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C h a p t e r 2 0 Marketing Your YouTube Videos 233

Figure 20.10 Sharing a video via Twitter.

Run a Contest

Here’s a method mentioned elsewhere in the book, but worth repeating here. One
interesting way to draw viewers to your videos is to run a contest of some sort.
Some of the most successful contests directly involve viewers with the company’s
videos by encouraging them to remix existing videos or create their own videos for
the company or product.

Naturally, some customers will be attracted by any prizes you dole out, but most
will visit your channel or group just to see what other YouTubers are posting; con-
test entries are bound to be entertaining in any number of ways. The most creative
viewers will post entries to the contest—some of which might be good enough for
you to use in other media. It’s a win-win for you because you get a spike in viewer-
ship, attract new customers, and reinforce your bonds with your existing customer
base.

Promote Traditionally

While our focus is primarily on the Web, we mustn’t neglect more traditional forms
of promotion—including old fashioned PR. This means issuing paper (and elec-
tronic) press releases, as well as picking up the phone (or firing up the email pro-
gram) to hand-target individual publications and news outlets.

For example, if you have a video that has particular relevance to a particular indus-
try, you can reach out to industry trade groups, publications, and the like with news
about your video. Make sure you include a link to (or the URL for) the video in