Introduction...................................................................................... 1
How This Book Is Organized........................ 2
Conventions Used in This Book.................... 3
Web Pages........................................ 3
Special Elements................................ 3
There's More Online.................................... 4
Get Ready to YouTube................................ 4
I Marketing Your Business Online with
YouTube.......................................................................... 5
1 How YouTube Can Help You Market Your Business......... 7
A Short History of YouTube.......................... 7
YouTube: The Early Days.................... 8
YouTube Launches-And Gets Acquired 9
YouTube Today................................... 9
Is Video Right for Your Business?................ 9
What Types of Businesses Can Use YouTube?....................... 11
What Kinds of Videos Can You Produce?.... 12
Inform and Sell.................................. 12
Educate and Sell............................... 13
Entertain and Sell.............................. 13
How Can You Use YouTube to Market Your Business?............ 14
YouTube for Brand Awareness............ 14
YouTube for Product Advertising......... 14
YouTube for Retail Promotion............. 15
YouTube for Direct Sales................... 15
YouTube for Product Support.............. 16
YouTube for Product Training.............. 16
YouTube for Employee Communications 17
YouTube for Recruiting....................... 17
The Big Picture......................................... 18
2 Developing Your YouTube Marketing Strategy................... 19
What Is the Purpose of Your YouTube Videos?........................ 19
Who Is Your Customer?............................. 20
What Does Your Customer Want or Need?.. 22
What Are You Promoting?......................... 22
What Is Your Message?............................ 23
How Does YouTube Fit Within Your Overall Marketing Mix?...... 24
How Will You Measure the Results of Your YouTube Videos?... 26
What Type of Video Content Is Best for Your Goals?................ 27
Repurposed Commercials.................. 27
Infomercials...................................... 28
Instructional Videos........................... 30
Product Presentations and Demonstrations..................... 30
Real Estate Walk-Throughs................ 30
Customer Testimonials...................... 31
Company Introductions...................... 31
Expert Presentations......................... 31
Business Video Blogs....................... 31
Executive Speeches.......................... 31
Company Seminars and Presentations 32
User or Employee Submissions.......... 32
Humorous Spots............................... 33
The Big Picture......................................... 33
3 Tips for Producing More Effective YouTube Videos.......... 35
Tips for Creating Better-Looking Videos....... 35
Get the Size Right............................. 36
Shoot for the Smaller Screen.............. 36
Accentuate the Contrast.................... 37
Invest in Quality Equipment................ 37
Shoot Professionally.......................... 38
Use Two Cameras............................. 38
Be Professional-Or Not.................... 39
Don't Just Recycle Old Videos-Re-Edit Them, Too......... 39
Consider Creating a Slideshow........... 39
Hire a Pro......................................... 39
Break the Rules................................ 40
Tips for Improving Your Video Content......... 40
Be Entertaining................................. 40
Be Informative................................... 40
Go for the Funny............................... 41
Keep It Short.................................... 41
Keep It Simple.................................. 42
Stay Focused................................... 42
Communicate a Clear Message.......... 42
Avoid the Hard Sell............................ 42
Keep It Fresh.................................... 43
Design for Remixing.......................... 43
Tips for Generating Sales........................... 43
Include Your Website's Address in the Video................... 43
Include Your URL in the Accompanying Text................... 45
Link from Your Profile............................ 45
The Big Picture......................................... 46
Profile: Blendtec.......................................................................... 47
Inside Blendtec......................................... 47
The "Will It Blend?" Campaign.................... 48
Low Costs, Big Results............................. 49
Advice for Other Businesses...................... 49
II Producing Your YouTube Videos.................... 51
4 Understanding Audio/Video Technology.............................. 53
Understanding Compression....................... 53
Understanding Video Resolution................. 54
Standard Versus High Definition......... 54
YouTube Resolution.......................... 55
Exploiting Lower Resolution............... 55
High-Quality Videos........................... 56
Understanding Video File Formats.............. 56
AVI.................................................. 57
DivX................................................. 58
DV................................................... 58
Flash Video...................................... 58
H.264............................................... 58
MPEG.............................................. 59
QuickTime Movie............................... 60
RealVideo......................................... 60
Windows Media Video....................... 60
