A Flip Video camera in every marketers and customers pocket

I love my Flip video camera.

It is a small and inexpensive digital video camera that I take with me on every business trip. You never know where a great video interview might present itself like the one I did with Scott Monty, Ford's digital and multimedia communications manager or where an idea that is best told in video such as Do you sell camels? Which I filmed outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia might pop up.

Marketers should carry one to interview customers, employees and industry analysts and post the video on your site or your blog. You can shoot short clips showing how your products are made or used.

No professionals required

This thing is so damn easy to use. There's a big red button on the camera to start and stop the filming. If you want to get fancy, there is also a zoom. That's about it. Even a technology challenged person like me can use it. The "flip" name comes from the USB drive built into the camera that flips out, making it simple to upload videos to YouTube, Vimeo, or other video sharing sites. Really, it's that easy.

When people push back on the idea of creating a corporate blog or writing an ebook, I always suggest making some simple and short videos with a Flip as an easy way to create valuable content that helps to get the word out. Hey, did I mention that this is easy?

Some companies have started experimenting with providing cameras to employees and even customers.

For example, Sven Patrick Larsen, Chief Marketing Officer for Zemoga, a digital agency based in Bogota, Colombia told me that he gives custom designed Flip video cameras to all of his employees and customers.

Zemoga puts what they call a "Z Portrait" onto Flip video cameras. "The customized Flips started as a cool employee and client gift but they've quickly become an essential tool for all Zemoga team members," Sven says. "We've used them at work (to capture client meetings, discovery sessions, and interaction tests), home, and play and our clients and team members have spread their experiences (and the Zemoga brand across the Web). It's a terrific example of empowering clients, giving up control of the brand message, and seeing it spread like wildfire as a result!"

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Comments

[Charles Brown]

Great post David. I carry my Flip with me everywhere for just the reasons you mention. How many times have we all heard a client say something wonderful about us, but failed to capture it?

[Marcelo Lewin]

Great idea David! I've been wanting to get one, but never thought of a real reason to get one. Now I've got one!

Cheers!
- Marcelo

[Melissa Dobson]

Yes, agree fully David. I brought my Flip camera to my first workshop on social media basics for wineries and small businesses in the Finger Lakes region of NY. I passed it around to the attendees to show just how light and simple it is to use.

Light, simple to use, low-cost, easy to upload. It's a very good way to tell a story and share it.

[Jonathan Bailey]

Totally with you on this idea. Flipcams make it so easy (even for the video-challenged like me) to capture great footage, insight, customer perspective and just plain real experiences. At our agency, we use it all the time for presentations and fun. Recently, we did man-on-the-street interviews to show a client what their customers really have to say about them. For the San Diego Museum of Art, we are considering have a library of Flipcams to hand out to visitors so they can record their own experiences and download them instantly to the Museum's blog we plan to launch.

Video is one of the most under-rated components of the social web. We blog about it regularly as well - http://www.dontdrinkthekoolaidblog.com/how-to-make-a-quality-video-using-the-iflip/

[Brandon Chesnutt]

I remember watching one of Chris Brogan's presentations when he referred to the Flip as the "soccer mom" camera. That analogy has stuck with me ever since. Simple. Easy-to-use. Portable. And oh so valuable!

[Scott F. Gibson]

Another fabulous recommendation. I received my Flip camera as a gift last week and love it. It easily fits into your pocket and is incredibly easy to use. We are buying one for the office, and incorporating video into our marketing.

[Lee Hales]

After meeting you and Chris Brogan at Marketing Now in New Zealand and having a wee play your Flip I promptly ordered one.

Yet to load any of the videos to our site or blog but have started capturing short interviews with the some the users of our website. So easy!

In fact, I haven't seen my Flip for a week now as a colleague has fallen head over heels in love with it and is filming everything he can so we'll soon have some great video content for our website!

My feedback to Flip, (besides to say I love your product) please resolve the issue that is stopping you accepting orders from New Zealand. I purchased from Amazon therefore could not personalise. To customise will be great for us to send Flip cameras to the charities and individuals working on causes in the field.

[Robert French]

I love The Flip, David. My students buy one for my Style & Design class. Their videos are placed in TheLoveliestVillage.org (our hyper-local news network) and several other sites. We even do features for a local newspaper's Web site.

Rick Murray (Edelman) first turned me on to them, back when they came out, and we haven't looked back.

