Viral Vision: Top Tips to Give Your YouTube Video a Killer Edge

So, video marketing, eh? It isn’t going anywhere. Except up. With this increasingly prevalent marketing tool on the rise, it’s probably not only something you’re considering, but something you’ve actually tried your hand at already. Whether it’s for your business, for a personal channel or merely as a hobby, by now you’re almost certainly well aware what video-making and creating an online presence for yourself can do for you and your brand.

Content is King

‘Video is the future of content marketing’ is a statement aired so many times it’s actually blown straight through ‘horrendous cliché’ out the other side back into the realm of ‘sage advice’ again, so sometimes it bears repeating. Video is the future of content marketing. In fact, it was recently estimated that by 2017, around 70% of consumer internet traffic will be in video form which is almost certainly why sites such as YouTube or Vimeo are seeing such a surge in popularity from brands and businesses.

As a platform for sharing valuable content and sending out your desired message YouTube is almost unparalleled. Online video is not only going popular with marketers as tan increasingly effective way to build on existing branding or advertising campaigns, it actually has measurable responses. Moreover, when you think that after Google, YouTube is the world’s biggest search engine, the site really is a place brands need to make their presence felt.

However, in all the noise it can sometime be difficult for videos to stand out and do their job. That’s why we’ve collected a few quick and dirty tips below to help rack up that view count.

Unique creativity

Sounds simple. Really isn’t. One of the most important things to consider when making a YouTube video is that there is almost certainly going to be hundreds of near identical ones already out there. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, but it has to be something. The music group OK Go (who were doing viral video before ‘viral video’ was even a thing) have their expertly choreographed dance routines, the SloMo guys have their slow-motion cameras, Pewdiepie has his accent, and ‘How To Basic’ has, well… let’s say a style all of its own. It works just as well with brands. Think Old Spice, or Red Bull, or Coca Cola, or even a movie like the recent Deadpool: each brand has a unique approach to video marketing and as a consequence has the YouTube view count to prove it.

Now, how you actually come up with that little nugget of unique creativity is up to you, but make sure you do have one. It come be something quirky, something funny, something moving, or something simple, but make sure it works with your brand. Be confident in your ideas, trust in your business and take a few risks now and again, it all helps. Just don’t be a cliche:

SEO

This is where things get a bit technical. Search Engine Optimisation may not be the sexiest thing in a marketeers arsenal, out there, but if you want to ensure your video is seen by the right people, then it’s critical for it to be correctly optimised. If your content isn’t being watched by your target audience, then there’s pretty much no point in making it. The right title, description and tags are all crucial, and you need to get them right before you let it loose on the web.

Do some research, then pick the right keywords to include in the content when uploading. Snappy titles must summarise exactly what the video is about, and you have to take care to include any important information being included at the beginning of the description. Long-tail keywords and the placement of those keywords in the content fields surrounding your video can also make a huge difference to its success.

Call to Action

More often than not, you’re posting a video for a reason. To inform, entertain and educate, sure; but you’re also in marketing. You want a tangible result. Whether you just want people to sign up to your channel, would like them to visit your website or simply want them to share the video they’ve just watched, you have to say so. A big, obvious, impossible-to-miss call-to-action placed prominently in your video won’t only ensure the video is successful, it will turn passive viewers into an active audience.  A call-to-action button will also allow you measure the progress and see if your video campaign is effective.

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All that said, making video content with ‘share appeal’ is sometimes better left to a dab hand. Perhaps use a creative agency. Perhaps use a creative agency like – dun, dun dun – us! Take a look at Creative Spark and the videos we’ve done to see if we can help.