BCST 2215 New Media for Broadcasting | Week 10 | Google + SEO

April 4th, 2011 by · No Comments · Lecture notes

Optimizing your WordPress Blog:

indexable meta tells Google what your blog is about

indexable meta tells Google what your blog is about

Start by going to General Settings in you Dashboard.

Give your blog a meaningful, descriptive (short + catchy) title and tag line. These text titles are Google indexable and will help the search engine better direct targeted traffic to your blog.

Keep Post title + cut line format consistent (and descriptive)

Google likes conformity

Google likes conformity

Backlink: To yourself + your friend’s blogs

Referencing (and linking to) your previous posts contributes to your backlink economy. The more internal and external links the better!

*Links tell Google your content is popular and thus relevant (i.e. deserving of being higher in the SErP)

do it...

do it...

Promote your blog through SocMed!

Links to your blog posts on Facebook and Twitter count as backlinks!

Set up a Contact form (list it in your header menu or categories):

Make your (real) self accessible!

Enable Comments!

*Google indexes comments – the more comments you have the more popular Google deems your blog to be and the higher you’ll be ranked for particular topics.

**Always respond to comments too… the responses count as backlinks.

Always include meta data (i.e. text) when posting images:

*Image <meta> helps Google index your pictures in Google Images.

makes your pics indexable (otherwise they're invisible to SEs)

makes your pics indexable (otherwise they're invisible to SEs)

Facebook dominates the SocMed pond:

Facebook doesn't like to share

Facebook doesn't like to share

Next week is our last class + your final blogs are due!

Here is what you need to pass:

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BCST 2215 New Media for Broadcasting | Week 9 | web video

March 21st, 2011 by · No Comments · Lecture notes

The little DV Cam that could

The little DV Cam that could

Camera Basics:

-The Panasonic DVX100 is a pro-caliber standard def DV (digital video) camcorder built for the indy film market

-records non-interlaced video (unlike typical consumer grade cams) allowing for 24fps up to 30fps (North American broadcast standard) = sharper picture, richer colours… no picture ‘flicker’ or scaling.

*Makes standard def. footage look good on HD TVs

SD = Standard Definiton (4:3 aspect ratio, 480i resolution) *480 interlaced horizontal lines that comprise the picture

versus…

HD = High Defintion (16:9, 1080p) *more pixels per frame = better image!

Manual Exposure Control:

-Iris (fStop) = the size of diaphragm covering the lens, controlling the amount of light hitting the sensor (in place of film)~Aperture in still photography

*Controls depth of field (DOF) = The distance b/t foreground and background objects in focus, as well as general brightness/darkness of image

gnomes deep dof**A large f-stop number (f8, f10, f11, f18, f22) = a small aperture (i.e. hole in iris) yields a picture that is sharp/in-focus edge to edge, foreground to background

gnome shallow dof**A small f-stop number (f1.4, f2.8, f4) = a wide aperture (big hole in iris/oft. called wide open) yields a picture where only a small point of the image is sharp, blurring the rest

graduated ND-ND filter – controls the colour and amount of light passing through the lens – also can cut reflections and ripples on water and add definition to clouds *Use on bright/sunny days

-Shutter speed:

Standard (in North America) is 29.97fps (referred to as 30fps).

24fps = cinematic and mimics film

*Use to ‘slow’ moving objects like a helicopter’s rotors or take the scan lines out of an old television…

-Pro-quality audio:

Allows use of XLR audio connections and multi-channel recording

Narrative vs. Sequencing:

Narrative is the story arc…

Story-Plot-Structure

Sequencing: How to tell a story (narrative) visually *Can’t just describe it… have to show characters moving through space and time while developing their personalities.

In film, a sequence is a series of scenes which form a distinct narrative unit, usually connected either by unity of location or unity of time.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequence_%28filmmaking%29)

Film = a few acts, broken down into a variety of sequences, composed of different scenes, conveyed through a variety of shots.

