Video may not be the easiest type of content to produce for an author website. After all, it’s a whole lot easier for a writer to … you know … WRITE than it is to set up a camera, try to look nice, create a video, edit a video and then upload that video.
But here are some statistics that might really surprise you about the future of video on the web.
- One third of all online activity now is spent watching videos.
- People who watch online videos are more likely to share what they’ve watched.
- Video will account for nearly 75 percent of all web traffic by 2017
- Users more likely to click on a link in Google search if it shows a video
- The second biggest search engine now is YouTube. It has more search than AOL, Bing & Yahoo combined.
Convinced, yet, that video is becoming a must for all websites? Author websites are certainly no exception.
With that in mind, here are a few different ways that we’ve seen authors successfully use video on their websites:
- Book trailers (examples: http://chipwagarbooks.com and http://newtonfrohlich.com)
A book trailer, much like a movie trailer, is like a video promo for a book. And book trailers can take many forms — from actual actors telling the story of the book to a compilation of words and photos from the book with a musical background. Figure out how to tell your book’s story in two minutes or less and consider having a book trailer produced to spread the word. - Book readings
Do you ever do readings of the book for bookstores, book clubs, etc..? Why not have those recorded and shared on your website? After all, it shouldn’t only be people in your local area who have the benefit of watching you read an excerpt from your book. - Author interviews (examples: http://laurenmbloom.com and http://themanopauseman.com)
Were you interviewed on local TV? Make sure to get a link that allows you to embed the video on your website. And if you haven’t been interviewed, don’t fret. You can create your own interview! Write out some questions that you envision your readers would be interested in having answered, and have a trusted friend “interview” you and ask you those questions. - Live video chats
Consider having a one-time, live video event during which you invite readers to join you online and ask questions, provide feedback on your book, etc… This can be done via YouStream or a similar service. Then make sure the entire session is recorded — it can then continue to live on your site in the form of a playable video for future visitors. - Vlogs (example: http://the3minutementor.com)
Short for “video logs,” vlogs are basically blogs conveyed in the form of video. And much like blogs, these vlogs are relatively simple to produce and don’t require a whole lot of professional preparation. Just like you would be inspired to write a blog entry, you would be inspired to do a quick vlog. Just turn on your webcam, share your tidbit and post it. Voila!
Do you have other video ideas that you’ve used on your author website? Share them with us now!