YouTube and You
- unspeakablebreakfast
- Jul 20, 2017
- 2 min read
YouTube is now attempting competition with platforms like Hulu and Netflix. Reflect on that for a minute. The video sharing site at one time was home to "epic fail" compilations, unfunny/just-plain-stupid skits by high schoolers, and a hundred channels of people speeding their voices up in an Alvin and the Chipmunks reminicient manner and acting immature in an attempt to become even a third as popuar as the first channel to do it.
Today, it is still very much that (minus the Fred rip-offs; that ship has sailed and the world is better for it), but for the past few years it has been something more. YouTube users can now monetize their videos. People make their livings this way.
Many have tried to become successful YouTube stars. Most fall short of this goal. How do the successful ones make it? Pure luck? Bribery? A special formula for a successful channel? Science tells us it is the latter.
Studies of the most successful videos have revealed seven (7) components of a YouTube video to actively engage an audience. They are...
1. Make your video title simple and to the point.
2. Go all out with the tags for maximum exposure.
3. Try for niche related content, i.e. sports, movie reviews, stunts, etc.
4. Make your production high quality.
5. Post frequently.
The last two components require some elaboration.
6. Parasocial interaction.
Parasocial interaction is one-sided interaction that makes an audience feel their interaction with a media personality is genuine. Through this, the audience becomes engaged in the personality's work. This can be achieved through eye-contact (through the camera), credibility, and likability. Being attractive doesn't seem to hurt either.
7. Presence.
This boils down to quality of content, aundience engagement (see above point), and originality.
Remember, utilization of these seven components do not guarentee success. You may make the best video to have ever graced YouTube's servers and still not recieve a single view, like, comment, or subscription. So if we were to add an eighth component to our list, we might add luck.
All said, good luck. You're going to need it. Those comment sections are vicious.
Comments