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We all know that online video is hot, which means the opportunity for businesses to jump on the growing trend is huge. Here are some things to keep in mind whether you've already started with branded video or are contemplating it as part of your strategy.

1. One video is not enough. While starting with one video is the way I ease new clients into getting comfortable with the digital world, they know that one video will not serve all of their video marketing and advertising needs forever.

It's a good idea to create videos with specific goals: Do you want people to click through to your website to learn more about your product or service? Do you want to express the story behind your business? Do you want more Facebook 'likes' or engagement?

There's no one-size-fits-all video in the digital world. Content is king and you'll benefit most by analyzing your main messaging needs and then deciding which platforms you want exposure on. Once this task is done, you need to create videos to communicate those messages in ways that an audience will pay attention to and then be driven to act.

By releasing regular online video content, not only do you keep your target demographic engaged, you get the chance to discover what approaches work best when it comes to your specific audience and evolve your strategy as you go.

2. Promote, promote, promote. A company invests a sizeable amount of money into producing a beautiful video. They upload it to their new and completely unbranded YouTube channel with a three letter title and no description and they post it once to Twitter. And then they wonder why the video flopped.

There are some basic tips to optimize your video content online – but beyond this, what does the broader picture look like for your video strategy? Are you supporting exposure with paid ads? Do you post blogs to promote your content? Share your videos on LinkedIn? Are your videos tying into a centrally themed campaign, or do videos operate independently for limited time purposes? Tying all of your digital assets together when you launch into online video is key, and will increase your chances of success.

3. Measure results. When you're new to online video for business, you'll likely be watching the numbers because in the digital world, numbers means success. While hits, plays, shares and engagement levels are all important, keep in mind that overall trends are more important vs the performance of a single video.

Keep your eye on the bigger picture. How are all of your videos performing? Are your videos driving the action you want viewers to take? Is overall brand awareness up? Are you seeing an increase in business? These are questions to keep top of mind as you look at how well your video advertising strategy is working.

A cookie cutter approach to video won't generate results. As a business you need to understand what your customers and potential customers are looking for, and then create it for them. The joy of online video is that you can try new things and evolve your approach as you go to find your sweet spot that sticks in the minds and hearts of your target demographic.

Lisa Ostrikoff is a TV journalist and anchor-turned-creator of BizBOXTV, a Canadian online video production, advertising and social media marketing agency. You can find her on Twitter and Facebook.

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