If you’ve ever watched one too many cat videos while you procrastinated finishing an assignment, you know that it’s easy to get sucked into sites like YouTube and Vimeo.
You aren’t the only one who’s hooked on watching videos. In 2017, people watched more than one billion hours of YouTube videos a day, according to the Wall Street Journal. And it’s a great opportunity – as a musician, you can use YouTube and Vimeo to introduce people to your music, engage your fans, and increase your album sales.
Here’s how to build a YouTube and Vimeo marketing strategy so more people hear – and buy – your music.
Be consistent.
Consistency is important for increasing fan loyalty and video views. Commit to posting videos a certain number of times per month. Brainstorm ideas by writing down a list of the types of videos you’d want your favorite band to create and thinking about different content series you could produce.
You could make short videos that share the story behind each song on your album, new versions of your songs, answers to your most commonly asked questions, duets with other singers, or the behind-the-scenes of making a music video. To save time, try to film a majority of your content in one day or week then edit it into short videos that you can space out throughout the month.
Brand your channel.
Make your channel polished and professional by including customized branding. When you set up a business account, you can upload a channel icon and channel banner with your logo, album art, a photo of your band, or whatever you choose. Use the “About” section to include a few sentences about yourself and your music and links to your website, places people can buy your album, and to your other social media profiles. When you upload videos, make sure to select a visually appealing, eye-catching thumbnail from your video or create a separate cover with a title overlay.
Introduce new viewers to your music by creating a channel trailer that will be the first video people who are not subscribed see when they get to your page. For example, you could film a highlight reel of your best live performances, a short video about your album, or a video of you in the recording studio. Generate engagement by starting conversations in the “Community” section and featuring your favorite channels to follow. Create playlists to help your viewers discover new content to watch and boost your watch time, which is beneficial for the feed algorithm.
Increase your visibility.
There are actionable steps you can take to get your videos seen by more of the billions of people who watch YouTube and Vimeo videos every day. For example, share your videos on your other social media platforms, create videos with people with large online followings, and consider setting up YouTube ads.
Additionally, both websites rank high for search engine optimization and, with a few small adjustments to your video copy and metadata, your videos will rank higher when people use search engines or search within either site. Use Google Trends or YouTube Keywords to search for popular keywords for your industry.
When you’re coming up with your video titles, think about what is click-worthy and what people will be searching to get to your video. Add keywords to your video description and include more context below the fold, such as links to your social media handles, website, and where people can purchase your album. You’ll also be prompted to include relevant tags when you upload your video – a site like TubeBuddy can help you find these.
Boost engagement.
Give your viewers a compelling reason to subscribe and interact with your content. Add a call to action to the end of your videos asking them to “subscribe,” “like,” “favorite,” and “share” the video, so you get more engagement (which translates into more views because of the algorithm). You can also increase comments by asking your audience to request posts they’d like you to feature or questions they’d like you to answer. And, as a plus, you will get new content ideas so you stay consistent.
What are your video marketing tips? Share them with us in the comments!
