Do you ever want to watch a video instead of read? For me, not so much…
I’m a writer, therefore a reader. I read computer screens, blogs, my Kindle, magazines, books….text is NOT my enemy. I love to read anything I can get my hands on.
But not tonight. Tonight I wanted a video.
Can you say “Lazy?”
Here’s the thing. I’m having a glass of wine; yes I admit it. On a vacation and I want to veg.
I don’t want to think too much. Just listen, passively take things in. Give my eyes a rest and switch off my textual brain. Lo and behold an email from someone I adore (who doesn’t email too much) appears in my inbox. Lisa Nichols is always an inspiration. The rich tones of her voice have already enchanted me through a tele seminar I’ve saved on my iPod. I have listened to it more than once, which means her message and voice are impressive. She moves me. I pay attention when she emails me. I was hoping for a video in her email to me. She uses video a lot, so I was kind of counting on it…
When I saw her name in the sender line, I was hoping I could relax into her voice. Whatever she had to say, I was there. I admit I was hoping for a video. Something I could start, check out her outfit and her cool hair, then skip around the internet catching up on email, etc. But I was hoping to listen to Lisa all the while.
Well, no go. No video in email. Just a text email which I normally would be all in for…
Just … not now. I wanted to be lazy. Reading her written words seemed like, well, work.
I wanted a video.
This is where it’s going folks. The internet for a LOT of people is becoming a video landing spot. Listen, watch.
Tonight my own father, turned 71 last year, told me I had to watch a video of someone he’d heard. He would send it to me, he told me, in an email; I was NOT to miss this. My dad’s a guy who doesn’t use Facebook. And he’s sending urgent video via email.
If that’s not a message to start making videos, then I don’t know what is.
Google loves YouTube because YouTube is its child prodigy. You can take advantage of this free video hosting service and satisfy your lazy email subscribers at the same time. OK, humor me. Reading IS a wee bit harder more mentally taxing than watching a video; admit it.
Here’s how you satisfy your video-craving email subscribers. It’s so easy!
Just make your video and up load it your YouTube channel. Make sure you optimize your video with appropriate keywords and even a transcript of the audio. Include that right there in the description.
Take a screen shot of your YouTube video — I’ve found that if you snap a frame in a somewhat “odd” moment, your video will seem more fetching. It’s the human curiosity factor. Don’t go for the prettiest, most comfortable screenshot. Grab something slightly uncomfortable: your mouth in a weird postion, hands in an exaggerated gesture. Something a little visually strange…there are plenty of those to go around! People click on those.
Save that image as a jpg and include it in your email newsletter with a short summary of the video. Link to the YouTube video from your newsletter and blog.
Traffic to YouTube is golden becuase Google appreciates it and rewards you for it. Kind of like one of Hiyao Miyazaki’s infinitely hungry fantastical characters. Just keep feeding it and see what happens to your online mojo.
Your audience will appreciate it, too. Just like I was secretly hoping for a Lisa Nichols video and only got text. The turning point’s upon us.
As much as I love technology and new media, I admit I am not an early adopter of video. I’m in that third tier, the early majority. That’s how I know it’s arrived. If I’m craving it, I know it’s here for good. Just a hunch from someone who pays attention to trends.
Take note: video is mainstream now. Well, 15 minutes ago.
Get on it.
