20 Ways to Dominate YouTube

Allow me to take a moment to share with you what works on YouTube. I’ve found that these 20 tips will turn your videos into overnight sensations and capture the attention of the masses. Granted, it doesn’t happen overnight and a fair amount of work is required, but the phenomenal results––if you follow all of these ideas––will bring tremendous attention to your brand.

1. Keep it Short. Brevity is key. Online video viewers’ attentions spans are relatively short––good videos get the point across in three minutes or less.
2. Video Quality. Make sure you’ve got a video cam that gives a solid performance. Be conscientious of your lighting and get crisp imagery and sound. Nothing will make a viewer click off faster than a video filled with static and mumbled speech.
3. Edit Your Videos. You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your videos Robin Thicke-superstar quality! Enhance your uploaded videos, and take advantage of YouTube Video Editor for free. Try www.youtube.com/editor. Also check out www.virtualdub.org as well as Microsoft’s MovieMaker and Apple’s iMovie
4. Brand Your Videos. Make a name for yourself—get noticed by branding your videos with either your name or logo and a catchy signature song or jingle. When viewers like your content, they will associate your product or service with your logo and tune. Then, they’ll be more likely to take notice the next time.
5. Include Background Music. Music will really draw in an audience. Whether it’s something familiar or just a cool beat, it will grab attention and keep people’s interest. Try www.jewelbeat.com or www.royaltyfreemusic.com for starters.
6. Research Your Keywords. YouTube’s keyword tool is absolutely essential when you’re focusing on your video SEO (search engine optimization). You want to rank high, so knowing what keywords and phrases occur most often is fundamental.
7. Put a Link in the Description. The best way to drive traffic to your website is to include your link in the description. In the box, put the link address and then input any other information. Take notice that the description will be hidden after 27 characters. To get your link recognized, be concise and start with http://.
8. Put Keywords in the Description. Your description should be comprehensive, strategic, and keyword rich. This is another element that will rank your video higher in the search.
9. Pick the Right Title. Don’t just settle for any boring or rehashed title. Take the time to be creative. Be interesting and relevant while trying to squeeze your keywords into the title.
10. Pick the Right Thumbnail. When choosing a thumbnail image, be sure to pick one that’s engaging and makes people want to stop and click on your video.
11. Make Playlists. Creating a playlist is simple. Click on the playlist tab while you’re in the Video Manager and then click + “New Playlist.” Your playlist will give you yet another opportunity to show up in searches and overall grow your audience.
12. Create Interactivity with Annotations. An annotation is a new way to add interactive commentary to your videos. You are able to link other YouTube videos, channels, or search results right in the video.
13. Use Captions. Adding captions to your video is another trick to ranking higher in the search results because of the text you provide. It’s also awesome for the hearing impaired or if the viewer misplaced their earbuds.
14. Promote with Social Media. Promote your video across all of your social networking platforms. The more you promote your video, the more likely it’s going to get picked up.
15. Post Regularly. Post often, say two or three times per week. Be sure you are posting quality, not just posting for the sake of posting.
16. Encourage Community. The more interaction you can drum up online, the greater your community reach will be. Encouraging viewers to comment or offer suggestions and tips will increase your presence and drive more interest to your website.
17. Become a Partner. There’s money to be made when you allow YouTube to put advertisements in or alongside your video. Google AdSense provides a free, flexible way to earn money. It can help to grow your business with relevant, user-friendly advertising. To find out more, click “Settings” and select “Monetization.”
18. Respond to Popular Videos. Video responses can reach a whole new level. One surefire way of promoting your video is getting it on somebody else’s YouTube page. Simply find the video that’s dominating the channels, leave a positive response, and on the right-hand side, click “Attach video.” Don’t forget to add tags.
19. Contact Bloggers in Your Niche. When a blogger puts your video on his or her site, Google recognizes it and begins to rank the video higher in its searches. Reach out to bloggers and ask them to feature your video on their site—it’s a win-win for all. If your project is relevant to their blog, it will add value and attract more fans.
20. Create a Blog Post. Boost your video’s reach by joining (if you haven’t already) the blogosphere and post a blog about each video that you create. Again, link it all back to your website for ultimate domination.