YouTube is the second most-searched index on the Internet, outranked only by Google. The reason is simple: People prefer visual content to text. Think about it. It’s much easier to learn how to do something if someone is showing you how, rather than just telling you how. And when you want to be entertained, you probably prefer watching something, like a movie or a music video.
However, just knowing that more and more people are turning to YouTube as a source for information, doesn’t mean those people will automatically find your videos. You have to treat YouTube like any other search engine. You have to optimize your content so it can be easily found. Here are the top 10 ways to significantly increase your YouTube traffic generation.
- Create a category: If you simply include your video in your blog post you readers will see it. But they may not know that you have a whole library of informative videos, just waiting for them at YouTube. Create a category for videos on your blog.
- Create a page: Again, embedding each of your videos on your blog is great, creating a separate category is even better, but try setting up a page that redirects to your YouTube channel so your readers can see just how large your library is.
- Broadcast to your list: Create a Feedburner feed for your YouTube channel and generate a weekly video broadcast for all of the subscribers on your list.
- Use your library as an incentive: Give your readers an incentive to opt-in to your list by offering them access to your free, weekly video broadcast. You’ll be building your list and increasing your YouTube traffic at the same time. Two birds, one stone!
- Optimize your channel: YouTube has it’s own search engine so you need to optimize all of your content, including profiles and video descriptions, so it can easily be found. Use keywords, including your name, the name of your site, and the keywords relevant to the content. People often search YouTube using names, too, especially once they realize you have a whole stack of videos on your channel. And don’t forget to include a link to your site on all of your videos. It’s great that they’re finding you on YouTube. But your goal is to get them to visit your blog!
- Engage your viewers: Comments and Shares and Likes travel fast on YouTube. Take advantage of this and start a discussion with your videos. Ask questions that engage the viewer and encourage them to leave comments.
- Respond to other videos: Did you know you can respond to someone else’s video with a video of your own? You can! And if you remember to include a link to your site on your video somewhere, you can attract more traffic!
- Share your videos: By now, it should go without saying, but just in case…Share your videos across the social networks. And there are hundreds of video sharing sites across the web. Sites like Vimeo.com, flickr.com, and photobucket.com to name a few. Some sites are video network sharing sites. For a small fee you can upload your video once and it’s syndicated across dozens of video sites.
- Be consistent: If you really want to significantly increase your YouTube traffic generation then the key is to consistently produce quality videos on a regular basis. Just like blogging, your viewers will come to count on your for a new video once or twice a week. Make sure you over-deliver on their expectations. Consistency breeds loyalty.
- Be the next Numa Numa guy: Be creative! We’ve all seen text-based videos and videos created using Camtasia or some other screen capture software. These are great, informative, quality videos but they’re never going to go viral. Think Numa Numa guy and create the next Internet meme.
Think of your YouTube channel as an extension of your blog, an off-site branding location. Be careful to remember the message you’re trying to convey, who your target audience is and what they’re looking for. Treat you videos like blog posts and address one specific problem at a time so your readers stay focused.
But most of all, have fun with it! Be a star in your own videos – don’t hire it out. Your viewers aren’t following you because you look like Tom Cruise or you act like a Broadway star. They’re watching your videos because they think you have awesome information and they want to connect with you! Give you viewers what they’re looking for and you’ll significantly increase your YouTube traffic because you’re a star.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!