Xvid.................................................. 60
Choosing the Right File Format for YouTube 60
Converting Existing Videos to YouTube Format........................ 61
The Big Picture......................................... 62
5 Shooting Webcam Videos........................................................ 63
Understanding Webcam Video................... 63
When a Webcam Makes Sense................. 65
Creating a Video Blog........................ 66
Reporting from the Road or Special Events...................... 66
Responding to Immediate Issues........ 66
Capturing Customer Testimonials....... 67
Tips for Shooting an Effective Webcam Video 67
Make It Immediate............................. 67
Keep It Simple.................................. 67
Watch the Lighting............................ 68
Minimize the Background Noise......... 68
Uploading Webcam Video to YouTube........ 68
Uploading Webcam Video Files.......... 69
Uploading Live Webcam Video........... 69
The Big Picture......................................... 71
6 Shooting Semi-Pro Videos....................................................... 73
Understanding Consumer Video Equipment. 73
How Camcorders Work...................... 74
Examining Camcorder Formats.......... 75
Choosing a Camcorder...................... 76
Prosumer and High Definition Camcorders....................... 78
Selecting Essential Accessories........ 79
Building a Computer for Video Editing. 82
When a Semi-Pro Video Makes Sense....... 83
Video Blogs...................................... 83
Executive Messages......................... 84
Product Demonstrations.................... 84
On-the-Scene Reports....................... 85
Shooting a Semi-Pro Video........................ 85
Shooting in the Office........................ 85
Shooting Outside the Office................ 86
Transferring Videos to Your PC for Editing... 87
Transferring from a Digital Camcorder.. 87
Transferring from an Analog Camcorder 88
Tips for Shooting an Effective Semi-Pro Video 88
Shoot Digitally.................................. 89
Keep the Proper Resolution in Mind.... 89
Use a Tripod..................................... 89
Lighting Matters................................ 90
Use an External Microphone.............. 91
Watch the Background...................... 91
A Little Movement Is Good................. 92
...But Too Much Movement Is Bad...... 93
Shoot from Different Angles................ 93
Close-Ups Are Good.......................... 94
Don't Center the Subject.................... 94
Shoot to Edit.................................... 96
Use a Teleprompter........................... 96
Dress Appropriately........................... 97
The Big Picture......................................... 99
7 Shooting Professional Videos............................................... 101
Why Create a Professional Video for YouTube?...................... 101
Advantages of Professional Videos.... 102
Disadvantages of Professional Videos 102
What Makes a Professional Video Professional...................... 103
Shooting in the Studio...................... 103
Shooting in the Field........................ 105
Preparing for a Professional Video Shoot... 106
Make Friends with Makeup............... 106
Learn Your Shooting Angles............. 107
Wait for the Lighting......................... 107
Prepare for Multiple Takes................ 108
The Big Picture....................................... 108
8 Editing and Enhancing Your Videos................................... 109
Choosing a Video-Editing Program............ 109
Tier One: Free Programs.................. 110
Tier Two: Inexpensive Programs........ 112
Tier Three: Mid-Range Programs....... 117
Tier Four: High-End Programs........... 120
Using a Video-Editing Program................. 122
Editing Together Different Shots........ 123
Inserting Transitions Between Scenes 124
Inserting Titles and Credits............... 125
Creating Other Onscreen Graphics.... 126
Adding Background Music................ 126
Getting Creative with Other Special Effects.................... 127
Converting and Saving Video Files..... 128
The Big Picture....................................... 128
Profile: Charles Smith Pottery.............................................. 129
About Charles Smith and His Pottery........ 129
Selling Pottery via YouTube...................... 130
Making Educational Videos...................... 131
Advice for Other Businesses..................... 132
III Managing Your YouTube Videos.................... 133
9 Uploading Your Videos to YouTube.................................... 135
Uploading Videos from Your Computer...... 135
Starting the Upload Process............. 135
Entering Information About Your Video 136
Selecting the Video to Upload........... 139
Uploading the Video......................... 139
Editing Video Information.......................... 141
Removing a Video from YouTube............... 142
The Big Picture....................................... 143
10 Creating a YouTube Presence.............................................. 145
Working with Channels............................ 145
Viewing a Channel Profile................. 145
Personalizing Your YouTube Channel 147
Managing Your Channel's Video Log. 151
YouTube Channel Marketing..................... 151
Working with Groups............................... 152
Joining an Existing Group................. 152
Creating a New Group...................... 154
Working with Friends and Contacts........... 156
Adding a Friend to Your List............. 157
Sending Messages to Your Friends... 158
Reading Messages from Other Users 159
