YouTube Viral Marketing Tips

February 25, 2010 Filed under: Internet Marketing,Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , —

I’ve been reading lots lately about how small businesses can best use YouTube in their online marketing efforts and I’d like to share some useful things I’ve learned.  First, statistics indicate that 4.3 billion videos are watched per month on YouTube.  That’s a viewership that many marketers find too enticing to ignore.   At the same time – and perhaps a major factor in YouTube’s growth – the cost and time required to produce a video is now well within reach of nearly every business. 

Does this mean everyone needs to run out and create a video to jump on the bandwagon?  Not necessarily.  Like all forms of social media, it’s best to stop and think about what value you have to offer before jumping in, as content that’s strictly self-promotional isn’t likely to get much viewership. 

So what do YouTube viewers like to watch?  Topics that work best on YouTube tend to fall into one (or more) of 3 categories:

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Facebook For Business: Learn From the Pioneers

November 30, 2009 Filed under: Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , —

Doesn’t it seem to you like Social Media Marketing – especially Facebook — has just exploded on the business scene recently? It sure does to me.  A dizzying number of “free Webinars” are suddenly available offering tips and tricks.  Numerous requests arrive in email asking me to “Fan” new pages.  And clients and business associates are buzzing with excitement and curiosity about how to get involved.

My excitement for Facebook is around its role as community-builder. Every organization has a community of some kind – customers, partners, members, donors — and here’s a tool ideally suited to staying in regular touch with them in a non-intrusive, natural way. The big question you may be asking yourself is “how can I make it work for my business?”  One answer is to learn from some of the early pioneers and try some of the approaches that have worked for them.

Here are some Facebook pages  that have impressed me with their innovative and engaging efforts to serve their community and build a loyal following. This is not an exhaustive list of all they do on Facebook, but gives a sampling of creative ideas.

Akron-Canton Airport, a small regional airport. What they’re doing on Facebook:
  • Share information on sales & discounts from participating airlines
  • Run contests periodically – and use their Facebook page for contest submissions
  • Integrate with other marketing tactics. They post their contest drawing on YouTube, with a link back to Facebook, then invite Facebook fans to view it.

BlackHillsBlack Hills and South Dakota, tourism sites.  What they’re doing on Facebook:

  • Communicate activities, events, conventions in the area – for both residents and visitors
  • Encourage discussions so like-minded groups can connect.  They host discussions on hiking, fly-fishing, mountain biking, favorite tourist destinations, etc.
  • Share photos and videos, so fans can view tourist highlights and share their favorite pictures

Pandora, Internet radio. What they’re doing on Facebook:

  • Invite questions and problems, turning their Discussion page into a technical support forum and Q&A resource

Volkswagon, car manufacturer. What they’re doing on Facebook:

  • Invite fan interaction and story-telling about favorite Volkwagon models. Reinforces great brand loyalty.

Step2Step2,  Children’s large toys.  What they’re doing on Facebook:

  • Test out new product ideas and invite early feedback and suggestions from fans
  • Informal surveys and market research

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