By TJ Walker

Video and television are coming to a phone and I-Pod near you. It seems like I see a new story every single day in major business press about this video phenomenon. If you or your company is considering producing video to be seen on the phones or I-Pods of employees, clients and customers, you need to keep the following tips in mind.

1. The screen is extremely small (no kidding) so you need to keep everything as simple as possible.

2. Avoid graphics and text on the screen; chances are they will be too small to be read.

3. Simple talking heads can be the most powerful in this new medium, if they are well-done and feature interesting messages.

4. Your face is the most expressive tool in this tiny medium; make sure your face is well-lit and easy to see.

5. Since the screens are so small, you should try to get a tighter shot on your face for the video image.

6. Backgrounds are less important in this small screen because no one will be able to make out the background. (make sure it is simple and non-distracting)

7. Avoid mixing music and sound effects with the spoken word. When people are listening on tiny ear plugs or on the speakerphone of their phone, the less audio complexity the better.

8. Unless you are a professional newscaster, don�t even think about reading from a teleprompter or cue cards. Instead, talk to the camera as if it were a friend for as long as it takes to cover one main idea.

9. Keep your video clips short. Viewers will be watching you in spare moments before boarding a plane or waiting for a taxi. Make it easier for your audience to get through a beginning, middle and ending of your video in 1-3 minutes.

10. Your substance counts for more than ever in this environment. Since you have less room for razzle dazzle on the screen, your words and your message had better be twice as interesting, humorous or useful as what viewers can find elsewhere.

See you on the phones!

TJ Walker is the president of Media Training Worldwide. You can sign up for his free online media training school at https://mediatrainingschool.com/

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