Disclaimer: This is a sequential 3-part series. Click here for the intro blog post.
Last week we talked about growing your following and I mentioned we’d be doing a mini-series on getting to know your audience in what I believe to be the most important social media channels right now: YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram.
So, first up… YouTube.
YouTube is one of those platforms that has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. First, it’s up, up, up, then it’s down, then it’s back up again. If you haven’t guessed already we are in the “up” stage of YouTube and if I do say so myself, I think we’re at an absolute peak.
How do I know this?
Well, first I look at what I’m doing - I found myself YouTubing videos about the best cameras to use for YouTube videos… and this wasn’t just one time… Anytime I have a question about anything I go to YouTube and search for a tutorial.
Then I look at what other people are doing. I see my Facebook feed flooded with videos being shared by my friends; I see people on the subway watching different videos, my boyfriend watching surfing videos, and even my mom is on YouTube watching beauty hauls! If that’s not a perfect indication of where our attention is, I don’t know what is.
So now that we know YouTube is the place to be, let’s kick off the first part of our mini series by getting to know your YouTube audience so you can kill it.
Ask for recommendations
The first way to get to know your audience on YouTube is to ask for honest recommendations. If you don’t have a YouTube following yet, you can ask on one of your other social channels. This can be done in two ways: 1. Ask your followers to share their favorite YouTube accounts and/or 2. ask what kind of videos they want to see from you.
When you find out the types of YouTube accounts they follow, it gives you an indication of the type of content that interests them. You can use this info to create similar content. Maybe they follow a lot of beauty gurus, destination-travel vloggers, or maybe they watch a lot of how-tos.
Regardless, asking questions is one of the easiest ways to get to know your followers better.
Check out their profiles
Even if you ask, you may not always get the response you want. So, you need to take matters into your own hands and do some slight stalking…
Go to your followers’ profiles (YouTube, Instagram, etc.) and check out their activity - who they follow, what types of content they’re liking, what pictures/videos they’re posting, etc. When you do this, you may see some similarities across your followers, which will act as a guide to determine what types of content they want to see.
You might also be able to find something your followers struggle with. This will allow you to swoop in and save the day with a solution. And saving the day through a little “stalking” can go a long way on YouTube, trust me.
Look at what videos get the most views
Another easy indicator to see what your audience is into is by looking at your video stats. Check out what videos got the highest views and thumbs up, etc. It also won’t hurt to take a look at what videos didn’t do so well so you can avoid making them in the future.
When you look at the videos with the most views, consider the type of video it is (educational, inspirational, entertaining), the title of your video, and the description (pay attention to keywords). Those 3 things will determine how you should set up the rest of your videos in the future.
It’s almost like a fail-proof recipe, but the recipe takes time to perfect so have patience and don’t get blogged down if you don’t nail it right away.
Now we want to get to know you, who are your favorite YouTubers? Tell us in the comments below!
P.S. You can learn from the best and build your YouTube audience with Chloe Morello or Sonya Esman on Azalle.
xx Britt
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You Should Also Read:
How to Use YouTube to Build a Brand
The Best Ways to Use Video on Your Blog
The One Goal All Bloggers Should Have in 2017
