Video content is quickly becoming the #1 consumed form of online content. It’s also a great way to build a community around your brand, so you’re likely eager to stand out from the crowd. After all, you’ve invested a lot of time and money in your video. It deserves to be seen by your target audience!
- As with any sort of digital content, videos need strong titles, descriptions, and markup so that bots can analyze them and show them in search results.
- Video content needs to quickly address your target audience’s pain points and engage them with your solution.
- Every publishing platform has different needs, so make sure that each of your videos is optimized to get views on its respective channel.
Here are ten easy ways to get your video in front of more eyes.
Tips For Improving Your Video’s SEO
Use A Filename With Keywords
Many people assume that their video’s filename has little bearing on its success. Unfortunately, that’s wrong. Whether you’ve published the video on YouTube or uploaded it to your website, search engine crawlers will examine the file name for clues about the video’s content.
That means that if you upload something like Sequence89264FINAL.mp4, you’re missing out on a chance to give bots valuable information. Instead, choose an appropriate title that contains search terms, e.g. “VideoMarketingTips.mp4.”
Optimize Your Video’s Title
By the same token, ensure that your video’s title is appealing to potential viewers. Remember that in search results, your title is what will appear next to your thumbnail (more on that in a moment). Not only do search engine crawlers “read” the title for relevant information, but viewers are also using it to decide whether or not to click.
A title like “Video 1” means nothing, while a title like “Video Marketing Tips” at least has some keywords. For best results, use active language and an indication of your brand name, e.g. “Boost Your Video Marketing with These Easy Tips | XYZ Brand.” Don’t make it too long, though: the optimal length is 55 characters or fewer.
Add A Meta Description
Whether you’re publishing on YouTube, Facebook, your website, or another platform, a description with plenty of keywords is crucial to getting more views. As with your title, bots will analyze your description to figure out what your video is about. On social platforms, this description is shown to users, so use this space to convince them to click. You typically only have 155 characters to work with, so make them count!
Use A Video Sitemap
Just a sitemap helps bots understand the structure of your website, a video sitemap points them to your video content. If you have multiple videos hosted on your website, a video sitemap is a must. Google’s crawlers will be able to identify all videos on your site, along with titles, descriptions, run times, and thumbnails. Your videos can be more easily indexed and therefore more likely to be shown to your target audience.
Tips For Getting More Views
Use A Custom Thumbnail
As we mentioned, most publishing platforms will show a thumbnail along with your video. It’s tempting to just use the image that’s autogenerated when you upload your video, but this is a mistake.
By using a custom thumbnail, you retain creative control over how your video appears to potential viewers. A custom thumbnail that expresses your branding and uses an engaging image is much more effective than a generic snapshot from your video.
Add Captions To Your Videos
Like it or not, many members of your target audience won’t be watching your video with the sound on. Some may be hard of hearing or have sensory processing issues. If these people start watching your video and discover it doesn’t have captions, they’ll likely click away to do something else.
There are two ways to include captions: you can embed them in the video with your editing software, or you can use the publishing platform’s captions feature. YouTube auto generates captions, but check them to ensure they’re accurate.
Keep Target Length In Mind
Every platform has its own trends for user behavior. For example, people who are searching for information on YouTube are more likely to commit to a longer video than people who are idly browsing Facebook. And of course, Instagram limits video uploads to 60 seconds in length. If your video doesn’t meet the target length for its platform, you’ll lose viewers.
Tips For Boosting Engagement
Get To The Point
Ever searched for a recipe online and had to scroll past a bunch of exposition before getting to the ingredients list? Annoying, right? Don’t make that mistake in your videos. A little bit of an introduction is okay, but you shouldn’t keep your viewers waiting long. A good rule of thumb is to hook people within 10 seconds.
Set up the pain point you’re trying to address, then dive right into the substance of your video. Then, keep the video moving quickly. You’ll be more likely to have people watch all the way through than if you waste several minutes on irrelevant information or fluffy content.
Don’t Wait To Give A Call To Action
There’s nothing wrong with adding a call to action (CTA) at the end of your video. In fact, that’s a great idea. However, it’s often more effective to add your call to action during the video. Many marketers have seen good results by introducing the CTA 10 to 20 percent of the way. Remember, viewers will often click away once their question has been answered, so by placing a CTA at a moment when they’re fully engaged, you’ll get more conversions.
Ask Viewers To Engage
Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best one. If your videos aren’t getting likes or comments, or if you’d like to get more subscribers to your channel, just ask your viewers to help you out. People tend to watch videos passively unless you remind them to engage. When writing your scripts, include explicit requests for your viewers, e.g. “Let us know what you think in the comments” or “If you enjoyed this video, please share it with your friends.”
Conclusion
Success in video marketing happens with a confluence of three factors: good SEO, more views, and better engagement. Before you start creating a video, understand (a) what problem it’s solving, (b) what platform it’s going on, and (c) what length and structure would serve it best. Once you’re ready to publish, spend some time crafting compelling titles and descriptions.
Finally, ensure that your website or platform is optimized for bots that will show your content to users. By following the tips listed above, you can garner more engaged viewers for your videos and give your brand the boost it needs.