Video is a great tool. It adds life to your message and really shows people what you are all about. Luckily, these days creating and posting a video is very easy. Whether they come from a professional camcorder, a Flip cam or even just from your phone, videos are easy and fun.

Don't be afraid of video! It doesn't have to be a big production. Make it light and easy. You can start by using these question topics.

There are other advantages to creating video. Did you know that YouTube is the No. 2 search engine in the world behind Google? This will help improve your ranking in searches when someone new is searching for a synagogue or organization to connect with online. It also means that individuals searching for information on particular Jewish topics will find you among the answers.

Here are some helpful hints to get you on your way to your first video blog post on JewishBoston.com:

How to prepare a video to upload onto JewishBoston.com:

Create and upload your video to YouTube using either your computer's webcam or a video camera (such as a Flip) from your computer

• If your video is on a camera that's not part of your computer, connect the camera to the computer and save the video files onto your hard drive.
• Go to YouTube.com.
• Login (or create an account if you do not have one).
• After you are logged in, click on "upload," which is to the right of the search bar.
• Click "upload video" and choose the video you wish to upload from a file on your computer. YouTube will then walk you through the steps to upload the video to your account.

Create and upload videos to YouTube from your phone

• YouTube also offers this handy tutorial about how to upload directly to your YouTube account from your mobile phone. If you are already logged in, this page will give you a custom email address to send it to. Click on the video labeled "Create" for more information about how to do this.

Now you are ready to create a video blog post!

How to upload a video to a blog on JewishBoston.com:

Step One:
Place your text cursor where you'd like the video to appear in your post. Click on the Video Icon. ("Add a Video" looks like a piece of film.)

Step Two:
Paste the URL of the YouTube page into the File/URL field.

Step Three:
Click on "Insert" and you're done! The video may show up as a yellow box in your blog editor, but it should display correctly in the final post.

Be sure to either publish your post or place it in draft mode if you'd like us to look at it or need some additional information before it goes live. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.