RainMaker Blog

Oh Say Can You OSeeit? A New Online Video Directory Debuts

What if you could post a promotional video online targeting a specific region of the country? What if you knew that consumers regularly come to that online video sharing website specifically looking for local businesses? How much would you be willing to pay to for that service? How does free sound? OSeeIt.com bills itself as “the best website for viewing business videos and ratings.” Let’s take a look.
 
While anyone can view business videos online at OSeeIt, in order to post your own video or review an online video, you will need to sign up for an account. Signing up is a simple matter of choosing a user name and password and filling out a few details about yourself such as your ZIP code and age.

Once registered, you’re immediately taken to the account dashboard. This dashboard is simple with just a few categories including: Search Videos, My Businesses, My Reviews, and FAQs. As a business owner, you’ll want to set up your business and upload a video. Simply click My Businesses followed by the “Ready to advertise? Click here to setup a new business” link. Again, setup is a snap. Fill in a form with your business details, contact information, and types of payment you accept.

A neat feature is the “profile space” name. Enter a term that describes your service such as “Video Production Company” and an OSeeIt URL will be created, in this case OSeeIt.com/VideoProductionCompany, that you can use to point to your online business video. Once you’ve created the basic listing, you’ll need to activate your account which is a simple matter of clicking a button. From there, click on Business Videos and get ready to upload your video!

Uploading your business video is straightforward with a process you’re likely familiar with. Locate the video on your computer and then click the Upload Video link. Once uploaded, the video goes through a processing period which may take up to 24 hours though it only took a few minutes during a recent test of the service. Presumably, the video is reviewed for appropriateness.

While you’re waiting, you can add additional videos to your account. If you have more than one video, you can specify the order in which the videos appear using the Sort Order field. Videos specified as Sort Order 1 are shown to first time visitors by default. You must have a business video uploaded in order for your profile to show up in OSeeit’s video directory.

Not only is this site extremely easy to use, it is also free. If you want additional exposure, you can advertise on OSeeIt.com, which is how the site makes its money. Currently, OSeeIt.com is offering a three month site sponsorship for just $59. This package displays your business on the right side of the main OSeeIt.com page.

Depending on the length and size of your video, the entire process of signing up for a free OSeeIt.com account and uploading a business video takes just a few minutes. Your business listing and promotional business video will be listed on the site for 365 days – for free!

Have you submitted your business video to OSeeIt.com yet? What are your experiences so far? Share your thoughts below.

Online Videos: Are You Ready to Go Live?

Streaming live video has evolved from the early days of setting up webcams as silent, digital witnesses. While it’s fun to see the weather at the beach or keep an eye on your toddler’s preschool class, today’s streaming online videos serve many business purposes ranging from educational to promotional. However, setting up a live online video stream is more involved than simply turning on your webcam. Just as you carefully produce your traditional online videos, you must do the same with live video.

Common Uses for Live Video Streams in Business
As the Gulf oil spill has demonstrated, businesses use live online videos as information delivery systems. Hopefully, you’ll never have a disaster to document, but you may have an online audience interested in what’s going on at your company. For example, if you’re a manufacturer, customers may enjoy watching live video streams of your assembly line. If your company hosts prominent speakers, broadcasting a live lecture, with the speaker’s permission, may be smart.

Recently, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in Pasadena, California held its annual open house for the public. While those present could tour the campus and view displays, virtual attendees were able to tune in and watch lectures and demonstrations online. With a simple click of a button, thousands of virtual visitors could watch live streaming video of scientists discussing the latest Mars rover plans and other current JPL projects. Different camera angles provided alternative views.

Another use for live video streams involves interacting with your customers. For example, you could hold a virtual press conference and take questions directly from your customers via a chat feature. You could also use live online videos to hold seminars, demonstrate how to use your product, or conduct live focus groups with consumers as you develop new products. The possibilities are endless.

