5 Ways To Get More Online Video Views With Social Media

When it comes to online video, shooting, editing and uploading your clip to YouTube, Vimeo or other online video sharing sites is only the beginning. Once your video is online you face the daunting task of actually getting people to watch. How do you promote yourself? Where should you focus your energies? We’ve put together a list of five tips for using social media to get more views. The advice in this list comes from a recent Tubefilter Hollywood Meetup hosted by Tubefilter Co-Founder Drew Baldwin, featuring Amber Buhl, Director of Sales at Klout, Garrett Law, Co-Founder and COO of Attention Span Media, and Greg Goodfried, Founder and President of EQAL (and also one of the guys behind LonelyGirl15). Before we get to the tips, I’ve embedded the video of the meetup below. It’s a little bit over an hour long, but full of great insights and definitely worth a watch if you’ve got the time. And now…on to the list! "Start Where The Eyeballs Are" Greg Goodfried of EQAL says that when it comes to promoting on social media you should "start where the eyeballs are." This means you should target the social networks where most of your viewers and potential viewers are hanging out. This is likely to be Facebook, Twitter and YouTube but, of course, this may change depending upon who your actual audience is. For instance, if you’ve got an online show about photography then it will be important for you to have a presence on social photography sites like Flickr. Goodfriend also says that in addition to focusing in on the big players, you should also keep your eyes open to see which social networks and services are on the rise. Keep your eye on popular social media and technology blogs to find out about new trending networks and services and when one seems relevant for you, join it and start socializing! Engage On A Personal Level Garrett Law of Attention Span Media says, "Engagement needs to be personal, especially on social media." Robots and auto-responses are out. The best way to grow your fan base is to get personal with them. When someone is tweeting about you, respond and start a conversation with them. Fans like to feel like they know you personally, especially in online video. Taking the time out to give them the personal attention (on whatever level you can manage) will definitely help you grow your fan base and your views, accordingly. Build Your Network The biggest mistake that people make is waiting for fans and viewers to come to them. You need to promote yourself so start building your network by reaching out to people that could potentially be into your content. Law suggests reaching out to people who are friends with people who are already your fans. This way they’ve got someone to talk with about your content. Part of building your network also includes helping out your fellow video creators. Goodfried gives LonelyGirl15 as an example. Her "character" was known as a helpful, nice YouTuber. She would give shouts-out to other YouTubers, share their videos and help promote them. Then, when it came time for her to ask them to do likewise, they had no problem helping her out. Try to build a community of online friends that share a "you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours" mentality. Share their content via social media and, fingers crossed, they’ll share your content too. Target Influencers When building your network, target influencers. Find the "big man on campus" on Twitter—someone with a lot of followers and a high Klout score—that you think could gain something from or enjoy your content. Reach out to these influencers as they may be inclined to share your content, blog about you and share your work with their already massive audience. Embrace Interactivity Online video, by its very nature, is great because it isn’t static. You can talk directly to your viewers and they can talk back, whether it be through comments, sharing and more. Take advantage of this by interacting with your viewers. Flat out ask them to spread the word about your videos, and you can reward them for their actions. For instance, run a promotion where your viewers can win free stuff for Retweeting a link to your video. Use the interactive nature of video to get your viewers buzzing about you in social media. How have you used social media to get more online video views? Feel free to share your own tips in the comments below! Megan O’Neill is the resident web video enthusiast here at Social Times. Megan covers everything from the latest viral videos to online video news and tips, and has a passion for bizarre, original and revolutionary content and ideas.

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5 Ways To Get More Online Video Views With Social Media

Megan O'Neill

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