Sequencing:
-establishes setting & atmosphere
-conveys mood
-sets pace (tempo)
-compresses time (keeps us interested & our brains stimulated)

Average shot lengths have shrunk dramatically throughout filmmaking history

Average shot lengths have shrunk dramatically throughout filmmaking history

*Sequences got tighter (faster) throughout filmmaking history… to reflect changing tastes (action flicks) & shorter attention spans.
**Quantum of Solace – average shot length is 1.7seconds vs. ‘historic’ examples like Casablanca’s 1 minute average. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/science/02angi.html?_r=1)

Types of shots:
Master/Wide (establishing shot)
Medium shot
Close-up
Extreme close-up
*Cut-ins/Cut-aways (aka insert shots)

Sequencing requires:

-multiple takes with matched action to allow for edit points between shots (ex. from wide, to medium to tight). *Subjects (actors) typically have to repeat scenes multiple times while the videographer shoots his or her repeated action first, for example, in a wide, then again in a medium shot, giving the editor room to cut between the two shots in order to condense the action & drive the visual narrative.

Visual Fundamentals:

rule-of-thirds-liftie

seldom frame in the center

-Rule of 3rds (right, left… rarely in the middle)

-Compositional Axis (180 degree rule)

-matching eye-lines

-interview shots (sit downs vs. stand-ups)

-camera angles (eg. a low shot looking up projects authority on a subject, while a high shot looking down conveys vulnerability).

Lighting basics:

-Natural light (i.e. the sun)

-hot lights (red heads)

-light modifiers

Web optimization basics: Giving YouTube what it wants

YouTube can accept almost any video format for upload, but for most users we have found the following settings give the best results.
•    Video Format: H.264, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 preferred
•    Aspect Ratio: Native aspect ratio without letterboxing (examples: 4:3, 16:9)
•    Resolution: 640×360 (16:9) or 480×360 (4:3) recommended
•    Audio Format: MP3 or AAC preferred
•    Frames per second: 30
•    Maximum length: 10 minutes (we recommend 2-3 minutes)
•    Maximum file size: 1 GB

Filmmaking tips: Basic Composition & Sequence Building from the boys at Hollywood Bubble:
http://www.hollywoodbubble.com/2011/02/filmmaking-tips-basic-composition-and-how-to-build-a-sequence/

—Click to go to your lab—

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BCST 2215 New Media for Broadcasting | Week 7 | SocMed Badges

March 7th, 2011 by · No Comments · Lecture notes

Want one of these?

facebook badge Twitter_badgeLinkedin Badge

Here’s how to get ‘em…

Twitter

  • Go to your Twitter account and login
  • Click on your Account menu (top right by your thumbnail if you’re using the latest version…
  • Pick Settings…
  • Scroll to the bottom of the page and pick Resources
  • Pick the Resource you’d like & copy the XML code!
  • Go back your WP blog…

*In WP, go to your Widgets page… Choose the Widget Area where you would like your badge (your choices will be limited by the theme you have chosen…)

**Drag a Text Box from your Available widgets menu… into the widget area you chose…

***Paste the code in! Save it and view your page!

Facebook

Go here: https://www.facebook.com/badges/

*Copy/Paste the code for the type of badge you’d like!

LinkedIn

Go here: http://www.linkedin.com/profile?promoteProfile=&trk=mypro_badges

*Copy/Paste the code for the badge you like!

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BCST 2215 New Media for Broadcasting | Week 7 | Podcasting

March 5th, 2011 by · No Comments · Lecture notes, Podcasts

Feeds 101 – RSS… XML?!
  • Feeds are a way to distribute rich content (audio/video) through websites.
  • Feeds permit subscription to regular updates, delivered automatically via a web portal, news reader, or email.
  • Feeds make it easier to pull content into widgets or mobile devices & offer an elegant way for blogs to display headlines and… for podcasting!
  • RSS feeds are great b/c they automatically create XML instructions that allow Feed Readers (like iTunes or Feed Burner) to ‘pipe in’ content in a streamlined way

(http://www.google.com/support/feedburner/bin/answer.py?answer=79408)

Whats XML?

