https://blog.penelopetrunk.com/cdn/home/pt-logo.png00Penelopehttps://blog.penelopetrunk.com/cdn/home/pt-logo.pngPenelope2011-03-03 13:26:212011-03-21 09:36:27Secrets to good blog posts (in video!)
An every so often one would be good. I like your written style with the links in them. It gives your writting a connected feel and keeps me on your site longer.
Well, it made me click through to your site to watch it, which made commenting a whole bunch easier, so I’ll give you that. I enjoyed the video, but I personally would prefer a blogpost. I simply like reading your blogposts. What I did like in the video was the dialogue, which you don’t have in your posts (obviously) and the deadpan of the automated voices.
So maybe a bit of both? You could do one video post a week and the rest written? That, of course, is if you were to follow a schedule.
Mark W. says:
My vote is to do the video occasionally because you like to do it. Maybe include a transcript with the video for those people who can’t or don’t want to watch. Also, there’s no links for outside reading in these videos. The bottom line is my preference is with your words because I know I’d spend more time with them.
Oh my God that is funny Penelope – you are the last person I would have expected to do a cartoon video – I loved it. Plus don’t you love how the cartoon caricatures look like barbie dolls? Photography, videos, the surprises keep coming. :-)
Lovoka says:
If you are counting – I am a NO MORE of this kind of vid. i like vids a lot but this kind of static “anime” is a bit annoying – like – ‘why are there two humanoid figures standing there, if there has to be dialogue why not two bugs or balls or flowers’. I prefer my own internal snark-y voice, the one that reads your blog in my head – a blog I enjoy and read regularly. Reading captures the feeling and evokes my own, so your eloquent words become “my” words (the words that I am not smart enough to assemble). Hearing the “drones” speaking is like listening to gossip. Something I am not fond of.
Most people that blog want the money up front, not knowing that you blog first and maybe the money will come
Chris M. says:
Can’t stand the voices– with “real” voiceover, it would be nice to have from time to time. But since so many people seemed to have liked it, I suppose I can just skip the video posts in the future!
I’ve only seen a handful of these – this one is right up there with the one about getting a Ph.D.
I suspect there could be too much of a good thing, though – if you do another, perhaps some other platform would be a welcome change of pace.
Aurora says:
I can’t really comment on the video–because I don’t watch videos on blogs, plain and simple. I have hundreds of blogs I subscribe to and read from start to finish, everyday–and I can read them much, much faster than I could ever watch videos of them…so when blogs go video–I drop them from my list. :)
You’re one of my favorite bloggers–your “voice” rings out loud and clear through your “pen”–in a world full of things that are loud and flashy and shiny, reading is a restful oasis from the noise–and is a pleasure I don’t have to feel guilty about, since it feels “useful”. ;)
Please don’t give in to lure of loud and flashy and shiny–and keep entertaining and enlightening us through the written word! :)
I did watch this video, but I agree. I often sneak in a few blog posts at work when I’m losing focus and need a quick, secret break. Which means videos are out of the question. If I’m at home perusing blogs in the evening and it’s a blog I really love and respect, I’ll watch the video. But it better not be long.
Thanks for all the comments, you guys. Something I didn’t expect is that I actually got a lot of feedback about how people read blogs, what people come for, how people relate to video. This is all very informative.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do. But for sure I’ll keep writing. That’s what I like best.
My blog might suck, and it certainly doesn’t get much traffic, but you read it once, and that’s what counts. I like the video but it doesn’t compare to your writing.
Yes. That was fantastic. Especially the way she took a beat and looked at the camera to mean, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
jt says:
love the computer voices. love the dialogue. don’t change a thing.
carly says:
I prefer to read your posts. Granted, I’m one of those people who refuses to watch the news or online news clips. I’d rather read it online and be able to skim content that is interesting/relevant to me.
So loved this! So So So much! I watched it twice and laughed out loud both times! Robotic voices make phrases like “Because your blog sucks” hilarious! I’d love to see more!
I think if you enjoyed doing it, it’s at least worth experimenting with a few more times, just to see if you get better or still like it. It will take the monotony out of writing for you and you might even find that it helps your prose or inspires you to try a new style. It’s just another way to express yourself and not everyone is going to like it but whatever. You’re used to that.
