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Memorial Day reminds us to capture veterans’ stories

May 21, 2013 in Facebook, History, Interviews, Oral History, Skype, Social Media, Storytelling, Twitter, Voice by admin  |  No Comments

cub scoutsThe Memorial Day holiday is a good time to capture and share veterans stories.  There are over 21 million living U.S. military veterans from all time periods. The U.S. Veterans Affairs Department estimates that of the 16+ million World War II veterans, less than 1.5 million are alive today, with more than 600 WW II veterans passing away each day.

Where to share the stories? One option is the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress, established in 2000 by Congress and the AARP as corporate sponsor. Stories in print or digital format, photos, and memorabilia can be donated to the Project.

How to record veterans’ stories? Digital recording using a web service like Evoca or a handheld digital recorder work well. Evoca offers its affordable, cloud-based subscription plans for audio recording by phone, computer mic or Skype and for archiving and sharing privately or on websites, blogs, Facebook and Twitter. Read more

Ten tips for teleconferencing hosts

May 2, 2013 in "How-To" posts, Business, Conferences, Interviews, Journalists, Video, Voice by admin  |  No Comments

Family member_woman_computer with headset_closeupTeleconferencing can be a great way to reach hundreds of people all over the globe without having to leaving your home or office. But if you are the only presenter during a teleconference, there are several guidelines you need to follow to ensure success. Need to record the conference call? Evoca makes it easy to record phone and Skype conference calls, including the audio stream of video calls, and then easily saving and sharing the MP3 recording file from your cloud-based Evoca account.

1. Stand, don’t sit while speaking. Your breathing, energy and volume will be much better if you stand. At least get up from time to time to re-energize yourself.
2. You can’t take visual cues from your audience, therefore you can’t count on natural dialogue happening in your teleconference the way it would in a normal small group presentation.
3. Because no one else is asking questions during the first part of your presentation (the usual structure of a tightly timed 60 or 90 minute teleseminar is to hold questions until the end), you will find that you will get more tired and your throat may get drier than when giving a normal presentation. Have water handy. Read more

Tips for conducting effective interviews

March 12, 2013 in "How-To" posts, Authors, Business, Education, Humanities, International, Interviews, Journalists, Media, Oral History, Press, Public Speaking, Skype, Storytelling, Voice by admin  |  No Comments

Closeup_Interviewer_woman_outdoorsAs an interviewer  — journalist, researcher, historian, author, or coach — you have favorite methods for getting the most from your interviews. Some interviewers model their approach based on how others conduct interviews in their professional field or in the media.

Here are some useful tips to consider adding to your own set of techniques, whether interviewing in person, by phone or with Skype.

  • Develop a check list of questions. You may or may not want to share detailed questions with your interviewee, but make sure to share the purpose of the interview and themes.
  • Reconfirm how much time the interviewee has available. If there is a misunderstanding and you will need more time, ask for a second session.
  • Interview one person at a time unless there is a shared experience or expertise you need to capture at once.
  • Make sure your permissions are in place, whether provided by your organization or from other professional resources.
  • Start with a warm-up or neutral question to start the flow.
  • Use open-ended questions and limit the “yes” or “no” types of questions. Read more

Why learn English or another language?

February 26, 2013 in Business, Education, Humanities, International, Language, Media, Public Speaking, Voice by admin  |  No Comments

Want to get promoted or reach the top of your chosen career ladder? If you are not yet fluent in English, you may want to include English language learning in your professional development. Already fluent in English? Learning a second or third language could prepare you to become a global leader.

Dorie Clark, CEO of Clark Strategic Communications and Forbes contributor, shares what experts are saying about the connection between language proficiency and career success in different global industries.

In her Forbes magazine article, English – The Language of Global Business?, Clark states “for better of worse – it seems that English may be the most essential language for global business success at the moment. Indeed, even in powerhouse China, more people are currently studying English than in any other country.”

Clark quotes a new study of 1.6 million online test-takers in more than 50 countries conducted by EF Education First, a company  specializing in English language training. Global industries requiring proficiency in English include travel and tourism, consulting, telecommunications, engineering, aviation, technology, and banking and financial services. Read more

The Social Solutions Collective features Boca Video iPhone app

February 24, 2013 in Apple, Business, Facebook, Freedom of Expression, iPad, iPhone, Marketing, Media, Skype, Uncategorized, Video, Voice by admin  |  No Comments

Boca: Visuals + Voice = Video!

Sharing the blog article in Social Solutions Collective by Mandy Edwards of ME Marketing Services, social media expert and blogger.

I recently had the pleasure of being asked to host a video contest for a new social media video app, Boca Video, by the company Evoca. Based out of Savannah, Georgia, this neat app was recently rated one of the “Top 100 Best iPhone & iPad apps of 2012″ by Addictive Tips. This is nothing like any other video app I have seen out on the market.

So, what is Boca?

Boca Video is a free iPhone app that creates engaging videos on the go, simply by using your own photos and voice. You can immediately share your videos on Facebook, YouTube, Dropbox and email. The Boca Video format is well suited for online advertising, daily deals, viral promotions, product reviews, field reports, news updates, and how-to’s. Read more

Savannah welcomes Boca Video iPhone app launch

February 6, 2013 in Blog, Conferences, Education, Events, Facebook, iPad, iPhone, Journalists, Latest News, Marketing, Media, Press, the Best Of Evoca..., Video by admin  |  No Comments

Easy as opening your mouth

Locally-created app allows simple, personalized video for everyone

By Jessica Leigh Lebos, Connect Savannah

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video says volumes.

In the age of RedBullTV and other corporate YouTube channels, more companies are using videos to promote their wares and services. But what about small businesses with neither the time, budget nor access to produce professional videos to keep up with and expand their customer base?

