Avoid the viral video trap: 3 ways to expand your audience

All execs want their videos to go viral. However, no one knows what really makes a clip infectious—and the few that do spread like contagions are usually “one-hit wonders.”

That’s why Zynara Ng, global video producer at YouTube, avoids the “if it doesn’t spread, it’s dead” mindset. She says it’s better to build an organic following for video content over time than to pursue one-off virality.

Here are three easy ways to build a loyal, sustainable audience for your videos:

1. Create a routine video schedule. “The simplest way to increase reach for your videos is to let people know when and how often you’ll be posting,” says Ng.

You can do this in your channel’s “about,” banner and description sections. It’s also a good idea to close each video with a tease about upcoming posts.

Midweek is a good time to post. “The beginning of the week is too frantic for people, and they’re checking out at the end of the week,” Ng says.

This YouTube Creator Academy video digs deeper into publishing schedules:

Register for PR Daily’s Dec. 9 virtual summit “Create Amazing Videos Virtual Summit: New Ways to Attract Audiences with Video, Live Streaming and VR” for more tips from video experts Guy Bauer, Drew Keller, Zynara Ng (YouTube) and Charlene Sarmiento (Goodwill).

2. Respond rapidly to comments. Another way to enlarge your fan base is to engage with commenters once you’ve posted your video.

“Responding back brings audiences back,” Ng says. “They want to connect with you, so be available as soon as you post and answer questions in a voice that matches your channels vision. That will help create the tone and relationship you want with your audience.”

Budget at least an hour of engagement for every video. Set up comment alerts in your account settings to streamline the process.

It’s never too late to go back and respond to comments, Ng says.

“People expect interaction, even if the video is several months old,” she says. “Audiences that have positive interactions with you are much more likely to share your videos.”

Here are more tips for bringing your comments section to life:

3. Be human. Strong videos convert YouTube viewers into subscribers, but a smart channel description can help attract them in the first place.

Ng warns against writing descriptions specifically to rank highly on search engines. Instead, “Think about what you want your audience to walk away with after watching every video you post,” she says. “Then write a description that communicates that mission clearly and in everyday language.”

According to the YouTube Creator Academy, the best descriptions start with a mission statement that represents you and, ideally, inspires and appeals to others.

“Knowing what you stand for goes a long way toward attracting and keeping audiences,” Ng says. “So, be human. Go beyond using uninspired, antiseptic keywords when you write your channel descriptions.”

Brian Pittman is a Ragan Communications consultant and webinar manager for PR Daily’s PR University. Video experts Drew Keller, Guy Bauer, Zynara Ng (YouTube) and Shanda Maloney (UFC) will share more tips in PR University’s Dec. 9 virtual summit, “Create Amazing Videos Virtual Summit: New Ways to Attract Audiences with Video, Live Streaming and VR.”

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