As a video marketing strategist, the biggest question I get these days is not "How do I get started?" but "How do I get more video views?" Obviously, getting people to view your video is important, but we seem to be getting way too obsessed with the numbers.
While you definitely want eyeballs on your video, what you really need is the right eyeballs. I've always maintained that it's not how many people see your video, but who is seeing it. Don't get so hung up on the number of views that you forget your marketing objectives. Who is your target market? Will your video appeal to them? Where is your target audience most likely to see your video? On YouTube? On Facebook? On your own website? And most important, will your intended viewer take action on your video?
The newest YouTube layout is more social media-friendly than ever. Building a community around your videos, and getting viewers to react and interact with your videos has become much more significant. Views are cool, but engagement is cooler! Video views may feed your ego, but responses will feed your wallet. That response can be in the form of comments on your blog, "likes" if your video is on Facebook, and perhaps even a purchase if your video is on a sales page.
Consider all the actions a viewer can take when your video is on YouTube: Viewers can subscribe, like, favorite, comment, post a video response, share, embed, email, and even start a Google+ Hangout and watch videos with friends. It's no longer simply about getting views, it's all about connection.
Of course, your prospects can't connect with your video if they don't see it; which brings us back to views. There are plenty of tips and tricks for getting more views, but most of that groovy SEO stuff doesn't take into account the most important ingredient of all: Your video's content. Is your video's message going to resonate with your target audience? Does it pass what I affectionately call the "who gives a crap" test?
Could it be that video viewers just aren't that into you? Yikes! If your video is not "landing" with your intended audience, go back and do a gut check on your content. Ultimately, it's the message that matters, not whether your video is super sophisticated.
I saw a statistic about YouTube that really put things into perspective. If you were to sit down today and start watching every single video now on YouTube, it would take you roughly 8,000 years to view all the videos. That's a lot of video! So the old "upload and hope for the best" isn't going to cut it.
With that many videos out there, you've got to be compelling. You've got to be interesting and relevant. You've got to be unique and memorable. Most of all, you've got to have a video marketing strategy! (Sorry, "post and pray" is not a strategy!)
Stop worrying about getting video views just for the sake of views. Create your video to resonate with your target audience, and focus on getting those people to view your video. Those are the people who will become your viewers, your fans and, ultimately, your customers.
YouTube Video Marketing Tips That Work Like Crazy
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