of you.

Connect with the person you are interviewing

There are some people who prefer a laid back style while others will go for a professional interview. Judge the preference of the person you are talking to in the early stages of the interview so that it can be conducted accordingly.

Leave your nerves outside the door

Even though it is the first interview that you have conducted, don’t let the butterflies in the stomach show. The interviewee is also likely to have jitters thus you have to be composed and calm for everything to fall in place. A clear mind will also help you ask the questions in a confident manner.

Record the interview

This is important as it is not very easy to write down everything that transpired during the interview. It is better to have a recording rather than ask the person to pause and repeat themselves when they are talking as this can be annoying.

Keep courtesies

Once the interview has been published, it is only fair to send the person who was interviewed a copy together with a thank you note. Even though he is a bigwig, he is not supposed to buy the newspaper or magazine to read his own interview.

It is also important to know that interviewing skills usually get better with time thus there is no need to crucifying yourself in case there is anything wrong as you should learn from your ,mistakes and move on to be better. More on Journalist interview transcription

For smaller documentary projects, sometimes all that is needed is a simple edit, log and notes.  However reality TV, feature length documentaries and other projects usually require complete transcripts that include every word that was uttered, the person who said the words and the time codes when the words were said. Coming up with the transcripts has got to be one of the easiest ways of having the final scripts to get the exact content that is needed. This also enables a person to cut and paste the sound bites onto any paper edit to experiment with the structure and the story.

Dubs of the master should be made first. It is not worthwhile to harm the master tapes as you are trying to transcribe. The back and forth rewinding that usually happens when a person is listening to the tape that will be used to transcribe can damage the tape and camcorder.  When you have a lot of space on your computer, it is also recommended that you digitize the data that you want to work with so that you can transcribe it when it is on your machine. This helps to save you one important step as you will end up digitizing.

This may not be practical when dealing with a lot of footage. A professional transcription company can be used when you have to deal with large projects that need to be worked on within the shortest time possible.  These companies will charge you to give you a fully typed file or printout of the time codes as well as the content of all of the tapes that were used for the interview.

There are some professional companies that will also have thumbnail pictures of the footage included somewhere within the transcript. You can however embark on the project of transcription when you want to save a buck or two. An assistant or an intern can help you with the process but remember you have to go through their work.

Other than helping you access the content of the tapes that were used or interviews, transcripts can also make sure that you do not make a mistake of misrepresenting what a person meant to say. This usually happens when you are trying to match the sound bites with the person who spoke.  This also helps a person to check accuracy easily. A transcript is also required by companies who want to distribute the documentary on TV or theatrically. More on documentary transcription

A good transcript can be used as the basis for different kinds of materials like captioning, subtitling and web extras i.e. out takes or interview transcripts. Trying to transcribe your own work usually seems harder than it appears.  It becomes more complex when things like IDs, TC, music cues and shot descriptions are added.

Raw footage transcription

Raw footage transcription is very popular when it comes to interview footage regardless of whether it is audio or video when you want to find out the person who said what, where and when.

There are very many editors who do not need full verbatim of the raw footage, but it is better to have cuttings and pasting to make a full transcript more easily.  At a later date, you might also want to use the rough transcription to come up with a list of the full dialogue.

Raw footage transcription hints:

• Allow ample time for listening and tying when you decide to do the transcription job on your own.  This might be more that you think is needed.
• Pick the right type of software that will be used for the job. I would recommend inqscribe. It is not advisable to start using voice recognition as it needs too much proofing and it could delay the typing.
• A logging application can be used for entering the raw footage. This could be something like PilotWare. Make sure you pay attention to detail so that it is used in the right way so that you do not have any complications.

There are numerous professionals companies that can help you with the transcription process especially when you are dealing with a lot of hours at a fee of course.

Transcription for distribution and post production

At the release and post production stage, you may be asked to produce details of the shots or the scripts that was used to accompany the project when it goes in for distribution.  The broadcasters and the distributors usually have specific ideas of the formats that are needed.  This can either be simple or complex.

A dialogue list should have word accurate speaker ID’s and dialogue. There are also some that come with time codes. The produced script should be a reflection of the final program.  This normally includes scene breakdowns, act breaks, continuity and descriptions. They also have timing for the acts and scenes.  You can also get custom scripts when looking for something that suits your taste. More on television transcription

Recording research interviews is very important especially when it is being used for data analysis especially for academic researchers and postgraduate students. The interview recorded should be of high quality and clear so that all the contributions and comments can be accessed without a problem. Below you will find a list of some of the most effective things that can be done to achieve great recordings:

• Recording device- choosing the appropriate device should be the first step when coming up with high quality work thus you should choose the one that has all the features needed. Have in mind that this is an investment that can be used beyond the research. Pick one that has various quality recording settings, enough memory capacity, variety of time formats that are used to save data and high speed file transfer from the device to your PC.
• Microphone position and type- for multiple speaker recordings and interview transcription, it is advisable to use an external microphone rather than one that has been built in. There are some devices that can either be used with omni- directional mics placed on a tripod while others have mics that can be detached.  One of the best practices is to have 2 interviewees share a mic.   Before kicking off test the sound levels, position and the recording device.
• Environmental noise- venue of the interview should be chosen carefully having in mind aspects that may bring in background noise like high ceilings and hard wood floors among many others. Mobile phones should be switched off and windows closed to drown noise from outside. Refreshments should be served before or after the interview and you should also be on the lookout for coughing /sneezing, shuffling of papers etc as they can interrupt with the recordings.
• Briefing and introduction of interviewees- this is where they get to know all the things that should or should not be done during the interview to make sure that the recording is a success.  They should start conversations with their names spelled pout clearly so that they can be recorded with ease.
• Uploading and saving of files- data should be kept safe and you should also have backup copies in case anything happens to one copy.
• Use of transcription services- only choose the ones that are reputable company that has been in the business for a long time to get the best services in the market.
• Decide on layout and format: this ensures you get the project the exact way you want it.

