Youtube is NOT a shop where people go to buy stuff!
They are NOT in the buying mode when they enter the site.
They are there to RELAX!
This is why marketing messages don't make it on youtube!
Promotional videos never make it to the top.
Promotional channels get very little to no response!
It simply doesn't work to play a promotional card on you tube because it is a social oriented site!
People want to be entertained, informed and connected.
The connection is NOT about having tons of friends on youtube.
It is a bit about the discussions going on in the comments.
But for social connections, people go to facebook.
In a similar way, people don't go to facebook to watch videos first. they go there to check what their friends are up to.
So, these two sites respond to 2 VERY different needs!
Videos that get millions of views on youtube are music videos and comedy. You have as well lots of life videos that make it viral!
The point is that advertising is there as a frame in the background and the whole system tries to push the closest possible to the viewer.
But again, people are NOT in the shopping mode when they enter the site!
They are in the entertainment and topic research mode.
For the research part, people use youtube to find information! They use it to learn!
That's exactly what wikipedia does too, right?
While wikipedia is exclusively focused on learning and information, youtube is probably 80% entertaining and 20% informing.
That's just a rough guess.
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As you see, there are no shopping carts on youtube, no payment system, no credit card required!
It's free!
It's NOT a shop!
Now, I think we are clear on that by now....
Viewers want to be entertained and informed!
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So, next question is
What happens when you don't give viewers what they want?
What if you go to a chinese restaurant and they try to sell you mexican?
It creates discomfort and negative emotional reactions.
It creates pressure because you ask your audience to adapt to something they were not expecting and might not want!
In other terms, it creates stress!
It does NOT create comfort!
It doesn't give space to your audience to relax!
They WANT to relax!
They don't want to be attacked by promotional offers when they enter your site!
Do you get that?
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Now, what happens when you simply inform?
Is that enough?
Well, of course not!
the quality of the message needs to be high!
On top of that, if you inform on topics that not many people care about (the mating habits of a new type of Madagascan ant) you won't get many views, right? unless again, it is spectacular and entertaining!
Right here we are covering the audience's needs and even if you provide to these needs, it might still NOT give you many views!
That's unless, your video is REALLY OPTIMIZED
or
The value of your video is high!
The value of your video?
- Extremely entertaining
- Essential information
- High quality video
- High quality content
Now, many videos go viral even if they offer a poor quality video. It is because of the entertaining value that many people refer and watch them.
... Clearing some concepts and ground facts here...
can we talk about Youtube SEO now?
or should we forget about it altogether?