Overview

The Division of Extension has two divisional YouTube channels. The main channel is meant to be the home for all public facing video. If you feel there is a compelling reason as to why your Extension focused video content should be hosted elsewhere, please work with ETS to determine what your available options are. Videos on this channel must be captioned, have effective titles, include detailed descriptions and contain appropriate tags. Our secondary channel is intended only to host videos for internal use. These include staff training/professional development videos, archives of the Dean’s Extension Exchange, and other videos meant solely for internal use. For these internal videos, captions are not required, unless there is a specific accommodation request.

The Reach of YouTube

Unlike other modalities, videos placed on YouTube provides Extension with additional opportunities as it relates to reaching broad audiences. YouTube is a social content distribution network. Video content on YouTube has the potential to reach an unlimited audience. Content that Extension produces is viewed by people around the globe. By being deliberate in how Division of Extension uses video content, we are able to maximize this potential reach, visibility and reputation of both your individual videos as well as other video content on our YouTube channel.

How Video Content is Discovered

People find video in one of the following ways:

• Direct Link - The viewer has the  URL for the video either from an email, PDF, or website which they accessed. (Direct Links account for a minimal amount of our video traffic)
• Search result - The viewer uses a search engine or the built-in YouTube search to find your video.
• Content Referrals - YouTube determines your content is of high enough value and quality that it refers your video to others. This typically is visible on-screen at the end of a video. 

Additional Considerations:

• Content relevance - Will your intended audience find your video appropriate and relevant?
• Content quality - Quality audio and effective visuals are part of this, however not all programming works well as a video.
• Content ‘freshness’ - Is the value of the content time sensitive or time limited? 

Publish Content to Extension's YouTube Channels

We strongly encourage that all of your public-facing content be uploaded to the main Extension YouTube channel. Instructions for submitting content to Extension's Channel can be found in ETS - YouTube - Submitting video to Extension's YouTube Channels. YouTube does not allow for duplicate videos to be hosted on its platform. If you believe that your programming requires a secondary channel, we ask that you consult with a member of the ETS team on this prior to setting up your own channel. 

Please note that any video shared with the public, meaning anyone outside of the Division of Extension, needs to have captions. There is no exception for this, as this is a federal ADA compliance matter. For more information on captioning see the following article: Compliance - Accessibility (ADA) - Video Captioning - Divisional Policy.

Questions?

Contact helpdesk@extension.wisc.edu.