I recently did an interview about online video and the interviewer had some good questions for me. Here is the interview in it's entirety. I'd love to know what you think so post some follow up questions in the forum!

Please introduce yourself to our readers...

My name is Perry Lawrence and I have been involved in video production for over 20 years. I started in New York City editing for a small boutique editorial house and have worked with a number of major ad agencies including Ogilvy & Mather. I took a job with a growing non-profit charity called HOPE worldwide, as director of media, in 1999 and began shooting documentaries of their worldwide programs.

I started AskMrVideo.com as a way for me to teach video production and internet marketing with video to small business owners and internet marketers. Other properties that have spun off from AskMrVideo.com are PeopleOnYourPage.com (walk on video clips) and Video OptIn Machine which is an interactive video player.

In order to keep my skills current, I produce videos for Yanik Silver's Maverick Business Adventures. MBA is a high-level business group that combines outrageous experiences with networking. I just returned from Baja, Mexico where we raced cars along the Baja 1000 course -- an unbelievable experience. In attendance where people like Brad Fallon, Mike Filsaime, Joe Polish and 20 other entrepreneurs from all kinds of successful businesses.

I currently live outside of Philadelphia, PA.

That's impressive. How did you get to work with all these IM experts and what did you learn from them about Internet business and online video publishing?

I met Yanik Silver at his Underground Online Seminar #3. I was totally new to internet marketing but was very impressed with the caliber of the crowd Yanik attracted. I walked up and introduced myself and we chatted a while about video. Since that time Yanik and I have worked on a number of his internet projects including the MBA group. Through Yanik, his mastermind group and through his Maverick Business Adventures group I have been able to meet some amazing people -- all who are very helpful and giving of their time and energy. I have learned a great deal about the sales process and the sales pipeline through Yanik and his gang. I have been able to help them with video and the marriage of the two has been super effective for me -- and hopefully them as well.

At UG4 I meet Carrie Wilkerson -- The Barefoot Executive. I am in Carrie's Mastermind Redefined group and that has been a huge boost to my online business. Coaching and accountability are much needed in business, especially when running an Internet business. You can easily get sidetracked and chase the wrong things. Having a group of individuals that are rooting for you and helping you achieve your goals is a powerful thing. I recommend that everyone who is serious about their business join some sort of mentoring/mastermind group.

That's right…

What attracted you to using video on the Internet and why did you decided to move forward with it?

The promise of delivering targeted media to a specific audience has always been of interest to me.

Early video on the net was so frustrating. Postage size images with dial up connections! I was editing videos in a room that cost $500/hour and the equipment was expensive and enormous. So my worldview was from a strict broadcast perspective.

I think the first thing I saw that really showed me the potential of online video was when I started using non-linear editing tools. These editors like AVID, VideoFX, Media100 and the rest were using digital video served over hard drives. I think everyone who used these tools dreamed of internet delivery of source footage.

I was owner of my own video effects house called Edgeworx and we focused mainly on serving the broadcast media. I saw a demonstration of some internet protocols and to be honest was only mildly impressed. The demo was showing the remote control video playback machines. Only a few people were thinking of delivering video over the net-- it was just too bandwidth intensive to even consider. But the promise of access over the net was a beginning.

I did some work with AT&T;'s Interactive Television trials in the early 1990's and saw the HUGE potential of delivering compelling content to a massive audience. At that time the only delivery method was a set-top box and unfortunately, the content was pretty lame and the interactivity not at all compelling. But the seeds were sown in me at that time for what was going to be an eventuality.

The growth of video on the net up until YouTube was very slow and gradual. As bandwidth increased and the cost of storage decreased delivery started to migrate to the internet. I clearly remember posting my demo reel on my website and thinking wow, at last I can deliver content of good enough quality to make it worthwhile.

Fast forward to today. Now the promise of niche delivery, digital content, interactivity and personalization has come into focus.

While working with the non-profit we quickly realized that distribution of content is the key to success. We had been delivering DVDs to local groups but that was not as effective as we had hoped. We were not sure if the DVDs were hitting our entire audience and we couldn't track that. We started putting videos on the website and driving traffic to the videos. We could finally track viewership accurately! That's when video of all kinds and in all sectors took off. When people realized the accurate statistics they could get (which Madison Avenue could not really deliver via traditional media) the feedback loop was complete.

That's interesting…

What is the number one thing you learned about video marketing that has impacted your bottom line, that thing that makes the difference between succeeding and failing in this business?

Authentic Authority! I am a big fan and student of Robert Cialdini. I follow his principles of influence closely and try to leverage what he teaches in everything I do. His six points of influence are powerful:

Reciprocity -- Value exchange.

