How to: Use Online Video in your Blog Posts

 

This week, comScore released the findings of an online video study and we found the results very interesting, and wanted to share. The study found that 183 million users watched web-based videos in October. comScore reported that those viewers saw over 37 billion online content videos in the month.

So what does this mean for you bloggers? It means you should be using video! Here is some basic advice on how to use online video in your blog posts.

1. Start using video content and don't worry if it's not perfect: We know that creating videos can seem a bit daunting, but once you have an idea and take out that camera or phone to capture video, it really isn't difficult. Plus, you don't have to worry whether or not it looks perfect; people aren't expecting you to develop a video that's potentially award-winning (unless video is your expertise!). Here's an idea for getting started: choose a question you think your readers want to know the answer to. Then, ask the expert in your office to answer it on camera. Now, you have a quality blog post your readers will want to watch, AND you're giving a readers a glimpse into your place of work and your staff.

2. Include some text along with your video in the blog post: It's best practice to give readers context for a video before you expect them to watch an entire video. Make your introductory sentences before the embedded video count, by telling them what they'll gain by watching the video, so they'll be more apt to do so. We'd also recommend that you give a wrap up paragraph after the embedded video, so people know the main take away of the video and can easily remember the big points after leaving your blog.

3. Don't forget a strong call to action: Include a call to action in your video much like what you would do in a regular written blog post. Make the audience take an action at the end of your video. For example, you could say something like, "For more tips from our experts here at (business name), sign up for our newsletter, by clicking on the button at the end of the blog post." or "Email us today and we'll waive our setup fee! Click on the button below to reach our sales team now."

We'll be adding to this list in the future, but if you have any great tips for us and our readers, please share them below!

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