In this series I will look at different ways to share your videos so that they reach your target audience.

#1- YouTube

The first thing you need to do with your video is host it on YouTube. This is easy to do. All you need is a Google account to set up your own YouTube channel. Did you know you can also have multiple YouTube channels under the one account?

So you might set up an account for your family videos, one for your personal interests and another specifically for your work related content.

Once you have your video on your YouTube channel you can easily share the link on multiple platforms.

Of course YouTube is a powerful search engine on its own so simply by having your video uploaded there your video will be easier to find. You can improve the chances of being found by having a suitable title that ranks well for your video. Your video SEO will be enhanced if you also include plenty of relevant information in the description section under the video.

To check out other ways to share your videos go to http://sonicsight.com.au

#2- Vimeo

Close on the heels of YouTube is Vimeo as an essential way to promote and share you video.

Vimeo enables you to have greater control of your video. Who sees it, privacy settings and you can also monitor viewer engagement by using some of the tools available within Vimeo.

With the paid options of Vimeo you can control the branding of the player interface so it uses your colours and even your logo.

You can easily select which thumbnail you want to use for the video and can specify what action happens at the end of the video. This can include looping the video, showing other relevant videos, providing a URL link for a call to action.

Of course the free option makes it a no brainer to take advantage of Vimeo as one of your video distribution platforms.

To check out other ways to share your videos go to http://sonicsight.com.au

#3- Email Signature

Once your video is hosted on YouTube or Vimeo it is simple to have embed it in your email signature.

How many emails are you sending out each week? Each one of those emails can include a link to your latest video.

Sure not everyone will click on the link, but you’ll be surprised by how many will. Your email signature is a simple and easy way to promote your videos.

And if you have more than one video (hopefully you do), then rotate the link each month. Provide a new video for people to watch.

If your recipient uses Gmail or Google apps and you include a link to a YouTube video then it will play directly within their email.

If you have gone to the trouble to make a video then go to the trouble to allow people to see it. Put a link to it in your email signature.

PS Don’t attach your video to each email — that will just annoy people if they have to download a 10MB+ file every time they hear from you. Just include a link to the YouTube or Vimeo video.

To check out other ways to share your videos go to http://sonicsight.com.au

#4- Embed the video on your website

For many people the logical place to have their video is on their website.

It’s certainly important but there are a few things you’ll want to get right about this.

Firstly make it easy for people to find your video on your website. Often, I see my clients hiding the video on some obscure page and I only find it because I know it must be there somewhere.

Videos are an incredibly powerful way to engage your community. Position it front and centre on your website.

Include your videos on the relevant pages and where possible put them at the top of the page. A relevant video on a website will retain your visitor for longer. It will build rapport and they will stay to check out more of your website.

Just remember while having your videos on your website is important it’s only a start.

To check out other ways to share your videos go to http://sonicsight.com.au

#5- Use relevant thumbnails

Thumbnails are those small images which provide a preview of what to expect in the video.

This visual tool enables you to quickly capture the attention of your potential viewer.

Choose a thumbnail which captures the essence of your video and entices the passing viewer to click to find out more.

You can include a thumbnail in your email signature and wherever else you are providing links back to your video.

While you can provide a link just using a text based URL, it is much more engaging to see an image that speaks to the content.

So whenever you are sending people to your video use a captivating thumbnail to make it easier for them to click.

#6- Use your newsletter to promote the video

As you engage with your database via your newsletters make sure you tell them about your latest video.

Create stories around the video. The stories could be about why the video was produced, who was involved, some of the behind the scenes insights, the challenges with the production.

All of these stories frame the video and will make people more interested to watch it.

The people in your newsletter are already engaged with you so they will happy to hear about your adventure with you latest production.

Having a great video is step 1. Making it easy for people to see it and watch and engage with is the essential (but often neglected) step 2.

In this series I will look at different ways to share your videos so that they reach your target audience.

#1- YouTube

The first thing you need to do with your video is host it on YouTube. This is easy to do. All you need is a Google account to set up your own YouTube channel. Did you know you can also have multiple YouTube channels under the one account?

So you might set up an account for your family videos, one for your personal interests and another specifically for your work related content.

Once you have your video on your YouTube channel you can easily share the link on multiple platforms.

Of course YouTube is a powerful search engine on its own so simply by having your video uploaded there your video will be easier to find. You can improve the chances of being found by having a suitable title that ranks well for your video. Your video SEO will be enhanced if you also include plenty of relevant information in the description section under the video.

To check out other ways to share your videos go to http://sonicsight.com.au