Putting a video on your website is just the first step in “using video” for your business. It’s not the only step. It’s not the last step. It’s just ONE step. There are several more things you must do after posting a video to your site. And Youtube. [I have no idea if there are 55 or 155. There’s just more.]
Video on Your Website
One of the best reasons for using video in the first place is for Google ranking, and, as good as Google is, it cannot (yet) search the content of your video. That’s why you have to tell them.
For video that is on your site, don’t just put it in a post; include some content in that post. However, sometimes you have additional information relating to your video but not IN the video that you want in a post; sometimes you don’t. For those times when you don’t, write up a transcript of your video. This is a done deal if you have already written up a script when you were recording your video. Just copy and paste it. By posting the transcript as the blog post with the video, you allow Google to “scan” your video. Then you are truly getting SEO, keyword phrases, and ranking for the actual content of your video.
Video on Youtube
Of course, even if you are putting video on your website, you should put it on Youtube as well. Part of your process for putting videos on Youtube is to upload a transcript. Youtube will assign timecode to each line. Then each line can be displayed as closed captioning as you speak throughout the video. This transcript also appears in the Description and can be especially useful for longer videos where the viewer can “read” the video and go to the part of the video that they specifically want to see.
Even if you don’t necessarily find closed captioning useful, in addition to the hearing impaired, do not forget that by including as many senses as you can, you get the highest level of comprehension of your message possible.
Feedback Loop
This is still not all there is to effective video marketing. Do you have a video sitemap? Well, that’s a story for another time!
I’d love to hear your experience about video. What types of video are you doing? Where are you posting them? What has been audience response to your videos? Are you finding video impacts your sales?
I haven’t braved the video circuit. I know I need to. I’m taking a Branding course and it’s one of my homework items. Wish me luck and thanks for the hints!
Major good luck, Kim. If there’s anything I can help you with for your assignment, just let me know. I’d love to see what you come up with!
Here’s a bonus tip: Hit record. Count to 3-5 silently in your head and smile. Then start talking. When you’re finished, keep smiling (it will feel very weird), count 3-5 again, then Stop recording.
This is especially useful when you have to shoot by yourself. It will make it SO much easier when you have to edit. You can even do simple trims in Youtube.
Best of luck!
Great point — it’s not enough to create a video, you need to do everything you can to make sure it’s seen.
I wondered how you were going to share 55 tips…I’m with you…I think it might be more.
Great post!
Thanks for commenting, Camara. That “55 Steps” was my attempt at making a “hook” to draw people into the post. I’m sure I could make 55 steps if I needed to! Probably even more.
Vickie
I too am new to creating my own videos, and have way more questions than answers. Oh boy, where to begin! I find most video boring. How do I make my scripts and my videos interesting? Thanks!
Well, Beth, that is certainly a loaded question. I had to take a day to reply so I could think about how best to address this. Here are a couple tips.
First of all, don’t ramble. Scripting, or at least an outline, should help with this. Keeping videos 1.5-2 minutes will also help you not to ramble.
Secondly, think of your audience. You are there to solve a problem, relieve a pain, or even just to connect. Try not to make the whole video about “I”. That can be difficult to do, sometimes. I struggle with it all the time. But thinking of your audience, literally putting yourself in their place, “What do John/Mary want to know most about this subject?”
A simple formula can be: state the pain/problem, perhaps relate a (short) story about how you (or “a friend”) can relate to that problem, and how you have the solution (that “friend” also found your solution helpful).
You can also keep the video interesting by including other images, like screengrabs, photos, stock video clips. Whatever’s relevant. 2 minutes of a talking head, without an incredibly interesting topic, can get tedious sometimes. Breaking the visual field with other images keeps the brain engaged.
Depending on what types of videos you want to do, this can be a good starting point. Just stay focused on your goal and your intended audience.
I hope this helps. If you have another other questions, don’t hesitate to let me know; drop me a line on Facebook.
Best of luck. I’d love to see what you come up with.
Vickie