Add Video to Your Website or Blog

Setting up a free account on www.vodpod.com, allows you to upload digital camera video clips from your home computer to the VodPod website.

You can keep them private and invite friends and family only to view them (see button on vodpod website to do this), or get “widget code” allowing you to display your video collection on your website or blog and on the vodpod website.

Ideas for video to enhance your website/blog

• If you own a b&b, show video clips of the grounds and rooms, a short welcome from the hosts and local attractions
• If you run a tourism business, show clients enjoying the jetboating, dolphin watching, 4wheel driving or whatever it is
• If you own a restaurant, show your meals, your tables etc
• If you sell vacuum cleaners, show them in use, being cleaned etc
• If you sell clothes, show them being worn
• If you sell expertise/advice, show yourself, show presentations, answer questions visually
• If you have kids, invite friends and family overseas to watch them grow up

Here’s how to add your videos to VodPod
(See screen shot sample on right)

1. Go to www.vodpod.com
2. Click on Start a Pod to setup your account.
3. Once you are logged in, click on Add a Video
4. Choose Upload video from my computer option
5. Select your videos, then click on upload. NOTE: This takes a while even with broadband so you may want to keep the clips to less than 30 seconds, preferably around 10 seconds.
6. Once uploaded, click on each video and give it a name, description etc
7. Add categories and tick a category for each one

Here’s how to add your videos to your website/blog…

1. Once you are happy with the videos in your pod, click on Get a Widget for this pod
2. Select the type of media you are publishing to (WordPress.com is a free wordpress blog)
3. Select the name of the pod you want to display (you can have more than one)
4. Select a Category or a range of other options (most recently viewed etc)
5. Give the Widget a Title (this will show at top of your widget)
6. Choose sidebar style for blogs or horizontal style for websites
7. Choose skin (sidebar 1 is fine, but check the preview on right to see the difference)
8. Change the colour of grey background for a HEX colour of your choice or leave as is.

Adding Code to a free wordpress blog
Free WordPress blogs include a VodPod widget, so copy the code you are given on right of screen, then go to your blog admin, Presentation, then Widgets. Drag the Vodpod widget onto your sidebar, click on it, then paste the code where you are instructed.

Adding code to a hosted WordPress blog
Copy the code you are given on right of screen, then go to your blog admin, Presentation, then Widgets. Drag a text widget onto your sidebar, click on it, then paste the code into it, save changes and view your blog.

Adding code to a website
Copy the code you are given on right of screen, then paste this into the code of your website where you want the videos to display. NOTE: You need to be able to make changes to your website’s source code to do this. If you don’t, ask your website designer so add it or contact Creative Ideas for help.

NOTE: Because the videos are hosted on the vodpod website, they wont add size or cost to your website hosting package.