Can You Upload Videos to Your WordPress Website?
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems used across the internet, powering millions of websites worldwide. In the course of our work, we get to see a lot of amazing WordPress-powered websites that do exactly what they are supposed to do – provide resources to their readers.
However, there is one issue that a lot of WordPress users are facing today: Can you actually upload videos to your WordPress website?
The short answer is yes, you can – but you must be careful. Before you dive into the details, let’s quickly review the basics of video on WordPress.
Video Basics
Do you have a video on your phone that you’d like to share with the world? Whether you’re sharing a funny video of your child’s soccer game, an instructional video on a subject that interests you or just a personal, heartfelt video to showcase who you are as a person, you can create a video and upload it to your WordPress website.
The only thing you need to have is a device with a camera to record your video and the ability to upload files to your site. You can also use tools like YouTube to record and upload your videos directly from your phone. Whatever your reasons for creating a video, WordPress makes it easy to get it online and share it with the world.
Why Should You Care About Video On WordPress?
Video On WordPress really is a growing trend. In 2019 alone, video consumption on the platform more than doubled from 2018 levels, so if you’re serious about attracting and retaining a global audience, video is a good place to start.
Not only that, but video can also be a powerful tool for marketing and SEO. How? When you embed a video onto a webpage, the video will likely appear in the search engine results alongside the rest of the content.
For instance, if you have an SEO-friendly blog post about dog grooming and you include a short video of a dog grooming session, it’s likely that when people search for terms like ‘dog grooming’, ‘dog hair care’, or ‘dog shampoo’, your video will come up in the results along with the rest of the content.
Include video content on your site and you’ll likely see increased organic traffic and improved SEO. Additionally, videos are often times more engaging than text-based content. When you consider that people already know what video is and how to use it, you’ll see that WordPress videos can be pretty attractive to potential new subscribers.
Video On WordPress is also becoming increasing popular because so many platforms and software exist to help people easily create and share videos. From platforms like WordPress to platforms designed to enhance your Instagram feed, you’ll find all the essentials you need to create a professional-looking video to post to social media.
How Do I Record My Video In WordPress?
WordPress makes it easy to record your video directly inside the app. You don’t need any specialized equipment beyond what you have on your smartphone. To get started, simply navigate to the ‘Add Media’ section of your website dashboard. From here, you can choose to record a video holding your smartphone’s camera towards either the screen or the wall behind it (depending on which option you choose, the screen will be your background).
When you’re done recording, simply hit the ‘Save’ button and the video will be uploaded to your WordPress website. Now, you don’t have to worry about finding a suitable video hosting platform or getting a pay-per-view service – WordPress will take care of all that for you.
Is There Any Restrictions On What Kind of Videos I Can Upload?
In a word, no. WordPress makes it easy enough to record and upload whatever you want. The only real restrictions are the ones you put up yourself. For example, if you don’t want to share certain videos on your site, don’t — it’s your choice and no one else’s.
Additionally, while most video hosting platforms will let you upload any type of video, some will limit you to specific formats. Check with the platform you’re considering using to make sure they don’t have any restrictions on what kinds of videos you can upload. This way, you can be certain that you’re not going to run into any trouble.
Is File Size Important?
Not really. It depends on what you’re trying to do with the video. If you just want to put a funny or interesting video on your site for entertainment purposes, go ahead and upload the smallest possible file size. Remember, videos on the internet can be downloaded and stored on users’ devices at any size, so you don’t have to worry about running out of space.
If you’re looking to use video on your site to enhance your revenue or educate your audience, then you’ll want to go the extra mile and ensure that the video is high-quality. However, you don’t need to overdo it and spend a lot of money on expensive specialized equipment to achieve top-notch video. Just remember to do your research and choose a video hosting platform that offers the best value.
Videos On WordPress – The Pros
If you’re wondering why someone would want to use video on their WordPress website, consider this: Videos can be entertaining, informative, or both. They can also be a powerful tool for marketing and SEO. As we mentioned above, videos can also be a good way to engage with your audience. And did we mention that videos can be completely free?
Additionally, videos in the wrong hands can become a powerful weapon. Since everyone knows how to use videos these days, they can easily be misused for malicious purposes. But that’s a conversation for another day.
Videos On WordPress – The Cons
Just like any other tool or resource, videos on WordPress have their disadvantages. First off, videos are certainly easy to misuse. Anyone can upload a funny or exciting video to their site, but that doesn’t mean that they should. Make sure you’re aware of the risks and liabilities that come with using videos on your website. Next, videos are easy to forget about. Unless you have a blog that focuses heavily on video content, it’s likely that you’ll simply scroll past videos in your dashboard without even thinking about them. This is why it’s important to keep track of what you’ve uploaded into your site so that you can refer to it when needed.
Another disadvantage of videos on WordPress is that they can be a little tricky to moderate. Depending on the software you use, videos can be hard to flag as inappropriate. Even when they are inappropriate, it can be difficult to determine the reason why. Videos are also usually associated with entertainment purposes, which means they’re usually short and have little to no text. This makes it harder for certain keywords to be associated with them – especially when the video is done extremely well and there isn’t any text at all in it.
Even if you’re not planning on using videos on your site, it’s still important to be aware of what they are and how they work. Because of their ever-expanding role in our online lives, videos will continue to be a major part of the WordPress landscape.