RainMaker Blog

Online Video Types – Know Your Purpose

When it comes to online videos, all videos are not made the same. Nor should they be. In fact, each video that you produce should have a clear purpose. Do you know what you expect out of each online business video? By knowing the video’s purpose, you’ll be able to produce a video that fulfills it as well as be able to measure the video’s success once posted online.

Three Types of Online Videos
Most online videos fall into three categories: informative/educational, conversion, and viral videos. Each of these categories has its own purpose. For example, an informative video endeavors to educate viewers about a product, service, industry, or issue while a conversion video strives to convince viewers to perform a specific action such as subscribing to a newsletter or buying a product. Viral videos are often used to build brand awareness or drive traffic to a Web site.

Informative Videos
Informative videos are educational videos. Creating a informative video allows you to provide value to your site’s visitors while also distinguishing your company from your competitors. After all, by sharing your expertise, you are demonstrating it and building trust. If your competitors are not doing the same, who do you think will look more credible from your customers’ perspectives?

Understand that an informative video isn’t necessarily going to translate into immediate sales. While you may see some immediate and future sales as a result, sales are not the primary purpose of informative business videos. Depending on how you optimize an educational video and where you post it, you may see: increased traffic to your Web site, incoming links from other Web sites (which can both drive traffic as well as provide additional PageRank from Google), return traffic, higher listings in Google search results, more trust with customers (and future sales). In addition, if your product videos show users how to use the product or troubleshoot common problems, you may experience fewer calls from customers seeking help.  

Conversion Videos
Conversion videos have a single purpose: to convert prospective customers into actual customers. This purpose may be a multistep process with a conversion video first prompting your site’s visitors to subscribe to a newsletter, download a white paper, or download a trial version of software or it could be an immediate prompt enticing the prospect to buy now.

When producing a conversion video, it’s important to understand what you want your customer to do as a result of watching the video online. Do you want the user to download a white paper? Then make sure you prompt the user to do so and provide links on the page where the video is hosted. Make it as easy as you can for the user to do what you’re asking him to do.

Viral Videos
Viral videos are online videos that viewers find interesting enough to share with others. Most often, this happens organically though many companies attempt to create videos specifically with hopes that the videos will “go viral.” This type of video is most often found on video-sharing sites such as YouTube rather than on corporate Web sites. If you’re hoping for a viral video sensation, you’ll want to create a video that’s funny and unexpected. In addition, you’ll need to post it on the popular video-sharing sites so that it is more easily discovered and shared.

Understanding what you want to accomplish with your online videos before you begin shooting is an important part of the video production process. Once you understand what you want to accomplish, you can then create a workable plan and shoot your video with confidence.

Will Web Video Combine with eBooks?

Now that the iPad has hit the streets, the humble eBook reader has moved from being a simple device capable of displaying easy-to-read electronic text to a multimedia device capable of displaying full Web video and sound. What does this mean for eBooks? What does this mean for Web video?

The iPad won't likely affect online video other than providing a portable platform for accessing it. However, it could affect how eBooks are produced. Currently, eBooks consist of text and black and white graphics. With its color screen and video capabilities, it makes sense that eBooks of the futures would incorporate videos. Currently, if an eBook producer wants to share additional content such as online videos, a link to an external Web site is provided. In the future, an eBook could have embedded videos, eliminating the need for the reader to venture away from the eBook itself.

Imagine reading an eBook about any topic and then being able to watch a professionally produced video in context. The possibilities are endless - and they're in sight! While the iPad is grabbing the headlines, other eBook readers are quietly making headway. For example, Qualcomm's Mirasol displays, which are expected to debut this year, are full color, low-battery consumption displays that make it possible to view full color images - and video - in sunlight. In Japan, full color eReaders by Fujitsu are already in use. In addition, new two-display eReaders capable of displaying standard e-ink on one display and color Website videos on the other are becoming more common here in the U.S.

With eBook technology moving from black-and-white technologies to offering full color displays, it's inevitable that video will play a more prominent role in eBooks. Just as the CD-ROM of yesteryear introduced multimedia to software programming, eReaders with their new multimedia capabilities will likely transform how eBooks are produced.

Whether you're a video producer, eBook producer, or a consumer of eBooks, the prospects are exciting! The written page will no longer rely strictly on words to communicate. Imagine reading a biography of an American president and being able to watch actual video clips of his inauguration or famous speeches. Imagine reading an instructional eBook and seeing step-by-step video demonstrations. Imagine reading a novel by your favorite author and being able to watch video interviews or book discussions led by the author. Just as DVDs often have "bonus features" such as commentary by the director and actors, so too could an eBook now that the video display technology is coming of age.

As you imagine the possibilities from a reader's point of view, switch gears for a moment and consider the possibilities from a marketing point of view: Your online videos may reach a larger audience if eBooks are successfully able to merge the written word with video components! In addition to producing Internet videos, consider creating eBooks, special reports, and white papers with video content and issuing them in formats for video-capable eReaders.

