Many dealers have video content lying around and posting it online is one of the easiest and most cost efficient ways to increase the reach and views of that content. Naturally, YouTube is what we all think of when considering an outlet for publishing video content online. YouTube is free and it has extremely high amounts of traffic. But there are also other outlets below that you should be taking advantage of to maximize exposure and links to your website. Using analytics, you may discover which specific video outlet yields the best response.

Flickr – Flickr is known more as a photo sharing website, but fairly recently Flickr rolled out the ability to upload video content as well. Uploading videos is straightforward, and videos can be easily tagged, labeled, and even geotagged.  Creating an account is quick and easy, and there are ample opportunities to network and get social.

Viddler – Viddler is a video sharing site that provides three ways to publish video content; for personal use, professional video publishing, and optimized for business. While many of the features are unnecessary, these provide a variety of options including creating a branded video player, removing ads around your videos, and including RSS feeds. If you want the ultimate flexibility when it comes to publishing your videos, check out Viddler.

Blip.TV – Blip.TV features massive amounts of traffic and also allows ad sharing. The site publishes independent shows and reaches over 22 million people. If you have a truly creative marketing team and top not notch video production capabilities, your video content could go viral with the help of Blip.TV.

Yahoo! Video – Like other search engines, Yahoo enables searches to find new video content. But unlike some search engines, Yahoo Video also enables users to upload their own videos. With community-driven ratings and other features, Yahoo Video, like YouTube, is also social and could provide that elusive viral exposure – just remember to give your video a clever title!

Truveo – Truveo is a video search engine owned by AOL. With an AOL account, users can upload videos and get them indexed into various search engines and get them in front of users that subscribe to videos via RSS. With the ability to submit an unlimited amount of video content, and the flexibility of tagging and bookmarking content, Truveo has become one of the most prominent sources for video content on the Web.

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For more on online video optimization check back soon.

Of all the businesses to dive into online videos, YouTube visitors are increasingly finding more engaging automotive videos coming from car dealers. While many car dealer videos are expected to be dull and overly salesy, YouTubers are instead seeing unique characters, humorous stories, and elaborate plots emerging from the minds of car dealers and their marketing agencies. With plenty of dealers getting thousands of views from their videos, the question is, where is your dealership’s video content?

It’s expected that Internet video is going to become increasingly important to car dealers by this time next year, with many dealers including online video prominently within their marketing mix. In many instances, video may require only a modest investment of time. For example, many dealers feature OEM templates that they can use on their websites and on YouTube. But this method lacks a dealer’s unique brand, and it opens up an opportunity for dealers to put their own stamp on video content that’s destined to be distributed on the Web.

Taking a chance and creating online videos that are creative and entertaining can go a long way when it comes to building an online presence for your dealership. Perhaps one of the best examples is Badger commercials from the Johnson Automotive based in North Carolina. The commercials feature a badger as a car salesman that pushes customers to buy a car for the price that he wants. What makes these ads successful and viral is that they embrace the stereotype of a pushy, unethical car salesman and lets customers know that you won’t find that at a Johnson Automotive dealership. On YouTube, these videos have already received hundreds of thousands of views, and have easily given the dealership solid brand recognition. The Badger not only can be visible online, but can also be found on television and in print. Even their website, NoBadgers.com, builds upon the character.

But having a commercial with a “Big Idea” such as repulsive badger is by no means a requirement. As we’ve stressed before, video provides many benefits, especially with the the ability to find its way into search results. Promoting your seasonal incentives is one of the easiest ways to come promote your dealership online. And while having a character like the Badger may be entertaining, just having something simple and honest can also make a huge impact as Jackson Honda customers have found with videos like the one below.

Dealers are discovering that having an online video strategy is one of the most cost effective marketing tactics available. Videos are relatively cheap to create, and quick and easy to distribute online. As we’ve already discussed, Universal Search also enables video content to grab exposure in the SERPs. While the biggest expense in running an ad on television is the cost of air time, running the same ad online costs nothing thanks to YouTube and other free video websites.

With increasing consolidation among car dealers, along with many dealerships closing their doors for good by year’s end, existing dealers need to find ways to build stronger relationships with their community and potential customers. Online video is a cost effective way to do just that.

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Look for innovative search marketing tips? Look no further than Top Dealer SEO.