Extensible Markup Language = Code that gives specific instructions to browsers or mobile devices

*In your Browser (Firefox) menu, go to ‘View/Page Source’ to see the XML & HTML code of whatever page you’re on.

**WordPress is great b/c users don’t NEED to know any code to blog (usually)!

Whats an RSS?RSS badge

Really Simple Syndication = a standardized web feed format used to publish frequently updated content

  • news
  • headlines
  • ‘rich media’ (AKA audio and video
  • An RSS document is called a “feed”, “web feed” or “channel”
  • RSS feeds include summarized text and metadata like publishing dates and authorship

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS)

5 Steps to podcasting on iTunes:

1.) Create your file ~ audio, video or document (.m4a, .mp3, .mov, .mp4, .m4v, .pdf)

2.) Upload your file to a server & get its URL (i.e. ‘link to it in a blog post’)

*For now we’ll be ‘serving’ your file from your current ‘broadcastblog’ server…

3.) Create an RSS feed (an XML file) *WP does this automatically for post Categories…

4.) Submit the URL for your RSS feed to iTunes

5.) Listeners/Viewers Subscribe to your feed & enjoy your content using a Podcast client (AKA Pod-Catcher or Feed Reader) like Feedburner or iTunes…

(http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/specs.html)

How to complete the aforementioned 5 steps:

*First – use Firefox!

1.) Create your file… You’re radio students… you should know how to do this:)

2-a.) Upload – Before you upload your mp3 or .mov, create a dedicated podcast Category (which in our case is intended to be specifically for audio podcasting):

  1. Create a ‘Podcasts’ Category (the podcasts feed you’re about to create will funnel everything you include in your Podcasts Category into the feed).
  2. Assign every post containing an audio link to your “podcasts” category (*every post w/ audio you want to podcast)
  3. If your blog is at yourname.broadcastblog.ca, your podcast feed will automatically be available at:
http://yourname.broadcastblog.ca/?feed=podcast

2-b.) Upload your file (mp3, mov etc.) to your WP media gallery (i.e. the ‘broadcastblog’ server) then ‘insert into post‘ (using whichever plugin you may have installed to customize your player options… prevent downloading etc).

2-c.) Check the new ‘Podcasts’ Category you created… and Publish your post (after filling in the requisite details, excerpt fields etc).

2-d.) TEST your podcast feed is working by typing this URL into a new browser tab:

http://evan.broadcastblog.ca/?feed=podcast

*Make sure the ‘evan’ part is your address…

**If you’re using Firefox, it should open up a Live Bookmarks page…

Example audio: Arctic Monkeys – A Certain Romance

*Audio file must be linked/embedded in your post in order for it to be available in your feed/on iTunes.

*Validate your feed: http://feedvalidator.org/

3.) Creating an RSS feed & uploading its XML file to your media server… Ta-daa! You did this in step 2 already! *WP creates your feed automatically so you don’t have to mess about with the XML files…

4.) Submit your Podcast RSS feed to iTunes

*Install iTunes on your computer if its not already there…

1.) in iTunes, go to the Advanced menu and select ‘Subscribe to Podcast‘.

  • Copy/paste your podcast feed URL:

(http://mdia4015.edublogs.org/?feed=podcast). It should open in your iTunes podcasts menu.

If your mp3 file contains any id3 tags* or album art, it will display automatically in iTunes.

2.) To get your podcast into the iTunes Store…

  • Open the iTunes Store in iTunes & select the Podcasts category
  • In the Quick Links menu along the right side, choose Submit a podcast
  • Copy/Paste your feed URL
  • Open an iTunes account if you haven’t already (& enter your login info)
  • Follow the directions!

*There is a plugin for that…

Podcasting with PodPress: http://www.podpress.org/

  • Install the PodPress Plugin

PodPress streamlines the podcast process by putting all the iTunes required elements in one graphically-minded place (even less code monkey-ing required).