That’s the niche Boca Video, a new iPhone app developed in Savannah, is aiming to fill.

Developed by Savannah-based company Evoca, Boca Video simplifies the video process by employing technology most people are already comfortable with: Users download the app to their phone, choose a few photos from their camera roll, add a recording in their own voice, and boom — there’s a 30–second curated video that can be emailed or uploaded to Twitter, Facebook or any other site instantly, no editing necessary.

Through market research, Evoca found that most people are “video–challenged,” frustrating themselves with wobbly, grainy footage and soundtrack syncing. Hiring someone to do the job is not always feasible for small businesses, and the company set out to create a simple alternative anyone with a smartphone could figure out.

The Evoca staff will host a “Launch and Learn” lunchtime event at the Creative Coast on Friday, Feb. 8. Attendees can enjoy demonstrations as well as a contest for the best video made on the spot.

“Our breakthrough was really in deeply understanding how people like or don’t like to create digital content,” says Evoca CEO Murem Sharpe. “We know people want it but it’s hard to make decent video. We want to become the go–to, easy–breezy video production app.” Read more

Boca Video app for iPhone transforms the way we make videos

December 15, 2012 in "How-To" posts, Apple, Blog, Business, Facebook, iPad, iPhone, Latest News, Marketing, Releases, Social Networking, the Best Of Evoca..., Twitter, Video, Voice by admin  |  No Comments

 

BOCA VIDEO APP FOR IPHONE TRANSFORMS THE WAY WE MAKE VIDEOS

Video creation for businesses, products and causes gets simpler using photos and voice

The Boca Video mobile app launches in the App Store, revolutionizing video creation for small businesses and the average user. Anyone with an iPhone or iPad can get the free app to create engaging videos on the fly, simply by using their own photos and voice. They can immediately share their videos on Facebook, YouTube, Dropbox and email. The Boca Video format is well suited for online advertising, daily deals, viral promotions, product reviews, field reports, news updates, and how-to’s.

While online videos are proven to substantially increase user engagement and purchase rates, they are complex and time consuming to make for the average user. Boca Video reduces the barriers of time, cost and complexity. Because it is always available on mobile devices, early adopters dub the app a “video studio in your pocket” and a “mobile DIY video tool.”

In his review of the app, Hamza Khalid from the tech blog AddictiveTips.com remarks on its striking ease of use. “There is virtually no learning curve, meaning you won’t have to spend any time to learn how to use the app and can instead start making your clips,” says Khalid. Read more

Make Great Quality Phone Recordings

November 3, 2012 in "How-To" posts, Business, Conferences, Interviews, Journalists, Public Speaking, Voice by admin  |  No Comments

When you are recording your own voice for a podcast or recording an interview or conference call with others, you can capture good quality voice recordings using these tips from the pros.

  • Choose a location where you can keep a consistent environment to ensure the best sound quality. Limit all background noise.
  • Turn off any feature alerts to limit any interruptions and prevent distractions.
  • Avoid using your speaker phone. Instead use a regular or bluetooth headset ear buds with microphone. Read more

AfroLatino Project chooses Evoca for digital audio capture

August 28, 2012 in Education, Freedom of Expression, Humanities, International, Interviews, Language, Media, Oral History, Politics, Public Speaking, Savannah, Storytelling, Testimonials, Voice by admin  |  No Comments

When Amilcar Maceo Priestley, Director of the AfroLatino Project, was seeking a technology partner to facilitate the digital creation and curation of the cultures, histories and experiences of Afrodescendant people in the Americas, he selected Evoca. The cloud-based voice recording and publishing service provides three easy-to-use and accessible methods for audio recording: phones, Skype, and online recorder.

“Evoca incorporates all of the Web 2.0 tools that are familiar to many people. It gives participants the convenience of telling their stories at a time and location that are convenient to them”, Priestley reported. “We looked at all of the other options and Evoca was the best fit for our project. It’s a great tool”, he added. Murem Sharpe, Evoca CEO, said “Enabling people of the AfroLatino diaspora to share their stories around the world is an ideal use of Evoca’s global voice-to-web services. We are honored to support the Project.”

The website’s Conversemos Afro section invites participants to record online and also by phone and Skype at +1-646-475-2190 and custom Skype call recorder contact: proyectoafrolatino.

Hear more about the Project’s history and activities from Amilcar Priestley, its Director, interviewed by Murem Sharpe, Evoca CEO. Use the player below or visit the recording page view.

Learn more about the Project’s Mission, Vision, Goals, and Past Initiatives below, in English and Spanish. Read more

Evoca powers virtual audio auditions for National Story Slam

August 27, 2012 in Conferences, Events, Freedom of Expression, Humanities, Language, Oral History, Public Speaking, Social Networking, Storytelling, Voice by admin  |  No Comments

The Story Slam movement that’s been sweeping the nation is coming to the 40th Annual National Storytelling Festival to be held on October 5-7, 2012 in historic Jonesborough, Tennessee, with the challenge —”Have you got what it takes to be America’s Next Best Story Slammer?” Based on a poetry slam format, a Story Slam is a contest of words by known and undiscovered talent who vie for prizes and recognition.

Organizers chose Evoca as the virtual audio audition service for the Story Slam contest auditions. Evoca provided its online recorder and dedicated dial-in phone number with its customized welcome greeting by the Story Slam officials. Both methods gave the teller the opportunity to record, listen to their recording, and re-record to polish it to their satisfaction. Recordings were instantly saved as MP3 files into the secure, online Evoca account for the Festival. Organizers could easily, and privately, share recordings online with judges around the country. Read more

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