Good morning or good afternoon to all of my friends here on Bloggerlens. I trust that all of you had a great weekend. It’s now time to get back to business and see what we can discover together about making a strong hyperlocal blog.

Today I’m going to feature just one of the tools I [...]]]>

Good morning or good afternoon to all of my friends here on Bloggerlens. I trust that all of you had a great weekend. It’s now time to get back to business and see what we can discover together about making a strong hyperlocal blog.

Today I’m going to feature just one of the tools I use on my hyperlocal blog. I use many and they are all important to me. Since I am also a video blogger on my site, I thought I would give a video review of the Kodak Zi6 HD Flip Camera.

I love this camera! Ok, review over….no just kidding there, but this is one of my favorite tools in my hyperlocal arsenal. For a long time, I had a flip camera in my sights and I lusted to own one but which one? I’ll be honest with you, they just looked like they were flat out fun! Now that I own one, they are flat out fun!

As many of you, I started reading reviews and watching video reviews trying to figure out which flip camera would suit my needs the best. It was a little confusing to me but one camera seemed to be taking the lead the more I researched. The Kodak Zi6 seemed to be the overall favorite for so many people. I made the decision to buy the Zi6 and I couldn’t be happier. I have had so much fun with this camera and I never leave home without it. Literally folks, if I drive off and forget it, I turn around and go get it. I bet many of you do the same thing if you forget your cell phone. If you are, or become a hyperlocal blogger, you will feel the same way about your camera. I figure, sure as the world, if I leave home without it, I’ll stumble upon the biggest local story of the year and I will not be able to capture the event because I was too lazy to turn around and go back home. You do not want this to happen to you.

Let’s get on with the review. I could keep blabbing away but why don’t I show you? I would appreciate all of you keep the snickering to a low roar. This is my first attempt at a video review. The review goes into a little depth on the camera and I hope that if you are currently sitting on the fence, that this Kodak Zi6 Review will help you make a decision. If you have any trouble viewing the video below, here is a link to the same video on YouTube. Kodak Zi6 Review.

Ok everybody, wake up, the video just stopped. LOL! I hope you are still awake. Here is direct link to the Zi6 on Amazon. It is my affiliate link and if you make a purchase, I’ll make a couple of bucks and it helps to support this site. Kodak Zi6 HD Pocket Video Camera on Amazon

I want to show you an example of when I grabbed my camera just in case I could shoot a video and post it to my hyperlocal blog. A while back, a brand new IKEA Store opened in Charlotte, N.C. I live on the outskirts of Charlotte and for months, the news of this store was all the rage in my area. I’m a guy, I don’t understand these things but that’s ok. I understand taking a club, killing my food and cooking it over fire, that’s it. Shortly after it opened, my wife informed me that I would be accompanying her to the store for a glorious afternoon of hand holding and shopping. Oh please…kill me now I thought.

I went with a smile on my face. I grabbed my trusty little Kodak Zi6 (notice the bold-faced keyword for SEO purposes) and headed for Charlotte. I hate to admit this, but I had a great afternoon of hand holding with my wife and the store was cool as hell. We even ate dinner at the store. The Swedish Meatball Specialty they served were enough for me to break at least 2 commandments. It’s the biggest single store I’ve ever been in. The Swedes make awesome furniture and right now, I’m typing this blog article on a desk that I went back to IKEA and bought. So much for my caveman exterior I try to keep. Check out the video below and see how I turned a shopping trip into an article for my hyperlocal blog.

I shot this video realizing that my target audience would most likely be the ladies. Most guys are not shoppers. I think it’s important when you shoot a hyperlocal video, try to understand who will most likely be watching the video the most. If you notice in the video, I stop talking at one point and try to shoot the tour to give an idea of what you can expect to see when you visit.

The store is located in Charlotte and not necessarily hyperlocal to my community. However, everyone in my community was buzzing about this store for months. Here is a link to the article that appeared on Monroe Scoop. It was a great article and video for my blog. Here is the gravy. In my area, when I type into Google, IKEA Store Charlotte NC I usually find myself on the first or second page. I have been in the #1 spot many times when I check. As I write this article, I’m sitting on #13 in Google in my area. This article and video has sent my blog a lot of traffic and continues to do so.

Never miss an opportunity to post a hyperlocal video or article. Sometimes when you least expect it, an opportunity presents itself. Make sure you add some sort of video camera to your tool kit. Take it everywhere you go. Please tell me how you use video on your hyperlocal blog. I am very interested in hearing about it and I’m sure you would be helping the readers of Bloggerlens.

Here is a free download of the song I used in the IKEA video. “Shopping” by Bare Naked Ladies. Be my guest to download and put it in your own hyperlocal video if you get an opportunity. Review a local store and drop it in your video.

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If you are considering starting a hyperlocal blog in your area, don’t forget my free offer to help you get set up and going. It’s never too soon to start.

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