When it comes to videos, sharing really does mean caring. Publicize your hard work by placing your video on as many effective platforms as possible. 

Social media channels, including Facebook and Instagram, are obvious choices. But you can expand your reach by placing the same video on alternative social channels, in paid search formats, in email, and more. 

Use this piece as a guide to help you share your exceptional video with the world around you.‍

Share Videos on Social Media ‍

Years ago, we considered social media the perfect place for cat photos and little else. Now, most marketing teams think of their Facebook, Instagram, and other social channels as key outreach tools. Your video should have a home here. 

Start by considering your audience. People of different age groups tend to congregate around different social media sites, says the Pew Research Center.

• Facebook: The audience skews older, as 68 percent of those ages 50 to 64 use this channel. 
• Instagram: Reach a younger audience here. Of people 18 to 29 years old, 67 percent prefer this channel. 
• Snapchat: Reach the middle road here. Of those 25 to 29 years old, 47 percent use this channel. 
  

All of these social media sites are optimized for video, and sharing opportunities are vast. Pop a link to your video as it stands on an upload site (like YouTube), or upload the edited version on the site itself. 

If you don't get the reaction you'd like, spread out. Plenty of additional social media sites exist, and potential customers exist on all of them.

• TikTok: Experts say this channel is ideal for reaching consumers ages 16 to 24. Create a very clever video, and your viewers might share your work with their parents as well. 
• Lasso: This platform is relatively new, as it was introduced in late 2018. The interface is very similar to TikTok, but the business is owned by Facebook. 
• Vero: Show your content to consumers without the clutter of ads and popups. 
  

Any or all of these sites could host your best photographs, but video has extra social staying power. For example, experts say video-based posts have the highest level of engagement of any content type. And people watch an average of 8 billion videos on Facebook every day. 

If you're not sharing your videos on these platforms, they are easy places to start. But don't stop there.

Pay to Play on Social Media ‍

Most of the social media channels we've discussed so far allow for paid advertising. That means companies spend a little money to ensure that their videos are seen by a wider group of people. 

Typically, companies have two social media paid options.

• Boosts: Find a video that's already resonating with your audience, and spend a bit of money to ensure more people see it. 
• Ads: Create a video made just for a paid opportunity. It may never appear on your page. It's only in ad form. 
  

Don't pay to play, and you've created what's called an "organic" post. And most experts tell us that organic reach on social media sites is waning. Consumers have too much content to watch, click, and share. You must spend a little money to get seen by the people who matter. 

Paid advertising comes with several benefits, including:

• Low cost. Paid social campaigns tend to cost less than other forms of advertising. Spend as little as $10 to run an ad with the potential to reach hundreds or even thousands of people. 
• Robust reporting. Sites like Facebook come with intense charts and graphics you can use to justify your budget. Learn exactly what people did and when in response to your video. 
• Easy sharing. An ad on a site like Facebook can quickly be shared with a person's friends. Your investment in one person could translate into a much larger reach. 
  

Paid advertising could also help you expand your audience on social media. Someone who sees your video could choose to like your page. That leads to even more influence with time.

Pay to Play on Google 
Upload your video on your website or a video hosting site, and Google might find it. The company uses crawlers to detect and index content so it will appear in response to searches people use on the platform. But you can also partner with Google to share your video for a fee. 

Two main types of Google advertising exist.

• Partner ads: Google partners with websites and apps. Those partners carve out space for paid advertisements, including videos. Your message could appear in dozens or even hundreds of spaces, with just one fee. 
• YouTube ads: Google now owns YouTube. The ads you create on this channel can stand alone on the YouTube home page, or they can pop up next to search results. You can also craft tiny ads that play before, during, or after content people want to watch on YouTube.
  

Dig deeper, and you'll discover that YouTube offers six different types of ads on the platform. Some formats allow consumers to skip right over your ads even if you paid for them. Others don't. Some play before a message. Some come after. 

Think carefully about your video and where it will perform best. If it starts with a bang and is destined to capture attention, you may not need to worry about consumers skipping it. But if it's long, and each moment is critical, you may need to adjust your approach to ensure viewers’ eyes stay on it the whole time. 

Google offers robust support to companies willing to pay. If you have questions before you get started, the company can talk with you about goals and metrics, so you can make the right decision for your business.

Create Space on Your Website 
So far, we've talked quite a bit about outside resources you can use to share your video. But what about your website? This is an asset you own and control, and it could be a critical part of your video-sharing strategy. 

Experts say your YouTube channel should always point back to your website. When people finish watching your video, they should be compelled to come back to the website to find out more. 

If you've enticed them to visit with one video, ensure that they have another one to watch when they arrive. You'll keep the feedback loop of engagement going. 

Create space for your videos on:

• Event pages. If you're hosting a members-only gathering, share a testimonial from someone who attended last year. They can highlight all the reasons that this year’s event shouldn’t be missed.  
• Member sign-up pages. Ask one of your loyal participants to talk about why the membership means so much. This is a place to really stress the benefits of joining. 
• Product pages. If you're selling something, share a video to explain how it works and why it's critical. Spotlight the attributes in a clear, compelling manner. 
• Blogs. Don't just talk about a hot-button issue. Share information on video to deepen the conversation and allow for engagement. Encourage viewers to share their thoughts in the comments section.
  

Your website is a free asset, and you don't have to pay to share your videos there. Make the most of this opportunity.

Share Your Videos on Email 

Just as you own your website, you also own your customer email list. Clever outreach could help you share your video messaging with people who haven't seen it yet but really need to know about the message tucked away inside.

As you consider adding your video to your email marketing program:

• Experiment with titles. Try adding the words "video" or "watch" to the subject lines. You might see more people willing to click on the link and open up the message. 
• Adjust your pacing. Close to 70 percent of people unsubscribe from lists when they get too many emails. If you see a steep decline, react accordingly. Send fewer emails but make them pack a punch.
• Watch the placement. Should your video come before any text? Or should you put some kind of note first? Play with the formats until you find something that works. 
  

In most cases, you'll share an embedded link in your email rather than sharing an entire native video. Watch your numbers to see if this strategy is working for you. If it’s not, adjust accordingly.

Create Videos You’ll Love to Share 

Crafting clever messaging and holding video shoots can be hard and time-consuming work. Let us help.

With Gather Voices, you can entice your community to create videos for you. This user-generated content is authentic and engaging, and it's easy to share. Contact us for a demonstration. 

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References

Share of U.S. Adults Using Social Media, Including Facebook, Is Mostly Unchanged Since 2018. (April 2019). Pew Research Center. 

5 Rising Social Media Platforms to Watch. (September 2019). Entrepreneur. 

Video Marketing Statistics for 2020. (October 2019). Social Media Today. 
5 Tips for Adding Video to Your Social Media Strategy. Vimeo. 

How to Integrate Paid Social in Your Content Marketing Strategy. Neil Patel. 

Are You On the Wrong Platform? Paid Search vs. Paid Social. (June 2019). Marketing Land. 

Create a Video Campaign. Google Ads. 

About Video Ad Formats. Google Ads. 

How to Drive 1000 Visitors From YouTube Every Month. Neil Patel. 

How Often Should You Send Marketing Emails? (May 2017). Entrepreneur.