Are you excited about the future of eReaders and video's potential role? How will you be using Web video in conjunction with the iPad and Mirasol technologies? Share your ideas with us.

Online Video : 2010 Predicted to be Another Phenomenal Year

In recent years, sites such as YouTube and Hulu became household names. To give you an idea about the online video phenomenon, in December 2009, Nielsen Online reports that over 137 million people watched Internet videos! That's a lot of viewers flocking to the Internet for video-based information and entertainment. In fact, that number represents an 11.8 percent increase in online video viewership compared to December 2008. If you thought 2009 was a hot year for Internet video, watch out for 2010!

A recent press release from comScore reveals what most of us already know: Google video sites (such as YouTube which is owned by Google) are the go-to destinations for online videos. At a whopping 39.4% market share, Google video sites are by far the most popular with viewers. In contrast, the number two Internet video site, Hulu, has but a fraction of market share, 3%. The comScore data reveal another interesting tidbit: Online video is mainstream with 84.8 percent of the total United States Internet audience having viewed videos online - at an average of 12.2 hours of videos watched per viewer.

The recent data from comScore and Nielsen confirm that 2009 was indeed a spectacular year for online video. In addition, the future looks rosy with predictions that video consumption will continue to increase. Not only will viewers continue accessing videos online via traditional computers, mobile video is becoming a reality. For example, users of "smartphone" devices like the iPhone and Droid and other mobile Web devices such as netbooks and the iPad are accessing the mobile Web by the millions. Researchers predict that up to 90 million video viewers will access online videos from mobile devices. Other predicted video delivery methods include: console-based and online gaming platforms, email, and social network sites.

What are all these millions of Internet video viewers watching? comScore's findings reveal that the average online video's duration is four minutes which makes sense based on YouTube's dominance in market share.

In many ways, online video is much like online text. Just as Internet readers tend to want to read shorter, easy-to-quickly-scan articles online instead of in-depth academic expositions, it appears that Internet video watchers want to watch short clips online, not full featured movies and documentaries. After all, computer screens aren't exactly easy on the eyes. Plus, tiny screens can't compare to the huge HDTV screens populating the family rooms of America.

So, what does all of this mean to you? You may be part of the 84.8 percent of Americans who have watched a few clips of video online. Even if you're not enamored with watching Internet videos, your audience may be. If you haven't yet added video marketing to your marketing plan, 2010 may be the year to do so. From a business point of view, there are many ways to spread your message and business videos are an excellent way to do so. Not only can your marketing videos show your customer base who you are or how to use your products, many of your customers may be searching for companies like yours specifically using video searches.

What are your video marketing plans for 2010? Will you be a part of the online video phenomenon or do you think it's just a passing fad? Share your thoughts - we'd love to explore this in greater detail!

Generating Buzz

In past posts, we've discussed monitoring what others are saying about your company, products, online videos, or brand. As people chatter about your business, they are creating buzz. While monitoring buzz let's you know what others are saying, what if no one is saying a word? If no one is talking about your products, brand, or Internet videos, you may need a little help in generating buzz. In other words, give them something to talk about.

With the explosion of social media, buzz means more exposure. For example, if a single Twitter user tweets a link to your online marketing video to his followers and a few of those followers re-tweet it to their followers your video will be exposed to a huge audience that you wouldn't have reached before. Not only will your message be seen by more people, many of these people will begin following you or exploring your Web site. And that's just based on one tweet on one social network!

Enable Comments
One way to generate buzz is to enable comments, chats, and social streams. For example, if you have a blog, enable comments so that readers can post their thoughts and start a conversation. Enable sharing by placing a "share this" widget. These widgets make it easy for viewers to share a link to your page on popular social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.

Create a Weekly Twitter Chat
Twitter users often gather for informal chats. Consider creating a hashtag for your specialty and hosting weekly Twitter chats. For example, if you specialize in car repairs, create a hashtag called #CarRepairChat and invite your followers to participate. Each participant uses the hashtag during the chat, which is viewable to all of their own followers. As other Twitter users see the conversations in their own Twitter streams, it's not unusual for interested people to join the chat.
 
Use Social Streams
Similar to comments on blogs, social streams are commonly used with online videos - and these streams take place in real time. For example, if you host a live video on UStream.tv, you can enable a social stream. This real-time stream allows viewers to interact and comment as they watch the video. In this case, users do not need a Ustream account; they can sign in with their own Twitter or Facebook account and begin interacting. As you host your live video program, viewers can ask questions, make comments, and interact. As the comments come in, you can answer them in real time on video or have an assistant answer questions via the social stream. Not only does this make for a dynamic online video event, all of the participants conversing in the real time social stream are also generating buzz because their tweets are being displayed to their followers.

