Category Archives: Video SEO and Optimization

Website Advice From Cincinnati Marketing Experts

Cincinnati is lucky to have so many website and marketing experts. I have asked some of the best to give you easy tips to improve your website and make you stand out in a competitive online environment. In this new video series, we’ll get right to the useful information. In just two minutes, you’ll find out some of the secrets these folks use. I don’t know of an easier way to keep your website and marketing fresh. The experts I will be interviewing are extremely helpful and easy to talk to. They would love to hear from you if you’ve watched the video and found some useful tips. Contact information is right at the end of the video.

My first guest is Beverly Richards of LDR Interactive Technologies. Beverly and her team not only make websites pretty, they make websites that work. Beverly is a wealth of information when it comes to marketing your business online. In this video, three tips for fixing your ABOUT US page. Every website should have one. Take advantage of these tips now to better connect with your customers.

Video Thumbnails Make Viewers Click

thumbnails
What makes someone want to watch your video? Well, there’s your stellar reputation for creating interesting content…there’s a great headline that explains what’s in it for the viewer…but even more than that is a great thumbnail. Remember this is a visual medium and you should be appealing to the eyes and emotions.

YouTube gives you a choice of three thumbnails selected from various points in your video. Or, if your channel has been verified, you can upload a custom thumbnail. I’m usually good with the ones YouTube picks for me, as you can see from the graphic above. But here are some things you should definitely watch for in choosing a thumbnail that will make viewers and web visitors want to watch what you have created:

    1. Use close ups of faces, especially those making eye contact. Faces are compelling, but if the topic of the video is a product or other physical item, use that.
    2. Strong emotions are more compelling. Show a face with a strong emotion.
    3. Show the face in front of a bright colorful background. A high contract between the face and the background is best.
    4. Text can work, but keep it to three or four words which do not hide the face. Keep it readable.
    5. A bug or logo superimposed on the left bottom works. But keep the lower right free as YouTube often uses this area for one of their graphics.
    6. Give the thumbnail an identifiable design or look any time there are a number of videos from the same producer. This reinforces the brand.
    7. Design for the small screen of smart phones.
    8. Keep the thumbnail simple and easy to understand.
    9. Don’t mislead. A YouTube thumbnail of a bare-breasted woman not only misleads the viewer, but is also penalized as misleading.

You have great stories to share. Create great visuals, and keep them coming back for more.

–that’s a wrap

Annotations – Pop Ups In Your Video Part two

Annotations on YouTube are a fantastic feature to add to your videos. You can use them for anything from highlighting sales to getting viewers to subscribe to your channel. This episode – This is part 2 of 2 parts – takes you thru the What, Where, and How of using YouTube annotations.
If you’re new here, I create videos as web content for small business in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. And I help both my clients, and non-clients understand video’s powerful impact. A lot of that is knowing what to do after the video is created. Where do you put it? How do you put it there? What else can you do to make sure folks see it? This video series was born from that. I’m going to give you the tips you need to make your videos work for you. Don’t have any videos yet? Call me. I’d love to talk with you.

Watch Time (4:38) Link to transcript

Annotations – Pop-Ups In Your Video

Annotations on YouTube are a fantastic feature to add to your videos. You can use them for anything from highlighting sales to getting viewers to subscribe to your channel. This episode – split into two parts – takes you thru the What, Where, and How of using YouTube annotations.
If you’re new here, I create videos as web content for small business in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. And I help both my clients, and non-clients understand video’s powerful impact. A lot of that is knowing what to do after the video is created. Where do you put it? How do you put it there? What else can you do to make sure folks see it? This video series was born from that. I’m going to give you the tips you need to make your videos work for you. Don’t have any videos yet? Call me. I’d love to talk with you.

Watch Time (4:38) Link to transcript

Host Videos On Your Own Website

Don’t get me wrong – I love YouTube – but you can (and should) host videos on your own site, too. Here’s the first part you need to know. More to come in future episodes.

If you’re new here, I create videos as web content for small business in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. And I help both my clients, and non-clients understand video’s powerful impact. A lot of that is knowing what to do after the video is created. Where do you put it? How do you put it there? What else can you do to make sure folks see it? This video series was born from that. I’m going to give you the tips you need to make your videos work for you. Don’t have any videos yet? Call me. I’d love to talk with you.

Here is Episode 6. I upload a new one about twice a month. I’m really interested in your comments, so leave one, or connect with me.

Watch Time (3:05) Link to transcript

Why Google + Is A Must Have For Videos

Like it or not, Google+ is one network you can’t ignore when it comes to getting your videos posted and seen by Our Friends The Search Engines. Here’s how to 1+ your way to success.
This is Episode 5. I upload a new one about every three weeks. I’m really interested in your comments, so leave one, or connect with me.

If you’re new here, I create videos as web content for small business in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. And I help both my clients, and non-clients understand video’s powerful impact. A lot of that is knowing what to do after the video is created. Where do you put it? How do you put it there? What else can you do to make sure folks see it? This video series was born from that. I’m going to give you the tips you need to make your videos work for you. Don’t have any videos yet? Call me. I’d love to talk with you.

Watch Time (2:47) Link to transcript

How To Add Captions And Transcripts To Your Videos

If you’re new here, I create videos as web content for small business in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. And I help both my clients, and non-clients understand video’s powerful impact. A lot of that is knowing what to do after the video is created. Where do you put it? How do you put it there? What else can you do to make sure folks see it? This video series was born from that. I’m going to give you the tips you need to make your videos work for you. Don’t have any videos yet? Call me. I’d love to talk with you.

Here is Episode 4. I upload a new one about twice a month. I’m really interested in your comments, so leave one, or connect with me.

Watch Time (3:39) Link to transcript

Help With Video In Your Email

If you’re new here, I create videos as web content for small business in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. And I help both my clients, and non-clients understand video’s powerful impact. A lot of that is knowing what to do after the video is created. Where do you put it? How do you put it there? What else can you do to make sure folks see it? This video series was born from that. I’m going to give you the tips you need to make your videos work for you. Don’t have any videos yet? Call me. I’d love to talk with you.

Here is Episode 3. I upload a new one about twice a month. I’m really interested in your comments, so leave one, or connect with me.

Watch time (4:18) Link to transcript

What Do I Do With This Darn Video??

If you’re new here, I create videos as web content for small business in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. And I help both my clients, and non-clients understand video’s powerful impact. A lot of that is knowing what to do after the video is created. Where do you put it? How do you put it there? What else can you do to make sure folks see it? This video series was born from that. I’m going to give you the tips you need to make your videos work for you. Don’t have any videos yet? Call me. I’d love to talk with you.

I will upload a new episode about twice each month. To begin, here are the first two episodes. I’m really interested in your comments, so leave one, or connect with me.

Enjoy and have fun!

Watch time (4:56) Link to transcript


As a bonus, here is Episode 2. If you’d like to be notified when new episodes are added, be sure to click the “Subscribe” link at the end. (I’ll show you how that’s done in a future episode)

Watch time (4:16) Link to transcript