Don't look for "the best" rich media solution
OK, let's get something clear here right from the start. There is no such thing as right and wrong when it comes to multimedia. There is no be all and end all, no best of the best, or any other cliche that comes to mind.
After more than 50 years of scientific and marketing research, we know that people remember:
- 10% of what they read
- 20% of what they hear
- 30% of what they see
- 50% of what they see and hear together
But...but there are some times and some circumstances where one media might be more appropriate or effective than another. That's why we say things like "listen up" when we want to be heard, or "look at this" when we want people to, well, look at something.
In the very broadest terms there are five media categories or levels that we can use to convey our messages:
- voice or music through audio
- text and images through web pages
- animating images through Powerpoint, photo album programs, etc.
- annimating text and images through Flash
- live sound and motion through Video
Obviously there are combinations galore. Who isn't at least a little confused about when and whether it's better to convert your videos and Powerpoints to the Flash format, or put your Flash video into a Powerpoint slide. You have to make similar decisions on whether you use MPeg 3, or H264, etc. for audio, and so on and so forth.
Then of course you need to decide whether or not you'll deliver that message in that format via a CD, a DVD, or online. And if you'd like to deliver it online, will you do it through a page on your website? A blog entry? Or will you send it out in an email, or as an email attachment? Or will you skip email all together and just use RSS?
The only true way to determine what's right anf wrong for you is to know your audience. if you do decide to use Flash instead of AVI. or iPod instead of H264, how much will of your audience will you be deliberately ignoring?
How many people in that audience use PC and how many use Macs? How many access your messages at work where the file formats they can accept are limited to what their company allows? How many access your message at home where they still may be using a dial up connection? For that matter, how many people still get by at work with computers that have no speakers (think of all the people you know who work in non-profits or "cubicle farm" arranged large rooms)
There are alternatives galore out there that will allow you to prepare and send your media messages in hundreds of combinations of formats, speeds, etc. We have a small collection of them that we've tried that we recommend in our Power Tools store.
But, we have an even smaller list of the one we turn to every single day to create, store and send video, audio, and images to anyone, anywhere, antime in any format. And no. That's not a typo. There is one product that will allow you to do it all in one place. Best of all, you don't need to know how any of it works to do any of it!
