How companies are using video podcasts to educate their market

I'm showcasing this video by Syberworks, Inc. because I think it is a great way that companies can spread the message about what they do and promote their area of expertise.

Information, or content, marketing, is replacing 'interruption' marketing on the Internet today. Interruption marketing is a technique we've all come to know well-- marketing that interrupts what we are doing, e.g., banner ads that pop up or commercials during a broadcast.

With content marketing, customers come to you for one reason or another, and you supply information that is perceived to be of value--either education or entertainment targeted to your market.

We also offer this service for our clients, as we believe valuable exposure is gained through video sharing sites and posting video podcasts on corporate websites.

This example is useful because learners can discover how elearning is being employed by police officers and about the company Syberworks, too. It isn't too selly, and for those interested, the 4 1/2 minutes spent watching is time well spent (at least we hope).

Visual technical communication: XBRL in Plain English

As the volume of information we need to stay current continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important to deliver digital content in a way that sticks with learners. In order to avoid information simply flowing past learners' minds, we need to apply best practices for multimedia learning to our content.

Research shows the combined use of narration with visuals is effective for learning. Known as dual channel processing, it allows our brain to process information through both the eyes and ears at the same time. Done correctly, this can be a powerful way to reach, and more importantly, stick in learners' minds.

Connecting a visual image to the words we are hearing helps us make more sense from a multimedia message. It's when we make meaning--by linking what we learn to what we already know--that transfer to long term memory occurs.

The alternative is information, or cognitive, overload. We've all been there: transfixed gazes at computer screens or glazed-eye syndrome during a lecture in a dimly lit room.

In the above example, Just Systems adopted the digital storytelling technique used by Common Craft to describe the role of XBRL in financial reporting. It's a complicated subject and, in approximately six minutes, they've done a rather good job of explaining it. You could call it content marketing or selling your idea, but it's about getting a message across as effectively as possible. In a world where competition for our online attention is ferocious, making a message stick becomes as important as the message itself.

As making meaning from the online or mobile content remains the challenge of the day, I think we serve learners well through the effective use of visuals in the form of digital storytelling, mind mapping, videos, charts, graphs and the like.