There are many reasons you might want to record your computer screen. It is one of the best ways to show someone how something is done. Perhaps you have a virtual assistant that you want to teach how to get into your email, how to answer customer service requests, etc. You could type it all out, but it might be much easier to simply do it while explaining what you’re doing and record it all.
You also may have a client or student (or group of students) who you wish to show a specific thing to. These recordings can be you surfing the web, showing them how to use specific websites, showing them how to use programs you have such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. They can even be a PowerPoint presentation to make your recording like a class session.
One other way I’ve seen it done is when you are having a technical issue on your computer and are having difficulty describing it to your tech guy or to customer service. If you record the screen as you go through the steps that cause the error, they can see exactly what you’ve done and troubleshooting will be much easier for them.
There are two different things I use to record my screen. The process is called “screen capture” and both of the services I use were created by the same company, Techsmith. The first is Jing. Jing is free to use (for a video up to five minutes), and can come in really handy for those short sessions. It is really easy to you. Simply go to http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html – download the free program and follow the instructions to use. Once you’ve recorded the session, you can upload it to screencast.com or to your web site or Amazon S3 account so you can then give the link to others to watch.
The other way is a very powerful program called Camtasia. This program isn’t inexpensive, but is well worth the investment, especially if you intent to regularly record class sessions or instructional videos. You can purchase Camtasia at http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html. With Camtasia, you can record your screen and voice, then edit it, zooming in on specific things, adding text and images, etc. The end video can be as simple or complex as you like.
Using either or both of these screen recording programs can greatly enhance your business and your productivity online.
Using either or both of these screen recording programs can greatly enhance your business and your productivity online.
