Since becoming a member of the BLASTmedia team on March 29, I have been thrown right into the mix! Within just a couple of days, our Social Media Director, Julie Perry, assigned me two clients to begin working with: ZOMM–the world’s first leash for mobile phones, and Dexim–maker of iPod, iPhone and Blackberry accessories. My first task: optimizing their YouTube channels.

At first, I thought I had no idea what to do, but I soon realized it was much easier than I thought! With some help from Julie’s DVD product on YouTube video marketing and how to search engine optimize  YouTube videos, YouTube Secret Weapon, I soon became an expert! (Well, almost…)

If you’re a YouTube beginner like me, have no fear. Here are 5 easy ways you can optimize your YouTube channel – and drive traffic to your site!

1. Customize Your Background
   First things first: create a background that is consistent with your brand.  If you’re a Photoshop whiz, you can incorporate images into your background like I did with the Dexim YouTube Channel.

   Not a Photoshop guru? You can still customize your background! While on your Channel’s page, click “Themes and Colors.” Next, select “show advanced options” and choose your custom colors there. Matching the background with your brand will make it more recognizable to consumers.

   *Extra tip: Along with your background, make sure you fill out your profile. Be sure to INCLUDE YOUR URL. (And more than once!) Write an “About me” and “Channel Description” with proper grammar and punctuation.  Tell viewers about your product–keep it relevant…Did I mention to INCLUDE YOUR URL?
   

2. Incorporate Keywords into Your Videos
   As you upload videos make sure you use keywords that are relevant to your videos and your brand. Keywords are the words that people would type in to Google to find your product. With a bit of brainstorming, you can easily come up with a list to incorporate into your video tags. If you aren’t sure what to use, visit other sites like yours and take a look at the tags they used. Often times that will spark your creative juices!

   Use these keywords in your video title, description and tags. Like I said before, keep them relevant.  Throwing in random keywords just to get people to your site can get you in trouble with the YouTube Gods. Basically, what I’m saying is don’t tag a video about organic lawn care tips with the word “Kim Kardashian” just because you want a lot of hits.

3. Create Video Playlists
   Creating playlists is a great way to organize your videos and make it easier for viewers to find what they are looking for. Take a look at your video uploads and categorize them into groups.

   For example, you could break your videos down into these categories:

   •    Interviews
   •    Product Reviews
   •    In the News
   •    Commercials
   •    Bloopers
   
   You get the picture. After you’ve decided your categories, create a playlist for each one.  Use the same keywords you came up with for the videos to describe your playlists. Load the titles with keywords, and make it clear what kind of videos are in the set.

   *Extra tip: After you’ve created your playlists, click “Arrange Playlists” from your channel view (it’s in the upper right hand corner). From here you can arrange up to six playlists in any order you want.

4. Spread the Word
   I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that if you’re creating a YouTube channel, then you’re already on Facebook and/or Twitter. Head over to those sites and post a message telling all your friends and followers about your new YouTube channel! Most likely they are going to want to see what you’ve been working on. If you’re up for it you can ask them to give you constructive feedback, too.

   Just last week, I came across an app exclusively for Facebook Fan pages from Involver. By signing up for a free subscription, you can get two apps for your page–Free! One of the free options is a YouTube tab. This app allows you to add a tab with all of your uploaded YouTube videos…right on your Facebook page. It also links to your channel, allowing viewers to head over and subscribe if they like what they see!

5. Network
   Now it’s time to network. Spend some time on YouTube finding people that have channels similar to yours. Subscribe to their channels and leave a comment about how much you like their page. People love compliments and will usually return the favor! While you’re on others pages, you can also scope out who is subscribed to their channel and reach out to them as well.

   An important thing to remember here is not to be spammy. Make sure you put a little thought into your comments–and the people you leave them for. People can tell when you’re just using them for higher subscription numbers or if you’re truly interested in their page. I like Julie’s motto here: “You make people feel important, and in turn, they make you important.”

The most crucial thing to remember through all of this is not to be intimidated! Follow these steps and you can make big things happen on YouTube. Happy tubing!

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