Dealing with Viewers and Viewer Comments 160
Enabling Comments, Video Responses, Ratings, Embedding, and Syndication 160
Approving Comments and Video Responses.................. 163
Dealing with Negative Comments.............. 165
Removing Viewer Comments and Responses................. 166
Blocking Members from Leaving Comments................... 166
Unsubscribing Users from Your Channel 167
Responding to Negative Comments... 167
The Big Picture....................................... 168
11 Incorporating YouTube Videos on Your Own Website.. 169
Adding YouTube Video Links to a Web Page 169
Linking to an Individual Video............ 169
Linking to Your YouTube Channel-Or List of Videos...... 170
Embedding YouTube Videos in a Web Page 170
Embedding a Basic Video................ 171
Customizing the Embedded Video Player...................... 172
Embedding a Video List in Your Web Page.................... 174
The Big Picture....................................... 175
Profile: Annette Lawrence, ReMax ACR Elite Group, Inc. 176
Welcome to Annette's World.................... 176
Promoting Real Estate the YouTube Way.. 177
Producing an Effective Real Estate Video.. 178
Promoting the Videos.............................. 180
Advice to Other Businesses..................... 181
IV Working with YouTube Video Blogs............. 183
12 Managing a Video Blog........................................................... 185
What a Video Blog Is-And Why You Need One.................... 185
Creating and Maintaining a Video Blog...... 186
Creating the Vlog............................. 187
Creating Vlog Posts......................... 188
Adding YouTube Videos to Your Blog or Vlog 190
Configuring YouTube for Your Blog.... 190
Posting a Video to Your Blog............ 191
Managing Your Video Blog....................... 193
The Big Picture....................................... 194
13 Integrating Text Blogs and Video Blogs............................. 195
Communicating with Your Customers Online 195
Your People Are Your Message................ 196
Expanding Your Message Across the Web 197
Syndicate!...................................... 197
Link!............................................... 198
Promote!......................................... 199
Be Social!....................................... 199
Make Your Blog/Vlog Search Friendly 200
Post Your Videos on Multiple Sites... 200
What Makes a Good Video Blog?............. 201
Managing a Multiple-Channel Online Marketing Mix................ 202
Converting Viewers to Paying Customers... 202
The Big Picture....................................... 203
Profile: Stone Brewing Company......................................... 204
Welcome to the World of Stone Brewing Company................. 204
Promoting the Company via a Video Blog.. 205
The Making of a Video Blog...................... 206
Advice to Other Businesses..................... 207
V Promotion and Monetization.......................... 209
14 Tracking Performance.............................................................. 211
Why Tracking Is Important........................ 211
Fine-Tuning Your Efforts................... 211
Measuring Effectiveness................... 212
Planning Future Activities................. 212
Tracking Basic Viewership....................... 212
Gaining Insight........................................ 214
Insight Views.................................. 215
Insight Popularity............................. 216
Insight Discovery............................. 217
Tracking Effectiveness............................. 218
Tracking Interactivity........................ 218
Tracking Traffic................................ 219
Tracking Direct Sales....................... 220
The Big Picture....................................... 221
15 Promoting Your YouTube Videos......................................... 223
Start with Great Content.......................... 223
Entertain, Inform, or Educate............ 223
Target Your Content......................... 224
Optimize Your Tags......................... 225
Write a Compelling Title................... 225
Pick the Best Thumbnail Image........ 226
Take Advantage of YouTube's Community Features................ 227
Sharing with Friends........................ 227
Broadcasting Bulletins......................... 228
Use Email Marketing............................... 231
Reach Out to the Blogosphere.................. 231
Post to Other Web Forums...................... 232
Work the Social Networks........................ 232
Run a Contest......................................... 235
Promote Traditionally............................... 235
Upload to Other Video-Sharing Sites......... 236
The Big Picture....................................... 237
16 Generating Revenues from Your YouTube Videos.......... 239
Directly Selling Products and Services...... 239
Create a Video with Value................ 240
Direct Viewers to Your Website........ 240
Close the Sale on Your Website....... 241
Selling Advertising Around Embedded Videos on Your Own Website 242
Embedding Videos on Your Website. 243
Adding Click-Through Advertising...... 243
Using Google AdSense.................... 243
The Big Picture....................................... 245
Profile: D-Link............................................................................. 247
D-Link Meets the Web............................. 247
YouTube as Part of the Online Marketing Mix 248
Impacting Sales...................................... 249
Different Types of Videos.......................... 250
Advice for Other Businesses..................... 251
TOC, 0789737973, 7/23/08
