When you post your videos on YouTube, in an ideal world you want subscribers who will then get flagged when you post more content. In today’s world where attention span is short this can be a real challenge.
For a view of your content to count the viewer has to watch the video right to the end and so many people click onto videos, but then get distracted or lose interest and don’t make it to the end.
Likes help – but information is coming at people so fast and in such quantities that it’s all too easy to forget to click the like button.
Comments build validity, but to get people to actually stop and write a comment means that the video has to have a powerful punch that generates a need to engage from the viewer.
How can you get the traction you really want with your videos?
There are several elements and you need to get familiar with them.
1: Plan your video
You know that saying ‘Fail to plan; plan to fail’? It’s not just a saying, it’s true!
My advice is to create a plan that includes:
- The style of your videos e.g. talking head, film of activities, how to, etc.
- An optimum length to aim for or parameters to work within – if you’re producing talk head videos short and sweet are best 1-2 minutes only. For other types of video the content will dictate length in most situations.
- A list of subjects to cover and the core message for each – invest time in researching the hot topics and what people search for online
- How the video will be created and who will do it.
This doesn’t mean you can’t simply capture yourself talking to camera on your smartphone, but it needs focus, purpose and be of importance to your target audience.
2: Practise
Learn the skills you need to produce a reasonably fluent delivery. This is especially true if you are talking to the camera.
Rough and ready video has a place, but when you’re using it to represent your business it’s wise to err on the side of professionalism.
Learn how to top and tail your video, clipping and adding the frontscreen and endscreen to introduce and leave the viewer with a strong message (and contact info).
3: Optimise
Ensure that your MP4 file has all the right keyword tags before you upload it and that these are replicated in the description and keywords you add during the uploading process. Ideally, your keywords/phrases should also be in the title of the video to double down on the impact in searches.
Hot tips
Invest time in creating strong messages that will engage your ideal audience. You don’t have to be everything to everyone – it’s far better to have a small dedicated audience that are fully engaged than hundreds of likes from random people who are unlikely to ever become customers.
Research keywords to target your videos on what people are actually searching for.
Aim for passion rather than perfection. Yes, it’s important to do the best you can, but it’s your message that will make the difference.
Actively encourage people to subscribe to your channel by flagging up the kind of content your channel will feature.
Use social media, your newsletter and your networking activities to let people know your video is there to watch.