Libby McCullough says:
Love the Third Wall glances!! Love the video. Funny!! :)
EngineerChic says:
I think a better vehicle would be a musical.
I have enjoyed this format when the topic was quantitative easing, but I think I like your writing better than the video (thought I imagine making the video was a lot of fun).
Sarah says:
all the people who are complaining about the voices have never been to this site before and don’t understand machine-generated language.
the video is FREAKING HILARIOUS and your characters glances at the audience are priceless.
LOVE IT.
Tameem Qazi says:
Absolutely SUPERB! wanna see more, more and more :-)
There’s no reason why you can’t post a video and also the text underneath. Win-Win!
happy says:
Unfortunately, due to my poor slow bandwidth, I can’t watch your video. Can you copy the text below the video? Thanks!
Kirk says:
Loved the video! It was funny, irreverent, and I really liked the computer voices. I think the minimalist approach is what’s hot and goes against the grain of perfect overproduced video and websites. Good job
You know, I normally haaaate watching videos on the web and I love your writing sooo much so I was a little reticent to give this a go, but I enjoyed it! I like your avatar. But more importantly: You managed to capture your POV *and* it was fun/easy to watch. I like the way you brought the convo back to your theory about how blogs help you meet people and achieve your goals rather than being the goal in itself. So I vote yes.
Loved it! I wouldn’t want to see these a lot (though I would like to see movies of the real you), but every now and then, definitely. There’s not enough humor on the internet. Thumbs up, Penelope!
penelope, i recently took some time to read some of your finer posts, the ones about your marriage and your struggles. those really touched me and i could relate. PLEASE, leave the video alone… i had to stop it, it was much too painful for me….. you do ROCK….
Catherine says:
Good technique using dramatic “contrary” recommendations – and good content – but don’t like the computer generated voices – almost stopped watching because of them until I started listening closely. Remember visual is 80% (at least) in learning!!
Mark says:
I’ll watch another. Was hoping to see your gorgeousness. For me the pace could have been a quicker, same amount of content. Could have been a little harsher yet, sure they will be depending on your state of mind. Scary inseam on that Ginger. Don’t worry about us, keep following that muse. I think your truth buys allot of forgiveness and respect.
HA! I am not sure why I am such a sucker for xtranormal videos. i think the deadpan aspect is what makes them so awesome. more videos please!
.Bryan says:
I think people were thinking it would be you talking which would have made it more of a draw…and then to see this animation was a let down….tho the information was typical of what you’ve already said…it was not as interesting as possibly seeing you give a fireside chat…
Sasana says:
I think it was good, but too long. It was a little bit repetitive, and the animation gets boring to look at pretty quickly, as nothing in the picture changes much. It’s almost like not having a picture at all. I’d cut the length by half, and make sure they’re funny.
Bob Braxton says:
My big pot of chicken soup I am cooking is beeping me!
Penelope… I think I ended up here via twitter, what a wonderful surprise. I loved the video! The animation and voices are wonderfully weird and anime and then the dialogue has this completely non-cartoonish seriousness!!! Really made me laugh!!! I’ll certainly find out more about you and follow along.
Kindest regards
John
Shu Liu says:
Hey P, love the video, reminds me of the show Daria; maybe just need a little more personalized/or more robotic emphasis on the accent. LOL, dig your brutal honesty “because your blog isn’t interesting.” More videos, yes please!
I enjoy hearing what you have to say (about everything) even though can’t always claim I agree with ya. But I think that’s important though, understanding different perspectives.
Oh, and thanks for teaching me about miscarriage, I’m a little embarrassed that I don’t know anything about it (and I majored in the health sciences). I KNOW Right?!
OH, and I’m so stoked about you & the farmer :D SuPeR CuTe
Bethany says:
I liked it! It made me laugh. Once in a while these would be fun but I prefer to read your posts.
Loved it. But did you?? Just saw your note that, of course, you will continue to write…but exploring something new must have been at the very least…interesting.
The workplace should be segregated. Maybe.
Ok, it inspired me. I had not blogged in ages and well…..
http://barbidoesmiami.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/stattered/
An every so often one would be good. I like your written style with the links in them. It gives your writting a connected feel and keeps me on your site longer.
