When recording, rendering, editing, and implementing the new video assets, there are many best practices that enhance the user experience and improve accessibility. Below is a check list of things to consider when working with the marketing and web team on a new project.
Prior to an individual or unit creating a video for use on the website or other marketing materials, they should meet with the marketing and web team. 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.
Below is an overview of video best practices.
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.
In order for a video to be hosted and linked to or embeded on the website the following will need to be provided.
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- 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.