Video and Livestream Production Equipment: What’s in My Fanny Pack

I’m often asked what tools, technologies, and products I use to create video (especially livestream video for Facebook). This video (and post below with the links) will tell you everything you need to know!

I have just one favor to ask of you…please…pretty please…

If you decide to get a product you learned about here, would you be kind enough to click the links below and purchase from them? It goes to Amazon. Gives you the same price you’d get searching for the item yourself. But it tells Amazon that my site is referring them traffic and they like me better and give me a small percentage to say thank you. Plus, these stats are important to me as I try to pitch my services to companies.

Enjoy!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zMQYzfqF0gQ%3Fstart%3D1

Recommended (and other) Products

Lavalier (Clip-On) Mic Options  
  
Sennheiser ClipMic digital Mobile Recording Microphone for iOS Devices   Yes. It’s $190. But worth it. My absolute favorite mic. And it’s so tiny that it travels anywhere. The quality is superb (as you’ll see in the video) and you’ll find yourself using it way more than you think…believe me… Shure MVL Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Microphone [1/8″ (3.5mm)] + Windscreen, Tie-Clip, Mount and Carrying Pouch   Mid-range budget (about $70). If you’re not ready to drop $190 on a mic yet, here’s a less expensive option for you.  I haven’t tested it yet, but the reviews are pretty good. Professional Grade Lavalier Lapel Microphone ­ Omnidirectional Mic with Easy Clip On System ­ Perfect for Recording Youtube / Interview / Video Conference / Podcast / Voice Dictation / iPhone   For an even cheaper budget option, this mic has great reviews. I haven’t tested it, but it’s a good place to get started and will be better than just your phone alone for audio.
HANDHELD Mic Options  
  
IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD high-definition handheld microphone for iPhone, iPad and Mac (black)   For interviewing others on a livestream. I love this mic. The sound quality is great, even in very windy and noisy environments. I’ve used it at concerts, on top of tall buildings, and at parties and the audio comes through very clear (about $85). IK Multimedia iRig Mic HD 2 high-definition handheld digital microphone for iPhone, iPad, Mac and PC   This is the newer version of the first mic. If I were in need of an upgrade, I’d get this. Honestly, though, the first version works well. I have the original version, but this one is a little easier to find for Prime members. But it’s about $25-30 more than the one I have (about $115). IK Multimedia iRig Mic handeld condenser mic for smartphones and tablets   Here’s another option, non iPhone specific version. I don’t think the quality is AS good, but it’s a little cheaper (around $60), and definitely better than no mic! This works on the headphone jack, so if you have a newer iPhone make sure to have your adapter handy. Can also use on computer.
CELL PHONE MOUNTS AND MINI TRIPODS  
  
Vastar Universal Cell Phone Tripod Mount Adapter Holder for iPhone/Samsung Galaxy/Nexus and More Cell Phones Use on Tripod, Monopod, Selfie Stick, Tabletop Tripod Stand and More   Under $5 and will fit with any existing tripod with a standard mount attachment. This is a no-brainer purchase. Plus, I think it’s more sturdy than some of the other (more expensive) mounts. Universal Mini Tripod, Walway Adjustable 360° Rotation Lightweight Desk Cell Phone Mount Stand for GoPro/ Cameras/ Camecorders/ Smartphones (Black)   The bare bones, basic, not super-high quality but functional mini-tripod. Will pack easily into any bag. Or even your back pocket. But you’ll need to also get a cell phone mount if you want to use this tripod. Rienar Octopus Style Portable and Adjustable Tripod Stand Holder for iPhone Cellphone   This bendy tripod I like quite a bit, especially at the price point (under $10). The mount that comes with it, I find, isn’t as good as the first one listed here, so I took it off and used my existing mount. But if you’re really on a budget, I’d get this one and rock it.

If I didn’t already have any of the above tools, though, and wanted to get a kit with everything, this is the one I would purchase. Flexible tripod. Strong cell phone mount. And a Bluetooth remote. (All under $20!)

KobraTech Mini Cell Phone Tripod – TriFlex Mini – Flexible iPhone Tripod for Any Smartphone

Home Studio Equipment (Used to make the video above)  
   
Neewer 75″/6 Feet/190CM Photography Light Stands for Relfectors, Softboxes, Lights, Umbrellas, Backgrounds   Super cheap. Super compact. Super easy-to-use tripod. It’s lightweight, easily storeable, and sturdy enough for home use, Even though the title says lighting and backdrop stand, it has a standard tripod screw mount for your phone adapter (shown above). Brightech Eclipse LED Floor Lamp – Double Rings of Light Bring Sci-Fi Ambiance to Contemporary Spaces – Dimmable Bright Halo Tall Standing Modern Lamp for Living Room, Bedroom and Office – Silver   This light makes me so happy. It doubles as a floor lamp! And it looks cool. I can lower the big ring, put my phone on the tripod in the middle of the ring, and record with easy lighting. Plus, three light settings! Oh! The Chatlight! I like this handy little guy. If you want to get one, please use THIS LINK because they like it when I refer people to them.   In fact, they were the first company about 18 months ago who reached out after I posted about their product online and gifted me an extra light as a thank-you. My first taste of what being an influencer could feel like…I want more of that! 🙂

