Using Video and Audio as a Content Strategy

Business websites contain a plethora of content. Until fairly recently, the content that was posted on most websites consisted primarily of text and photos. While these types of sites can definitely be interesting, businesses are now focusing on using rich, interactive media, like video and audio as an integral part of their websites.

There are several easy and effective ways to add interactive content to your website. Here are a few suggestions:

Video Content

Adding video content to your website is really pretty simple. Sites like YouTube, Flickr or Vimeo make it easy to upload and share content on your site. Most of these sites offer a limited amount of free upload space each month, and you can buy more if you need it. These sites also typically offer a very simple way to embed your video content into a website or blog.

So what types of videos should you incorporate into your site? What does it take to make a successful business video? The opportunities are pretty much endless. Depending on the type of business you have, you can consider shooting video of the services that you provide. A local cleaning company in my area actually took video of their employees on the job, showing how thorough they are when cleaning. This definitely inspired confidence in the company, and I hired them. You could also offer video tutorials, product spotlights, or employee biographies.

While this may go without saying, do be careful when it comes to the content of your videos. If your audience is primarily a business audience, make sure and watch your language, and don't post anything that could be considered not suitable for an office setting. Check out our blog post on how to use YouTube for marketing for more ideas.

Audio Content

Audio content can be a bit tricky to get right. In the past, websites have had sound effects that are not the most pleasant thing to hear if you aren't expecting them. Sites like Myspace started playing music immediately when you clicked on a user's page. I think it's safe to say that many consumers found this more annoying than engaging. Imagine clicking on a webpage and having it suddenly blare music throughout your office!

However, there are definitely ways to do audio content on a website correctly. One idea is to have a company podcast or series of podcasts. Pick a topic that you or your company is an expert on and talk people through how to do it, or hire experts like the group at Pagatim to help make professional audio content. Audio makes it easy for people to access your site and the information and resources you share there while they're on the go. For example, they could listen to a podcast you produced on a particular topic while driving or biking, which makes it possible to multi-task, but still be consuming media that's interesting and informative. Another innovative idea might be to have a phone number where people can call in to review your product or service (leave a message on a voicemail) and you could then post those reviews on your site. Music can be a great tool as well, just make sure that your user is able to choose to listen to it, rather than it just start playing when they click on a page.

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