Posted by

Barry Siskind

Community Manager

 

I found a really interesting article on Mashable titled Top 5 YouTube Mistakes Committed by Small Business.  I thought it might be something that anyone who has considered adding viral videos to their marketing tools should read.

 

http://mashable.com/2011/03/27/youtube-marketing-mistakes/

 

The five mistakes are:

 

1. Unrealistic expectations

With 35 hours of video being posted on YouTube every minute, the competition for viewers is intense.  What this tells us is that posting a video and sitting back and waiting for a response is unrealistic. Along with the video there needs to be a well-thought-out distribution plan.

 

2. Think Small

You don’t have to be General Motors or Nike to be successful in the viral world. Social media has leveled the playing field where anyone – big or small – has a chance to score a hit.

 

3. Videos are not commercials

Successful videos are a social element intended to engage the viewer rather than selling them a product or service

 

4. Don’t put all your viral eggs in one basket.

The world of social media has grown enormously. Recently LinkedIn  signed up their 100 millionth member. The number of options you have beyond YouTube are also growing, for example Vimeo and Mpora are two options to look at.

 

5. Create the right metrics.

The number of videos that are seen by millions can be counted on one hand. A better way of measuring is  how well your video engages the viewer. This can be done  by measuring the number of times the video is shared or the length of time someone spends on the video.

 

This article is a must read if you have ever or are now going viral with your trade fair or conference particularly now in an age when new marketing tools are being created at a break-neck speed and when the rules of their use seem to be figured out with a lot of trial and error,