Central Perk

marți, 5 noiembrie 2013

Essential YouTube Best Practices

Posted: 04 Nov 2013 06:30 AM PST

YouTube, like all social media, can be an excellent channel for stirring up interest in your brand and keeping your followers up to date with company news, but only if it's managed correctly. That's why this 'Best Practices' guide was written, to instruct you on the basics of using YouTube as an effective business tool. This post is full of tips you can apply to videos you have already published as well as ones you're going to publish in the future. I will also advise you on how to approach embedding videos on your website and why you should do so. So, let's begin.

When uploading a video to YouTube, you will be presented with the following screen:
Please note: The following screenshots are taken from an example upload.

This is where you can take full advantage of all the options that YouTube gives you when uploading in both the Basic Info and Advanced Settings tabs.

Title:
• Your title needs to be concise but also engaging and, like any title, try to make it something that the user can't help but click on. Yes, like 'Hilarious Spinning Chair'.

•As shown in the picture above, the title gets cut off around the 53 character mark, so I would suggest keeping your title at that length or shorter. If your title needs to be longer that's okay, just consider the wording so the most important information is within the first 53 characters. Users that are scanning may only look at your first 25 characters or so.

• Try to include keywords that you think users will be searching for in your category. There's no point calling your video something that, while relevant, is incredibly long or complicated, as users will likely never find it! You should also check that the language you use is the type of language your user is going to be searching for. For instance, you might use language that an expert would understand but a normal user/customer might not.

• Whether you are a big or small company, I'd suggest dropping your brand name from your video. Why? If you're a big brand, the likelihood is that users know your brand name so they don't need it in the title. If you're a small company, chances are a user won't be searching for you by name. Stick your brand name in your description and tags, and use the free characters to make your title even more eye-catching.

Description

Besides the video, this is the spot that you can really differentiate your video from your competition and, most importantly, drive users from YouTube to your website. Here are some essential tips for your description:

• Include various contact methods as you want viewers to use to get in touch and visit your website. Most importantly, you should include your website address, email, phone number and any other social media channels you have.

• If your video is about a product that you sell then include a link to that product page. Why make the user go out and try to find the item when you can serve it to them on a link? You can also link the user to any other part of your website but only do so if it is relevant.

• Include well-written copy that is informative, engaging and entertaining. It should also be unique. Don't just paste in generic product information; write unique copy and link the user to the product page where they can find the item specifics. Remember, you want users to click through to your website so don't just copy and paste your website content into YouTube, or Google will see less reason to rank your site as the information is now available on YouTube.

Tags:

• As with on-page SEO, associating your video with far too many tags will get it nowhere, fast. I would recommend using between 3-10 keywords, as too many might make your video seem vague and not focused enough to a Search Engine.

• Just because 'Cats in hats' is super popular on YouTube right now does not mean it has a place in your list of tags. If you cram your list full of popular tags, YouTube and Google are going to have a very hard time figuring out what your video is actually about and it won't show up where it should.

• Some experts believe your tags are taken in order of priority by Search Engines, so put your best tags first.

The Video:

• Within YouTube you can add annotations/notes etc. into your video that can link to other videos, your channel, your Google+ account and other locations. While these can be useful in keeping your user on your channel, you want to avoid using too many or you risk diluting the user's viewing experience.

• You can also add captions if they are relevant.

Being social:

As it is, just making videos isn't enough to get your brand noticed, unless you happen to get lucky and go viral. For those who don't go viral, you need to employ all your social media channels and use them to your advantage. Here are some tips about being sociable:

• Encourage your viewers to like/share and comment on your video, as YouTube and Google see user engagement as a way to identify high-quality content. Don't be afraid to engage with your users – everybody likes a company with a bit of personality. Note: Commenting on YouTube can either be set so it is automatically allowed or so that it must be moderated. What you definitely shouldn't do is turn off comments because you don't have the time or the resources to moderate them.

• Always promote your videos through your other social media channels. Posted a video? Then share it on Twitter, favourite it, retweet it, get your employees and your friends to retweet it! You can even choose to share an update immediately at the upload page for your video (as shown above), easy! The subscribers you have on YouTube are likely to be different from those you have on Twitter/Facebook etc. so utilise both sets of followers to promote your video.

