Simply producing and posting a video online is not enough. Once your video is done, you want to put on your Video Marketing Hat to get the most out of the video.
Post it on YouTube, Vimeo and other video sharing sites as well as on social media sites plus your website and/or blog.
YouTube is the big dog in the video marketing world. It's where all the eyeballs are so you always want to upload your videos there first. You can check out Google's YouTube Video Insights for August 2013 for the latest stats here.
Vimeo is another great platform that video professionals use and should not be overlooked.
Here's a Mashable story from May about what each platform offers:
http://mashable.com/2013/05/30/vimeo-over-youtube/
Rather than embed my videos on some of my sites or only supply links, I use a free wordpress plugin called YouTube Sidebar Widget that puts a selected group of my videos on the sidebar. You can see it in action on my CrowdPleaserProductions.com site.
Vimeography can do the the same, adding a handsome video gallery of your videos from vimeo with various customization options.
And don't stop there.
It's important to do Video SEO for the videos you upload. That means, among other things, choosing the right title for your video, tagging your video with related topics including your name and writing a precisely formatted keyword-rich description for the video that will drive viewers to take action off the major platforms and in areas you control such as call your business number, visit your website, join your mailing list, etc.
In terms of content, I would not get hung up on trying to create a VIRAL video. That's not the only formula for video marketing success.
This Kissmetrics blog post talks about the elements of "virology" but these are good tips for making any video more effective such as be the purple cow, use high quality production and be practical:
http://blog.kissmetrics.com/creating-a-viral-video/
You can get plenty of buzz with non-viral videos that speak to your target audience about the things that interest them For example, you could comment on current events, show viewers how-to accomplish something, offer expert tips and tactics in your field, give an honest review of a book, product or service, produce a collection of testimonials from your happy clients… and on and on.
Putting together optimized video channels and filling them with great content doesn't have to be overwhelming.
- Find out what your audience wants and give it to them!
- Share what you know on video in an authentic style
- Spread the word widely when a new video is available
- Engage with people who comment on your videos
- Keep the content and contact with your audience flowing
Don't expect overnight results, but using online video consistently and strategically is a powerful way to reach many goals online. Video can help you build awareness for your business, boost your name recognition, attract a following and grow a community.
Thoughts?
PS – The updated edition of David Meerman Scott's "New Rules" book is a great resouce. My Amazon link is below.