More on interview transcription

Conducting an interview transcription is usually a very simple task that can be done by anyone as long as they can listen as well as write the interview out. Transcription of the interviews can be done for personal or business purposes. This implies that it is possible to get companies that offer the transcription services. You have to learn the important guidelines that are used when you want to do the work on your own and it can be beneficial if you learn some of the shortcuts that will helps you finish thee work much faster.

Knowing the terminologies that have been used in the interviews is one of the best ways to make the work easier and simpler. The types of interviews conducted for various professions normally vary. These may include: legal, personal and business interviews. It is therefore important to be in the know how when it comes to the vocabulary that is likely to be used in the sessions. Better yet, you can have a list of these words that you will be making reference to when handling the transcription process. When working on a project from a company or business, you can ask them to give you a list of some of the vocabularies that may have been used when there work was transcribed before.

The equipment that you are using usually dictates the speed at which the transcribing process will take. It is highly recommended that you make use of high quality equipment that will help you transcribe the work effectively. Earphones used should high quality sound and they should also be able to control any type of external noise. In addition to this, it is advisable to get equipment that can be controlled with your feet. This way, your hands will be free to allow you to type the work fast.

Knowing all the important details of the interview also helps to make the process much easier. This will give you an idea of the words that you should not spend a lot of time on as well as the ones that need transcription. This helps to save on effort and time that is used while transcribing the projects. Always make sure that you go through work that has been done to make sure that it is perfect before handing it back to the client as this means that when they have more work they will consider you since you will be building a good name for yourself.

Telephone recordings are utilized greatly, because of documentation and legal requirements.  It is wise to note that these recordings are conducted legally and not through any clandestine techniques. A number of people have encountered automated voice recordings warning them that their call will be recorded for future reference. This is often the case with calls made to mobile service providers, but all businesses which record telephone conversations are required to notify callers that they are being recorded. There really aren’t recording rules which guarantee quality telephone recordings. Telephone sets differ technically and require varied technicalities during the recording process. Everyone can use the following tips for better telephone recordings and consequently effective transcriptions.

In the case of a telephone interview, preparation is important to ensure that the recording is successful or what is required. The interviewee has to receive the list of questions prior to the phone interview. This is an effective tip to use in order to save on time and ensure that the interviewee is ready for the recording process. The assumption is that the interviewee would be aware that the phone conversation is being recorded, but for legal purposes it would be best to inform them in advance about the telephone recording.

In line with the preparation process, it is important to set a particular date and time for the phone interview. The time chosen should be convenient for you and the party being interviewed. Choose an appropriate time when there are minimal or no distractions. Telephone recordings can pick-up on outside noise, which results in distortions in the end product.  The interviewee should also be instructed to switch off other audio devices which may act as interruptions. If need be, the call should be placed when the interviewee is not expecting any other calls to avoid recording the continuous beeping of in-coming calls.

A test recording should be conducted in order to figure out if the equipment is operational and to identify any set-backs that may be experienced. A test recording also helps to rectify any technical difficulties experienced prior to the actual recording day. The testing process is particularly important when placing a VOIP call or a cell phone call.

Ask the interviewee to receive the call in a quite room, but not in a large and empty room. Large and empty rooms produce echo sounds which are likewise picked-up during a recording session. Try to warm-up the person being interviewed so that they can provide calm answers, and avoid moments of long silence which are common with parties being interviewed over the phone. More on telephone transcription

Interview recording can be approached from two perspectives; as an employer who wants to analyze the interview later or as an interviewee who wants to maintain a record of what was said during the interview process.

As an employer the number of interviews conducted in any given period of time can be overwhelming. It may be hard to keep track of candidates interviewed and give each an equal chance to get employment in your organization. An interviewee on the other hand needs a record of what information they provide during television show interviews. There are cases where TV shows have misrepresented information given by an interviewee and a recording comes in handy to dispel false facts. Whether you are an employer or employee seeking to record an interview session for documentation purposes; here are tips to help you through the process.

Creating a check list for the interview is an important task done before the material day. The checklist should include the questions to be asked during the interview session and the list of required recording equipment. Cables, headphones, labeling pens, tapes or discs, sound recorder, batteries and a camera should all be included in the check list. The equipment list is determined by the recording method chosen as well as the recording equipment selected. As an interviewee it is important to ask for the list of interview questions if it is not provided before hand. This will help you to adequately prepare for the interview especially in the case of a TV show.

Get the help of an equipment expert; an expert will operate the equipment proficiently than you would and leave you with the task of concentrating your efforts on the interview. In the case of a TV show they may use their equipment to record the session; you can however request to bring in your own equipment expert to record the interview for your personal archives.

Walk through the interview process with the equipment expert and let them know exactly what you want recorded during the process. Make sure that you insist on the highest audio quality which is an important part of the transcription process. Make sure that they record the sound in a format which can be digitized and compressed.

Last but not least; get the recorded material transcribed. If the show carrying out the interview recorded the session; you can ask for copies of the interview transcripts. However if you carried out the recording personally or through an equipment expert; simply contract the services of a transcription company and have them convert the audio to text for archiving. More on interview transcription