Last week we discussed how to create video content. For our final week, we’re diving into four things to consider when promoting and distributing video content.
4 Things To Consider When Promoting and Distributing Your Videos
After selecting a respectable videographer and creating engrossing content, the next thing that law firms need to consider is how to promote and distribute their videos.
The first hurdle that many lawyers typically face is the best place to host their videos. Hosting a video directly onto the business’s website is not advisable for several reasons. Videos hosted directly can cause your website’s speed to slow down causing a bad user experience. Also, there is no single file format that works across all platforms and devices, making it difficult for your clients or potential clients to view the videos. Not to mention, hosting such a large file could potentially increase the amount of money the law firm will need to spend to host the website.
Many law firms choose to host their videos on YouTube or Vimeo. Each platform has its own set of pros and cons that have been explored at length on other blogs. The best decision stems from the goal of your ads. If you intend on featuring ads on your website for current clients, then Vimeo is a good solution. If your objective is to have your ads appear in search engines like Google, then hosting your videos on YouTube will allow them to appear in Google’s search engine results for certain queries (since Google owns YouTube). This can be a great way to reach potential clients as they search for a particular service.
To ensure that the videos are being seen by the right people, however, hosting them on Youtube or Vimeo or embedding them on the website might not be enough. Strategic placement on social media and community-based websites, as well as targeted ad campaigns, can help ensure that your videos are being seen by the right people on the right platform.
Some things that need to be taken into consideration when selecting where to promote videos include– what platforms your target audience is using, and how to format the videos for each platform.
The first step is locating what social media or community websites your clients are using. While this is not an easy task, it can be done in several ways. Featuring your social media on the homepage of the website, and seeing where the company has the most followers, can be a good indicator of where current clients are spending time. If the videos are targeting potential clients, then researching groups on Facebook and/or Reddit might be a good indication of whether potential clients are spending time on those sites. Another way of determining where to distribute your videos is to check Google Analytics and see where social traffic is coming from. If you have a lot of visits from LinkedIn, then putting your informative content on that social media platform might drive even more traffic.
Once you determine where the videos will be shared, the next step is tailoring each video to the platform. For example, on Instagram, you cannot post links to videos. They must be uploaded to the social media site directly and are in a square format with a 4:5 aspect ratio. If a law firm is promoting a brand new service and believes that its target audience is on Instagram, its videos should be formatted in the correct aspect ratio so they appear better on Instagram. Otherwise, potential clients will be gawking about how the video is unformatted rather than watching it for the content.
Another thing that all business owners should take into consideration when distributing their videos is to learn more about the paid advertising features on certain platforms. Paid advertising might be able to help get videos in front of potential clients who did not realize they needed the law firm’s services. Platforms, such as Facebook, have advanced targeting features that can ensure the videos are being seen by the right people.
Planning Is Everything
While most attorneys understand that video content is important, without careful forethought and budgeting, getting a return on investment can be tricky. With some research upfront, creating video content that resonates with your audience and getting it on the right platform can help ensure that your video marketing is impactful.
Thank you for joining in on our 3 part video marketing series!