——-web-friendly-file-types——–

MP3 - the psychoacoustic masking codec*

  • The MP3 format uses a ‘lossy’ compression algorithm to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent the audio recording and still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio for most listeners.

*MP3′s compress audio info by stripping out some sound info, making the file itself smaller (thus easier to stream/transmit), i.e. its a lossy format in that some info is ‘lost’ (sacrificed) in favour of file size.

**there is a trade-off between the amount of space used and the sound quality of the result… MP3′s sound OK because the mp3 compression process ‘mimics’ certain tones rather than reproducing a ‘true’ copy of each note… our ears can’t tell the difference.

i.e. fewer similar-but-different notes = less unique info = smaller file size

  • An MP3 file that is created using the setting of 128 kbit/s will result in a file that is about 11 times smaller than the CD file created from the original audio source.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mp3)

Bit rate – 128, 160 and 192 kbps are typical MP3 bit rates – 128kbps is a good middle-ground b/t quality & filesize

  • The higher the bit rate, the larger the file (and the closer it will sound to the original file).
  • Too low a bit rate and your file will sound artifacted & jumpy

*Uncompressed audio (like a store-bought album on CD) has a bit rate of 1,411.2 kbps

Sample rate – CD quality = 44.1kHz 16-bit stereo, broadcast/HD/DVD pro quality = 48kHz 32-bit stero (keeps up with 29.9fps video)

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_rate)

WAV – Waveform Audio File Format (aka Windows Audio)

  • Typically used to store uncompressed audio (CD quality)BIG FILES
  • Not great for online sharing!
  • Use when broadcast quality audio is needed!
  • WAV files must be less the 4GBs… (about 7 hours of CD quality audio – 44.1kHz 16-bit)

MOV – Quicktime File Format (aka Apple video)

  • Multimedia ‘container’ format that ‘wraps’ MPEG audio w/ video for easy transfer & playback (like MP4)
  • universal standard format – plays on most devices & browsers

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BCST 2215 New Media for Broadcasting | Week 6 | Audio

February 28th, 2011 by · No Comments · Uncategorized

We now interrupt out regularly scheduled programming… From now on, the url ‘mdia4015.edublogs.org’ will be the home of BCST 2215, New Media for Broadcasting in BCIT’s Radio Broadcasting program.

————Week 6 Lecture: Audio Blogging————

itunes-podcastPodcasting | Definition:

A podcast (or non-streamed webcast) is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication. The word usurped webcast in common vernacular, the word podcast is made famous from iPod due to rising popularity and the innovation of web feeds. -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast

Streaming vs. Downloading:

Streaming = multimedia content (video or audio) that is constantly being ‘streamed’ or sent to a viewer/listener (aka end-user) by a streaming provider (in this case you & your host server).old schoom

*Classic example:

Radio & Television are streaming mediums (i.e. no information is stored on an end-user’s system er, radio or TV). Books, 8-Tracks, CD’s and VHS tapes are inherently non-streaming (i.e. all the data is stored on that medium).

Why Stream?

-Streaming media begins playing immediately (rather than having to wait for the entire file to download, streaming is truly ‘on-demand’)

-Requires a ‘fast’ connection… ~2.5Mbps for SD video (Apple TV), 10Mbps for HD video (fairly standard data rates), eats up your bandwidth…

-Security – if you don’t want user to keep your file…

-the norm…

Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streaming_media

The mechanics of a web cast – Routing Schemes (or, how to get your packets from A to B…)

One hit wonder

One hit wonder

Unicasting = requires multiple connections from the same streaming server even when it streams the same content… on-demand.

(i.e. just you and your computer)

*Can slow networks down if lots of people are simultaneously streaming.

**Someone dials you in and you (& SHAW or Rogers etc.) serves up the goods.

routing

routing

Multicasting =’One to Many’ Communication – A router duplicates a signal from a source to many simultaneous viewers/listeners.

