YouTube owned by Google, is a free online video streaming service that allows anyone to view and share videos that have been uploaded by registered users.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has reached an agreement with Google, Inc. that covers all HHS Agencies, Offices, and Programs (hereafter referred to as Agency).
The guidance below applies to the content posted on the HHS YouTube Channel and any other sub-Channels created by HHS Agencies.
Under the Federal Terms of Service agreement with Google, Inc., each Cabinet-level Department may have its own YouTube Channel. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has signed a license agreement with Google under the Federal Terms of Service.
The HHS Terms of Service Agreement (TOS) and Channel are managed by the HHS Center for New Media within the Web Communications Division (CNM)
The HHS TOS covers by extension all approved HHS sub-Channels. (See Section VI for the approval process.)
All video content funded or produced by HHS and its Agencies that is posted on YouTube must be posted to an HHS Channel.
A number of benefits come with the agreement with Google, Inc. These include, but are not limited to:
Legal restraints removed - Agencies posting to the HHS Channel are not required to sign an indemnification clause.
Ads removed - When HHS video content is played in the playback view , the Promoted Videos are removed. Related videos remain.
Length restriction removed - The 10 minute time limit on videos is removed; however, there is a 2GB size limit.
Branding features activated - Certain areas within the Channel and in the playback view are made available for branding, including the placement of banners and images.
There are many variables that can be controlled within individual postings and within Channels as a whole. These variables often are modified, added, or removed as the YouTube service grows. Here's a sample of the wide variety of variables:
Rating - If activated, users are able to rate a video on a scale of 1 to 5.
Quicklists - These are used to make a list of videos to watch later in a viewing session.
Adding a blog to the account - A Channel can be directly connected to a specific blog. Once you've added a blog to a YouTube account, you can post videos to that blog directly from the playback view.
Subscribing to tags - Tags are entered as descriptive metadata for each video uploaded. Subscribing to tags allows you to follow all YouTube activity surrounding a particular topic.
Annotations - Boxes and callouts can be superimposed onto a completed video to provide more information and link to other YouTube content.
Because of the many variables that can be controlled individually, it's not plausible (nor is it the nature of these types of platforms) to create guidance around each item; it's better for each Agency to be able to be engaged and personalize their activity so as to learn the nature of the tools. The CNM is a resource for sharing resources and experience.
Video Requirements
Videos posted to HHS Channels must serve the core communications mission of the posting Agency.
All videos posted on YouTube must meet HHS Section 508 requirements for accessibility.
All HHS video content on YouTube must be captioned.
For information on the captioning file types that are compatible with YouTube, see the YouTube Help Center.
508 Accommodation Waivers: Rare exceptions to the 508 requirement may be made in cases of engagement with citizen users. For example, when running a video campaign in which an Agency is asking for users to upload content directly into a YouTube Agency group, it would be unreasonable to expect or insist that all users caption their content.
The YouTube Content Manager must contact CNM before bringing non-508 compliant video into the Agency's Channel.
The sponsoring Agency must demonstrate the ability to provide access to the video information. WCD has a support contract in place for HHS Agencies to use.
Videos posted on YouTube must be embedded (that is: shown) on an HHS .gov Web site. This video (of course) must be Section 508 compliant.
The description of the YouTube video must include a link to the Agency Web site where that accessible version is shown.
Note: Under no circumstances will non-captioned video be featured within an HHS Channel.
YouTube users find video content predominantly through the search function on YouTube. Therefore, internal organization of video content is not a key factor in how a specific video is located. Associating related videos, however, is a way to increase overall views.
Channels. An Office/Agency may acquire its own YouTube Channel. (See Section VI for approval process.)
Benefits of having your own Channel.
Ownership: The approval process for YouTube content on an Agency's own Channel remains within that Agency.
Interaction: Users are more likely to identify with - and subsequently interact with - a Channel with a narrower focus.
Cons of having your own Channel.
Resources: Full utilization of YouTube benefits, especially those around interactivity, take a significant amount of Agency time.
Groups. Channels are able to house multiple groups to separate video content. A group:
Makes it possible for a user to browse all the videos of a defined topic/Agency.
Creates a defined content space within which each YouTube Content Manager maintains control.
May be organization-specific. If an Agency does not have its own Channel, it could be given a group within the HHS Channel under which its video content would be housed. For example, OMH and AHRQ could each have its own separate group.
May be topic-specific. Groups are often used for specific campaigns and may involve interaction with other YouTube users. A campaign group may be structured to allow anyone to join and upload content to the group and interact with other group members through discussions. (See Section IX-D for information on how this can be moderated.) If your Agency would like to create a group for a specific campaign, please email the HHS Center for New Media.
