“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”—Mark Twain
The first steps to any video marketing campaign is uploading the asset. There are a few things you can do to make your uploading workflow easier—and turn yourself into an uploading ninja!
The biggest impact you can make on the uploading process is to store all your source files on a publicly accessible server. What does this mean? Use an FTP server, Amazon S3 server or even something more consumer based, like box.net, Google Drive, or DropBox.
Why? The upload module allows you to simply enter the URL of a file that is stored on a server, and it will copy it over—server to server. This has the distinct advantage of getting around local bandwidth bottlenecks (slow network speeds) and firewall issues. It even lets you upload from your mobile device while you’re on the go. For example, if your production team sends you a link to a file hosted on your server, you can simply copy that link and paste it into the upload module all from your phone.
Additionally, you end up with a single location where all you source files are stored. Think about it: if you need to access these files in 5 years, will you still have them on your computer or a local server at the office? Will you even have the same computer, or access to the same server?
There’s one more advantage to this approach. If you updated your encoding profile in Brightcove to include, let’s say, a higher resolution rendition, you won’t need to hunt down the source files. Having them all in one place that is already in the cloud means you can easily find and re-ingest them,without bogging down your local network. Oh, and did I mention that you don’t have to be on the computer that actually has the file? Do it from your tablet or laptop, at the coffee shop, while you’re playing Angry Birds!
I hope this little tip inspires you to investigate this option. Start with what you already have. If your organization uses Google Drive, start putting your source files there and try out the new workflow. I bet you’ll be able to make an easy case for additional storage, if needed.
Learn more about other features in the upload module