*Ideal for podcasting (iTunes) & internet TV (On-Demand)

**Not sure how much bandwidth you’ll need? Have a 3rd party with gobs of BW handle your content distribution, that way when you get dialed up to serve some content, your routing/syndication service (iTunes) handles the delivery.

shotgun approach

shotgun approach

Broadcast = shotgun approach – cast your signal to the wind & whomever has a receiver & is tuned in to your signal, picks up what you’re laying down.

*Everyone connected to a network will receive your packet.

**All recipients get the same message simultaneously.

long distance calling

long distance calling

Geocasting = delivery of information to a group of destinations in a network identified by their geographical locations.

*Long-distance calling – used by mobile networks (area & country codes)

Sharing = CommunismDownloading: To receive data to a local system from a remote system, or to initiate such a data transfer. (i.e. unlike Streaming, packets of data are transferred from computer A to computer B, where they’ll live permanently until deleted).

*Streaming = doesn’t take up any storage space on your computer… Downloading does.

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Final Exam Practice Slides | MDIA 4015 Web Marketing at BCIT

September 7th, 2010 by · No Comments · quizzes + tests

Mdia 4015 final exam test prep
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Week 7 Lecture | Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and E-Mail Marketing

September 1st, 2010 by · No Comments · Lecture notes

Social Media Landscape
Week 7 Lecture Notes

Week 7 – Social Media, Facebook & E-Mail Marketimg on Prezi

social-media-fredcavazza

Why is Social Networking Important?
From an SEO perspective, SocNets give you other sites on which to place your URL & attract hits!
i.e. Added link juice (even if no-one clicks your links)
*Allows you to control your backlinks (b/c you set-up your own!)

SMO – Social Media Optimizing
Def: SMO is a set of methods for generating publicity through social media, online communities… [& websites that aren't yours!]… Methods include: RSS feeds, SocMed buttons (e.g. Like), blogging & embeds like Vimeo, YouTube & Flickr.

The difference b/t SEO & SMO – SMO focuses on driving traffic from other sites, rather than search engines (although link creation does generate link juice which influences your PageRank).

SocMed for Marketing = engage people with shared media
Be an active member of a community & your rep will (hopefully) generate leads… or take you viral!

Eg: Dear Vancouver

Blogs, Twitter, Facebook = #1
facebookleadssharing1

Facebook for Business:
http://www.slideshare.net/firebellymarketing/facebook-for-business-3318122

Twitter – microblogging – focused on “What you are doing”
*Well suited to mobile users – keep you connected to your community (targets) ‘on the move’
SEO – Optimize your user profile: Name, username, More info URL & One Line Bio fields. *Use relevant keywords!

*Twitter uses nofollow link attribute – mean SE’s don’t pass along any link juice from Twitter links (to prevent spamming).
However, tweets are SE indexable & will increase your web foot print – i.e. make it easier for people to find you… & associate you with a particular community (based on your proximity to keywords).

**The More tweets – the more searchable you are in Google (reason enough to use Twitter).
***Bit.ly / j.mp & other URL shorteners are indexed & crawlable

Flickr – Share your photos (& boost your PageRank & web footprint)
Optimize your profile w/ a link to your portfolio (link juice) & use keywords in your bio.
*Optimize your photo captions & descriptions with keywords! (Don’t leave default filenames, eg: DSC_4015.jpg)
**Include tags
-Join groups pertinent to your niche.
-Friend people who are ranked higher than you! Comment on their shots & encourage them to check out yours…

LInks & Resources:

NPPA – Cost of Doing Business Calculator:
http://www.nppa.org/professional_development/business_practices/cdb/cdbcalc.cfm

Twitter
http://search.twitter.com/
Search for: #followfridays

http://hashtags.org/

http://www.grouptweet.com/
*DM groups of people (rather than just one @follower)
**Have to create a new Twitter accnt. for a specific group – don’t use it for a personal account!

http://tweetbeep.com/
Alerts you of any @mentions, DM’s or anytime one of your URLs is ‘shrunk’ & shared
*Good if you’re not a regular user of HootSute, Tweet Deck etc. Or prefer to get email reminders… Can set up txt alerts

http://tweetmeme.com/
Hottest links on Twitter… AKA What’s meme’ing now.