Playlists. Channels are able to house a number of video playlists. When a user watches a video that is part of a playlist, the entire playlist appears next to that video. Playlists therefore can be a key way to maintain viewership and increase the visibility of other videos.
HHS playlists are organized by topic. Note: Videos can be placed in more than one playlist.
Management. While the Center for New Media will work to ensure proper playlist compilation, playlist maintenance will be up to the community of YouTube Content Managers.
Inter-Agency playlists. It is up to YouTube Content Managers from each Office/Agency to work with others to create playlists collaboratively. For example, OMH and AHRQ may both have video content on health disparities. The YouTube Content Managers from OMH and AHRQ should recognize this and proactively let each other know of the overlap in content.
Individual Agency playlists. Playlists also can occur within a single Agency. For example, AHRQ may have a series of weekly addresses around comparative effectiveness research.
Basis for approval. Approval for playlists occurring within an Agency's Channel is up to the Agency. CNM approval is needed for playlist creation within the HHS YouTube Channel. Approval will be given if:
There is no other playlist on that topic;
There are at least three videos that would go on this playlist; and
The Content Manager making the request will take responsibility for maintaining the playlist. This includes responding to other Agency requests to add other video content to the playlist.
Video ownership
An Agency retains ownership of its video content regardless of the Channel to which the video is uploaded on YouTube.
Agencies will not duplicate, upload, remove, or edit the video content of any other Agency without that Agency's written permission.
Agencies can and are encouraged to favorite and include in playlists the content of other Agencies (see Section IX).
Branding
The HHS Channel branding features (e.g. - the Channel homepage banner) may be modified, with CNM guidance, to provide branding for the new Channel while retaining a consistent look and feel across the spectrum of HHS sub-Channels.
The featured video is used to strategically promote timely, quality videos from the Department. (An Agency may suggest a video to be featured in the HHS Channel by contacting the Center for New Media.)
All HHS Channels are required to cross-promote all other HHS Channels by activating the Other Channels box in their branding features and therein listing the other HHS Channels.
Agency Channels in existence at the time the Google TOS was approved must be brought under the HHS TOS. The CNM will handle the application for moving Channels to be under the HHS TOS. Agencies with pre-existing Channels may grandfather their branding.
An Agency may request a unique YouTube Channel by completing the CNM online Request for Channel form (UPDATE: until this form is made available, please send in your request to newmedia@hhs.gov). Approval will be based on the strategic need for a unique Channel. For a unique Channel to be approved, the requesting Agency must have a communications plan indicating that a minimum of fifteen (15) videos will be posted or moved to that Agency’s Channel within 6 months of acquiring that Channel.
The CNM will coordinate with Agency management regarding the approval of a Channel.
Adding a HHS Channel to the HHS TOS consists of the following steps:
Once Agency management (in consultation with CNM) has approved the creation of a Channel, the Agency creates that channel on its own. Go to this YouTube page to create your account.
Email the CNM with this account name.
CNM will send a request to Google for this to account to be moved under the HHS TOS.
Note: Unfortunately, at this time we do not receive notice of when the account has been moved. Instead an Agency will have to notice the changes on its own. The easiest way to tell:
When you’re signed in and looking at your channel, running across the top it says:
Edit Channel: | Settings | Themes and Colors | Modules |
Once the channel has been moved under the TOS, a fourth box called “Branding Options” will appear.
Training
Following approval of a Channel, the Agency YouTube Content Manager can receive training from the CNM upon request.
Prior to posting on YouTube, all video content of an Agency must be approved through the same process by which Web site content is currently approved for that Agency.
If an Agency does not have its own Channel, they may upload their video content to the HHS Channel found at http://www.youtube.com/USGovHHS.
When an Agency wants to upload video content to the HHS YouTube Channel for the first time, they must identify a content manager who will contact the CNM at newmedia@hhs.gov. The initial upload will be performed by the Agency YouTube Content Manager as part of the Agency's training by CNM.
Following the initial video upload, the Agency's video upload process will be performed or overseen by that Agency's YouTube Content Manager.
As indicated in Section IV-A of this document, the majority of Channel customization is up to the approval process of the individual Agency managing that Channel. The following are specific features that warrant highlighting.
Subscribing to other Channels
Subscribing to a Channel allows for you to be alerted when that Channel is updated.
An Agency has no control over who subscribes to its Channel.
An Agency may subscribe to any government-operated Channel.
Agency management must approve subscriptionto non-government Channels.