Your Channel:

(Example: Machinima)

When a user clicks through to your channel, they see your channel homepage. You're going to want to make this look enticing and interesting. Granted, you don't have loads of options but make sure you utilise the options you do have!

• Change your account picture to something relevant. Although you need to link to a Google+ account to do so, it's well worthwhile. If you have a brand logo that will work best.

• You also have a channel banner in which you can add a nice large image (see above). Make sure your picture is:

Relevant
Eye-catching
Good quality

• Within your banner you can add quick links to your social media channels (see above, to the bottom right of picture); you should definitely add those if you have them. Below is a link to a helpful site that walks you through doing it:

http://www.wikihow.com/Display-Customized-and-Social-Links-on-Your-YouTube-Channel-Banner YOUR CHANNEL

• There is also an 'About' tab; use this opportunity to write a couple of interesting paragraphs about your company. You should also include your website address and methods of contact again.

Embedding your Videos:

For all the good that YouTube can do for your website it does have a downside. As the videos are hosted on YouTube, you are not benefitting from any of the links that they acquire, and this won't help your rank on Google. That is why throughout this post I have tried to reinforce using every way you can to drive users from YouTube to your site through links, social media and other methods (while not annoying the user with copious amounts of unwanted information). But don't despair, there is a way to use your videos to the advantage of your website: embedding. YouTube allows you to take these videos and embed them into your site, which can result in users watching your YouTube video but not on YouTube.
If I could impress one thing onto you within the topic of embedding, it would be that simply embedding YouTube videos is not enough to drive users to your site. In most cases, Google will rank the YouTube version of the video higher than yours as the site has a higher domain authority. So here are a few tips for embedding YouTube videos:

• When you take your videos from YouTube to embed on your site, make sure you check the 'Old embed code' option. The 'Old embed code' option allows your video to be crawled naturally, whereas the new embed code puts your video into an iFrame, rendering it uncrawlable.

• Use your videos, and work your pages around them. What might be a dull category page could be ten times more interesting with the use of a relevant and interesting video. If you have an engaging landing site that offers a strong user-experience, your user is much more likely to continue browsing your site because you have interesting content.

• If you embed your video on your site and do not refer to it with any copy, Google won't know the video is there and won't rank you for it. By accompanying the video with engaging and keyword rich text, Google will rank you higher for it.

• You will also want to create a video sitemap, this is separate from your normal sitemap and, like most sitemaps, it's easiest to use an online service (usually free) to create one. By creating a video sitemap you're allowing Google to see your video title, description, tags and categories. This doesn't mean you will always rank above YouTube, but it is one more way to help you raise your rankings. It enables users to be directed straight to your site for the videos, giving you the page views, not YouTube.

Feel free to check out the fantastic video I made here.

Do you use YouTube to promote your business? Has it increased the number of hits on your website? Do you have any tips or tricks you think we should know about? Let me know in the comments below or via twitter @robertjmcgill

The post Essential YouTube Best Practices appeared first on White Noise.

Seth's Blog : The media needs a narrative

The media needs a narrative

In fact, The War of the Worlds did not cause mass hysteria when it first aired. It was a story fanned by radio-fearing tabloid newspapers.

In fact, Pam (eBay founder Pierre's wife) did not need a place to buy and sell Pez dispensers. This is a tale invented by a PR person and repeated by tech-phobic journalists eager for a simple story.

In fact, Columbus wasn't surrounded by flat-earth believing denialists before he 'discovered' America. This was amplified by Washington Irving (!) in a book that was largely invented without much research.

And George Washington didn't cut down the cherry tree and Robin Hood didn't do all those cool tricks in green tights.

The media isn't the one that needs a narrative... we do. We need to make sense of what's around us, not just the true things that really happened, but the fictional ones that we know didn't.

All this myth-making reminds us just how strongly wired we are to believe in things that both make sense and feel right. They feel right because of who told us, and when. Culture creates reality.

