The Guardian, Meg Watson, 14 Apr 2020

From getting the sound right to keeping it quick, famous YouTubers and webinar experts share the secrets of a dynamic digital presentation

The world has never been more online. That statement used to be thrown around with wide-eyed optimism. Now, in the midst of a pandemic, it’s an uncomfortable fact of life.

Office workers spend endless hours on Zoom, artists stream work on Facebook Live, and formerly real-world service industry providers such as trainers and hairdressers upload their skills to YouTube and Instagram. But online video doesn’t come naturally to everybody. We asked three pros for advice to anyone getting started.

Keep it snappy

Derek Laney, head of solutions and product marketing at Salesforce, says, “Whenever you’re doing something online, you need to think differently”.

Laney runs webinars and other online events for the customer-relationship management business. His main tips for what works online are getting straight to the point, keeping it short, and shaking things up where possible. “The standard for online is 20 minutes or less,” he says. “Ten minutes is better. If you can do it in a two-minute explainer, that’s even better.”

(The full explanation can be found in the article)

You don’t need a fancy camera

Sound is everything (but lighting helps)

Look right down the lens

Don’t be so hard on yourself

Consistency is key

Practice being authentic