Stupid Simple Mac Tips #67 – CloudApp Webcam Recording
Life’s best tips are ones that simultaneously save time AND increase value – exactly the benefits I experience with my favorite CloudApp feature: webcam recording.
Even in limited use, I save at least 30 minutes – and a measurable amount of angst– each week by recording personalized videos that clear my inbox, inform my team, or connect with potential clients in a format clearer than SMS, warmer than voicemails, and way quicker than structuring/typing emails.
Communicating with these asynchronous clips allows you to quickly convey more than plain text with the intimacy of chatting in person (minus the risk of being trapped in time-consuming conversation) – and CloudApp makes it super simple.
To record your message just call up the menu, make certain you’re not muted (words to live by in this remote-conferencing age), choose your camera, hit record, and speak naturally as if you’re on a call.
When done, hit “finish” and CloudApp will provide simple editing options – but to keep this tool a time-saver, resist the temptation to mess around too much; you don’t need to be Scorcese, maybe just trim the beginning/end if necessary.
That’s it. On completion, a link is placed on your clipboard to share (the app’s lightweight profile means that all messages are in the cloud, you’re not actually sending video files) – forward it with a quick note, and you’re on to the next task.
Your recipient clicks on the link and the video plays with no local client installation necessary: they instantly have a message from you that’s not only more engaging and easier to digest than text, but shows you took the time to address concerns personally.
Here’s an example – an impromptu video I shot covering this topic, made in a fraction of the time it took to pen this post: https://share.getcloudapp.com/GGu62Gp9
My main use cases are addressing multiple client queries, sharing ideas with colleagues without the need for a meeting, and touching base before a meeting to ensure all parties are prepared and on the same page. No doubt you can think of many other perfect purposes for the tool – I’d love to hear them.
Basically, it’s a great way to grant face time when you have easy access to your face…but not a lot of time. Give it a try.
