Fundamentals
In this section we'll cover some of the basics of online video. While this certainly isn't everything to know, in this section you'll gain an understanding of the basic terms and concepts of online video, as well as the first steps anyone should take when they receive their newly completed video.
Receiving a Video
Throughout the process of working with Richter, you would have been sent links to review the video on vimeo.com that look like this:
Or possibly this:
https://vimeo.com/richter10point2/review/85477126/a2cb58631b
One of the reasons we use vimeo is that once the final video is approved and completed, you will be able to download your final video file directly from vimeo and save it to your computer.
To do this, simply click the "Download" button right below the title of the video. You are then presented with several file size options - it's best to select "Original" for the highest quality. If file size is an issue, choosing any"HD" option will ensure your video file is high definition and therefore workable for virtually any use online.
From there, follow the prompts to save the video as you would any other file. While we will have it archived as well, it's vital you download and keep a copy saved at all times for future reference. We can't guarantee we'll have your file archived indefinitely.
The Basics of Uploading
Once you have the video file saved to your computer, you need to make it available for viewing online. To do so, you have two main choices of where to do that: your website or a social video sharing site.
Uploading to your Website
The first method of posting your video online is directly to the same server that hosts your website. Typically this would mean having whoever administers your website doing the actual posting, as it requires work behind the scenes. In general, this method is not what we recommend as most things you would likely want to do with your video have been accounted for with free features on social sites.
That said, in certain applications it can be preferable to have total control over the appearance and whereabouts of your video and its player. One example we've seen is a very intricate video player for a series of videos that all coordinated and interacted one to the next - but that was a large and coordinated video campaign...and even so, the videos were also posted on youtube.
Uploading to Social Video Sites
Social video sharing sites like Youtube and Vimeo provide a tremendous toolset for video sharing and promotion. Each will be covered in depth on its own page under the "Social Media" section above, but the simple process of getting your video up and online is the same for each.
First, you would create an account (it's important that the account is for your business, not a personal account), then using the prominent "Upload" buttons on each site, simply follow the prompts to upload the video from your computer. From there, you can fill in the information about the video and voila, it's posted and ready to go.
Titles, Tags and Keywords
When uploading a video, you'll need to give it a name, tags and a description. Doing this effectively and accurately is a vital fundamental for every video you'll ever post.
There's an endless amount of information online on this topic. It can be a little overwhelming, but if you keep the following basic ideas in mind you'll be in good shape:
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What you're doing
This activity falls under the category of "Search Engine Optimization" or "SEO" for your video. Simply put, search engines like google are constantly searching through and indexing the content of the internet so that when someone uses their site to search, the results that are returned are as relevant and useful as possible. Think about it - if, when you used google it returned only junk or useless info, you wouldn't use it anymore.On your side, all you're doing with correct title, tag and description is trying to make your video as relevant possible to certain search terms. For instance, if your video is about "Corporate Software Solutions" then you would work to appear high in the results for that search term with the idea that people with whom you want to do business will be searching it.
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Keep things in perspective
Let's be honest, the reason you purchased a video is to use it to close new business. Well let's get something out of the way right now - if you post it and wait for new clients to come aboard, you won't be very successful. Yes, if you correctly optimize the information describing your video you may collect some searchers, but a video is most effective when used as part of an active outreach strategy. It's a supplement to your activity that distills your message and makes it more effective, not a crutch to rely on.
Knowing this, you should understand why at Richter, we view this "SEO" step as a good fundamental to get right, not the determining factor of your video's success.
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People Vs. Machines
Finally, when going through these steps, you often don't need to overthink. Remember, you have the advantage of being intimately familiar with your industry and are your own best asset. Simply put yourself in the shoes of the exact person you want to talk to and have your titles, tags and description match the pain points they would search for and that your video addresses.