Video Blogging Even Without Your Own Videos

By Alexis Rodrigo | Blogging

Blog Post Ideas: 21 Proven Ways to Create Compelling Content and Kiss Writer's Block Goodbye GET THE BOOK

Oct 08

Video Blogging with Other People's Video

Can you do video blogging without actually creating your own videos?

Why, of course you can! Thanks to video sharing sites, web TV and other video-based platforms on the web, you can take Other People's Videos (OPV) and legally embed them on your own site.

I did that in a recent post where I shared Guy Kawasaki's videos to talk about creating a great business.

Why You Want to Use OPV

OPV will allow you to add video to your blog, even if you don't make the video yourself. It's also a good way to share something potentially valuable to your audience. And it's a low-commitment, low-effort way to get started with video blogging.

Where to Find OPV

Here are some good places to find videos you can use on your own blog:

  • YouTube – Users can choose whether or not to allow others to embed their videos. Most users allow it.
  • Ted – With a tagline, “Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world,” need I say more?
  • CNN – Yes, you can embed CNN news videos into your blog. How cool!

Tips for Using OPV

While I have been promoting that you use OPV on your blog, it's still better if you create and publish your own videos. It's better for getting traffic (if, for example, you publish your video first on YouTube) and it's better for establishing yourself as an authority in your field.

However, if you must use OPV, here are some tips to make it more effective:

  • Write a keyword-rich introduction for the video. This gives the search engines something to crawl, so they know what the post is all about.
  • Be a columnist, not a reporter. Give your own perspective, opinions and thoughts about the video. Contribute to the discussion, deepen it, or tell your readers how the video content affects them.
  • Get inspired. Don't be contented with using OPV. Use them to inspire and motivate you to make your own.

Your Thoughts

Do you use Other People's Videos on your blog? Why or why not? Please share in the comments below. Thank you!

Lexi Rodrigo

PS: Ready to make your own online videos but need help getting started? Click here to get a copy of my free report, “Video Marketing for the Clueless,” and here to sign up for Gideon Shalwick's free report, “Rapid Video Blogging.”

Image by jonsson

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About the Author

Lexi Rodrigo is a communication and marketing professional for multimillion-dollar businesses, co-author of Blog Post Ideas: 21 Proven Ways to Create Compelling Content and Kiss Writer's Block Goodbye, and host of "Marketing Insights LIVE!." Connect with Lexi on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

  • Steven H says:

    Don’t forget Vimeo.com! I also occasionally embed videos from Fora.TV and BigThink.com.

  • Ileane says:

    Lexi, I’m more than glad to see other’s embed my video tutorials on their blogs. That’s why I make them available on YouTube, Vimeo, Viddler, iTunes and just about anywhere else I can think of. And by the same token I’ve used some from Matt Cutts, Matt Mullenweg and most recently Lisa Irby. It’s a great way to bring attention to a topic and when a good video already exists, there’s no point in reinventing the wheel.

    Thanks for the post.

    • Alexis says:

      @lleane – Hey, thanks for stopping by! Most definitely, when we do have videos, we want them to be published all over the Interwebs. I totally agree, too, about not reinventing the wheel. I often point my students and readers to tutorials on YouTube. That’s another reason to use OPV; I should’ve added it to the list above. 🙂

  • Beverly Kile says:

    Thanks Lexi, I’ve been doing a lot of work lately producing my own videos for a couple of membership sites that will be going live soon, but never even thought of using OPV on any of my sites or blogs. You just gave me an Ahha moment. Thanks so much!

    • Alexis says:

      @Beverly Kile – I’m glad to have given you an a-ha moment! Check out lleane’s comment above: why reinvent the wheel (or the video), when somebody else has already done it? It’s amazing that we can “collaborate” with complete strangers by sharing each other’s useful stuff. Thanks for sharing!

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