Uploading a video to the Internet is easier than ever before and using video giant YouTube it’s possible to make a video and upload it in a matter of minutes for all the world to see. However to stand the best chance of your video being viewed there are a few simple YouTube tips that you should consider that I will tell you about.
Here are some simple tips to help you make the most of YouTube:
1) Keyword Research to find the best-targeted keyword tags for your video.
As part of your keyword research consider your video content, the theme, target audience demographics, industry and product name.
It is a waste to keyword stuff just like with websites and you could end up being penalised by search engines who now recognise these old SEO tricks. If you also use just trending keywords or something that is popular at that moment it is likely that your visitors will bounce very early on and you risk harming your brand name and a string of bad comments.
2) Add Targeted Meta-data to each video for search engine recognition
Most video formats support meta-data attached directly to the file (in file meta-data). Often this metadata can be extracted by search engines to better understand how and where to position, rank and catalog your video media file. The more meta information added to your YouTube video the more targeted they will be to an audience.
3) Use Video Thumbnails Wisely
If using YouTube, you will have 3 options to create the thumbnail from the video frame at the 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 point so the choice is yours. The best images are the ones that reflect what the video is about and possibly recognisable or eye catching. The image will also be the one that shows up in Google search results for optimised keywords if ranking well. Maybe consider adding your logo, contact details or strap-line.
4) The Video Length Should Meet Audience Requirements
You may want to spend an hour telling you audience how great your product or service is but they are unlikely to be interested. In fact, the average length of a YouTube video is 4minutes 12seconds but not all users will make it through that if the topic does not engage them early on. Review your analytics and you will be able to see how long your videos have been viewed for. If your audience is leaving 30seconds into a 4minute video it either hasn’t captured their attention or you may have targeted it incorrectly.
5) What is your video Call to Action
At the end of each video always add you call to action, this is one way your audience will remember you. It can either be for them to contact you, asking them follow on Facebook, link to a product page, view other videos…etc. Just keep it simple and clear.
If your video is part of your marketing campaign you have a great opportunity to interact with visitors and get your message across quickly and effectively in an eye-catching manner. YouTube can not only provide significant amounts of traffic to your website but also increased brand exposure and an easy way to communicate with your audience.
Finally, YouTube is one of the biggest search engines in the world with thousands of new videos posted every week so keep yours current, fresh unique, and interesting and where possible combine with an online marketing plan to attract visitors.
Good Luck
