Monday, June 08, 2009

Sharing Your Video, Spreading Your Brand ...

By now, most news sites have a video component. But there's a difference in how that video is shared with others ... and how it's used to impress your 'brand' on other sites.

YouTube was a pioneer in employing shared video as a marketing/branding tool. Not only could you post links on on your websites that would direct your readers to a particular YouTube video on their site ... you could also copy-and-paste an 'embed' code that placed a neat graphic on your website, and played the video on your site ... and shared the YouTube brand with everyone that visited your site. YouTube has since taken that a step farther, allowing you to customize the appearance of the viewer you embed in your website.

Most local news sites have a video component. But there's a difference in how that video is shared with others. Among television stations ... KWES provides links AND embed codes, while KMID and
KOSA provide neither. Among newspapers, the MRT provides links AND embed codes, while the OA just provides links.

And while this does NOT affect the content of the stories produced by these news organizations, it does impact how we might share that product with others ... and spread those organizations' brand in the process.

Here's an example from major news website, msnbc.com, that IMHO does an outstanding job of branding its shared video, and encouraging readers to come visit their site again ... and again ... and ...

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