There is a lot of video competition on the social web. On YouTube alone, 300 hours of video content is uploaded every minute, and unfortunately no one (other than your mom) is staring at her device waiting to see your next video. It doesn’t matter if you’re working with a homemade iPhone project or a professionally produced video; it takes time, effort and know-how to get it seen. You can no longer assume that once you’ve hit “upload” to YouTube, you can check video production off of your to-do list. Creating an attention-grabbing video that communicates your message is a significant step, but you need a strategy that will help you achieve results.

Below are some simple ways to market your video. These are just a few of the basic tactics we recommend as a part of an overall video marketing strategy.

-Optimize your video presence. The file name, description, keywords, platforms (not just YouTube), thumbnail, and title are all crucial components to a video. Each of these factors will impact the likelihood of a video being discovered and viewed.

-Mail the old fashioned way. Not the super old-fashioned way. Send a personal email to stakeholders, employees, and contacts. Ask for feedback, encourage people to share, or simply explain the purpose of this recently released video. Depending on the context of the video, it may or may be appropriate to send a mass email to certain customer segments. This initial tactic will help to generate views, which is often important to create credibility before releasing the video to the public.

-Share the video on your brand’s social platforms. Rather than a blanket post, consider sharing your video with social media advocates, influencers and existing relationships first, along with a timely, personalized message. When you are ready to share to the masses, put thought and research into headlines, gather insight from others, and test several options.

-Put some cash behind it. Facebook advertising can be extremely advantageous, especially when you know your target market. A little bit of money can go a long way when you’re able to get specific about the location, demographics and interests of your potential viewers.

-Continue to post your video periodically using different hashtags, headlines and quotes. Videos often can be used as a resource/ conversation piece/ customer service response on Twitter. For example “Great question! We’d love for you to learn more about us: (link to video).”

-Respond to all comments. Whether they are on your blog, Tumblr, Vimeo, YouTube channel, or any social platform, take the time to respond thoughtfully to every comment. Think about the time you took to create a video, and understand that follow up is a part of the project as a whole.

Genius House Media is the only video production company in Dallas-Fort Worth that specializes in integrating video with social media. We know that getting in front of the right audience is just as important as producing an incredible video. We would love to help you do both.

Online Video: Don't Post & Pray - Video Marketing Strategy