Agencies may not subscribe to political Channels.
Friending other Channels.
Becoming friends makes it easier to keep track of what your friends are favoriting, uploading, or rating, and makes it easier to share public or private videos. Because of the capabilities of subscriptions (Section IX-A), Agency Channels may not friend nor accept friend requests from non-government Channels.
'Favoriting' videos
'Favoriting' videos allow for external video content to be brought into a Channel.
An Agency may 'favorite' any government video.
Agency management must approve 'favoriting' non-governmental videos.
Agencies may not 'favorite' political videos.
Comment moderation
Agencies have the option of allowing comments and video responses, subject to the following:
By default, comments are made in threaded discussions under each video and within a Channel as whole. There are four moderation settings for comments:
Allow comments automatically. Agencies must not select this setting.
Allow friends' comments automatically, all others with approval only. As HHS Channels are not allowed to accept or make friend requests, Agencies must not select this setting.
Allow all comments with approval only. This setting requires Agency management approval.
Don't allow comments.
Video responses can also be posted to individual videos. There are three moderation settings for video responses:
Yes, allow video responses to be added automatically. Agencies must not select this setting.
Yes, allow responses after I approve them. This setting requires Agency management approval.
No, don't allow video responses.
Comments posted must follow the HHS blog comment policy. Individual comments and video responses not adhering to this standard should not be posted.
If comments or video responses are allowed, they must be moderated - reviewed and approved by Agency staff.
The most important aspect of increasing rank is to create quality, meaningful content. The following items drive SEO and are dependent upon the viewers' responses:
YouTube SEO is also largely based upon the metadata attributed to each video. This data is entered upon uploading each video but can be changed at anytime:
To obtain the YouTube embed code, complete the following steps:
Related Videos
Related videos appear within the embedded video player after the embedded video has finished playing. Related video lists are calculated by a Google algorithm that may tie associations between our videos and videos that we don't want to be associated with. Therefore, ensure Include related videos is not selected prior to obtaining the video embed code. (Step 3 above.)
Delayed Cookies
Default YouTube embedded videos activate user-permanent cookies immediately upon landing on the page with the embedded video. Enabling delayed cookies prevents cookies from being set until the user clicks on the video to view it. HHS cookie policy requires that "Enable privacy-enhanced mode" be selected prior to obtaining the video embed code. (Step 4 above.)
YouTube Logo and the Required Privacy Notice
Embedding YouTube videos on .gov domains automatically replaces the YouTube logo that typically appears on the bottom right of videos with the text Privacy info. This text links to the required YouTube privacy notice page. No additional steps are required by HHS Web staff.
The YouTube Help Center is a valuable resource that is searchable and easy to navigate. Every Content Manager should be familiar with this resource.
The Center for New Media is continually investigating the many features of YouTube. Feel free to email CNM if there is a specific feature that you would like help on.
The following definitions are of words used in this document that the CNM felt needed clarification above what the YouTube Help Center currently provides. Terms not found here can be, and further explanations of the below information can be sought for in the YouTube Help Center.
Branding - YouTube partners are given numerous branding options including adding at least three different banner and two icon placements, url tracking and redirecting, and further customizing the Channel homepage.
Figure 1. The HHS Channel Banner and a Modified Channel Banner.
Channel homepage - This is the main front page of a Channel. From a homepage, a user can navigate to find videos. (See Figure 2.) The homepage is customizable.
Groups - Groups are ways to organize video content and/or provide an area for interaction with users. All Agencies that do not have a Channel but want to upload video content are given a group.
[Agency]Group page - Within a Channel, this third-tier page allows for a user to browse and interact with a group of that Channel. This page has a unique url chosen with the group's creation.
Playback view - the standard viewing format for YouTube videos. The playback view shows the playback page. For the sake of clarity, only the term 'playback view' was used throughout this document.
Figure 4. HHS video content watched in the playback view.
Playlists - Channels are able to house a number of video playlists. When a user watches a video that is part of a playlist, the entire playlist appears next to that video. Playlists therefore can be a key way to maintain viewership and increase the visibility of other videos.
Figure 5. An HHS video with its associated playlist indicated
Promoted Videos - YouTube Promoted Videos is an online advertising program that allows YouTube users to promote their YouTube video content on the YouTube website.
Sub-Channel - Any Channel other than the HHS Channel that is under the HHS Terms of Service Agreement with YouTube. This is not a YouTube term but is created for our purposes.
YouTube Channels - YouTube account profiles viewable by the general public and containing profile information, videos, favorites, etc. Only users with a Channel can upload videos and interact on the YouTube platform.
