About building your brand / internet business on YouTube

11 replies
YouTube is fed up with folks taking traffic off of YouTube. Judging by his Twitter feed, the CEO of a platform designed to give creators a way to monetize their channels is stressed out. YouTube is no longer featuring my vids in sub boxes and that's because I've been including links in my descriptions - taking folks off site. So, I wanted to share what I've been learning from folks using YouTube as a platform to build and grow internet businesses.

VLOG MORE, OFFER MORE, FEATURE MORE...

I have decided to VLOG more. Previously, I'd sit in front of camera, use B-Roll to illustrate a point, and point people to the link in my description. I'll be VLOGGING more and REGARDLESS of your niche, I think it's a great idea. In the cooking niche? VLOG picking up ingredients prior to cooking a recipe featured in the cookbook you're marketing. In the weight loss niche? VLOG your journey to implementing a system to losing weight as featured in the product you're promoting. I'll also be offering more. I'll be taking a portion - a valuable portion of my training product and offering it up 100% free. Previously, my "hook" was valuable, but I've decided to increase the value by offering real / actionable content up for free.

Feature more... Yesterday, I was out and about VLOGGING and some kids chased me across the parking lot screaming "are you a VLOGGER!?" I tried to avoid them because my channel is relatively small (less than 5,000 subs) and I didn't want to "embarass" myself and let them down when they found out I'm not at 50k... Then my wife scolded me; "you should have featured them in the VLOG, they'd have turned their whole schools into subs..." I blew it. So, if you're in the grocery store shopping for ingredients to help promote your cook book, or in the gym working out, and people approach them take that as an oppty to include them in the final edit. Get their social media and let them know they've made, they'll promote to their circle....


PLAY THE YOUTUBE GAME TO WIN...

NEW creators will be hit hardest by these changes. Let me stress that NEW CREATORS. A lot of you guys have vids that are on the gravy train (for now) and you're appearing in page one and the first thing in the descriptions of your vids is a link back to your site.

You're generating leads like nobody's business. Your funnel is high converting, and you continue optimize. Life is good.

But new creators have NO SHOT of being promoted if your offer (hook) produces a high CTR (a high rate of users who click off YT). However, a simple work around is to be "hyper active" on social media (Twitter, FB, IG, Snap). You can also use banners inside the vids of your BEST content.

YT has NO PROBLEM when folks leave YT to engage with you on social media as most effective YouTubers are using social media to in turn bring users back into YouTube. They're promoting every video they upload. So, YouTube is able to say; "you're bringing someone off FB or Twitter and instead of FB or Twitter getting paid when they consume an ad, we can get paid." Once they get on your social media, then you can use your link / hook to get them to go to your website, get the opt-in and proceed to close the sale.

It's a fun and challenging new time on YT and I'm actually quite excited for these changes even though they're negatively impacting my view count at the moment because I know many will fail to adapt, and they'll perish which will leave a larger pool of leads / money for those who are able to adapt.

In 2020 75% of all the content on the web will be consumed in the form of video. The kid who is about to graduate college this year (2017) and decides he wants to get into the MMO niche is much more inclined to be responsive to GREAT content on YouTube vs. reading reading text on your blog.

Speaking of the MMO niche, there will be changes and the best in that niche will have to adapt. I see a lot of products that promise "quick hit" profits all over the web "How I Made $XX,000,000 in 30 Days With This Trick" - the "tricks" will be less marketable and amazing and well thought out content with an effective "opt in" strategy will rule the day because e-mail ain't goin no where anytime soon.

-my 1 cent
#brand #building #business #internet #youtube
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Meaney
    Things always change with this stuff, by not focusing on any single traffic source or any one platform, those changes don't have that much of an impact, overall.

    Google releases an update (again) and everybody freaks out.

    Facebook decreases page reaches (again) and everybody freaks out.

    Youtube changes it's algorithm and... pewdiepie threatens to quit.

    And I agree with you that email is the way to go.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    So what's the incentive for people to create free content for them?

    "I'll just post videos so YT can make money, but I expect nothing."

    When people (who don't have YT adblocker) click an ad what happens? They leave YT, DUH! So YT doesn't want people clicking off? No ad revenue, just watch videos and never leave?

    Maybe...just maybe, your videos aren't as 'Valuable" as you think. Maybe, YT doesn't care for your particular content? Maybe the algo changed and you and some others got the short end?

    Maybe you have way too much invested in a single platform and spend too much time analyzing things that you have zero control over?

    I gotta say, you sound just like all the MFA site owners who crashed and burned several years ago when Google tried to improve their user experience.

    High CTR is the culprit? I think not.

    Brent
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    • Profile picture of the author TheBigBee
      I messed up and replied to myself instead of your comment. But, you can take a look at it above if you'd like. Be well!
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    • Profile picture of the author TheBigBee
      By the way, I agree with this statement.

      Maybe the algo changed and you and some others got the short end?
      The algo has changed. It has changed to penalize creators who take folks to other web sites - interrupting user sessions and so forth.

      Are you familiar with Derral Eves? He consults and manages dozens of YouTube accounts and his data shows that YT is rewarding creators for session starts and tracking session duration back to the original click. So... is it a STRETCH to say they're penalizing those who end sessions?