Technical Considerations before You Go Live with Online Video
Sites like UStream certainly do make it easy to stream video online. However, if you want to look professional, you’ll need to carefully consider the production value of your feed. While it’s possible to use a laptop with an integrated webcam and go live with a click or two, results may be disappointing. Consider the following:
•    Location – Where will you be shooting the video? Is it well lit? Is the background distracting? Are there sounds that will interfere?
•    Video quality – The online audience is sophisticated. While a low resolution webcam may be fine for chatting with friends online, professional live videos online should look professional. In addition, HD online video quality is becoming the norm rather than the exception.
•    Sound quality – Some live video feeds don’t need sound. For example, if a viewer wants to check out snow conditions at your ski resort, they don’t need to hear the sounds of the ski lift in operation. On the other hand, sound is needed for a live seminar discussing the latest ski and snowboard equipment. Like a regular video production, individual microphones for each speaker allow for better sound quality.
•    Preparation – As a live online video format, everything you do or say in front of the camera goes out live and unedited. While this allows for spontaneity, it could also make you look unprepared. Approach your live video production just as you would any other speaking engagement. You should have a prepared presentation and you should rehearse before going live. Notes and teleprompters are lifesavers.
•    To Chat or Not to Chat – Many live online videos incorporate chat and Twitter features so that viewers can comment, ask questions, and interact throughout the presentation. If you’ll be chatting during the presentation, it’s smart to have a second person monitoring the chat stream so that you can concentrate on the presentation and answer relevant questions without distraction.

Going live with online video allows you to interact with your audience in real time. While it may be tempting to power up your webcam and wing it, you’ll produce a much better video if you pay attention to production values. Consider hiring a video production company and project a professional image.

Testimonial Video: Tips for Putting Your Customers at Ease

Testimonial videos are terrific tools both online and off. After all, having real customers praising your work adds credibility and helps convince other customers that your product and service are great. Many companies post testimonial videos on company websites and video sharing sites like YouTube while others use them on promotional DVDs or play them during trade shows and other events. Regardless of how you use the video testimonials, you’ll need to first produce them. This involves asking a past customer to appear on camera and then planning, shooting, and editing the video.

Because you are using actual people and not hired actors, expect some resistance on the part of your customers. Some will be happy to provide you with a written testimonial but not necessarily comfortable in front of the camera. Others will be fine with appearing in person but a little hesitant about the process. Your job is to find satisfied customers who want to appear in the testimonial video and then put them at ease about the process.

In addition to being nervous about appearing on camera, customers are often nervous about what they’re going to say. In fact, you can put your customer at ease right away by letting her know that you’ll employ a professional script writer who will meet with her ahead of time. The writer will find out about the customer’s experience with your service and then write a brief video testimonial script using the customer’s lingo.

By collaborating with the customer, a script writer is able to create an authentic sound bite that fits into your allotted time slot. Audiences, especially online audiences, have short attention spans. This makes timing crucial. Each testimonial video or topic should be no longer than 30 seconds. Since you know ahead of time that the video will only be 30 seconds long, let your customer know that you’re not expecting a full blown documentary but rather a short clip about the length of a television commercial. This coupled with the fact that a script writer will be involved can work wonders at convincing your customer to speak out on your behalf.

Depending on the product or service, you may want to shoot the testimonial video in a studio or at the customer’s location. For example, if you installed a custom pool, shooting on location makes sense. On the other hand, if the customer has purchased a line of hair care products from you, shooting in a studio may be the smarter choice. Let your customer know where you intend on shooting the video testimonial and play up the benefits of whichever location that may be. For instance, shooting at home by the pool means that your customer doesn’t need to travel while a studio shoot means that the customer doesn’t need to worry about the background, lighting, or sound.

Regardless of location, having teleprompters on the set is well worth the investment as doing so ensures that the key talking points are not overlooked. Not only do teleprompters ensure that the script is delivered as it was designed, they can also put the customer at ease. With teleprompters, fears of forgetting the script or having to memorize lines quickly go away. Let your customer know that teleprompters will be available and how easy they are to use.

When it’s time to shoot the testimonial video, put your customer at ease by letting her know that you can shoot the scene as many times as it takes and that you can also edit out any flubs. Have a glass of water handy and treat her like a star. Make it fun and maintain a relaxed attitude. Finally, let your customer know how much you appreciate the video testimonial.

Business Video: Create a Virtual Company Tour

What if you could create a business video that showcases your company, its employees, and its facilities to prospective customers and future employees? You can! By creating a virtual company tour, your customers can see you in action while also learning more about your philosophy, products, and processes.

Why produce a corporate video tour?
A professionally produced business video showcasing your organization can personalize your company, satisfy your customer's curiosity, pre-sell your products, and set you apart from the competition. Consumers are naturally curious about how things are made. A number of television programs such as How it's Made and Build it Bigger satisfy this curiosity and have proven to be popular with viewers. The How Stuff Works website is also a popular destination. People want to know so why not open the doors to your office and give your customers a peek?
 
