Prior to an individual or unit creating a video for use on the website or other marketing materials, they should reach out to the marketing and web team. There are many things to consider any ways to ensure the best user experience, improved accessibility, and best practices for recording, rendering, editing, and then implementing the new video assets. Below is a check list of things to consider when working with the marketing and web team on a new project.
How-to Contact the Marketing and Web Team
To meet with the marketing and web team about your video needs, please email webteam@wsb.wisc.edu or submit a web team service request through the WSB Support Portal. Learn more about the Web Team Support System.
Timeline for Creating a New Video Series
- Have an idea for a video
- Reach out to the marketing and web team
- Meet with the marketing and web team and discuss the goals for the new video and best practices
- Review the Check-List of Important Things to Consider
- Create a action plan
- Create your first the first video in the series of videos
- Meet with the marketing and web team to review the first video and receive feedback
- Implement the feedback and move forward with creating the next set of videos
- Review the video to ensure it meets our best practices
- The marketing and web team will review the video, then provide approval with moving forward with adding it to the website or linking to it from emails
- Provide the web team with your video files and details so a new video can be hosted.
Video Best Practices
Below is an overview of video best practices.
Content Should Be:
Evergreen: the more time and effort invested in a video creation, the more important it is that it can last 4-5 years if needed. This means the including the year if mentioning specific rankings or career outcomes; possibly avoiding mentioning specific staff with their job titles, as this means the longevity of the video is limited.
Short: longer content has less plays and even then many videos are not watched all the way through. It is recommended that videos be 5-8 minutes in length. If you have one long single recording, consider how the video could be broken up into shorter more focused segments.
Support and Build on Existing Website Page Content or Address a Pain Point in Detail: content that already integrates well into the story the website is telling, especially if it is in sync with the information hierarchy on the pages.
- Use Consistent Materials: If you are creating a series of videos, try to brand set and use a similar style for each topic or series.
Assets (Text, Images, Graphics) Used in the Video:
- Right to Use All Materials Featured: The Wisconsin School of Business should have the rights to use any materials featured in the playable video. This includes but is not limited to: graphics, music, images, photography, and other videos (even those used in power point slides). Permissions to feature individuals not associated with the School. The materials can be of your own creation, royalty free, purchased and have the proper licensing, or be Wisconsin School of Business provided materials.
- Text Passes Color Contrast: All text featured in your video should pass color contrast. This means that users can perceive and read the important content (text) in your video.
- Transcribed: Any audio in the video should be transcribed. It is best to start with a script, then you can simply edit the script to match what was recorded. Transcriptions of you video help people who can not access the video to read the text transcription instead.
- Captioned: Your video should include captions. If the video is hosted in YouTube auto captioning can be enabled, but will need to be reviewed for accuracy.
- Link to Resources: Rather than state specific facts, it is best to link to resources that are available on the web. For example instead of stating the admissions deadline provide a go link that takes someone to the most up to date information.
Video File Hosting Requirements
In order for a video to be hosted and linked to or embeded on the website the following will need to be provided.
- .mp4 video file
- Exported at at least 1920x1080 (1080p)
- YouTube Video Ratio: 16:9
- Thumbnail
- YouTube Thumbnail .jpg Size: 1280 x 720 pixels
- You can use one of the WSB branded 16x9 power point templates to create a thumbnail.
- Video Title: displayed after the video
- Video Description: A description of what is in the video and why a user would watch the video. Include a link back to the website for more information.
Learn More
- Contrast and Color Accessibility: WebAim's documentation on what color contrast is important.
- Captions, Transcripts, and Audio Descriptions: WebAim's documentation on captions, transcriptions, and Audio Descriptions
Tools
- Color Contrast Checker: WebAim's color contrast checker allows you to test your color combinations.
- Branded Power Point Templates: use one of the two 16x9 power point templates if you are using slides in the background of your video.
Next Tutorial
- Video Link and Embed Best Practices (Coming Soon)
Related articles
- Evergreen content: the more time and effort invested in a video creation, the more important it is that it can last 4-5 years if needed. This means the including the year if mentioning specific rankings or career outcomes; possibly avoiding mentioning specific staff with their job titles, as this means the longevity of the video is limited.
- Short content, as longer content has less plays and even then many videos are not watched all the way through.
- Content that already integrates well into the story the website is telling, especially in sync with the information hierarchy we have on the landing page/order in which we have those rows (unless there is indication that this hierarchy needs updating)
- We haven’t pulled video analytics in over a year, since Bill was here. But I did find 2017 data https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oU_IilREBjK7505-JgbYYNM6vWIdxMz-ErYOFbJzEQ8
As you can see, if the video integrates well into landing page content, that gets the most attention. I would recommend placing videos on my exploratory pages where a user might not yet be sure where they want to go (i.e) lower on a landing page or lower on the Admissions landing page), rather than the top of a more transactional page, where video content may feel disruptive. Of course if this content is helping in completing a task, that would change placement recommendations.