I have a YouTube channel for years. Until recently, it didn’t have a specific theme. I was everywhere uploading videos that addressed many topics.
Whatever I crave, I would turn on my camera or iPhone and voila! a video was created.
Although some of my videos received thousands of views, most had less than 100 views each. Not a good return on investment for the time it takes to shoot a video and upload it.
The amount of work that goes into a video with 10 views versus 10,000 views is the same.
This supports the philosophy of planning marketing regardless of the avenues you choose.
YouTube is powerful for marketing
YouTube is one of the most powerful marketing and visibility resources. However, as I discovered through careful analysis, it takes more, much more, than simply uploading videos.
My goal with my YouTube channel and my videos is to teach viewers how to market their books, sell more books, and make more money from their business. With this in mind, I am adjusting my efforts to achieve better results from my efforts. It will be well served to do the same.
Be clear on your purpose and goals
To get the most out of your efforts, you need to be very clear about the purpose of your channel.
You also need to optimize your videos with some simple strategies including your video title, playlist names, description, and call to action.
My focus is marketing and book sales. As I create content-based videos my attention MUST be on the topic at hand. Doing so will get better results and make it easier for viewers to benefit from the content.
Video Title
Your headline must appeal to your ideal viewer. Create a title that is accurate and clearly describes what people will see. If your videos are part of a series or topic, add a common phrase to the title.
For example, for my book marketing videos, I start the title with “Book Marketing” or “Book Marketing Strategies.” This makes it much easier for those interested in book marketing to find the videos.
Playlists
The playlist feature keeps your videos organized in a way that is easier for your viewer to find. A playlist is a collection of videos.
Viewers often enjoy watching more than one video on a topic. Playlists allow you to do it with ease. Playlists allow you to organize your videos into easy-to-find sections.
Description
Video description is an important part to get many views. Keep descriptions concise and compelling. Add a link to your blog or website at the beginning of the description. Make sure to add http: // to the URL.
At the end of your description, add a call to action: call to action. For example, if you have a gift that is directly related to the topic of the video, add it to the end of the description. Of course, not everyone will accept the free offer, but even if 10% of viewers do, this can equate to a lot of new subscribers over time.
Although YouTube has a 5000 character limit for descriptions, it is not necessary to use all 5000 characters. People want quick and easy information. Less is more in most cases.
Call to action (CTA)
As the name implies, a call to action is designed for viewers to take a specific action. You can have a CTA in the video and in the description. It is true that I have not used the CTA in videos in the most effective way possible … until now. In the future, I plan to add a call to action to my videos, especially those on book marketing.
Something as simple as “Remember to subscribe to this channel” can get your viewers to take action.
A call to action in your description can increase the size of your subscriber list by offering a high-value gift.
The bottom line is this: YouTube can be a great way to serve your market AND increase your influence. As with everything, the more strategic it is, the better.
Think about what you want to achieve. Better to have fewer videos that are fully optimized rather than a lot of videos that don’t give you results.