In the mainstream media nowadays, the word doping is now autofilled after cycling. Not good from a PR standpoint. I also know that if I can spend a few minutes with a person, I can generally impart a little appreciation for the nuances of the sport to get them to watch a little.
How do we tap into the primal love of the bike? How can we get people to understand the beauty of an echelon? Know how bad it is to when you first start to lose a wheel going up hill? Most professional riders have given up laptops for major races. That has removed one avenue. If you have been reading from the beginning, you know I have been looking to exploit the video phenomenon to show off the good side of the sport. Some of the riders who dropped the laptop and picked up a camera. The Broadband Racer is trying to show those videos. VeloNews is also trying to get into the action. But that is talking to ourselves. How do we get on YouTube? There has to be a way to use this medium to reach a new audience.
I have been following some of the key video blog sites and recently have seen a couple of posts on one of the leading video sites Will Video for Food. In fact, I convinced the owner to write a blog on cycling videos. The writer is a prolific blogger who has been invited to industry gatherings to speak on the booming market for online videos. He also has consulted to fledgling online video sites such as Revver.
Recently, he posted on the do’s and dont’s of online videos. Here are some:
- 8 Tips for Filmmakers Plugging into Online Video
- Uploading Video is First Step,Not Last
- The Seven Deadly Sins of Advertising Via Online Video
Here is my challange. Stop by Will Video For Food. Read up on how to do it right. I know it is a new world but we need to break out of our shell. Take your camera out. Video the purest part of our sport. Take people beyond the headlines of Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton.
Post and spread the word. What do you say?
Posted by pelotonjim 
