The Visual Lounge

Whether you’re a B2B or B2C brand, grabbing and holding your audience’s attention is everything. So could YouTube be the ideal place to build a dedicated, long-term following? On this episode of The Visual Lounge, Finn McKenty, founder of Punk Rock MBA and Head of Product at URM Academy, shares the benefits to creating YouTube content. He talks about how it’s less competitive than other social platforms and how it could help build rapport with your peers before meetings and talks. But how do you get started? Well, Finn says a little experimentation is OK! It doesn’t matter if your first video doesn’t explode, so long as you’re providing something valuable to your audience. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – Introduction 02:17 – Finn’s tip for making better videos 03:15 – What role YouTube can play in the growth of your business 06:19 – Why YouTube shouldn’t be your “dumping ground”  07:12 – How important is personality on corporate YouTube? 11:31 – Is consistency important? 16:24 – How to get started on YouTube 22:00 – What constitutes success on YouTube? 23:18 – Finn’s Speed Round 26:38 – The final take 27:10 – Outro   Important links and mentions: Connect with Finn on LinkedIn Follow Finn on Instagram Find Finn’s website Subscribe to Finn on YouTube 

Adding videos and GIFs to your customer learning strategy can add a brand-new dimension to your content. But what role do they play and how do you know which to choose? Videos are useful during the onboarding process and for evergreen content, whereas GIFs can be helpful to explain advanced concepts, says Greg Mead, Senior Instructional Designer at ClickUp. Greg joins The Visual Lounge to share how he creates content to engage thousands of learners with learning tool, ClickUp University. He tells us his top tips for defining and generating engagement, the advantages of visual content over text and how customer feedback shapes the path his content takes.  Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – Introduction 01:36 – Greg’s tip for using videos and GIFs 02:56 – Unpacking findings from ClickUp University surveys 03:36 – When to use video and when to use GIFs 05:54 – Why use video and GIFs instead of text? 07:36 – How customer feedback led Greg to shift his content focus 09:24 – The first steps toward making video content that scales 12:08 – Defining and generating engagement  17:03 – Greg’s career as a video creator 22:03 – Greg answers Speed Round questions 26:59 – The final take 27:25 – Outro  Important links and mentions: Connect with Greg on LinkedIn Follow Greg on Twitter/X Follow Greg on Instagram Visit ClickUp University Subscribe to Greg on YouTube 

If you’re a creative, pitching ideas to stakeholders can be stressful! So how can you adapt your strategies, control your variables and form ideas you’re proud to pitch? Guy Bauer, Founder and Creative Director of B2B video marketing agency Umault, tells us his tips and tricks as he joins The Visual Lounge.  He says your first step should be to form a strong, clear idea that you’re happy with and that won’t be misunderstood by your management. Asynchronous communication is his go-to method to communicate ideas, as it allows you to combine the energy of live calls with the clarity of emails. Plus, hear Guy’s top tips for growing your creative tastes…and why Weezer is still a great band! Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – Introduction 04:39 – Guy’s tip for video creators 06:48 – Why you need clear ideas and strategies before making videos 11:52 – Why creative ideas should be discussed asynchronously 17:38 – Allowing your stakeholders to previsualize your ideas 21:07 – Making sure you have confidence in your ideas 23:18 – Controlling variables in your pitches and processes 26:55 – How to grow your creative taste 32:27 – Hear Guy’s Speed Round answers 39:22 – The final take 40:45 – Outro  Important links and mentions: Follow Umault on LinkedIn Follow Umault on Twitter/X Follow Umault on Instagram Visit the Umault website Subscribe to the Umault YouTube channel 

On The Visual Lounge, we often talk about getting better, leveling up, and improving how we make and use video by 1%. It's great to talk about, but what's the secret to that happening? Pretty easy; you have to do something. However, for that to work, you need to not just talk about it but make the time available to play, experiment, to try new things with the videos you create.Thanks for being a viewer of the channel. From all of us at TechSmith & The Visual Lounge podcast, we want to wish you a wonderful and successful 2024! Key points from this episode:00:00 - Introduction00:30 - Thinking about scheduling 01:00 - Put together the idea of Leveling Up and Scheduling.01:35 - Build in time and space to play around with and explore new ideas02:05 - How I learned from building the TechSmith Academy02:40 - If you want to get better - do this! 03:08 Video is about exploring and learning through experimentation, leading to better problem-solving skills.04:00 - Give yourself time! 04:58 - What are you thinking about?Important links and mentions: Want to get better at video? Check out TechSmith Academy - free learning about creating and using video.Looking for video editing software? Try Camtasia #podcast #videocreation #learnin

Creating video content can be a highly effective way to spread the word about your brand and build authority in your industry. But the toughest thing can often be just getting started… So how can professionals fight their fears and take those all-important first steps towards growing their business through video? On this episode of The Visual Lounge, we ask someone who has been there and done it – Texas master plumber, entrepreneur and YouTuber Roger Wakefield. Roger is a plumber by trade but chose to expand his marketing strategy by creating simple, direct videos that help out his audience. Roger shares the lightbulb moment that prompted him to start making videos and how we went from knowing nothing about video to becoming the go-to guy for DIY and plumbing tutorials on YouTube. If you’re thinking about creating video content, but have a list of reasons why you shouldn’t – this episode is for you! Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – Introduction 03:10 – Roger’s top tip for improving your videos 04:18 – Sharing your mistakes and growing from them 05:05 – Why Roger chose to make YouTube content 06:45 – Roger’s lightbulb moment! 10:10 – The first challenges Roger faced as a creator 11:20 – The benefits of hiring a YouTube consultant 14:57 – What makes Roger great at his job? 16:58 – What makes a good video? 19:20 – The number one thing for video success 20:41 – A look at Roger’s team 24:30 – Roger shares his Speed Round answers 32:14 – Roger’s final take 33:05 – Outro  Important links and mentions: Subscribe to Roger’s YouTube channel Subscribe to TheTradeTalks on YouTube Follow Roger on LinkedIn Follow Roger on Twitter/X Follow Roger on Instagram Visit Roger’s website 

