How To: Become a tester of new video products and sites

On the Yahoo! Videoblogging list, Amani Channel asked how he can become a tester of new technology.

Here's my answer:

You know I think you're doing a great job by sharing yor knowledge on your site. One thing you could do is add more text to your video posts.

In this example you are explaining how to use a pro mic, but the reader needs to view the video to learn how.

If you add text to describe what's in your video, it will make the video easier to be found via Google.

You also call it a 'profesional microphone,' I'd call it an 'electro-voice RE20 professional microphone' and link THAT back to electro-voice.

After writing the review, I'd drop the company an email to let them know it's out there. It they are on twitter, send them a message there.

By doing the interview, you're helping people learn more about the product and it's valuable.

In my case, I bought all my equipment my self and blogged about how I was using it to make video. In the beginning when we were all learning, when I posted each video, I also explained how I made it.

Even recently I purchased a number of new cameras and microphone to test for my book, Get Seen. It was hard contacting each of the companies and some don't even have a presence on social media sites.

For those products that I had to have in the book, I borrowed a product, or tried one from a friend.

When I saw that no one had done a review of the iPod touch when it added a video recorder, I went to the Apple Store nad did a review there and took product shots.

The most last thing I added to the book was a review of the new Windows Media Maker that runs on Windows 7. I learned it and made a movie and posted it while at the local Microsoft center for a presentation.

Once you have a history of being someone who can write well and review products, companies should want to contact you.

Best wishes for a productive 2010 reviewing new products.

Some examples:

Make a Magic Movie With FlipShare 5.0.5
How To: Share a Flip Movie to Facebook with FlipShare 5.0.5
Kodak Zi8 Entry Level Mic Tests
How to Shoot, Edit and Post Video with the Nokia N95