Hit Record: Three Paths To YouTube Success

If you need some convincing about the importance of online videos in promoting your brand, check out this stat from YouTube: “According to Nielsen, YouTube reaches more US adults ages 18-34 than any cable network.”

– More than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month
– Over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube
– 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute
– 80% of YouTube traffic comes from outside the US
– YouTube is localized in 61 countries and across 61 languages
– According to Nielsen, YouTube reaches more US adults ages 18-34 than any cable network
– Millions of subscriptions happen each day. The number of people subscribing daily is up more than 3x since last year

When it comes to online communication, if you aren’t posting video, you’re doing it wrong.

While few videos have what it takes to rack up over 20.5 million views in two weeks, like this don’t-text-while-you-drive-advertisement-as-safety-message video from Volkswagen, there are new ways companies and average-Jills, like us, can use video to go viral.

YouTube: Crowdsourcing Is Key

Remember that saying, “Two heads are better than one”? Well, what about hundreds, thousands or millions of heads? Still better than one!

Companies are crowdsourcing their videos by using photos or videos from people around the world to produce their commercials. This approach allows consumers from all walks of life to picture themselves using your product.

Need an example? Apple launched its new iPhone5S in April. The ad, entitled “Powerful” was set to the Pixie’s song “Gigantic.” It featured customers from across the globe using their iPhones for a variety of reasons. The message was clear: whether shooting home videos, using a translator app or launching rockets, the iPhone5S can do it all.

You could also crowdsource existing concepts to your followers on Facebook and Twitter to help them decide which direction you should go. You might remember this tactic during the Super Bowl when we were asked to vote on videos before the big game. Getting buy in from your audience will more closely connect them to your brand and ensure they watch the final video.

Heck, you can even crowdsource an event, like these rabid Foo Fighters Fans from Richmond, Virginia did just last week. Their video, Facebook and Twitter pages generated enough online chatter to convince the band to come to Richmond for the first time in 15 years.

Rock on, crowdsourcerers.

Don’t Change the Channel

Sure, you’ve probably already taken the first steps of creating the standard YouTube channel for your company or blog. But there are ways to amp up your channel viewership, or get connected to others that will help drive up viewership.

AwesomenessTV is a great example of the potential of a channel. It is what most of us would think of as a TV station- regularly scheduled programming and established stars with enthusiastic fan bases. But their content is all uploaded to YouTube. With over 1.5 million subscribers, movie studios are taking notice as well.

So perhaps AwesomenessTV doesn’t relate exactly to your target audience, but there are lessons to be learned. For example, a  therapy and rehab center could host videos featuring their staff, those who have gone through the program, and family members of those who have received help.

Also see what competitors and similar organizations are posting. Then improve upon that.

Speciality Programs

You know the frustration getting that screen of static with the message that the video has been removed instead of the video you were hoping to watch?

Good news: some companies that previously viewed YouTube as a competitor are now embracing its ubiquity. After all, it has the benefit of, you know, practically all of the eyeballs on the Internet.

For example, Nintendo announced last month that it is launching a special program that will allow gamers to “use its copyrighted material in their videos will be eligible to receive a share of advertising revenue from that content in some circumstances.”

So take Nintendo’s lead. If there has been content you’ve considered proprietary in the past, now is the time to share it widely. This is yet another way to connect with your audience and capitalize on their affinity for video.

Video is not only for large corporations. Embrace these way to get even more views on YouTube.

Now go hit “record” and have fun!

What About You?
What are your best examples of social video? We all get smarter from peer discussions, so share your opinion.

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About the Author
Alicia Lawrence is a content coordinator at an Internet marketing company. In her free time, she writes on her blog MarComLand.com and is furthering her education online.