Using Video to Build Website Traffic

Ask just about any internet marketer what the best strategies are for building website or blog traffic, and you'll likely hear "online video" somewhere in the answer. Online video has become the darling of the "web 2.0" movement (whatever that is), and it's easy to feel like if you don't use video marketing, you might as well be trying to communicate to your visitors in Aramaic.

Do you have to have video to build an online business?

Like anything else, video marketing is a viable strategy, when it's used in conjunction with other techniques. It certainly can't hurt... especially when the amount of video traffic continually rises every year.

So how do you use video as part of your overall internet marketing strategy?

• Create "how to" videos in your niche, and post them on video search engines such as YouTube. How-to videos provide a quick way for visitors to learn about a specific aspect of your niche - for example, if you are a bankruptcy attorney, you might create a short video showing people how to keep their homes after a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This not only benefits your visitors, it also establishes you as an authority in your niche - making them want to visit your site.
• Use video to create a multi-part "mini course", and offer the course to your email list. Each day, send a link to one section of your mini course (which will be on your website or blog). This is a great way to build your email list - many of your visitors will be glad to give up their email addresses in exchange for valuable video information.
• Compile simple slideshow videos and submit them to video sites as part of your link building strategy. With each video submission, you'll get an inbound link that will help boost your site's search engine ranking. You can either submit them manually, or use an automated service like Traffic Geyser to streamline the submission process.

Video isn't a "magic bullet" that will bring you a flood of traffic overnight; however, when used as a balanced part of a comprehensive marketing strategy, it can help you build a strong and profitable online business.