LOVE IT! It’s exactly like your blog except in video! It’s witty, fun, insightful and informative. I want to see more please!
I enjoyed this a lot and it felt genuine. Some people say videos bring in more people than any other post on their blogsites. Explore in a new way?
If you enjoy writing dialogue that much maybe you could really give us something special in that area?
Tom
Well, it made me click through to your site to watch it, which made commenting a whole bunch easier, so I’ll give you that. I enjoyed the video, but I personally would prefer a blogpost. I simply like reading your blogposts. What I did like in the video was the dialogue, which you don’t have in your posts (obviously) and the deadpan of the automated voices.
So maybe a bit of both? You could do one video post a week and the rest written? That, of course, is if you were to follow a schedule.
My vote is to do the video occasionally because you like to do it. Maybe include a transcript with the video for those people who can’t or don’t want to watch. Also, there’s no links for outside reading in these videos. The bottom line is my preference is with your words because I know I’d spend more time with them.
Oh my God that is funny Penelope – you are the last person I would have expected to do a cartoon video – I loved it. Plus don’t you love how the cartoon caricatures look like barbie dolls? Photography, videos, the surprises keep coming. :-)
If you are counting – I am a NO MORE of this kind of vid. i like vids a lot but this kind of static “anime” is a bit annoying – like – ‘why are there two humanoid figures standing there, if there has to be dialogue why not two bugs or balls or flowers’. I prefer my own internal snark-y voice, the one that reads your blog in my head – a blog I enjoy and read regularly. Reading captures the feeling and evokes my own, so your eloquent words become “my” words (the words that I am not smart enough to assemble). Hearing the “drones” speaking is like listening to gossip. Something I am not fond of.
“you wouldn’t even support a mild drug habit”
LOL
Most people that blog want the money up front, not knowing that you blog first and maybe the money will come
Can’t stand the voices– with “real” voiceover, it would be nice to have from time to time. But since so many people seemed to have liked it, I suppose I can just skip the video posts in the future!
I’ve only seen a handful of these – this one is right up there with the one about getting a Ph.D.
I suspect there could be too much of a good thing, though – if you do another, perhaps some other platform would be a welcome change of pace.
I can’t really comment on the video–because I don’t watch videos on blogs, plain and simple. I have hundreds of blogs I subscribe to and read from start to finish, everyday–and I can read them much, much faster than I could ever watch videos of them…so when blogs go video–I drop them from my list. :)
You’re one of my favorite bloggers–your “voice” rings out loud and clear through your “pen”–in a world full of things that are loud and flashy and shiny, reading is a restful oasis from the noise–and is a pleasure I don’t have to feel guilty about, since it feels “useful”. ;)
Please don’t give in to lure of loud and flashy and shiny–and keep entertaining and enlightening us through the written word! :)
I did watch this video, but I agree. I often sneak in a few blog posts at work when I’m losing focus and need a quick, secret break. Which means videos are out of the question. If I’m at home perusing blogs in the evening and it’s a blog I really love and respect, I’ll watch the video. But it better not be long.
Thanks for all the comments, you guys. Something I didn’t expect is that I actually got a lot of feedback about how people read blogs, what people come for, how people relate to video. This is all very informative.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do. But for sure I’ll keep writing. That’s what I like best.
Penelope
My blog might suck, and it certainly doesn’t get much traffic, but you read it once, and that’s what counts. I like the video but it doesn’t compare to your writing.
I Loved it…John Waters and David Lynch watch out…
Best laugh of the day.
Have you seen how The Bloggess dealt with bad blog marketing pitches?
http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7876253/
Yes. That was fantastic. Especially the way she took a beat and looked at the camera to mean, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
love the computer voices. love the dialogue. don’t change a thing.
I prefer to read your posts. Granted, I’m one of those people who refuses to watch the news or online news clips. I’d rather read it online and be able to skim content that is interesting/relevant to me.
Don’t change a thing. It’s adorable.
So loved this! So So So much! I watched it twice and laughed out loud both times! Robotic voices make phrases like “Because your blog sucks” hilarious! I’d love to see more!
I cannot lie. I love it.
I’d rather have YOU in front of a webcam talk about your blog, people you met through it, your start-up etc – that would be a great video!
