AUGUST 2010
GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUTUBE WITH THESE EASY TIPS
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 YouTube's ‘free to use’
business model and mass
market appeal make it a
great tool for optimizing
your event’s video strategy. As with any tool, you should know how to use it before you get started. Here are a few quick tips… |
Create and customize your channel. Add your show’s branding, customize the colors to integrate with your campaign and add relevant information and links. A channel setup also offers users the option to subscribe to your content. The first 30 characters of a video’s description are always visible – you should use that space to list your company’s website. This prominent placement can generate leads to your site.
Keep your video short. The ideal length is 3 minutes or less—anything longer should be broken up into smaller parts. For example, if you have an interview with your show director, you can break it out into focused topics: education, what’s new, growth, location, etc. This increases the chances that your video will be watched and allows you to use different headlines for each video segment to create excitement about each video.
Go easy on the annotations. YouTube gives you the ability to add comments that display over the top of the footage, but often these annotations look unprofessional, are a distraction to viewers and, depending how overused they are, can be downright annoying.
Remove offensive comments. Don’t instantly remove any negative or critical comments, especially relevant ones, but do remove spam and comments that use offensive language. If you're getting abused by a particular person, you can block that user. There are also options open to you to moderate comments before they go live.
Engage your exhibitors, sponsors and attendees. Don't be a YouTube island. After all, it's a social platform, so be sure to check out other content and make YouTube "friends" with your event stakeholders.
Organize your content. Instead of just offering a linear stream of video uploads, organize your content so that it’s relevant to your users. Create playlists to group relevant videos together, perhaps by target markets, educational sessions and keynotes, exhibitor videos, etc.
Tag your content. Since you can't know for sure what search terms people will use, try to brainstorm all possible options. For instance, if you’ve got a baking show, you may want to include bread, grain-based foods, cake, bakery, etc. As far as categories go, YouTube offers around fifteen. Use the most relevant, but don't be afraid to experiment if your content could fall into multiple categories. Monitor how the different videos perform so you can make an educated decision about tags and categories in the future.
Promote your videos. Every time you post a video that's relevant for general sharing, blog about it, tweet it or add it to your Facebook page. YouTube's account settings automatically publish news of a video if you've linked up to Facebook and Twitter. Also, don't shy away from allowing embedding of your videos on other sites—the more views the better.
Track your results. YouTube offers free analytics data via the "Insight" button on every uploaded video. This should not be overlooked as it can offer valuable info on views stats, demographics, community, and info on how users came across the video, including the popular links they followed to get there.
Keep your site current. Don’t needlessly create video content, but if you're looking to go down the YouTube route then don't let your resolve or enthusiasm for the service dwindle. Even if you have no new content between show cycles, still keep logging in to stay on top of comments, friend requests, add favorites, etc. |
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What should you post on YouTube? |
What content will shine the brightest light on your event? Check out these ideas for your YouTube Channel.
Branding:
• Welcome videos
• Informational videos
• Show history
• Upcoming show teaser |
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Promotion:
• Product demonstrations and tutorials (exhibitor content)
• Exhibitor spotlights
• Facility information and tours |
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Media:
• Video news releases (VNRs)
• Interviews with or from broadcast media
• Public statements from company executives
• Electronic press kit supplements |
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Education/Events:
• Excerpts from previous speeches by keynote speaker
• Sample clips of courses by education instructors
• Product/ equipment testing
• Award ceremonies |
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Post-show Highlights:
• Video of the showfloor
• Success stories/ testimonials from exhibitors and attendees
• Contest competition results |
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