Embedded Video with Convio CMS

Now with Convio CMS Web site administrators can use a new Editor component that allows you to embed videos or other content within display templates to create a dynamic relationship between your content types.

How it works

While Convio CMS can accept a simple embedded URL on any page, as a best practice, we typically recommend organizations create a new content type specific to storing video references.  Entries to this content type include properties like: URL for streaming video (e.g. YouTube^TM), category for related content, publication date, associated organization campaign or programs, and any other structured content designation that will allow authors to associate each video with relevant site content.  The new embedded content component then simplifies the process of presenting each video by allowing each entry to operate as an object, rather than a unique bit of code. As a result, each video is automatically associated with relevant content and can be presented in a variety of ways to site visitors based upon the context of the page. 

Benefits include:

• No HTML editor required
• Administrative control over attributes (fields) and presentation (templates) of embedded items. Ability to use meta-data for items and  create dynamic lists of items based on categories etc. (Think: "Related videos" side-bar on a News Item)
• No HTML or WYSIWYG skills required on the part of the video editor
• Publication approval process for embedded items (such as YouTube videos); separate from any web pages that might utilize them later

Here's an example of how this new component can be used to enrich the visitor experience:

The American Health Society is compiling content on the harmful affects of smoking for their upcoming report.  This includes sourcing video from popular sites like YouTube and Yahoo video.

Web site author Jimmy finds three good videos, each telling a story with slightly different angles on the smoking issue.  Jimmy adds the videos to his web site's video database, powered by a CMS content type called "Videos".

Along with the URL of the video, Jimmy selects properties for the database in categories for: Related Issues, Campaign, Action Items and Publication Source.

Now, whenever a web page pertaining to smoking appears on the web site, a related content section on the right side of the page automatically displays available videos by associating the common properties of the web page with the video entry Jimmy created.

Learn more and discuss best practices using this component in the Client Community.