Whether or not you have a brand-new camera or premium microphone, you are missing a trick if you don’t unlock the power of storytelling. But what makes it so important? And how can video creators reap the benefits? YouTuber and video marketing course creator Amanda Horvath joins this episode of The Visual Lounge to share why storytelling should be the beating heart of your content. She explains how to showcase your authentic self on camera, align your personality with company values on brand channels and reminds us of something super-important…aim to improve your videos 1% every single time. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – Introduction 02:17 – One tip for improving your videos 04:12 – Why storytelling really matters in video 06:47 – The do’s and don’ts of storytelling 10:15 – Making quality videos with simpler equipment 11:27 – Where story comes into video creation 16:11 – Explaining energetic transfers during video creation 17:38 – Sharing your personality on brand channels 21:56 – Aligning with your company’s values and goals 25:42 – Amanda’s Speed Round answers 31:09 – Amanda shares her final take 31:40 – Outro  Important links and mentions: Subscribe to Amanda’s YouTube channel Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn Follow Amanda on Instagram Visit Amanda’s website 

Creators can gain traction and build a dedicated following without hair and make-up, expensive cameras or top-of-the-range microphones – as long as they provide value to their audience. Sharing valuable messages in a friendly, informative and engaging way is more than enough to start seeing success, says YouTuber, food blogger and cookbook author Lisa Childs. Lisa joins this episode of The Visual Lounge to share her recipe for success, detailing her introduction to video creation and how she built her YouTube channel to reach 250,000+ subscribers – plus the challenges in between! Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – Introduction 02:30 – Lisa’s top tip for improving your videos 04:14 – How Lisa started making cooking videos 05:00 – Why video creators should learn and adapt 06:35 – What Lisa’s previous career taught her 10:47 – Lisa’s first steps as a creator 12:09 – Lisa’s biggest challenges as a creator 15:57 – Does Lisa use templates and structures for her videos? 19:41 – Providing value without high-tech equipment 22:00 – The moment Lisa realized her success as a creator 26:36 – Lisa’s experience with Camtasia 29:19 – Speed Round questions 38:11 – Lisa’s final take 38:49 – Outro   Important links and mentions: Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn Follow Lisa on Instagram Visit Lisa’s website Subscribe to Lisa on YouTube

Explore the art of efficient video creation with a focus on time management… Each stage of production takes consideration, time and effort, so what tools and processes can you put in place to streamline your workflow and create fantastic videos faster?This is part 2 of our fascinating conversation with YouTube creator, speaker and entrepreneur, Nick Nimmin. In it he explains his super-organized video creation process and takes us through the tips, tricks and hacks that make his work easier.Nick tells us the benefits of keeping things simple, why your main goal should be to provide your audience with maximum value and tips on how to do that. Plus he explores how AI tools can help with ideation and shares a welcome reminder – don’t expect instant results. Even the seasoned pros are always learning!Learning points from the episode include:00:00 – Introduction01:34 – Nick’s tips for speeding up video creation06:08 – ChatGPT’s helpful feature for ideation09:24 – Discussing Nick’s set-up12:44 – What you need to get started making videos15:36 – The beauty of simplicity17:57 – Focus on providing value to your audience21:44 – Does every YouTube creator need to consider brand?27:30 – Don’t expect instant results!33:02 – A quick tip for designing thumbnails36:24 – Nick’s final tips42:29 – Outro Important links and mentions:Connect with Nick on LinkedInSubscribe to Nick’s YouTube channelVisit Nick’s website

In this podcast, YouTube creator Nick Nimmin shares his tips and tricks for efficient content creation. He discusses using audience feedback and AI tools for ideation and workflow. Nick explains his content file structure and the time it takes to edit videos. Plus, he reveals why he creates multiple videos in a day.

Whether you create videos for YouTube or internal training content, you should have one top priority – keeping your audience engaged. But what steps can you put in place to make sure this happens? And what should you do if your videos aren’t making the desired impact? On this episode of The Visual Lounge, Matt Pierce shares top tips for making engaging YouTube and internal content, why jump cuts could be the simple tool that makes your videos more compelling and why it’s vital you know your audience. Remember: bring them in, create content for them and keep them watching. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – Introduction 00:57 – Fighting for attention on YouTube 02:45 – The YouTube creator mindset 05:44 – Applying a creator mindset to internal training content 07:29 – How AI could impact video creation 08:53 – The power of jump cuts 11:33 – Find your style 11:52 – Experimenting with TechSmith content 13:13 – What’s on screen in your videos? 15:52 – Knowing your audience 16:54 – Bring them in, create content for them and keep them watching 17:00 – Outro  Important links and mentions: Connect with Matt on LinkedIn Follow Matt on Twitter