My students use them for their projects, clients and more. I love seeing a grad out online using them, too. You're right. Easiest way to do video and the quality is remarkable!

[Mike Ward]

Love this camera! Only wish the editing software that comes with it was a little more robust. I'd like to overlay the audio from one clip with the video from another to create a voice-over effect. Any ideas how to do this? Or am I expecting too much?

[Jerry Bullard]

I know this might sound like a commercial, but the Flip is just unbelievable. Easy to use...quality video...easy to send clips via email and you can't beat the price! Also, their tech support deparment is really on the ball. Well worth the money spent. I'd highly recommend this camcorder to everyone.

[Niall Harbison]

I have been making videos for over 2 years now for the web and the one question I get asked the most is what sort of video camera I use! People seem to think that a camera will make all the difference but you are right that these little flips are the way forwatd

[Custom Internet Marketing Solutions]

Great article on the Flip. I got one a little over a week ago and feel like this one little device has taken away my excuses for not doing more personal online videos for my subscribers. We've also been able to use it for video testimonials for clients. Who knew so much could come in such a small package? :o)

[Jo]

the Vado HD from Creative is another very good choice too. I personally have one and the video quality is excellent!

[Josiah from HotelMarketingStrategies.com]

The Flip has been around for a while, but I think what makes this all the more cool is the ability to customize the cameras. I work in the hospitality business, and can see how powerful it would be for hotels to loan custom designed cameras to their guests. The guests could then record videos of their stay in the city, and the hotel would inevitably get filmed in the process. It has the potential to be a very viral brand building tool....

[Kathy Cabrera]

Amazing. Flip camera has become as essential a tool as a pen and paper for a reporter taking notes, or a communications professional trying to capture and share a story. From a business storyteller perspective, it will be interesting to see how the craft of shooting, editing and sharing a video differs from the currently established standards and protocols many corporations have for any type of text-based marketing, press and website information before it is posted online. Will we soon have "video proofreaders"?

- Kathy Cabrera, Director of New Media, www.carabinerpr.com

[Ari Herzog]

I was the last person among my close friends to buy a DVD player, then an iPod, and then a digital camera. I'll probably be the last to get a digital camcorder (which essentially is a Flip) too.

[Seth]

The Canon Elph digital cameras take good video as well.

[pautoMarketing]

What about getting releases, approvals, legal department sign-off, etc. from the customers? I would never be able to put use-cases of videos of our products on my blog without lots and lots of paperwork. It would take 6 weeks at least. Also, most if not all locations that our products are in are in no-camera areas. Any suggestions on how to handle this? BTW I have a flip video for the last year and love it but only use it for personal purposes.

[David Meerman Scott]

@pauto - sounds frustrating. I used to work for an organization like that.

I am not a lawyer. I am not giving you legal advice.

However, from a practical standpoint, when I start filming a video I say something like "This is David Meerman Scott and I am with Mary Smith from Acme Corporation and we're filming a video that will go onto YouTube and other social media sites. Do you give your permission, Mary?"

A simple "yes" is good enough for me.

Best, David

[David Prior]

Thanks for alerting me to this product David. I've been looking for one for work - and also to capture the first moments of imminent new arrival! Will put my order in.

[Cederrick]

I like the idea of always having a camera in your pocket.I guess that is why cell phones have a camera on them now. But what will become company policy when cameras catch management doing something questionable? Where were the cameras on Wall Street? Just food for thought.

[Jason Karpf]

The Flip reminds me of the Wii...include only the features that the majority of consumers want, make operating simplicity top priority, provide "good enough" visuals. Clayton Christensen talks about disruptive technologies that earn the distinction by being simpler than overwrought mainstream products, unlocking underserved markets and new applications in the process.

[Issac Morgan]

The idea presented in post is very useful! You never know when you will need to capture an event. This device is very handy and beneficial to media personnel. It definitely does not take a rocket science to use this camera.

[Noreen Vincent]

David,
Your post led me to purchasing a Flip Mino for our marketing department. I am technically challenged, so I took it home to give it a test run. I am impressed by how easy it is to use. Also, purchased one of their camera's that is from their Flip for Good product line, where a portion of the sale goes towards a charitable organization. Need to figure out the best editing tool though. And how best to store the video to embed on our site. Any suggestions?

[David Meerman Scott]

@Noreen - I can't help with editing. But I use either YouTube or Vimeo to host my videos and then imbed into my site and blog.