YouTube has just crossed a major milestone. On Wednesday, the Google-owned giant announced that it now has over one billion unique viewers on its site every month.
That's one billion with a B - every month.
If you are using YouTube as part of your social media marketing strategy, how can you take advantage of this popularity? How can you get more YouTube viewers, and increase your YouTube views? Wishpond wants you to succeed in your online marketing, so we've put together a few answers.
Eight Tips on How to Get More Views on YouTube:
1. Brand Your YouTube Channel
Be consistent in your branding image when setting up your channel. Make sure your customers can easily identify you, by using the same logo and imagery used on your website, other social media sites, and your brick and mortar business.
2. Cross-Promote
Add a YouTube widget to your blog or website. Add a YouTube tab on your Facebook page. Embed your videos on your online sites, and encourage fans and followers to subscribe to your channel.
3. Add Value
Use videos to create added value for your customers. Use the videos as a way to inform viewers about your product. Many people want to watch videos that they will learn from. Be the source of information for your product or industry.
4. Optimize Your Tags
Make sure you are using tags on your videos. This is how YouTube sorts your video in their search function. Be sure to include keywords from the video title and category. Don't overstuff your tags, but use them well.
5. Create Calls to Action
Use the YouTube annotation feature to add calls to action in your video. Ask viewers to subscribe, if they like what they've seen so far. Ask viewers to visit your site, try your product, or like your video.
6. Include Contact Information
Always include your contact information in your videos. Your contact info could be your website, your other social sites, your email, or even your phone number. If any of these change, be sure to update the videos too.
7. Be Consistent
Upload new videos on a regular basis. This way, subscribers will come to know a schedule, and will be looking forward to watching your videos on a routine time. Set your schedule on a weekly, bi-weekly, daily, or monthly basis, depending on your available resources and your audience appetite for watching.
And keep uploading fresh content to retain viewership.
8. Add Interactivity
People like to get involved. Ask your viewers questions. Get them to comment. Create a community through interactions. And, even better, include social promotions like a vote contest, sweepstakes, photo contest,photo caption contest, video contest, essay contest, or group deal.
Set up a video contest, for example, to get your subscribers to upload their own videos about your product, to create both brand loyalty and user-generated content.
There are many ways to increase your views on YouTube. These are great ones to get you started. If you have more tips to share, leave a comment to let us know.
Written by: Krista Bunskoek, Content Marketer @ Wishpond