Issue Press Releases and Social Media Releases
Take advantage of press release services and regularly issue press releases. This strategy serves two important purposes. First, it gets the word out to news aggregators about your latest online video, product, service, or other news. Second, it builds valuable backlinks which make your Web site, blog, or online video more discoverable.

In the days leading up to your next release, use social media to engage your followers. For example, you could hold a contest or create an interactive poll. Consider periodic giveaways and watch as your followers spread the news in order to qualify for a prize.

Post Articles on Article Directories
Share your expertise by writing articles and posting them on popular article directories like EzineArticles.com or GoArticles.com. These sites allow you to place a "resource box" at the end of the article complete with links to your site or online video. Article directories allow publishers to use the article on their blogs and Web sites. When this happens, you'll gain exposure and links.

These are but a few of the many buzz generating activities that you can try. How are you generating buzz? Share your ideas with us.

Spiral Branding: Nike Did It

When it comes to major sporting events such as surfing and extreme sports contests, it's hard to compete with the athletes and drive traffic to your marketing booth. After all, you've got athletes pulling off amazing tricks and wowing audiences. Why would a spectator step away from live action to visit your booth and watch pre-recorded videos? Nike understood the conundrum when it sponsored the 2008 US Open of Surfing and the 2008 Dew Tour and implemented a spiral branding strategy that drove the masses to its interactive booth.

A bright orange color scheme was prominent throughout the branding, with orange ads, scratch-off prize cards, and a large orange tent. Even the prizes (Nike hats and bandanas) were bright orange. What does the color have to do with the videos spectators would ultimately view in the tent? The color created visibility and curiosity. As more audience members appeared wearing Nike orange hats and bandanas, other spectators quickly understood that the bright orange tent was the "go to" destination.

Inside the tent was an interactive wonderland consisting of Nike videos profiling the athletes as well as an interactive video slot machine that awarded winners gift certificates good for a pair of Nike 6.0 shoes. The videos were unique in that they were activated by Nike scratch-off game cards, Nike ads, and webcams. Once the card or ad appeared on the television screen, it transformed into a game such as the slot machine or a Nike video.

Even after the event, participants were encouraged to view the Nike videos on the Nike6.com Website. Not only could spectators watch the videos online, if they had webcams, they could hold up their Nike ads and activate the related videos. In addition to driving traffic to the tent, Nike drove traffic to its Web site.

Nike's goal was to get people into its tent at major sporting events. Nike accomplished that goal by incorporating spiral branding. Sure, Nike could have erected a tent, played videos inside, and counted on foot traffic. Instead, Nike increased the "wow" factor by:

• Incorporating strong colors (bright orange and black) and using them in ads, displays, game cards, prizes, and other event marketing materials. Even the tent was bright orange and black.

• Giving prizes to all participants.

• Ensuring that the prizes stood out and created a buzz. Imagine a crowd of spectators wearing bright orange bandanas - wouldn't you want to get one for yourself? Wouldn't you suspect that you could get one by visiting that prominent bright orange tent?

• Using webcams and interactive video displays.

• Allowing participants to relive the experience on the Nike6.com Web site.

While Nike's strategy likely cost the company a princely sum of money, it's a strategy that can be replicated on a smaller scale using spiral branding techniques. The next time you're charged with setting up a booth at a trade show or event, how can you use similar techniques to drive traffic to your booth? How can you incorporate video, both at the event as well as afterward on your Web site? How can you make your videos interactive? Are all of your marketing materials coordinated in terms of color as well as message? Do your marketing materials build on each other, creating a spiral effect?

SEO Tips for Online Videos

So, you’ve produced a stunning online video and have it hosted on your Web page. Now what? You’ve got to get viewers! Just as Web sites need to be optimized in order to draw traffic, so too must your Web videos. Certainly, a well-paced video on a currently optimized Web page will attract viewers; however, your search engine optimization shouldn’t end there. Rather than relying on the underlying traffic of the page, optimize the video to bring in viewers. By doing so, not only will your video get watched, you’ll have two powerful content elements (text content and video content) working together.

A compelling reason to optimize your Web video is this: Online videos are ranked differently than standard Web pages in search engines. In fact, some users are specifically searching for video content online. Go to Google right now and see for yourself. Click on the Videos link and then enter a search term, any search term will do. Notice that all of the results are videos?

Even users that do not specify video searches are served up video results. According to ComScore’s January 2008 “Google Universal Search Results Searcher Penetration by Result Type” report, 38 percent of Google searchers were served video in universal search engine results pages. If you want your website video to be discovered by viewers specifically looking for videos about whatever it is your video discusses, then you need to optimize it.

Optimizing a Web video is similar to optimizing Web pages. First, quality content is a given. After all, you want viewers to come to your site and stick around. Ideally, they’ll tell their friends as well as return time and time again.