Whether you run a bank, a catering company, a manufacturing facility, or an auto repair shop, creating an online video that takes consumers behind the scenes could be an effective marketing tool. Posting the video online allows customers who are researching similar companies and services to get to know you better. Being able to see your building, your friendly staff, and employees hard at work builds confidence and shows that you're not a fly-by-night operation with a fancy website.

You can also use the business video tour in your company's lobby. For example, if your business performs a service behind closed doors, your customers may wonder what goes on back there. You may not be able to take customers out on the shop or manufacturing floor due to safety concerns, but you could take them on a virtual tour.

If your company uses a sales team that asks other professionals for business referrals, having a business video showcasing your company's location could help build relationships and confidence. These professionals will likely be more comfortable recommending a company that they have seen in action rather than one they've simply heard about from a salesperson. A business video can help them to "see" your company. For example, if you run an upscale auto repair shop and your sales team asks local insurance agents to recommend your services to their clients, the agents can personally vouch that your shop has a "clean, comfortable lobby with leather couches and an espresso machine" because they watched your video and saw the lobby.
 
Other potential audiences for your virtual company tour include attendees at trade shows and job fairs. Use the video tour at a trade show as part of your display, again building confidence and satisfying the natural curiosity people have about how things are made. At a job fair, you can use your business video to show job candidates your facility and how you work.

How long should your business video tour be?
Avoid the temptation of creating a documentary about your company because few people are that interested. Instead, keep the video short and professional. If you'll use the video online, consider breaking it down into individual videos covering different departments or areas such as: reception, call center, accounting, warehouse, and so on. Doing so allows viewers to pick the areas of interest to them. You can also design your DVD with menus for each department, again giving viewers a measure of control over which segments to watch.

Creating a business video that takes customers on a virtual tour of your company serves many purposes including building confidence and distinguishing your company from the competition.

Who Should Star in Your Corporate Video Production?

You've decided to shoot a corporate video production and soon thereafter, the panic sets in. What am I thinking! I'm terrible in front of a camera! This is a natural reaction, especially if you're one of the company's principals who is expected to lead and therefore expected to be the star of your corporate video. But does this mean that you're the best person for the job?

When it comes to corporate video productions, the business owner or CEO may seem like a natural choice. For example, if you're shooting an employee orientation video, your audience will want to get to know about you, your philosophy, and your company and who better to discuss yourself and your vision than you? The same is true of corporate video productions designed to attract investors. However, if you're extremely uncomfortable on camera, appearing in a starring role could be counterproductive. Instead of inspiring confidence, a poor portrayal onscreen could cause doubt. Because of this, you should assess whether or not you're the best person to lead the video. And if you're not the best person, who is?

Define the Corporate Video Production's Purpose
Corporate videos are made for many reasons ranging from employee orientations, investor relations, and sales videos to company tours and "how to" videos. Ask yourself what purpose the video is intended to serve and who the intended audience is. Now ask yourself how you're going to use video to get your message across.

For example, if your video is intended to put your investors' minds at ease and inspire confidence that your company continues to innovate, then your video needs to convey energy, commitment, and strength. While a talking head with loads of bar charts could convince investors that your company is on track, a corporate video production showing your team hard at work may be more effective. Should you stand in front of the camera talking about your latest initiatives or would one of your more energetic employees take the lead? A series of employee testimonials could be far more convincing than a discussion of bank balances in this case.

Similarly, customer testimonials are powerful tools. After all, who better to talk about the wonders of your products and services than the customers who have benefited from them?

Assess On Camera Skills
Whether you're considering yourself or someone else for the starring role, it's important that whoever leads the corporate video production is comfortable on camera. Formal acting training isn't necessary to adequately represent your company in a business video, but whoever leads the video should be comfortable with role playing and speaking on camera.

Consider holding a casting call for the video. For example, if your video will feature an employee giving new hires a sneak peek at what it's really like working for your company, you could hire an actor to play the part but having a real employee do it will be more effective. Let your employees know about the opportunity and have them submit video auditions or try out in front of a video camera set up in your conference room. Not only might you be surprised at the talent your staff has, your employees could enjoy being involved in your corporate video production.

Consult with Your Corporate Video Production Team
Your video production team knows what it's doing, so make sure to partner with your producer. If it's essential that you star in the video, your producer can put you at ease and help you look good on camera. You may be able to appear on camera for a short time, filling in the rest of the video with voiceovers, graphics, photos, images of your company, and testimonials. Your production company may recommend a spokesperson or even a character, depending on the video's purpose and audience.

Deciding who should star in your corporate video production comes down to who is best equipped to deliver the intended message to the intended audience. It may be you, it may be an employee, it may be an actor, or it may be your customers!