Consistency and Commitment -- Consumer loyalty

Likeability -- Do consumers know you like them.

Authority -- Having credibility in your field

Scarcity -- Limited availability

Social Proof -- What do others think.

I pay close attention to these six principles closely. But since you asked about the number one thing I'd have to say it would be Authentic Authority.

Being true to yourself and your brand while letting people know you have authority to speak on your topic is very powerful. I teach this in my classes and encourage anyone doing video to be themselves and promote their authority. I encourage my students to not strive for perfection and to find their "authority bling". By asking for 70% (or sloppy success) it gives people permission to let go of their perfectionism and just be themselves. By identifying their expertise and promoting that expertise, others will want to learn from you.

I helped one client do this recently and his business increased by 20% in one month. Another client uses Authentic Authority as the basis for their entire online empire. AND, they have only been internet marketing for only a year! You see, the fourth grader is god to the third grader. Sometimes our authority is that we are new and have just navigated the pitfalls. That type of authority is sometimes even more powerful than a guru's authority.

And that's the point… We want to follow people we can relate to. Creating videos that people can relate to is a powerful tool that anyone can and should be doing.

How are you using video marketing in your business today and why?

I use video marketing in a number of ways today. I use a series model for SEO purposes. I create video series that speak to my niche audience and I leverage keywords by distributing the series to multiple sharing sites.

I also use video to "continue the discussion". I am active on Facebook and Twitter and while these are great at getting a discussion started, I want a little more commitment and consistency. So, I'm driving people to frictionless video squeeze pages that serve to capture their info using reciprocity.

Another way I use video is in "Next Step" marketing. I tell people using very short videos what they need to do next. This has proven to be very effective in the sales pipeline.

I teach people how to leverage video quickly and easily in my Virtual Video Intensive class at http://www.AskMrVideo.com/vvi

What else? Maybe you could also share with us some of your other video sites…

We are getting ready to launch peopleonyourpage.com -- this has been in beta for a year and many top internet marketers like Joe Polish and Vic Johnson have been testing it out. They have reported huge boosts in conversions using walk-on video clips that give specific instruction. Currently the site lets you upload and manage your walk-on clips in a playlist. You can control the delivery frequency, adjust the timing and give each clip a unique clickable url.

We are currently filming clips for niche markets and will make these available via our gallery. This means that Real estate agents, Internet Marketers and Brick and Mortar businesses can get a set of clips specific to their niche.

In December of 2008 I created a site called videogiftideas.com -- partly as an experiment and partly as a teaching tool. It took all of one afternoon to put up. Using a simple "frictionless squeeze page" template I was able to continue the conversation with folks I met on Twitter and Facebook.

Another site that is very exciting is the VideoOptInMachine.com This is a special video player for marketers that works with any autoresponder.

In March 2009 we are launching a brand new site that I am very proud to be a part of -- The Video Marketing Association. This is a B2B community that will feature video marketers from all sectors and interests. Part BBB and part Marketing Sherpa, the VMA will deliver video marketing "best practices", case studies, statistics and high level information to video marketers.

What are the key elements that make your videos stands out and produce results?

For me, since I teach video marketing, it is to make video very approachable and easy to follow and imitate. I use a simple camera, one light and zero editing often. By lowering the barrier to entry and reducing the hassles involved, it shows people that video can be easy, fun and effective.

I have a series called "Webcam Video Series" and it is just that. A series of videos I created using jut a webcam and a laptop. Each episode I add a new feature to improve the quality. It shows people that you can just jump in and start producing. So many of us get hung up in thinking it needs to be perfect out of the gate. It doesn't need to be perfect; it just needs to be done!

We also do a lot of high-end work for our corporate clientele. The big budget stuff is fun and challenging. With crews in the double digits and budgets in the 5 and 6 digits, it's very different, I server as producer/director on these. So as you can see I am in a very wide range of production environments. I LOVE that and I am always thinking "how can I bring these expensive production techniques to the average videographer?" I think all too often publications cater to the high end and not enough to the guys and gals just starting out. I love to bring great info to the marketplace and I love teaching.

So, back to the original question… I believe the key elements to my videos and the videos of my students is that they are shot well, sound great, have authority and authenticity and done on a shoestring. Emphasis on DONE.

What (big) mistakes did you commit when you firstly started using video?

Well, since I've been doing video for 20+ years I have made every mistake possible! But even today the biggest mistake I see others making is not doing video because they think it is too hard or they do not look good or etc.

Just Shoot It!

