Hosting Site For Videos Instead of YouTube

[sheriesmith]

Yesterday on our SSWT call, Lynn recommended I set up my own domain name ASAP to host my videos, rather than keep them on YouTube. For those not on the call, here's my situation. I'm a real estate appraiser and started a blog recently with homeowner tips to get ready for their appraisal and to also increase their home value. About the 2nd week into this new blog, I rec'd requests from 3 real estate sites (from Louisiana to Florida) asking if they could add one of my videos to their website. I was shocked and excited. My blog is http://homeappraisaltips.blogspot.com I should have asked Lynn on the call but we were out of time. (Lynn, hope you read this and reply too when you have time) I understand I need them on my own site for ownership and control. But won't I be losing a lot of visibility if I don't put have them on YouTube? Thanks for any feedback.

[sheriesmith]

Hope it didn't sound like I was questioning Lynn's recommendation. I highly respect Lynn's opinion and experience. That certainly was not what I meant if it came across that way. I've already narrowed potential domain names down to 3 options that are available. Hope to have that decided and purchased by tomorrow. I was just trying to understand the strategy (I guess you'd call it) about YouTube traffic. Do you simply try to make up for losing that visibility in other ways, social media, etc.? Or is there still a way to post videos on YouTube after you have them hosted and protected on your own domain? Please forgive if I ask a dumb question. Trying to learn...thanks again.

[torontocarol]

Hi Sherie,
I wasn't on the call, so not sure what Lynn meant, but wondered if she was telling you to have them on your own domain as well, but not necessarily take them off of youtube?

Carol

[torontocarol]

Just had a look at your videos. Very nice, you are really easy to listen to. My son-in-law is a general contractor in Nashville, I'll have to tell him to take a look.

Carol

[sheriesmith]

Hi Carol, thanks for your replies and kind comment about my videos. I'm glad you were pleased with what you saw and heard. Hope your son enjoys them as well.

I wish we had had more time on the call so I could get a bit more information. Lynn was just closing out the call when I posted the question in the chat. She was trying to squeeze in an answer quickly for me before we ran out of time. Like I mentioned in my 2nd post, I don't know if I CAN have the same videos on my own site and YouTube too. Or if you place them on YouTube also then does that defeat the protectiveness of them being hosted on your own site to begin with.

I hope more people will post comments about their own experiences or their knowledge so I can learn more. Lynn may post also, but I know she's busy at Underground 6 this weekend. Thanks so much again, and maybe we'll meet at an event one day.

Sherie

[lisamariemary]

Hmm...this is interesting. I'm looking forward to hearing people chime in on this, too!

(Carol, does your son have a site? Twitter?)

[wade_watson]

Well, I'm no web video expert but I believe it's OK to post a video on YouTube if you have it hosted on your site as well (though I don't see why you would). I suppose there are advantages of hosting locally. You could build a mailing list by requiring an opt-in before viewing. However, if you're putting your name and web address or whatever within the video and you want to use it as a promotional device, then posting it on YouTube and encouraging others to embed it on their site might be the best way to go. I guess it all depends on your goal. I wouldn't want other sites using the video hosted at my site, though, since that comes off the bandwidth I'm paying for.

Wade Watson

[Thom McCarroll]

Yesterday on our SSWT call, Lynn recommended I set up my own domain name ASAP to host my videos, rather than keep them on YouTube. For those not on the call, here's my situation. I'm a real estate appraiser and started a blog recently with homeowner tips to get ready for their appraisal and to also increase their home value. About the 2nd week into this new blog, I rec'd requests from 3 real estate sites (from Louisiana to Florida) asking if they could add one of my videos to their website. I was shocked and excited. My blog is http://homeappraisaltips.blogspot.com I should have asked Lynn on the call but we were out of time. (Lynn, hope you read this and reply too when you have time) I understand I need them on my own site for ownership and control. But won't I be losing a lot of visibility if I don't put have them on YouTube? Thanks for any feedback.