Tools for Sales Success: Video!

If your company has a team of salespeople who call on clients, consider equipping each team member with a fresh sales tool: video! A well produced business video allows clients to see your company or product in action. In addition, leaving the sales video behind makes it easier for the client to share it with his colleagues as they consider your offer.

Video Marketing Formats
The days of VHS tapes are long gone. Today's sales videos arrive on DVDs, CDs, and USB flash drives or via e-mail and Web sites. Consider the format as part of the larger video marketing strategy. For example, do you want leave behind something tangible? If so, consider packaging your sales video on a DVD business card. These business cards are unique in that not only do the mini-discs, which are shaped like an actual business card, have your contact information printed on the front, they also are fully functional DVD discs that can contain computer files - including your company's sales video. DVD business video cards can be used on sales calls, at trade shows, and in mailings.

Another tangible video marketing format is the USB flash drive format. Not only can you preload a flash drive with your business video, you can have the drive itself customized with your company's logo. Imagine a winery owner handing out bottle-shaped USB key chains branded with the winery's logo and containing a self-executing marketing video.

If you're less concerned with leaving the video behind and want to encourage your salespeople to show the video during the sales call, then you have several options including hosting the video online or equipping your team with portable DVD players. An online video requires no additional equipment though your salesperson will need to direct the prospect to the Web sites where the online video is hosted. The logistics of this can be awkward, especially if the prospect is not currently seated in front of a computer.

The advantage of portable, battery-operated DVD players is that your salesperson does not need to rely on the prospect having a computer available. He simply presses the "play" button and hands the player to the prospect.
 
Sales Video Content
What type of sales videos should you put into the hands of your sales team? Naturally, that depends on what you're selling. If you're in the auto industry, your business video might feature crash test videos illustrating how your products improve safety. If you sell a service, your video might show a typical service call from start to finish. If your company has a complex distribution system that guarantees next day delivery, your sales video might explore the distribution system, covering how the system ensures safe handling, accuracy, and promptness. If your company's friendly customer service staff is one of your selling points, consider creating a video introducing the CSRs that your clients speak with when they call for service. No matter what type of video you create, you can also include testimonial video segments from other satisfied customers.
 
When creating a business video for your sales team to share with prospects, keep the video's length in mind. Consider under what circumstances the video will be watched. In general, if the video will be viewed during the sales call, it needs to be short and to the point. In this case, the video is a sales tool that should generate interest and make an impression. Longer presentations may be appropriate when the prospect will be viewing the video privately. However, length will depend on the complexity of the topic.

Equipping your sales team with sales videos gives your salespeople yet another tool to educate current and prospective customers about your product or service.

Banish “Slow Season” from Your Vocabulary

Companies often have so-called "slow seasons." These are times of the year where business typically slows down as part of its natural cycle. Slow seasons vary from one industry to the next. For instance, if you're in the car rental business, you'll likely see slower periods of activity once summer travelers return home, back to their normal routines. However, accepting "slow seasons" can also contribute to the slowdown. When a company accepts that business is slow "because it's the slow season," it likely reacts by cutting back on spending or eliminating jobs.

How many times have you heard these excuses for a company slowdown?

• The kids are on a school break
• The kids are back in school
• People are too busy traveling
• People aren't traveling
• Tax refunds haven't arrived yet
• The weather's too bad
• The weather's too good
• We work hard most of the year; we deserve a little downtime

Depending on your business, the excuses may be valid. However, that doesn't mean that you have to accept them. Adopt a new attitude about these cycles by banishing the term "slow season" from your vocabulary. When your employees are slacking off because it's the "slow season" they are making excuses. Slow periods require the exact opposite of slacking off. They require active participation on all levels. Instead of a calling it the "slow season," come up with a new term. You might call it the "get busy" season or the "drum up business" season.

In order for this to work, the entire company needs to understand the cyclic nature of your business and your plan for each cycle. This means that you need to have such a plan. Before you berate others for their excuses, come up with a proactive plan that addresses company slowdowns.

Start by analyzing your business's seasonal cycles. When is business typically busy? When is it typically slow? Why? Next, think about how you normally respond when business is slow. How can you respond that's proactive rather than reactive? Instead of laying off customer service representatives, can they switch gears from handling incoming calls to making outbound sales calls when it's slow? Can your mobile technicians knock on a few doors after completing a job, offering customers a discount because they are already in the area? Can you rearrange your marketing plan so that fewer advertising dollars are spent when you're overbooked and more spent during slowdowns?