• Email to a friend •

luni, 4 noiembrie 2013

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Still More on Obamacare Security (Or Lack Thereof); HHS Director Says "American's Deserve Better"
Curious Statement in Obamacare Website Source Code: "You Have No Reasonable Expectation of Privacy"
Former CDU Secretary General Says Germany "Must Grant Asylum" to Snowden; SPD Parliamentary Vice Chairman Says "Snowden is a Hero"

Still More on Obamacare Security (Or Lack Thereof); HHS Director Says "American's Deserve Better"

Posted: 04 Nov 2013 08:18 PM PST

In response to the curious statement in Obamacare website source code: "You Have No Reasonable Expectation of Privacy" one reader wondered if that was just "standard disclosure practice".

If so, then why didn't Cheryl Campbell, senior vice president of CGI Federal Inc., the company that built the Obamacare health care exchange website, simply say so?

The reason is now apparent. The website design is a clear breach of privacy.

Clear Breach of Privacy

The Foundry reports HealthCare.gov Users Warn of Security Risk, Breach of Privacy.

Justin Hadley logged on to HealthCare.gov to evaluate his insurance options after his health plan was canceled. What he discovered was an apparent security flaw that disclosed eligibility letters addressed to individuals from another state.

Hadley wrote to Heritage on Thursday night and also contacted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which administers HealthCare.gov, as well as elected officials in his state. He has yet to hear back from HHS, even though HealthCare.gov still displays the personal information of the South Carolina residents on his account.

Dougall said he was able to register on HealthCare.gov, but decided not to sign up for insurance. "The plans they offered were grossly expensive and didn't provide the level of care I have now," he said.

After learning of the privacy breach, Dougall spent Friday evening trying to contact representatives from HealthCare.gov to no avail; he spent an hour waiting on the telephone and an online chat session was unhelpful.

"I want my personal information off of that website," Dougall said.

Security Risk

Last week, the Associated Press disclosed a government memo revealing the "high" security risk for HealthCare.gov. Those concerns surfaced at Wednesday's hearing with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who claimed the system was secure.

Heritage cyber-security expert Steven Bucci, director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, said users of HealthCare.gov are leaving their personal information unsecured.

"Once it goes out over the system, it is vulnerable," Bucci said. "There appears to have been a singular lack of concern for security. The site needs to receive and transmit sensitive personal information, yet it has less than state of the art security."

Memo Raises Security Concerns

Let's dig a little deeper. Please consider Memo raises security concerns about government health website

The nation's top health official tells lawmakers 'I'm responsible' for the problems with the launch of Healthcare.gov.

Defending President Barack Obama's much-maligned health care overhaul in Congress, his top health official was confronted Wednesday with a government memo raising new security concerns about the trouble-prone website that consumers are using to enroll.

The document, obtained by The Associated Press, shows that administration officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were concerned that a lack of testing posed a potentially "high" security risk for the HealthCare.gov website serving 36 states. It was granted a temporary security certificate so it could operate.

Security issues are a new concern for the troubled HealthCare.gov website. If they cannot be resolved, they could prove to be more serious than the long list of technical problems the administration is trying to address.

"You accepted a risk on behalf of every user ... that put their personal financial information at risk," Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius during questioning before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Sebelius Says "American's Deserve Better"

"So let me say directly to these Americans, you deserve better. I apologize.", said Sebelius.

That's a start. Not many politicians apoligise when they make a mistake. President Obama should try the same, first by firing Sebelius. Second, and more importantly, Obama should offer his own apology, then reach out to Republicans and health care officials in an attempt to fix Obamacare. Better yet, he should start all over.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Curious Statement in Obamacare Website Source Code: "You Have No Reasonable Expectation of Privacy"

Posted: 04 Nov 2013 11:17 AM PST

Right in the source code for the Obamacare website is the statement "You have no reasonable expectation of privacy regarding any communication of data transiting or stored on this information system".

It is curious why this message would be placed in the source code where no one would have any expectation of ever seeing it.

In the video below (which came out following last week's Congressional testimony) Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, grilled Cheryl Campbell, senior vice president of CGI Federal Inc., the company that built the Obamacare health care exchange website, on the hidden language and on HIPAA compliance.

Campbell testified that the system is HIPAA Compliant.

"The HIPAA Privacy Rule addresses the saving, accessing and sharing of medical and personal information of any individual, while the HIPAA Security Rule more specifically outlines national security standards to protect health data created, received, maintained or transmitted electronically, also known as electronic protected health information."

In repeated questioning, Barton got Campbell to admit she knew that the "no reasonable expectation of privacy" line was in the code.

