Online Video Distribution Points
Once your video has been produced, your top priority will be to make sure people see it. There are several important considerations when it comes to online video distribution, both on your own website and with outside sources.
To make sure visitors to your website see your video, post it in a place that is prominent and easy to find. It is recommended that you build one page for each video and surround it with relevant content to draw people in. To capitalize on universal search results, your page title and meta-tags should reflect the content and include the term "video."
No-Cost Distribution Sources
The best place to start distributing your video is YouTube, where you can do so for free. With this site, you can create your own "channel" and attract subscribers, who will potentially share your videos with others. However, YouTube also has millions and millions of other videos, so it‘s easy to get lost in the shuffle.
With so much competition, it‘s important to find your niche on YouTube and promote your video to your potential clients using a variety of methods. Although you may never get a million views, your YouTube video can still be hugely successful in attracting new business.
To maximize your YouTube video‘s effectiveness, use a descriptive title that is original, while incorporating top keywords. Also include keywords in the description box, along with a link leading back to your website. You should also "tag" your video with keywords, including lawyer, attorney, injury and probate, or whichever keywords are relevant to your firm.
Once posted and made public, share your video, rate it and encourage others to comment. This will encourage YouTube to move your video up in the search results.
Because they are available for no cost, you should also take advantage of other online video distribution sites, including the following:
- MetaCafe (www.metacafe.com) features reviewed content that is held to fairly high standards. Many users prefer MetaCafe to YouTube due to the quality of videos they find there.
- Daily Motion (www.dailymotion.com) is known to feature more professional videos, which may also be a good fit for law firms. This site has high standards for quality and is widely used around the world.
- Vimeo (www.vimeo.com) combines video sharing with social networking. The site places an emphasis on original content over posted TV or movie clips. Again, this site isn‘t as large as YouTube, so videos stand a better chance of differentiation among competitors.
- Stickam (www.stickam.com) has strict content guidelines and cultivates user interaction. This site is gaining popularity due to its easy navigation and high standards of quality.
Widespread Online Video Distribution
If you really want to reach the large volume of online sources for videos, you may want to use a paid distribution service. These companies broadcast your online videos across hundreds of platforms. This saves you time, as you only have to upload your video once.
While it can be effective, this option also requires an investment of up to $100 per month. It is most often used by companies that share a lot of videos on a regular basis.
The most popular online video distribution services are Traffic Geyser (www.trafficgeyser.com), TubeMogul (www.tubemogul.com), and VideoBot (www.videobotsoftware.com).
Regardless of how you distribute your video, be sure to find your niche and recognize how you will best reach your targeted audiences.
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