Once you have a solid action plan, communicate it with your team. Employees know when it's slow. While some may feel entitled to a little break after a long busy season, many are fearful of what the slowdown really means. By communicating your plan and including employees in brainstorming sessions, you are empowering them to get busy while also easing their fears.

In fact, as the "get busy" season approaches, you may even want to have a kickoff party. Reward your team for their hard work during the hectic season that just ended by scheduling a day where it's okay to slack off in between phone calls, service calls, and regular job duties with the understanding that this is the only day where slacking off is acceptable. Let them watch Web videos on their computers, play games, or simply relax. From here on out, when the phones aren't ringing, when there are no service calls scheduled, when no customers are browsing for goods, everyone must implement the marketing plan you've laid out. Now is the perfect time to make additional sales calls or work on those projects, such as online video productions, that we simply "never have time to do." Schedule regular brainstorming and creativity sessions to keep ideas flowing.

When the entire team banishes the term "slow season" from their vocabularies and becomes more proactive during business slow periods, you'll soon find that it's not so slow after all.

Are Your Online Videos Newsworthy? Get Listed in Google News!

No doubt, getting your online videos listed on Google News could drive traffic to your site. But how do you submit them? Google News is a news aggregator service which means that it collects headlines from other news sources such as the Associated Press, USA Today, Reuters, and Forbes. Unless your Internet video is hosted on one of the major news sites, the chances of it being listed on Google News are slim. However, there is a backdoor: YouTube News.

As you likely know, Google purchased YouTube in 2006. As the owner of YouTube, Google does a bit of cross-promoting. If you look at the Google News site, you'll see a link to YouTube News. Click the YouTube News link and you'll find newsworthy online videos from around the world as well as local news videos based on your IP address.

In order to get your online videos listed on YouTube News, and by extension Google News, you will need to apply to become a YouTube Partner. In order to qualify for this program, you must meet minimum qualifications including:

• Your online videos must be original and "suitable for online streaming"
• All uploaded audio and video content must be owned by you or you must have express permission to use and monetize the content
• You must have a presence on YouTube with regular video submissions and thousands of viewers

Keep in mind that even if you meet these minimum qualifications, other criteria may be used to judge whether or not your online videos are suitable for the YouTube Partner Program. For example, Google will look at your Web site and YouTube channel and may disqualify you if you upload videos, music, images, live performances, movie or television visuals, video game or software visuals, and other content without express permission from the content's original creator.

Once accepted into the YouTube Partner Program, your newsworthy Web videos will be listed in YouTube News. If you allow your online videos to be embedded on other sites, then it is possible that your Web videos will appear on the Google News site itself.

In addition to gaining exposure, YouTube partners are eligible for revenue sharing. You can opt out of revenue sharing if you are not interested in monetizing your online video content.

So, are your Internet videos newsworthy? Making newsworthy videos doesn't mean that you have to report on crime, sports, or the weather in your community. Just as you put a news slant into your press releases to the local newspapers, so too can you create newsworthy Internet videos. When thinking about producing a news video, consider the following:

• How does your product or service relate to current events?
• What has your organization done lately that deserves press?

For example, if your community is currently suffering from a high crime rate and your organization manufactures anti-theft devices, you might create a news video detailing crime in your community and how citizens can protect themselves. Because this is a news video rather than a marketing video, you will need to go easy on the sales pitch. In addition to relating your product or service to current events, create a news video whenever your organization "gives back to the community." If your employees team up for a good cause, publicize it! Not only would an online video detailing the charitable activities of your organization make for good news, it builds good will and shows that your organization cares.

If you're already producing video press releases, applying for a YouTube Partnership is the next step. Have you taken that step already? We'd love to hear your experiences!

Bring Your Press Release to Life with Video

If you’ve been using press releases to market your product or services, you already understand how getting the word out impacts your bottom line. Want to make a bigger impact? Consider a video press release! Video press releases aren’t new. Companies often produce corporate videos, product videos, and sales videos with a news slant and then submit them to television stations in the hopes that the station will run the segment “as is” or at least use some of the footage in a larger story. But, we’re not talking about traditional video press releases submitted to television stations. We’re talking about online video press releases.

Why add video to your online press releases? Like your blog or Web site, online video allows viewers to see your product or service in action. Incorporate an existing marketing video into your press release and help your viewers see and hear your message. While the written word can certain convey how easy your product is to use by saying, “This product is easy to use,” an online product video showing the product in use proves it! Likewise, you can incorporate a testimonial video or any other creative marketing videos that complement the text.

