The video Web site YouTube is now the Internet’s second-most-used search engine, trailing only Google. A popular video will attract millions of viewers.
Why should you care? Because you not only can get yourself (or a cause you care about) noticed on YouTube, you can make money there…
YouTube videos can earn a fraction of a cent per view. Those fractions add up to more than $100,000 a year for a few YouTube video creators, though most make far less. Visit Support.Google.com/youtube, then click “YouTube Partner Program, including Monetization,” for details about making money through the Web site.
Posting how-to videos related to an area of professional expertise can be an effective and inexpensive way to publicize a business.
Here’s how to make YouTube videos that get noticed…
Don’t imitate videos that already are popular—copycat content tends to be ignored. A better strategy is to provide videos for niche interests currently underserved on YouTube.
Examples: Rather than post videos about how to do car repairs in general, post videos about how to repair a particular make and model of car. Rather than post a video about how to barbecue a chicken, post one about how to cook with an obscure ingredient or make a recipe that no one else has posted on YouTube.
Still, certain topics are very popular on YouTube and can do well, even if somewhat comparable content already is available…
Music and dance-related videos often are popular. But take care—you must have written and performed the music yourself or have permission to use the music from whoever did. Even music parodies sometimes can be contested by rightful owners.
Videos featuring babies or animals doing cute or funny things can attract lots of views. “I Are Cute Kitten” is my most popular video, with more than 43 million views.
Videos featuring surprising “how did they do that?” moments frequently do well. Viewers tend to rewind and rewatch these trying to figure out how the trick was done, which boosts the video’s YouTube ranking.
Example: In one of my most popular videos, I seem to do incredibly unsafe things while driving. In reality, I was in the passenger’s seat holding a fake steering wheel. I flipped the viewing angle to make it look like I was driving.
Viewers don’t expect YouTube videos to look slick and professional, but they won’t watch if the sound or lighting is terrible. For good sound, don’t rely on your video camera’s built-in microphone. Instead, purchase a lavalier microphone—a small mic that clips onto your shirt—or a boom mic, and plug this into your digital camera. If there’s an echoey quality to the sound on your first take, hang blankets on the walls and/or add furniture to the room and reshoot. Bring enough light into the room so that the picture isn’t murky.
Shoot multiple takes, then edit together the best moments from each. Basic editing software includes iMovie, which comes installed on modern Macintosh computers, and Windows Movie Maker, a free program for PCs.
Keep videos to 90 seconds or less when possible, and include something to grab the viewer’s attention within the first 10 seconds. YouTube viewers often give up and watch something else if they’re bored at the outset.
Include a clever or exciting moment at the very end of the video, too, when possible. Viewers decide whether to share YouTube videos with friends immediately after watching them, so that final impression is crucial.
Exception: Useful how-to videos can be longer than 90 seconds and don’t require early or late attention grabbers.
The words you use in the title, description and “tags” of your video help determine whether YouTube users discover it. Tags are the keywords that describe a video. Tags can be general (funny, entertaining, cute), but specific ones are more effective (kitten, kitty). Include common misspellings (kittie). The title and description should accurately describe the video’s content, while the tags should contain any and all words people might use when searching for videos like this one. Do a Google search and a thesaurus search for your keywords to find related terms worth listing as well. Include the word “video” among your tags. And include “how to” and “instruction” if it’s an instructional video.
Post videos to YouTube as often as you can—posting regularly increases the odds that you will develop a loyal following. Include links to your YouTube videos on your blog or Web site if you have one, and send the links to others who blog on related topics.