Next, you’ll need to understand how viewers find videos online. Some stumble across videos randomly, others find them based on recommendations from friends, others visit sites like YouTube, others specifically search for videos in search engines as you just did with Google, others find online videos by clicking links in eMail marketing messages, and finally, some viewers find videos online via RSS feeds.

While your Web site will certainly benefit from random viewers, a smart SEO strategy is to focus on:

•    Friend recommendations
•    eMail marketing
•    Online video sites
•    Search engine optimization

Getting others to share your Internet video can lead to increased traffic, especially if your video goes viral. While only a small percentage of videos ever achieve true viral traffic, incorporating a “share video” feature is easy to do. Typically, an embed code is created when the user clicks the “share video” feature. The user then embeds this code into his own website or blog. This in turn creates a backlink that points to your Web site which is also useful for driving general Web site traffic. Friend recommendations via direct links shared via email are also desirable.

In addition, if you have a mailing list, create an eMail campaign or newsletter and make sure to provide a link to your online video. As your subscribers visit your site and watch the video, they may even click the “share this” link. See how the two strategies work together?

Posting a copy of your video on an online video site such as YouTube is also an excellent way to drive traffic to your Web site. Not only can you create an entire channel of related content, each Web video can link to your site.

While getting others to share your Website video and posting it on online video sites are solid strategies, you’ll also want to pay attention to basic SEO. Use keyword phrases in your title, save the Internet video file with a keyword rich title, use solid keywords in the file’s metatag and metadescription fields, and place the online video on a Web page optimized for those same keywords.

Optimizing a Web video isn’t overly difficult, especially if you are already optimizing the rest of your site’s content. Apply similar strategies to your videos and reap the search engine rewards!

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.

Web Video Broadcasting: Creating Your Own YouTube Channel

If you've been dabbling in online video marketing and have a few marketing videos hosted at YouTube, you may be ready for the next step: creating a YouTube channel. A YouTube channel is like a sophisticated form of an online profile. At its most basic, the channel displays your user name, profile, and thumbnails of your Web video collection. In fact, all registered YouTube users have a basic channel. You can check your own channel by signing into YouTube, clicking on your user name (in the upper-right corner of the screen), and selecting "Account." However, who wants to settle for being basic? Let's take a look at a couple of companies that have taken their YouTube channels to more creative heights.

Best Buy's Geek Squad is successfully using social media and YouTube to reach consumers. Geek Squad uses online videos to share short, "Two Minute Miracle" consumer electronics tips with viewers while also building brand loyalty in the process. After all, if you subscribe to Geek Squad's channel and regularly learn about consumer electronics from these geeky techs, who are you going to call when you need help on more challenging computer or home theatre installation tasks?

The background of Geek Squad's channel features the Geek Squad logo which is immediately recognizable and brands the channel appropriately. In the center of the screen is a current Web video alongside smaller thumbnails of other recent marketing videos uploaded by Geek Squad. As you explore the page, you'll see "modules" containing additional information such as the Geek Squad profile, recent activity, comments, and subscribers.

Another example is the Big Cat Rescue channel, or Big Cat TV. This channel has been customized even further than Geek Squad's. You'll notice a graphic header across the top of the channel as well as the familiar modules such as the user's profile and Web video list. The primary video automatically plays, music blaring. The creator of this channel also incorporated a "donate now" image as well as links to affiliated Web sites and social media accounts. Note that these are "nofollow" links, so including the links does not improve your site's ranking. Include links not for SEO but for building relationships with your viewers.  

Viewers can reach a YouTube channel by clicking on your user name after discovering one of your online YouTube videos. If they like what they see, they can then subscribe to the channel where your relationship building begins. Subscribers are notified of new videos thus increasing the likelihood of future views of your marketing videos!

What's more, you can even embed your YouTube channel, or another YouTube user's channel into a Web site just as you embed individual videos. Consider creating a YouTube channel and then embedding it into your Web site or blog. This allows your existing visitors to easily browse through your Web video collection without having to leave your site. Meanwhile, your channel remains discoverable on YouTube, potentially sending YouTube viewers to your Web site for additional information.

Ready to take your existing YouTube channel to new heights? Start by logging into YouTube and going into your account settings area. Once in Account Settings, find the Edit Channel link in the main pane just below Insight. This takes you to the Edit Channel Info screen which displays basic information about your channel such as its URL and type. Click on the Channel Design link. Inside the editing area, you'll see your channel's basic layout with default modules, each of which can be edited or removed. Along the top of the page are tabs (Edit Channel, Settings, Themes and Colors, and Modules). Explore these tabs and customize your channel with your logo, color scheme, and other preferences.
 
If you haven't explored creating your own YouTube channel to showcase your Web and marketing videos, why not do so now? We'd love to hear your experiences, tips, and ideas so feel free to post a comment below.