And, of course, be sure to grab a copy of my book! Dynamic Communication: 27 Strategies to Grow, Lead, & Manage Your Business (from Entrepreneur Press). You can get more strategies for using video to GROW your business in chapters 6, 7, 8, & 9!

Dynamic Communication: 27 Strategies to Grow, Lead, and Manage Your Business

How to Manage Unhappy Customers

In this Dynamic Communication interview, author Jill Schiefelbein chats with Eric Yuan, CEO and founder of Zoom, who gives a tip that can help you manage your business. Perfect for entrepreneurs, small businesses, sales teams, customer service departments, project managers and more.

  • How do you deliver happiness to your customers?
  • How can a CEO listen to his or her customers and respond to concerns?
  • What are some best practices for managing feedback?
  • Why might getting rid of project managers be a good idea for customer service?

See the interview video clip at: https://www.entrepreneur.com/video/289427

Eric’s interview is one of 27 featured in Jill’s latest book: Dynamic Communication: 27 Strategies to Grow, Lead, and Manage Your Business available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.

How to Keep Customers and Make More Sales

In this Dynamic Communication interview, author Jill Schiefelbein chats with Noah Fleming, founder of Fleming Consulting & Co. and author of Evergreen and The Customer Loyalty Loop, who gives a tip that can help you grow your business. If you want to understand one of the most common mistakes sales and marketing teams make in business that is costing them customers, watch this video.

  • What is the biggest mistake sales teams make?
  • Why do businesses lose customers?
  • How does customer loyalty impact your business?
  • Why are consumer touch-points so important?

See the interview video clip at: https://www.entrepreneur.com/video/288807

Noah’s interview is one of 27 featured in Jill’s latest book: Dynamic Communication: 27 Strategies to Grow, Lead, and Manage Your Business available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.

Dynamic Communication Book

GET YOUR COPY TODAY!

 

Communication is more than words. Successful, DYNAMIC COMMUNICATION is measured by the actions and results that you generate—not the messages you produce.

GROW Your Business

Get 27 actionable strategies that you can implement to grow your business. Each chapter can be read independent of others, so in as little as 10 minutes you get an idea that can change your business.

Lead Your Business

Contributions from top entrepreneurs like Grant Cardone, John Lee Dumas, Jay Baer, Kat Loterzo, Robin Koval, Ekaterina Walter and 20+ more, give you real advice from real success stories.

Manage Your Business

Feedback is the motor oil that keeps your business engine running. Learn how to manage your teams and keep your people innovating with proven communication and engagement strategies.

Strategies to Accelerate Your Business

8 Parts. 27 Strategies. 100% Action.

The Bare Basics

Things you need to understand about communication

Sales Machine/Ninja/Badass

Providing service and growing sales

Marketing that Educates

Creating value-filled, magnetic marketing

Oh the Humanity!

Public communication strategies that help you connect

Speak Out, Speak Up

Giving presentations that inspire action

Inner Workings

How to manage teams, meetings, and get buy-in

Like a Boss

Leading and managing so people want to work for and with you

Retain, Innovate, or Die

Strategies for employee retention and development

Do Your Research: Know Your Audience Before You Sell

Sales is a numbers game. Unfortunately, some sales people get caught up in the numbers and fail to do the slightest bit of due diligence research before picking up the phone or clicking “send” on an email. This contribution to Entrepreneur.com talks about an experience I had with a sales person who clearly didn’t do his research or know his audience. A lesson to us all!

Know your audience, do your due diligence research, and communicate what you know so you can create a platform for building a long-term relationship. It seems obvious, but it’s often overlooked.

Published September 11, 2015 on Entrepreneur.com https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/250453

Creating Positive Customer Experiences: The Little Things Matter

A popular saying goes, people may not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel. A positive customer or employee experience can go a long way to your reputation and brand as a business, and as a manager or leader. It can also have a magnetizing effect, attracting people to you. This article, published on Entrepreneur.com, provides ten questions to ask yourself on how to create positive customer and employee experiences. Here’s a quick context:

If you want your customers to keep coming back, and your employees to keep performing at a high level, you have to create these positive experiences.

What do you do for your customers that moves you away from being a mere service or merchandise provider to a business that delivers a service or product experience?

