The problem with video is two-fold:  too many videos being watch will bog down your webhost’s server and you need to get your video in front of your target audience.

Enter the social video site.

Social video sites, like YouTube, allow their members to post videos to be shared with anyone who wishes to watch.  Your videos are loaded on their servers, but they still belong to you.  Considering there are millions of people watching user-submitted videos, chances are you’ll be able to find your ideal prospects.

Additionally, social video sites allow all of their members to comment on videos that have been uploaded.  This is extremely powerful to you as a business owner.  You get immediate feedback on your content, the ability to connect with people in your target market, and many times, they’ll tell you what else they want!

When you join a social video site, you create a profile that tells others about you and your company.  Then follow these simple guidelines to make a great video that gets your tons of traffic:

1.    Planning

Decide the topic of your video and create an outline for it.  Improvisation is great for the kids who put up fun videos for their friends, but pay attention to the impression you’re leaving on your clients and prospects.  Put together a clear plan for what you want to cover in your video.

2.    Equipment

To create great videos, you don’t have to go out and invest in a high-tech, super duper video camera.  You can use a simple web cam or one of those cool little usb cameras that you simply hook up to your computer to upload your videos.

In fact, you don’t need a camera at all.  You can create a series of text and images and use movie making software to put them together with your voice to deliver your message.

3.    Keep it short, simple and to the point

Most internet users don’t want to sit and watch a long, drawn out video.  Keep your videos to under five minutes.  Use the time to get your point across and avoid using hype.  You don’t want to come across as the stereotypical used car salesman, or people won’t watch your videos.

4.    Call to action

Put a link to your website at the end of every video you post.  Even better, set up your video so your url is shown throughout the entire message.  Then tell them to visit your site.

Use one sentence that’s related to your video’s message, and make it enticing.  “For more information, go to” works, but it doesn’t make you stand out.  How about this:  “Find out how I got 3,000 new subscribers on my list in 3 hours by going to.”  Isn’t that a little bit more compelling?

5.    Keywords

When you add your video, you’re able to attach keyword tags so other people can find it when they search or select a category.  Use as many keywords as possible.  Keywords are one of the most important parts of using video submission sites, so invest the time in putting together a good keyword list.

Your keywords must be relevant to your video.  Period.

Social video networking does a very important job for the information marketer who uses it correctly.  You gain name recognition, traffic, and immediate input from your potential and existing clients.

When you join a social bookmarking site, you create a profile and then create bookmarks to sites you like, just as you would on your internet browser.  The bookmarking service then shares your bookmarks with all of the other members of the site.

So how does this relate to your marketing strategy?

When you publish any content on your website or blog, entering a bookmark for that page expands your marketing reach exponentially.

Bookmarking your website on a social bookmarking site can generate a lot of traffic.  On some sites, if your content is good, other members will also bookmark your site and you’ll raise in the rankings.  And as your ranking increases, so does your level of traffic, both in the bookmarking site and in the search engines.

Good content, bookmarked correctly, is the key.

Creating your bookmark.

When you create your bookmark, you’re required to link that bookmark to a category and enter a description of the site.  You’ll also need to add keyword “tags” to your bookmark.  When someone searches for a specific topic in a social bookmarking site, the service returns bookmarks based on the tags associated with them.

Keywords

Use all of the keywords that you can that describe your website or blog.  Use variations of words, including different tenses and singular and plural forms.  Just be sure the keywords you choose are relevant to the page identified in your bookmark.

Category

Also be sure to post in the correct category.  If the social bookmarking site that you’re using doesn’t have a category that ties in with your website, choose another service.  Don’t waste your time or theirs by putting your bookmarks where they don’t fit.

A Strong Word of Caution.

Using irrelevant keywords or posting in the wrong category might cause the bookmarking service to remove your bookmarks and close your account.

Some companies have been found in the past to be using social bookmarking to drive all of the traffic they could to their sites, regardless of whether or not their sites had anything to do with what the other members were looking for.  Because of these dishonest advertising practices, the social bookmarking services began watching closely to be sure their members were getting good information and good content rather than what essentially equates to spam.

Contributing

In addition to bookmarking your own sites, take the time to create bookmarks to other high-quality websites or articles that you find helpful.

Part of the reason for doing this is perception:  you want to be seen as someone who contributes rather than someone who is only promoting yourself.

The other reason for bookmarking other content items is the real reason to be involved with information marketing in the first place:  you want to help people.  If you find a site that offers a real solution to a problem, bookmark it so everyone else can get the help they offer.  If you find a site that’s just plain fun, share the joy.

Put your focus on helping other people, and make the effort to share valuable knowledge with them.

Take the time to bookmark sites that are high in quality, entertaining, and useful, and you will earn a good reputation and increase your traffic.

Chambers of Commerce, Bible study groups, book clubs, and myriad other organizations come together to help each other and network in a social setting, and have done so for hundreds – if not thousands – of years.

Social networking is nothing more than a group of like-minded people come together to share their interests, challenges and knowledge.  It is the formation of a community within a community – or, with the growing population of social networking sites on the internet, it’s a community across communities.

Many business owners have discovered the power available to them when they participate in social networking on the internet.

These sites let the people in your target market get to know you in a safe, neutral, and informal atmosphere.  When you join a social network, you’re able to seek out other members who share your interests.  Then you can participate in groups with those members and exchange information and ideas.

Additionally, social networks are a great place to meet potential joint venture partners.  Many business owners have established a social networking presence, and it’s fairly easy to start building a relationship with them by participating in their social networking activities – respond to their posts, comment on their pages, and promote their pages to your own mailing list.

Social networking sites are also an excellent resource for researching your market.  Instead of conducting a time-consuming market survey, you can spend some time looking through the content on social networking sites to find out what people are concerned with right now.

Finally, participating in social networking allows you to increase your visibility in other areas because many of the popular sites provide you with your own blog, and good blogs rank high in the search engines.  Use this blog to post helpful information and link the posts to related pages on your main website.  The more high-quality content you post, the more visible you’ll be.

Most of the popular social networking sites are free for users to join.  If you haven’t already done so, join one today and get involved.  Just remember, you’re there to network, not to advertise.