You’ve got a business video – Now What?

The excitement, thrill and drama of making that video you’ve always wanted has passed. It’s done. You have it.

Now what?

It appears The Field of Dreams mantra – “if you build it, they will come” doesn’t actually apply in the real world. Simply having a great video is not enough to generate new business.

People have to see it.

So how do you get eyeballs on your video? Here are 10 ways to help make sure you video is seen often and shared.

1. Host it on YouTube.
It takes a minute to set up a google account and have your own YouTube Channel. If you don’t know how to do it check out this video.
http://youtu.be/BfeijrMBK_M

I recommend YouTube because it is the second largest search engine. It works in tandem with Google and makes it easier for people to find you.
From YouTube you can then embed it on your website and everywhere else.

2. Get the title right.
Copywriters will confirm that the most important part of a blog, an article or in this case a video, is its title. Take the time to have a title that will capture the attention and interest of your intended audience.
Remember the title should not necessarily be about what happens in the video, but why that is of interest to the audience.
Not everyone will be comfortable using Upworthy’s style of creating a curiosity gap, but think beyond having bland descriptions. Look for ways to draw your audience in.
http://www.upworthy.com/top-10-most-shared-things-from-upworthys-first-year

3. Create useful searchable descriptions in the comments section.
Because it’s a video, Google and YouTube need help understanding what your video is about. So help them. ☺
In the description box under the video create a keyword heavy description about what the video is about and why it should be watched.

4. Include a link in the comments section to your website.
If your call to action in your video is to visit a website to take the next step then include it in the comments. You will need to include the http:// at the start otherwise it won’t be clickable. Also put this link at the top of the comments so it can be seen before clicking on the Show More which reveals the rest of the description.

5. Use Tags
Underneath the comments section you can also include Tags to help YouTube quickly identify the relevant search terms for your video. Make use of this with relevant keywords.

6. Thumbnail.
Just as magazines agonise over what cover they will have, the thumbnail used in a video can make or break its chances of being watched. As a default you will be able to choose one of three screen grabs from your video for your thumbnail. If you have a verified YouTube account and it is in good standing, you can customize your video thumbnail. So you can create one that is more engaging than those YouTube suggest.
This simple step combined with a great title can have a huge impact on the success of your video.

7. Embed on your website
This is as easy as a few clicks. Once your video is on YouTube you can copy the embed copy by clicking on the Share option of your video. You can in fact embed anyone’s video the same way. This is a fairly simple but essential step in the process. Having video on your website improves it’s ranking and makes it more valued in Google’s eyes.

8. Include it in your email signature.
Once you have the YouTube link it is a simple process to include it as part of your email signature. This means that everytime you send an email you are sharing your video. If you have multiple videos then you can change them around every few weeks to make it interesting.

9. Be social
When sharing the video on social media you can use a few approaches depending on the platform. When it’s brand new you can ask people’s opinion about your new video. If it’s been around for a few months then focus on the benefit of it and why they should watch it.

10. Look for opportunities.
As you engage with people look for opportunities to share the video. It’s a great way to demonstrate your expertise if you have a professional video on hand that showcases a point that is topical.

Video is certainly one of the most powerful ways to engage online but it won’t happen by itself. Good luck.

What other ways have you found useful to promote your content?

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