Adding Video to Online Press Releases
Adding a short online video to a press release is a terrific way to drive your point home. However, it’s not quite as easy as embedding a video on your blog. After all, not all press release distribution sites are equipped to handle video yet. While you could insert a link to your online video within the text, embedding the video directly into the press release is more likely to get your message seen.

There are two ways you can embed video into a press release. The first way, the more complicated way, is to create an Adobe PDF and embed the video directly into it. This requires embedding an online video currently hosted on your site rather than a video located on your computer. This is because the embedded media player in your document references the video via its URL. After creating the document and embedding the video, you will then need to manually submit the final document to news organizations.

The second way is to use an online press release service capable of handling an online video press release. One such service is 24-7PressRelease.com. The service isn’t free, but it does allow you to embed up to a two minute video into your press releases. The service accepts multiple video formats including .mov, .avi, mp4., .divx, .xvid, .3gp, .3gpp, .qt, and many others. All videos uploaded to this particular service must not infringe on copyright and are reviewed by an editor before being approved for release.
 
Creating a Standalone Video Press Release
Not sure you want your video press release surrounded by text? Do you want your entire message to be in online video form? Consider producing a standalone video press release and distribute your resulting promotional video through traditional online video channels such as YouTube or your company’s Web site. For example, if your Web site doesn’t already have an area dedicated to press releases and media kits, team up with your Web designer and create one. Once you have your media page set up, created a distributable video press release and post it along with other promotional materials such as free product shots and traditional press releases.

Once set up, announce your new media kit via a standard online press release as well. This will further drive traffic to your site and help spread the word about your standalone video press releases.

Already using online video press releases? Share your tips, struggles, and successes with us.

YouTube Insight: Who's Watching Your YouTube Videos?

Have you had a chance to fiddle around with YouTube's Insight tool? This tool goes beyond telling you how many viewers have watched your online videos and shows you where your viewers are located, how they are finding your Internet video, and what demographic your viewers fall into, and which areas of the video your online viewers are paying attention to. Each of these YouTube Insight reports can be downloaded into an Excel spreadsheet. Insight is built right into your YouTube account. If you haven't already checked it out, head on over to your YouTube account and explore this interactive tool.

YouTube Insight Views
The first view that you will see once Insight loads is an interactive timeline and world map. The timeline shows you how many views your online video has received over time with the highs and lows giving you a graphical view of performance over time. For example, if you sent out a tweet encouraging your Twitter followers to check out your online video, you may notice a spike in viewership on the date that you promoted the video.

The interactive map allows you to see which regions of the world your video has been viewed in and allows you to drill into the regions. You can select different time periods to analyze as well as see how your online video's popularity compares to other Web videos viewed in that particular part of the world.

YouTube Insight Discovery
Once you're done looking at the timeline and geographical data, click on the next report, Discovery. Discovery let's you know how your viewers are finding your videos. For example, are your users stumbling across your online video by searching YouTube or are they finding it due to your marketing efforts? Did they find your Web video through a Google search? An email  or Web site link? Your Twitter tweet? This information allows you to see how well your video marketing and ads are working at driving traffic to your online video.

YouTube Insight Demographics
Next, click on the Demographics link. The Insight Demographics report displays a chart showing you the age ranges and genders of your online video's viewers as well as the percentages of each group. By analyzing your video's demographics, you will have a better understanding of who your online audience is. For example, is your video popular with twenty-something men? Retired women? Is it equally popular with teenagers and senior citizens? Is the online video's viewership what you expected? Why or why not? How can you better target the video to your demographic?

YouTube Insight Community
The YouTube Insight Community report details how your viewers are engaging with your online video. It displays information about ratings, favorites, and comments related to your video. In other words, the Community report tells you whether or not viewers liked your video! How many viewers gave your video five stars? How many commented on your videos? Like the other reports, this information can be analyzed by date as well as by geographic region.

YouTube Insight HotSpots
The YouTube Insight HotSpots report shows you which areas of your online video are "hot" with your viewers. This tool is similar to the Wistia Heatmaps tool discussed in an earlier blog post. It allows you to see which areas are hot compared to similar length videos on YouTube and which are cold. Use this information to find out if viewers are tuning out before the video's completion and if so, what point they are abandoning your message. If you find that viewers are consistently stopping at a particular scene, you may want to revisit that scene and edit it to keep viewers engaged.

Insight does indeed give you greater insight into how your online videos are connecting with viewers. Have you used Insight? How are your videos performing?