Page 181 - Social Media Marketing for Dummies

FIGURE 10-1:
Khan Academy is
a customized
YouTube channel.

Don’t forget to provide a link to and from your website to your custom channel.
Also, make sure that your other channels, such as your Facebook page and blogs,
also have links to your YouTube channel. Reciprocal links are very important to a
cohesive SMM campaign.

Creating custom content for YouTube

It’s not good enough to simply add your TV advertising spots to YouTube. Create
custom content that matches the style and format of YouTube. Keep the running
time to five minutes or less, and stay within the 100MB limit on file sizes. The
average length of a video on YouTube is 11 minutes and 7 seconds, though some
videos that are considerably longer or shorter do very well. Group the video clips
into themed playlists for increased viewing. It also helps your users find the video
clips they need quickly. For example, some companies categorize their videos into
playlists with names such as advertising, customer stories, support, and
demonstrations.

Often, a clip that lasts a minute or two can have great impact. You’re trying to get
your audience to share your video with others. Don’t expect viewers to devote a lot
of time to one video. As you know, the site has millions of users and tons of clips
to watch. The worst thing you can do is bore your audience.

CHAPTER 10 Creating a YouTube Strategy 165