Eight important things I've learned as a result of posting my videos on YouTube

If YouTube is not part of your business yet, it should be. You might be amazed at how having a few videos there can change your life. Here are a few I have learned from my adventures in posting videos on YouTube

Eight things I have learned about YouTube . . .

1. Adding a video to YouTube can give you #1 search engine ranking on Google - often in a matter of hours - Google recently began giving YouTube videos number one ranking within Google search results - even above the text results.

   For many keywords, the video you add to YouTube today can get a number one ranking ing Google search results - often within hours of you posting the video.

   This happens with almost every video I post - within hours of posting the video, it will show up as the number one result in Google text search.

   See my article (with short video) showing how this works - Getting a top Google ranking in 2 hours or less.

   Being number one in Google search results is often like hitting the jackpot - in terms of attracting qualified visitors to view your video (and then visit your site).
   
   

2. Adding a video to YouTube can mean your video will be seen on thousands of other sites - when you add your video to YouTube, your video can be included in thousands of other sites - but only if you select 'yes, allow external sites to embed this video'.

   If you allow embedding, anyone in the world can quickly embed your video onto pages within their web site. And when this happens, your video can be seen by a totally new audience who may have never heard of you, your products, or web sites.

   I recommend always enabling the 'sharing' feature when uploading videos to YouTube - unless you have a real reason not to do this.

   To learn how to embed YouTube videos into web pages, see my article Adding all my YouTube videos to your web pages - with just one line of code.
   
   

3. Adding your name and site web address to your video will help viewers find you - If you want viewers to know who you are and to be able to find your web site after watching you video, you must include that info as a graphic on the video. Otherwise, viewers will have no way to contact you.

   On all my videos, I include a intro and closing title graphic which clearly tells what the video is about, who I am, and how to find my web site.

   This pays off in many ways - but mostly in bringing new people to my web site, after they view the video.

   To see what this looks like and to learn how I do it, see Create great looking video title graphics in two minutes or less.
   
   

4. Adding a video to YouTube can bring a flood of customer questions and suggestions - anyone who views your videos on YouTube can post a comment or question about the video.

   They can do this two ways - either via the public 'post a comment' or by clicking your YouTube name, and then clicking 'send a message'.

   I find that almost every video I post generates many new messages to me each day. Most people who post messages are either thanking me for posting the videos, or asking questions about further information or products I can provide.

   I try to reply to all these questions, because I have found that many of the people asking questions end up joining my web site or purchasing my videos.

   When people contact you after seeing your video, they are likely to be potential customers or clients interested in the products and services you offer.

   The more videos you post, the more people will contact you about them.
   
   

5. Adding a video to YouTube, and failing to set the 'sharing options' correctly, can cause you to be in the middle of a flame and spam war. - When you post a video to YouTube, you can control whether viewers can comment on your videos, and whether those comments will appear automatically or only after you approve them.

   If you fail to set 'allow comments only after approval', it is very likely spammers, flamers, racists, and political extremists will post comments promoting their viewpoint - not matter how extreme or obscene - and these comments will not be related to your video in any way.

   For example, I recently posted a YouTube video and failed to set the 'allow comments only after approval', and within minutes of the video going live, spammers and flamers started loading up the comments section with obscenities, racial slurs, and political rants - none related to the video, and none directed at me.

   Since these comments would be objectionable to most sane people, I quickly removed them, and reset the sharing options to prevent this.

   The screen below shows I how set sharing options on my YouTube videos.

   
   
   
   
6. Adding a video to YouTube can bring in offers from unexpected places - Since your videos on YouTube can be viewed by anyone in the world who has a computer and internet connection, you never know who might view those videos, and what might come of it.

   In my case, I have been contacted by manufacturers of products I have reviewed who wanted to thank me and give me free updates to the product.

   And I have been contacted by TV producers who wanted permission to use one of my short clips on their TV broadcast (they paid me $300 for a one minute clip).

   I have been contacted by publishers who wanted to know if I would be interested in providing them a 'video clip of the week' for their private viewers.

   And I have been contacted by DVD distributors who wanted to see if I was interested in having them distribute my training DVDs.

   Rarely does a day go by that I am not contacted by someone wanting to offer me money (or pay me in some way) as a result of their viewing my videos on YouTube.
   
   

7. You don't need expensive equipment or even a camcorder to produce videos for YouTube - Most of the videos I upload to YouTube are produced without using a Camcorder or any video equipment.

   Instead of using a camcorder, I use Camtasia Studio to record my computer screen and voice, and created a video from that.

   Even when I use a camcorder, I sometinmes use a $60 'flip video' device - a pocket camcorder. In fact, one of the most popular videos I uploaded to YouTube was created with one of those $60 flip video cameras.

   Of course, if you want great looking video, it doesn't hurt to have a good camcorder, proper lighting, and a video editing program (like Sony Movie Studio).

   But don't let not having professional video equipment hold you back. Even the cheapest camcorders can produce great results on YouTube.
   
   

8. Adding a video to YouTube can make you famous overnight - On YouTube, you never know if your video is going to be the one that hits the '15 minutes of fame' gold mine (or gallery of shame).

   For example, a super fan of Britney Spears recently posted a video telling viewers to leave Britney alone. Within a matter of days, that video had millions of views, was picked up and shown on many of the top entertainment TV shows, and became one of the most talked about videos of the year.

   You can see excerpts of the video, funny comments and a parody at //youtube.com/watch?v=hZAr9E8i3ng.

   While I would not encourage you to pursue this kind of fame, it is interesting to note that that 'Leave Britney' video has had more views than the national prime time newscasts of CBS Evening News on a typical day.

   This example shows one thing - anyone, even a nutcase, can command a huge audience by posting a simple video on YouTube.

Posting On YouTube - get ready for the future

Video is the future of the web, and the future of most communication, whether it be business or personal.

Those who learn the tools of video communication, will be the ones who have the advantage - right now and in the future.

If you haven't already started posting video clips on YouTube, I would urge you to get started - before your competitors get the jump on you.

Learning how to craft a watchable video message, and knowing how to get that message out in front a potential world-wide audience, is a skill worth having.

To find more of my articles about using and posting videos to YouTube, see Bill's YouTube Articles..