Barton then asked "How the hell could it be HIPAA compliant?" Campbell refused to answer the question.

The original source of the video appears to be CNS News. CNS has a longer video clip, not directly embeddable, but playable at Hidden Code on Obamacare Website Says 'No Reasonable Expectation of Privacy'.

In the longer video, after Democrat Rep. Frank Pallone got the floor, Barton asked Pallone to yield. Pallone responded "I will not yield to this monkey court!"

Pallone went on to say "the statement is no legitimate concern of this committee."

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Former CDU Secretary General Says Germany "Must Grant Asylum" to Snowden; SPD Parliamentary Vice Chairman Says "Snowden is a Hero"

Posted: 04 Nov 2013 01:03 AM PST

Fascinating articles in Der Spiegel this past weekend, in praise of Edward Snowden. Via translation, please consider Asylum for Snowden: "Welcome Edward!"

In the debate about a possible offer of asylum in Germany to Edward Snowden, SPIEGEL contacted numerous journalists, actors, politicians and athletes for comments regarding the whistleblower.

In addition to opposition politicians, such as the Left Party leader Gregor Gysi, Snowden gets support from an unlikely source: Former CDU General Secretary Heiner Geissler says Germany "must" grant Snowden asylum.

Geissler is sad about the deterioration of the transatlantic relationship, but "Snowden has done the Western world a great service, and now it is up to us to help him"

Even social democratic politicians demand asylum. "Snowden is a hero, not a traitor," said Axel Schaefer, vice chairman of the SPD parliamentary group. One must closely examine "whether there is a way to offer Snowden asylum in Germany."

Foreign and defense politician Lars Klingbeil said "Germany must consider whether it is possible to grant asylum Edward Snowden."

Writer Ferdinand von Schirach praises Snowden in the MIRROR for the breach of its confidentiality obligations, citing a "duty for civil disobedience against the state" when required for justice.

The President of the Bundesliga, Reinhard Rauball, criticized "significant impairment of human rights" by arbitrary monitoring and praises Snowden's selfless actions.

Moderator Oliver Welke would like to give the Americans the Order of Merit. Musicians Udo Lindenberg said: "I can certainly make clear a room for him - welcome Edward."

Snowden had in principle agreed to officially testify in Germany - but wants the guarantee not to be transferred to the United States. The US has already submitted an extradition request for all relevant cases to the federal government.

Spiegel Mirror Cover

Issue 45/2013
Asylum for Snowden!
"Those who pronounce the truth, commits no crime"

Asylum Not As Easy As It Sounds

Granting Snowden asylum might be tricky. Not only would it open up a deep rift with the US, it may be a violation of treaty for Germany to grant Snowden asylum.

Reader Bernd points out ...

Mr. Snowden could be asked to come to Germany and safe passage could be guaranteed for the hearing. The law provides for that. However, the law does not provide for a permanent or semi-permanent residency of Mr. Snowden in Germany.

My friend who is one of Germany's leading immigration and asylum lawyers told me and confirmed it over and over again: German law specifies that political asylum cannot/must not be granted to citizens of countries which are considered law abiding democracies. At this moment the United States is still considered such a country.

By law and by treaties Germany will have to turn him over to the United States Authorities immediately at their request. They only need to guarantee that the death penalty will not be applied in his case – which I believe has already happened.

If German lawmakers are actually considering to bring Snowden into the country, they have no idea of the law.

I stand with those who think Edward Snowden is a patriot and hero, not a traitor. The US should drop all charges against him, and let him return to the US should he desire to come back.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Damn Cool Pics

World's Tallest Man Gets Married In Turkey
When Restaurants Have Fun
Pamela Anderson Looks Different
Do You Recognize This Woman?

World's Tallest Man Gets Married In Turkey

Posted: 04 Nov 2013 10:12 AM PST

Turkish farmer Sultan Kosen, who holds the Guinness World Record for tallest living man at 8 feet 3 inches, married a 20-year-old Syrian woman, Merve Dibo who is only 5 feet 8 inches. She barely reaches his waist.

Kosen, who also holds Guinness World Record for the biggest hands and feet, says he is truly happy to find love. "I have found the woman of my life after a long search. I am truly happy for that" he said.