Most of the online video's I watch seem to be hosted at:

http://aws.amazon.com/s3/

though you could just host them where you would keep your websites. If you do not have website other than the freebies then use the above.

As for ownership..you will always own them it is a matter of what you allow others to use them for.

As for control: If you are allowing others (real-estate agents) to use your videos for a fee, then do not put them on YouTube or any other public webhosting service and host them on space you pay for. If your clients do not pay, you change the URL and they have no video. Which means every new client should have there own separate URL I would think.

I would probably want to watermark them so to keep the thieves away
(yea right)

As for losing visibility, why not make a LITE version for YouTube with a re-direct annotation to your sales page?

Hope that helps

Thom

[sheriesmith]

Hi Thom, thanks for all the good comments. What do you mean by LITE version for YouTube?

Sherie

[Ellen C Braun]

I think having your videos on youtube and on your own site is the way to go.

You want to have your link or contact info somewhere in your video, so the people that find you via youtube can contact you easily.

There's no problem at all having your videos on youtube and your site- it's a great way to get more exposure.

What are your other marketing strategies?

[painternc]

I host my videos on vimeo - it's free.
Then I have diff versions of some of them that I have on my YouTube account - which directs traffic to my blog.
Nan

[sheriesmith]

Hi Ellen, glad to know I can have them on my site and YouTube as well. Thanks for your thoughts on this. I'm hoping when Lynn gets back from U6 that she'll also share more of her recommendations. We're lucky Lynn's so generous with her time and knowledge.

Sherie Smith

[torontocarol]

Just saw this now Lisa Marie. My son-in-law does have a site @ greenwoodconstruction.us (http://greenwoodconstruction.us/)

Carol

[Thom McCarroll]

Hi Thom, thanks for all the good comments. What do you mean by LITE version for YouTube?

Sherie

What we don't know from your original post...are you planning to charge the RE firms for the use of your video?

If yes, then there is no reason to put them of YouTube, they would just go there and take the embed code therefor why pay.

If no, then why note youtube and every where else.

A LITE verson is one that will convey enough information but wanting them to buy the full version.

Are you in this too make a profit?

Thom

[sheriesmith]

I've seen the watermark on other videos but I haven't investigated what software can add a watermark. Plus I didn't have my own domain name yet, which is what I would want on the watermark. Just got 2 domains yesterday for my appraisial tips blog, one will redirect to other. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get my Blogger site situated with my own domain name. The instructions from Blogger aren't fitting my GoDaddy page. I may need to call GoDaddy for help on that. Thanks for the watermark reminder and I hope you have great Friday!

Sherie Smith
http://homeappraisaltips.blogspot.com

[Desdichata]

Youtube and other video sites do indeed give you better publicity so I would leave the videos up on Youtube. I would also host my own videos on my site which would give them a more professional feel and I would use those links for anyone who wanted to add my video. In short, Youtube would be fine for search engine traffic but for the traffic that you generate by your site or flyers etc, it wuld be nice if they saw the videos without the Youtube banners.

[sheriesmith]

Yes, Desdichata, I totally agree. Some folks have also suggested that I put my main version of the videos on my own site (which I'm in the process of moving to my own domain name.) Then do a LITE version for YouTube, which would direct them to my main site. That way you get the exposure and power of YouTube, but don't lose control of your main product. Thanks, as always, for your helpful post.

Sherie Smith
http://homeappraisaltips.blogspot.com

[danwangert]

I've seen the watermark on other videos but I haven't investigated what software can add a watermark. Plus I didn't have my own domain name yet, which is what I would want on the watermark. Just got 2 domains yesterday for my appraisial tips blog, one will redirect to other. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get my Blogger site situated with my own domain name. The instructions from Blogger aren't fitting my GoDaddy page. I may need to call GoDaddy for help on that. Thanks for the watermark reminder and I hope you have great Friday!

Sherie Smith
http://homeappraisaltips.blogspot.com

Hey sherie, its great you are getting your own domain. Good luck and keep us updated! I want to see how things go with you. Can't wait to hear what Lynn have to say too.