How do you create positive experiences for your employees that enable them to see their role in the larger company vision and leave a feeling of belonging that sticks with them long after work is done?

Published August 31, 2015 on Entrepreneur.com https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/250043

Due Diligence: The Most Obvious Sales Tip in the World

I won’t make you wait for it: Know your audience.

It’s simple.

Know your audience. This is the first step for any communicative episode. And selling requires effective communication.

A little bit of due diligence research can go a long way. And communicating in a way that demonstrates your knowledge can yield opportunities that a single-track sales mind (meaning push product, push product, push product) tends to miss.

Here’s an example.

Last week I received an email from a textbook representative from one of the top five academic publishers in the United States asking me if he could stop by my office and bring me desk copies of this publisher’s business communication imprint for use in my classes.

I’m a faculty member in business communication at the largest university in the country. I’m used to getting solicitation emails from publishers asking me to review books in the field or asking me to consult on digital products. So hearing from a publishing representative isn’t new.

But here’s the kicker.

I’m one of three authors on the textbook that is used at this university, and others throughout the country: Business and Professional Communication in the Global Workplace. I don’t say this to toot my proverbial horn (especially since each book that sells earns me barely enough money to buy a Starbucks coffee), but to illustrate a gross neglect of due diligence.

After shaking my head, I responded to the man, sent a direct link to the public syllabus listed on the department website, and told him that replacing my own book and rewriting the course content was not likely to happen.

Does this mean he shouldn’t have contacted me at all? No!

Does this mean that sales people shouldn’t contact people who already have a solution in place? No!

It does mean that if you do your due diligence, you can use a different approach, build a relationship, and made inroads for future opportunities and referrals.

Had he written, expressing knowledge of the book utilized and asked if we had plans to create another edition (this one was released in 2010), he would’ve gained valuable information. He would’ve learned that, no, we aren’t renewing for another edition with our publisher. With that information he could have (a) asked if we would be interested in talking to an editor at the company he represents–demonstrating his value to the editorial team in finding potential authors, or (b) asked if I would mind if he dropped off some books for consideration at a later date, should we decide to switch to a newer version, or to review updated chapters on technology for potential adoption, since that changes so rapidly.

Either of these would’ve furthered the relationship, and who knows what might have happened in the long run.

Know your audience. It’s simple. But often overlooked.

Acknowledging Feedback: What are Your Moving Bus Stops?

This year a particularly amusing phenomenon is occurring in China—the case of the moving bus stop. The latest victim to this menace, Xiaozuo, China—a village of 3,000—made the headlines in today’s Wall Street Journal in an article by Te-Ping Chen, In China, the Bus Stops Sometimes Take a Walk.

Villagers, not happy with the current bus stops, have begun digging up the signage and digging new holes (complete with pouring cement) in order to favor their location. Be it an aging community who feels the current stop is too far to walk or an advantageous business owner trying to shift customers in his favor, “walking” bus stops are causing havoc in transportation routes.

Transportation authorities are directing operators to continue to use the old locations, and have replaced signage in many instances. This works for village residents, who know where the original stops are. But for those who visit the area, you’re likely to end up flagging down a passing bus to no avail, because you’re at the wrong stop.

This is clearly a communication breakdown.

An obvious, and quick, solution would be to put stickers over the “moved” bus stops to communicate that buses will not stop there, and point patrons to the original location.

This is just a bandage on the wound.

Unfortunately this happens in businesses all the time.

Underneath the phenomenon of the walking bus signs is a systemic problem to be addressed—listening to feedback. Is there legitimate reasoning behind these moving bus stops? Should the transit authorities be paying attention? Would simply acknowledging the move help the situation? Or is this just the case of multiple pranksters trying to pull one over?

There’s always some truth behind every joke.

In some areas, the government put out advertisements in publications to encourage people to stop moving the bus stops, expecting the problem to slow—but it hasn’t.

Organizations are guilty of this, and often at the cost of profitability. When something goes wrong, we often seek the nearest bandage to stop the hemorrhaging. But what we fail to do is find out how the bleeding began in the first place. We fail to get feedback. And in the cases when we do receive feedback, we often fail to listen.

Asking for feedback means nothing to your employees or your consumers if you aren’t recognizing, or in some cases implementing, shared thoughts. In the same way having an “open door policy” is a waste of time, and a statement of hypocrisy, if you aren’t going to encourage challenges to the status quo and contrary opinions without repercussion.

I challenge you to recognize the feedback from your employees and customers. And not just with a thank-you. Respond, legitimately, to the feedback. If you don’t agree, let them know that you understand their desire to move the bus stop, but then show them how it is not feasible and explain why. This communication lets people know that they, and their opinions are valued. When you take time to have a conversation, they feel respected. And even if you don’t change the direction of your bus to accommodate their requests, you’ll have riders who better understand the system.