      Also - when a venture backed company is publicly freaking out about the fact that YT has made it harder for his company to grow because they are penalizing folks who use his platform, you should listen.

      If he had made this original post would you have a different opinion? Or would you have given him your two cents as well? I'm dying to hear your answer Brent.
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  • Profile picture of the author TheBigBee
    Hey Brent,

    Thanks for joining the discussion! I think one of the keys to being successful in life is being able to be your own worst critic while also being able to take constructive criticism without getting all bent out of shape. So, I really appreciate your joining the discussion.

    That said... You said...

    Maybe...just maybe, your videos aren't as 'Valuable" as you think. Maybe, YT doesn't care for your particular content? Maybe the algo changed and you and some others got the short end?
    I think the two most important things for me to look at in this regard are my average view duration which is steadily climbing. I couldn't get folks to watch 25% of my VLOGS now they're watching 50%. When I started I was terrible. Bad lighting, bad thumbnails, etc.

    I am getting better and better at getting folks to watch my vids start to finish. YouTube does provide this metric.

    Another really important factor to look at is how folks respond to the content I post.

    Here's the feedback from Yesterdays' upload:



    This video is a part of a WEEKLY series I am doing and yesterdays' upload including zero links back to my site. It has 100 fewer views than the first installment of this weekly series (uploaded last Sunday) which had a link back to my site.

    Here's the feedback on the first installment of that weekly series. It had a link back to my site.



    So, in this situation I can either say "Brent is right" or, I can look at the data and the response I am getting from my viewers to determine who's opinion and / or data holds more weight. If you were in my shoes, who wins here? Brent, or my subs / the YT data?

    Maybe you have way too much invested in a single platform and spend too much time analyzing things that you have zero control over?
    When you have the opportunity to do what you love and make money doing it, you live a happier and longer life. I look at my sales dashboard, and sometimes tears of pure joy well up in my eyes.

    I love making videos. I love pushing myself to improve my video production AND POST production skills. I love coming up with ideas and uploading them to YouTube.

    I love the fact that HBO watched one of my videos, reached out to me, and shot a mini documentary on me (I VLOGGED about it).

    Additionally, when you fail to MASTER one thing, you run the risk of being good at nothing. I want to MASTER YouTube to the extent I can, and simply hire folks (outsource) content creation on other platforms.

    My brother is nearly begging me; "MORE INSTAGRAM POSTS!" / STORIES! "GET ON SNAPCHAT!" "YOU'RE LEAKING MONEY!"

    My plan is to outsource all that stuff once I get to a point where my skillset allows me to upload EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I'll have a team in place that will give me the freedom to create.

    There's VERY little downside risk for me to continue striving to get better at storytelling and content creation on YouTube while using it as a platform to continue to sell product.

    Why? The better I get at creating and editing video, the more opportunities I'll have to sell that as a skillset if the sky falls and I can't draw a penny from YT.

    I did in fact write, direct, and produce 6 commercials for a leading small business loan company a few years back and at that time it was the biggest check of my life.

    However, I did no camera work, no post production work, no lighting work, etc. By being able to master all those skills with each upload to YouTube I'm adding to my skillset and portfolio.

    Regarding the MFA site owners - I have no idea who those folks are...

    I'll wrap by saying, I have been able to digest your reply and after carefully unpacking it, consulting the data, looking myself in the mirror, I have been able to determine that it holds little to no value.

    But, rest assured, I did make sure I didn't brush it all before going through my process because that would be weak. Sensitive people who can't take criticism are not cut out to run internet businesses.

    Thanks again!
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  • Profile picture of the author doorji
    Doing great vLogs really can build your brand. But yes, you have to do quality content vlogs and share products to your viewers. First you need to build subscribers.
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  • Profile picture of the author ryan1donald
    Hello
    It is an interesting topic. Having started my own business i do need tactics to increase the popularity of my website. Thanks for the information.
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  • Profile picture of the author Lee Rees
    I can fully understand YT penalising content creators who's sole purpose is to create click bait videos. The amount of times I've searched for things on youtube only to find amutuer slideshow "videos" with robot voices, stock music and an affiliate link.

    Worse still these are on the first page meaning the genuine videos never get seen. This "video spam" reminds me of the early days of search engines when page 1 was filled with viagra ads and porn sites.

    Lets get some perspective. Youtube has given you the ability to make money from their ads, so why try to get traffic to leave the platform. Of course they are mad!
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    Hi TBB,

    Having fun, creating value, serving your readers, and doing so authentically, these tips work on all platforms online.

    Good insights here, especially going with well thought out content versus the hacks mindset that always leads to ruin.

    Ryan
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    Ryan Biddulph helps you to be a successful blogger with his courses, manuals and blog at Blogging From Paradise
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    • Profile picture of the author Lee Rees
      Ryan Biddulph what I've found works is a little "hacking" to get the traffic flowing and then switch to legit / genuine content and marketing. I'm really doing well at the moment generating facebook traffic with this method, I just need to get my content production and management in order and I'm good to go.
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  • Profile picture of the author davidricherd
    You have to setup YouTube channel for your business website & than upload creative video about your business/services to increase branding online.
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