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How to use Online video on Curacao
11-08-2009, S. Opschoor
When mentioning the possibility to use video on a website in Curacao, people immediately start complaining about the Internet speed. Curacao is probably not the worst in the world regarding Internet Speed, but certainly not the fastest.
So video for most people is a no go… WRONG. A lot of people here watch movies on You Tube (especially young people). The speed is also quite good. So use You Tube to publish your video and start making your website more interesting.
In this article I am not aiming for a real viral effect. You know, the videos, which are viewed by millions of people around the world and create a buzz. It’s is great when that happens, but I want to point out that with a little effort you can even use video for your small and medium sized business.
You can use video to demo your product, make a tutorial, or just explain what your business is about. It makes it personal, interactive and fun.
A few pointers for the content
- Keep it short
- Focus on the first 10 seconds
- Live videos requires no editing (it is not terrible to have small mistakes and saves you time)
- Try screen recording if you are camera shy (give audio commentary)
- Be yourself, do not outline a script
- Iterate
- Keep it fast paced to keep the viewer interested
- Use Call 2 action at the end (you want results right?)
How to make a video
You don’t have to make an online video in HD-quality. People are used to You Tube quality. As long as your presentation is genuine it doesn’t really matter. But, of course, take in account simple ways to make your video more professional. For example: use lights, prepare, make sure there is a flow, use a jacked microphone for audio etc.
How to publish a video
The easiest way is to use Video-sharing site like You Tube.
You don’t have to pay for the server costs and also You Tube automatically converts to a format, which every user can watch.
When you uploaded the video, take the ‘embed’ code from You Tube and put it in your website. If you don’t know how that works, Google it or ask your web designer.
Optimization for searches
Probably you want your video to be found. You Tube enables you to enter keywords for your movie. Make sure they are descriptive, straightforward and contain relevant keywords. For example: when you publish a movie about your hotel on Curacao, use keywords like hotel on Curacao, or hotel in the Caribbean.
You Tube also lets you add a description. Always include a link to your website.
You Tube will show your video in search results better if you have:
- More views
- More links and embeds from other websites
- Better ratings and more comments
So make sure you promote your video.
How to promote your video
First of all, put your video on your website. If you have a blog, post it there. Next you take the link to the page with the video and distribute it:
- Send an e-mail to your colleagues to put the link on their social network sites (LinkedIn, Facebook etc.)
- Tweet it through Twitter
- And whatever you can think of.
When you put the video on your website, make sure you add an option for social bookmarking. This way visitors can easily distribute your video.
Track your efforts
As with all your Internet activities you should track and measure the results. Use You Tube Insights (comes with your account) to see where the viewers came from and see demographics. You can even see a video timeline when visitors stopped watching your video. Use this data to improve your next video.
If you used Call to Action in your video, also find a way to track this.
Curacao and online video? Of course, just be creative and see what works for your company and website.