Loved it! Keep making them.
I think if you enjoyed doing it, it’s at least worth experimenting with a few more times, just to see if you get better or still like it. It will take the monotony out of writing for you and you might even find that it helps your prose or inspires you to try a new style. It’s just another way to express yourself and not everyone is going to like it but whatever. You’re used to that.
Love the Third Wall glances!! Love the video. Funny!! :)
I think a better vehicle would be a musical.
I have enjoyed this format when the topic was quantitative easing, but I think I like your writing better than the video (thought I imagine making the video was a lot of fun).
all the people who are complaining about the voices have never been to this site before and don’t understand machine-generated language.
the video is FREAKING HILARIOUS and your characters glances at the audience are priceless.
LOVE IT.
Absolutely SUPERB! wanna see more, more and more :-)
This is awesome, love it Penelope!!!
Videos + web posts suck.
There’s no reason why you can’t post a video and also the text underneath. Win-Win!
Unfortunately, due to my poor slow bandwidth, I can’t watch your video. Can you copy the text below the video? Thanks!
Loved the video! It was funny, irreverent, and I really liked the computer voices. I think the minimalist approach is what’s hot and goes against the grain of perfect overproduced video and websites. Good job
You know, I normally haaaate watching videos on the web and I love your writing sooo much so I was a little reticent to give this a go, but I enjoyed it! I like your avatar. But more importantly: You managed to capture your POV *and* it was fun/easy to watch. I like the way you brought the convo back to your theory about how blogs help you meet people and achieve your goals rather than being the goal in itself. So I vote yes.
Loved it! I wouldn’t want to see these a lot (though I would like to see movies of the real you), but every now and then, definitely. There’s not enough humor on the internet. Thumbs up, Penelope!
penelope, i recently took some time to read some of your finer posts, the ones about your marriage and your struggles. those really touched me and i could relate. PLEASE, leave the video alone… i had to stop it, it was much too painful for me….. you do ROCK….
Good technique using dramatic “contrary” recommendations – and good content – but don’t like the computer generated voices – almost stopped watching because of them until I started listening closely. Remember visual is 80% (at least) in learning!!
I’ll watch another. Was hoping to see your gorgeousness. For me the pace could have been a quicker, same amount of content. Could have been a little harsher yet, sure they will be depending on your state of mind. Scary inseam on that Ginger. Don’t worry about us, keep following that muse. I think your truth buys allot of forgiveness and respect.
I get so tired of these videos. Please don’t start doing them instead of writing content.
HA! I am not sure why I am such a sucker for xtranormal videos. i think the deadpan aspect is what makes them so awesome. more videos please!
I think people were thinking it would be you talking which would have made it more of a draw…and then to see this animation was a let down….tho the information was typical of what you’ve already said…it was not as interesting as possibly seeing you give a fireside chat…
I think it was good, but too long. It was a little bit repetitive, and the animation gets boring to look at pretty quickly, as nothing in the picture changes much. It’s almost like not having a picture at all. I’d cut the length by half, and make sure they’re funny.
My big pot of chicken soup I am cooking is beeping me!
Penelope… I think I ended up here via twitter, what a wonderful surprise. I loved the video! The animation and voices are wonderfully weird and anime and then the dialogue has this completely non-cartoonish seriousness!!! Really made me laugh!!! I’ll certainly find out more about you and follow along.
Kindest regards
John
Hey P, love the video, reminds me of the show Daria; maybe just need a little more personalized/or more robotic emphasis on the accent. LOL, dig your brutal honesty “because your blog isn’t interesting.” More videos, yes please!
I enjoy hearing what you have to say (about everything) even though can’t always claim I agree with ya. But I think that’s important though, understanding different perspectives.
Oh, and thanks for teaching me about miscarriage, I’m a little embarrassed that I don’t know anything about it (and I majored in the health sciences). I KNOW Right?!
OH, and I’m so stoked about you & the farmer :D SuPeR CuTe
I liked it! It made me laugh. Once in a while these would be fun but I prefer to read your posts.
amazeballs
Loved it. But did you?? Just saw your note that, of course, you will continue to write…but exploring something new must have been at the very least…interesting.
Love her (your) big hands…
Great video. Many thanks