bit.ly / j.mp
or tinyurl.com
*URL shorteners (& tracking)

http://www.tweetdeck.com/

http://hootsuite.com/dashboard

klout.com

http://www.oneriot.com/
Real Time trending & live search

Youtube:
http://viralvideochart.unrulymedia.com/

Email Marketing: http://www.constantcontact.com/

E Mail Marketing with Constant Contact | Permission Marketing

September 1st, 2010 by · No Comments · Inspiration

Email Marketing Using Constant Contact
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Facebook for Business | Fan Pages and Social Media Marketing

September 1st, 2010 by · No Comments · Inspiration

Facebook For Business

Web Marketing | Week 6 – Lecture – SEM & PPC

August 25th, 2010 by · No Comments · Lecture notes

*Notes have been emailed in .rtfd format (includes embedded images) – same as found below.

Week 6 – SEM & PPC on Prezi

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) = Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising
-PPC is a SE marketing strategy in which advertisers pay their host only when their ad is clicked.
-Appear on SERPs when search queries match an advertiser’s keyword list (i.e. the keywords he/she chooses to assoc. w/ an ad campaign)
-AKA sponsored links or sponsored ads – these appear adjacent to or above organic results on search engine results pages, or anywhere a web developer chooses on a content site.
-Advertisers typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market.
-Content sites commonly charge a fixed price per click – daily limits &/or per-click dollar limits can be set by the advertiser

*PPC ads = sponsored links section at top of SERP
Van BMW dealer SERP

Search Results Market Share
Search market share

The Major players:

PPC Players

Links to ‘other’ PPC platforms *Note not all PPC services are associated with a search engine:
http://advertisingcentral.yahoo.com/
https://adcenter.microsoft.com/
http://sponsoredlistings.ask.com/
http://miva.com/
http://7search.com/
http://kanoodle.com/
http://www.yandex.com/ or http://www.yandex.ru/
http://www.baidu.com/

North American search engine market share:
market-share

*Google dominates North American – so we’ll focus on it.

Google AdWords & Google AdSense
AdWords is #1 SEM platform on the net (surprise surprise)
AdWords is what you use to advertise on the Google SERP – its costs you $
AdSense is what you use to have ads appear on your site – it earns you $

Google AdWords:
Most popular & profitable SEM platform (also makes the most $ for Google)

Google’s partner sites: http://www.google.com/adwords/displaynetwork/find-your-audience/partner-sites.html

Google Display Network = Google-ese for world-wide network of Google-owned & partner sites on which AdWords PPC ads can appear.
% = total web searches
Google Display Network market share

How AdWords works:
Advertisers (you and me) create ads in Adwords that Google uses on its SERP as well as on its content sites and those of its partners.
Website owners use AdSense to generate income by showing Google Ads.
Web searchers & visitors to partner sites click on Google AdWords ads, generating PPC revenue for those site owners (and Google), while drawing traffic to advertisers sites.

AdWords platform

When to use PPC?
Whey you have something to sell!
Doesn’t not have to be e-commerce

-PPC campaigns are not targeting direct traffic – i.e. people who know your service (and url). Use PPC to branch out into new markets or to launch a new product or to launch a new company.
-Keep in mind the ad would-be clients see in their SERP may be the first contact he or she will have had with your company *make a good first impression
-PPC ads are most effective when advertising a specific offer or deal or product… General ads come across as un-targeted and will be less likely to result in a conversion
*Using PPC to promote brand awareness can work as well, however your PPC ad is effectively a link & it must point to a specific page on one of your sites: It is best to design
either a stand-alone campaign page (micro-site) or even a blog post specifically promoting an associated campaign – like a special rate Eg: Free logo re-design for first 10 to sign up…
**Links to your homepage are too generic & will likely result in ‘bounces’, least of all effective conversions. Don’t leave page navigation in your visitors hands… take them to the page you’ve specifically designed to generate conversions!
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