Why I Love You

Issue #757 Oct. 8, 2013
Publisher: Joan Stewart

“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”

In This Issue

1. Why I Love You
2. Embed YouTube Video at Your Site
3. Webinar Updates
4. Hound Photos of the Week

This Weekend in the Hound House:

My friend Christine Buffaloe, who’s visiting from San Diego, went hiking with me on Sunday in the Kettle Moraine State Forest here in Wisconsin, and I spotted something spectacular! Can you guess what it is? The first Publicity Hound who guesses correctly in the comments section on Facebook wins a prize I know you’ll love. Please don’t email me. You must comment on Facebook to win.

1. Why I Love You

Have I told you recently that I love you?

In the more than 10 years that I’ve been publishing this newsletter, I’ve learned as much from you as you’ve learned from me.

A few months ago, I asked you liked my first attempt at a “Welcome to My Website” video.. Boy, you really let me have it!

You flooded me with comments and suggestions on how to make it better.

You told me to include my dog, smile more, and explain why a visitor would want to stay at my website. You told me to lighten up and not look so serious, and turn off the monitors in the background. “Do something with your hair,” you said. Put on more makeup. And get rid of the low-cut neckline and the sporty shirt.

I did.

I also hired a professional film crew to shoot me in the office, as well as shoot B roll of me walking my dog, Bogie, on the lakefront. B-roll is extra footage that adds dimension to your video because it lets you feature more than just a talking head.

You can see the results at my website.

I’m not completely happy with it, and I know I can improve it. But your critique and great ideas made the second version so much better than the first.

The other reason I love you is because you told me you want me to start “The Publicity Hound’s Podcast.” I’ve done my research, ordered the equipment, lined up a podcasting coach, and I’m almost ready to start recording.

Soon, this newsletter will be available in both digital format and as a podcast. When several shows are in the hopper, you’ll be the first to know.

I’m so grateful for my community of Publicity Hounds. Thanks for your support and your friendship. And your great dog videos!

2. Embed YouTube Video at Your Site

You might be wondering why I uploaded the “Welcome to My Website Video” to YouTube, and then used the YouTube embed code at my site with YouTube’s branding vs. using a generic video player.

Several reasons:

–Embedding the video at my site will help it get more views. And the more views it gets, the better it looks in YouTube’s eyes and in Google’s.

–Google is also monitoring how many people watch the video all the way to the end because “total time viewed” counts in its algorithm, otherwise known as the “recipe” it uses to determine where the video ranks in search. The more people who watch it right to the end, the better the video will rank.

–One advantage you have with videos over conventional search engine optimization is that it’s often easier to get a YouTube video to rank on page 1 than it is to rank a website. My website already ranks in one of the top positions on Google for several keywords, but why not shoot for more than one listing on Page One?

–Exposure to my website is limited with a self-hosted video. When it’s hosted on YouTube, it will be found through the search box or through the “similar videos” feature which is nonexistent on my own host.

–Speed and stability are important. If a high-traffic site or a popular blogger mentions my website, and thousands of people click on the video at the same time to watch, it might freeze up if it’s on my host’s server.

–It’s free. And using YouTube’s embed code is a lot easier than fiddling around with my own code.

How many pages at your website would benefit from videos that you could upload to YouTube? Jeff Johnson has upgraded his fabulous “TubeTraffic Secrets” course to reflect all the bells and whistles YouTube has added the last several months. You’ll see me promoting it soon. It’s the course I took to thoroughly understand how YouTube works and how it’s a valuable lead generator.

3. Webinar Updates

–I had to reschedule the webinar on “Google’s New Rules for Press Release Links” because I had an emergency last week. When I set the new time and date, you’ll see it here.

–Authors, don’t get taken by the sleazy Publishing Predators who are lurking around every corner. Join me and four other book experts for a free webinar from 7 to 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, Oct. 10. You’ll learn about how “publishing services” and “book consultants” target veteran and newbie authors with sweet talk and deals that sound too good to be true because they are. We’ll also explain how you can win a free cruise with us Jan. 18-23 when we host “Create the Ultimate Bestseller at Sea,” a working vacation that includes more than a dozen presentations and workshops on all aspects of book publishing. Register for the webinar here.

–Did you miss the training I offered with Mike Stewart on how to create videos on the iPad? You can find the replay here.

–Mike Stewart’s free webinar replay on how to create presentations on the iPad, using all that cool video you created.

4. Hound Photos of the Week

Thanks to Publicity Hound Kathleen Mahan of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., for this collection of photos that explain how to tell if your dog is involved in a sex scandal.