Having come from an ad agency background, the first thought when I launched AskMrVideo.com was that all my videos needed to be perfect. But that would prevent me from creating any content at all! What I found is that perfection is intimidating, not only to me but to others as well. If my videos look like it took thousands of dollars to produce, that can be intimidating and others will say "I don't have that kind of time or money to do that." So, I have consciously made my videos more relatable and more approachable.

Sure, I can shoot and edit a multi-thousand dollar production - and have and still do -- but my particular audience (small business owners) would be put off by that.

So the lesson here is to speak to your audience. Be two steps ahead but not 20.

What mistakes do you see others commit with their videos?

The mistakes I see most often are:

1) Too long -- cut to the chase already. Unless you are teaching a class, keep your videos short and to the point.

2) Poor audio -- you need to be as conscience of the audio as the video. I always say that audio is 60% of the video. Use a lavaliere mic for best results

3) Lighting -- use a softbox or other diffused light source for the best quality image. Also, do not use a window as a background!

What equipment would you recommend folks on a tight budget and why?

I always recommend people just starting either get a Logitech webcam and/or a Flip Mino HD. The Flip is an amazing camera and is engineered for unbelievable clarity in both video and sound. I use my Flip all the time! It is just so easy and the new version works equally well with PCs and Macs.

Next, get a tripod -- a Flip on a tripod rivals the quality of a much more expensive camera! A tripod stabilizes the image which boosts the quality and perceived production value.

Finally, get a light! A good video light will run you only a hundred dollars but is well worth it. By getting more light on your subject you do two things. You force the camera to use the sweet spot of the lens and you add a "catch light" reflection to your subject's eyes. This creates videos that POP!

How do you promote your videos on the Internet and WHY?

I distribute my videos on the internet using http://www.videogusher.com

This allows me to upload once and distribute to many video sharing websites. I promote them via the natural SEO that omes from this massive distribution and expert forum posts as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

Let's talk about your blog for a minute - AskMrVideoBlog.com… What topics do you cover and what is the feedback so far?

My blog is something of an outlet for me. Since I run a subscription website and post a lot of valuable content there related to video, I was stumped as to what to put on my blog. Currently I use it for a number of things and not only video. I did recently add a vodpod plugin and LOVE it. Now when I find a good video on the net, I can immediately post to my blog and it also posts to twitter. I use my blog as a testing ground for video related tools that are of interest to bloggers. I currently run Wordpress.

I just started another blog called HDFlip.com. On this blog a good friend of mine, Lou Bartone, and I will be posting tips for Flip cameras. It's a fun outlet and one where we hope to "continue the conversation" with people who are interested in Flip cameras.

What differentiates your blog over your 3 biggest competitors?

My competitors probably use their blogs better than I do. Again, my blogs are not my main focus. But, I do use them as a lead generator and as spokes for my main website. This year I will be launching a number of "spoke" sites based on blogs that will allow me to segment my list, continue specific conversations and provide great content.

What suggestions do you have for our readers who are just starting out and would like to get their videos on Youtube?

Get a Logitech webcam, get a YouTube account (free) and start posting videos. Go for 70% sloppy successes!

What is your input on screen capture videos?

Screen capture is a great way to deliver tutorials to your customers, teach about a new product or even create a simple slideshow. On a PC I use Camtasia and on my Mac I use ScreenFlow. For some this is a great way to get into video without even owning a camera! These tools are super easy to use and really easy to place on your website. To get a feel for screen capture video you can even try out Jing -- go to jingproject.com. It's free and easy to use and works on both Macs and Pcs. I use Jing all the time to do quick demonstrations. Both Camtasia and ScreenFlow allow you to record both the screen and a camera feed and you can easily switch between the two and get creative with some fun pip (picture in picture) effects.

What else would you like to share, something that our readers can immediately apply in their video marketing and see results as fast as possible?

Create a video series based around the glossary of your niche. Every niche has a certain vocabulary and you can quickly become the authority AND own your niche on Google's front page search for the terms you select. By creating this glossary and submitting using videogusher.com you can see results on Google in a short amount of time. Add to your series each week and put your url FIRST in the description.

Using these strategies my students have virtually "road blocked" the front page on Goggle!

One last question if you don't mind…

What do you think is the single biggest secret you've discovered or learned (the hard way) about video marketing?

The single biggest secret is that there are no secrets. Marketing in general and video marketing specifically is effective if you apply yourself. Creating one video is not going to get you noticed. Creating a few videos and strategically distributing them will get you a good SEO ranking. Creating a series of videos where you consistently deliver quality content will get you a following. Using video to direct people to where you want them to go next is powerful and effective.

It's not hard and it is a lot of fun. Video, unlike any other medium has the power to instantly connect you with your audience and helps you establish rapport very quickly. Using video in your marketing mix will boost your followers and increase your sales.