Have you heard? Online video marketing is all the rage. Studies prove that video works, and that videos were 50 times more likely to receive an organic first page ranking than traditional text pages. That’s a pretty impressive stat, even when you understand that YouTube is owned by Google!
Online video marketing is important for numerous reasons, and producing videos for the web is fairly inexpensive. And online videos stay online forever. If you spend the money to record once, your video could still be getting views a year from now.
Social media sites and video go hand in hand wit the ability post not only photos, but videos on Facebook, Twiitter and many other social sites. . The viral video opportunities are endless when you use the right strategies to create and post your videos online.
If you’re new to video, or you’ve been thinking about taking the leap into video, here are some tips and strategies to get you going.
Six Ways to Optimize Your Videos
Once you record your video, follow these tips to make sure it reaches your core audience and gets the views it deserves.
#1: Make your title count
Video titles can pull powerful traffic. There are two main reasons why the title is so important: a great title can instantly grab a viewer’s attention; and when you use the appropriate keywords in your title, you are more likely to show up on search engines.
#2: Provide excellent content
Think about your ideal viewer. What do you know that they’ll find valuable? What can you teach them? “How-to” videos are extremely successful because not only do they offer great value to your viewer, but also you’re able to showcase your knowledge and skill, thus positioning yourself as an expert. This is key as you continue to grow your brand.
#3: Include your URL in your video
When you edit your video, take advantage of the different editing features. One easy feature is to add a text to your video to display your website address as a hot link.
#4: Take advantage of video’s branding opportunities
For branding purposes, have your company logo displayed prominently somewhere on the screen. You can do this at all times, or during key times in your video.
Notice how companies’ logo is are displayed in the upper corner. Display your logo throughout your video, or only at key times.
#5: Always provide an HTML link
When you post on YouTube, you have the option to write a short description of your video. Always start with the link you want to drive your viewers to so you don’t miss this key opportunity.
#6: Go beyond YouTube
Most people post their videos on YouTube. In addition to this, make sure to always embed your video on your own website. This will increase the amount of time people spend on your website and help grow a captive audience.
Also, Google’s algorithms consider how many times a video is viewed, and embedded video views you receive get added to the ‘views’ tally on YouTube. This is important for showing up in Google search results! Even if you plug your videos in via YouTube- those are inward facing links!
Supercharge Your Videos
Make sure your video stands out above all the clutter. Here are a few strategies that will give your videos an extra boost.
- Create a Campaign: To get noticed, think beyond stand-alone videos: create a series of content-rich videos that you publish regularly. This allows you to build upon your brand identity as each video is released.
- Always Include a Call to Action: You can ask them to sign up for your newsletter, go to a specific website, leave a comment about your video or visit your blog or join the conversation. If your video is good, you’ll likely have their full attention; make sure to take advantage of it!
- Don’t Make a Sales Pitch: There is nothing wrong with selling your products or services, but use your video to define a problem, discuss solutions and support others—when you combine the three, your video will attract the right following. Remember- BENEFITS sell, not features!
Keyword Strategies
Pay attention to these best practices, as you create your videos:
- Make sure to use keywords in your videos’ titles, descriptions, and tags.
- To help the search engines figure out what your videos are about, embed videos into text pages on your site that are relevant to your video.
- Target specific search phrases, not just search words. For example, instead of using “brownies” as a keyword for an organic bakery, use “brownies with organic flavor” for a better chance of showing up on the front of search results.
What are YOUR tips for successful online video? Share them with all of us via the comment links on our blog!
Special thanks to Amy Porterfield for her thoughts, which started this out!