One of my goals this year is to do more with video. The article below arrived in my inbox this week and I thought I’d share. For great video resources I also recommend @LouBortone on Twitter. I’m going through his Online Video Rock Star Course and can’t wait to apply what I’m learning.
By: Christine Gallagher
Founded in 2005, YouTube is still the most well known video site and the one with the widest reach. It’s actually the number #3 most-trafficked website on the Internet behind Google and Facebook!
Incorporating video into your marketing is a good idea because it can be done very inexpensively and it is an effective way to get yourself found in the search engines. That sounds great, but how can do you actually use YouTube and video to help boost your online presence? The first step is to actually have a video to upload of course. :)
If you are new to uploading videos of yourself online, or newer to being on camera in general, it’s natural to have a bit of fear around the process of creating a video in the beginning. To help alleviate some of this, you might want to do some preparation ahead of time. You want to have the concept of your video clearly thought out as well as how you are going to be presenting it. Coming up with a short script of the main points to rehearse a little beforehand can be helpful. (By the way, to film my videos, I use the Flip camera–it’s inexpensive, simple to use, and plugs right into your computer’s USB port.)
Your videos don’t have to be long–in fact, short videos are your best bet. To start out, aim for about two minutes in length–maybe where you offer a few tips or teach people how to do something. For example, a professional organizer might demonstrate how she could quickly organize a drawer or get a messy pantry shelf under control. You don’t necessarily need to be actively doing something though–a virtual assistant might simply give the top three items her clients delegate to her which make running their business a whole lot less stressful. Create your videos with the intention of helping someone out with the information or tips you have to share.
If you don’t already have a YouTube account, you can create one for free at http://www.youtube.com. The first thing you will be asked to do is choose a username, and this in itself is important. Your username on YouTube is the same thing as your “channel” name. You might want to use keywords in your channel’s name reflecting the main topic your channel is going to be devoted to.
Once you have created your account, you will be able to set your account preferences and customize your channel on the Account Settings page. Take some time to explore these settings so you can create a channel that reflects both you and your business. Specifically, you’ll want to focus on the following things:
1) Upload your picture
2) Use keywords about your business/niche in the “Describe Yourself” section
3) List your website
4) Fill out the Jobs/Career section and include keywords related to your business
5) Fill out the Interests section with interests that complement what it is you do in your business
To upload a new video, simply click on the “Upload” button in the top right-hand corner of your account. From this page, just click “Upload Video” and you will be able to select a file from your computer.
Once you have uploaded a video, you’ll need to fill in the title, description, tags and category for your newly uploaded video. You want to be very detailed here, with a focus again on keywords. Why is this so important? Because of something called “Google Universal Search.” What this means is that when someone goes to Google to search for a particular topic, not only will results for web pages come up, but videos will as well.
After you have filled in the title, description and tags, choose your category and set your privacy setting to “Share your video” and click “Save Changes.” Congrats–you’ve just successfully uploaded your first video!
Christine Gallagher, The Online Marketing and Social Media Success Coach, is founder of Communicate Value, where she is dedicated to teaching small business owners and professionals how to conquer the overwhelming aspects of online and social media marketing to increase business and maximize profits. To get your F.R.E.E. 5-Part E-Course and receive her weekly marketing & success articles on leveraging technology, building relationships and boosting your profits, visit http://communicatevalue.com.
Youtube is my favortie site to visit aside from facebook. Most of the time i watched movie trailers and music videos on it.
Yes, there’s all sorts of interesting things on YouTube. :)