Here's a checklist for making sure your online videos are as accessible and easy to find for audiences and anyone interested in what you do/make as possible:
1. Embed your videos into your Website!
Often I see artists only put a list of links to Vimeo or Youtube videos, which directs the viewer away from the artist's website. Why not cleanly embed the video into the site for a nice portfolio look that keeps the viewer browsing within the site? **here's some technical guidance on youtube embedding
2. Use both Youtube and Vimeo
I recommend to clients to put all work samples, highlight reels and promotional edits (anything under 15 min) on both Vimeo and Youtube to increase the potential of an interested viewer finding it online. If there is a music copyright issue, then Vimeo is the only option. Additionally, I recommend putting full length versions of work on Vimeo (requires having a Vimeo Plus account). **here's a quick and important checklist for cleaning up your links
3. Use Tags!
This seems like a secondary task after uploading a video online, however, adding tags to each video will improve the search engine optimization significantly so that if somebody searches for you/the work, it will be one of the first links in the search engine list. As a test, search your name/company and one piece of yours on google and see how long it takes to "search" for a video sample of the work. **Some good tags to use are your name, your company name, your city, the title of the work, "dance" or "theater" or "performance", names of performers and collaborators, name of the venue, etc.
4. Share your videos through Social Media
Facebook is a GREAT way to share documentation of your work (as the videos are embedded into the site)! Tag performers and collaborators and/or post on their individual walls to encourage more traffic. And a Twitter announcement with a link to the video is always good. Additionally, revisit old videos when you feel inspired to keep them circulating. **Remember to add " &hd=1 " to the end of the url to ensure playback in highest quality
These are basic practices that should be applied each time you upload a new video to add to your online portfolio of work.
Questions? Ideas? Feel free to share!
Want more of these tips? Sign up for our Monthly E-Bulletin!