Ten Mistakes You MUST Avoid Creating Youtube Videos

I am giving you hours and hours of my research hoping that it may help you in learning how to make effective videos. I made it a mission to understand how to drive traffic using videos and researched one of the most successful companies that uses this medium very well. I watched them ALL 3 times over, I watched them to see:

What caught my eyes
What really stuck with me
What happened in the background
What things were repeated
What made me laugh
Was there certain colors used
Were there certain words used
Did they do different things every time
Did they do different things every time
What was consistent
What wasn't consistent

Were there mistakes
What was perfect
Which videos got the most views
Which videos got the least views
Which videos got the most comments
Which videos got the least comments

Which were most popular
Which was my favorite and why

I would love to hear which is your favorite.

But I sorta doubt you are willing to watch all 74 to give an accurate and fair assessment.

I do not blame you either it was a PROCESS but I have some great data , information and results to give you so you can take this and make your business better.

10. Use Your Calendar to Your Benefit

What does that mean? Simple, Tom remembered to use the Superbowl to his advantage and included that in his videos to drive traffic.

(NOW HE MADE A BIG MISTAKE ON THIS ONE: read below what it was so you can learn from his mistakes)

How many dates can you take advantage of your customer's awareness? Christmas, Valentines, Back to School, the possibilities are endless.
Use the calendar to your advantage!

9. Get the public's interaction!!!

As Tom and his team improved their videos over time and trial and error (that you will be benefiting from - especially since I am pointing all these gems out to you haha!) Their videos became more effective as they left the studio and went out in public to get the public involved in their videos.

I have seen the veiwership rise as Blentec has but these principles into action in their videos. They have improved over time and you will too. One of the things that stands out in the newer videos is that they are going out into the public and getting their involvement with their videos.

A perfect example and one of my favorites is the new iPhone 3g. Can you say fun?! Thats what Tom did he got in line at the ATT store and talked to people in line waiting for their new iphones, he used it to generate even more awareness of his product and him by engaging the public in his videos . Now, how cool is that? So get the public involved in your videos.
Use the Public to your advantage!

8. Comments - they are good for many thing so do not be afraid of them.

Whether the comments are good or bad.

They get you publicity and and whether it's good comments or not think about this: conflict still raises the bar and gets people involved. So even conflict has it's place in helping you grow your business.

Oh, I almost forgot, Tom used things people asked about in comments to generate new videos too, so make sure you read your comments and use the fodder they offer.
Use Comments to your advantage!

7. Where is your company's logo?

Have it showing, at the beginning in the background and at the end. It is about impressions even if they are silent. It is YOUR video so be creative and have fun with how and where you can get your company logo or name in your video.
Use Your Logo and Company name to your advantage!

6. End EVERY VIDEO with an affirmation of what you want them to think.

For example, the purpose of Blendtec is to answer their #5 "Will It Blend?" They always end it "YES IT BLENDS" . Here is your opportunity to make great subconscious impressions on your clients and get them thinking in the solutions and positives about your product or company.
Use affirmations to your advantage! .

5. QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS!!!

The best thing I have learned from my favorite mentor is that "questions direct thoughts". How can you use questions to direct your customers thoughts? Blendtec does it in their intro, "Will It Blend?" They engage you right out of the gate.

Questions engage the customer..... questions take the mind to the possibility......questions takes the mind from the no to the yes, by suspending the mental chatter into a directed focus of what if....

People love to answer questions, so remember to make them fun too!
Use QUESTIONS to your advantage!

4. Consistent content.

Why? What do you you mean? Well, that's easy...if you build consistent content you will build a following because they will want to see what you do next. Now, I hear ya! Isn't that a conflicting statement? Nope , and here is why.

Your content has more of an effect when they foundation and framework of your video is consistent. They know the outline of what you will do so their attention is not wasted looking at every little thing happening. They can focus on the parts where you ads humor and fun and the suprizes! We a creatures of habit, we like to have something to look forward to where we know what to expect.
Use consistency that to your advantage!

3. HUMOR. HAHAHAHHA!!!!!

This is one of the most fun parts of this assignment. We all love to laugh and enjoy things in life. Humor puts us in an open frame of mind and therefore we remember it longer.

Tom has done a fabulous job of adding humor to his videos. This has been key to generating him a cult following. His customers have come up with their own cool sayings from his humor. For ex: when he blends items like wii he calls it "wii smoke, don't breath this". Customers in comments have made so many comments about the "smoke" comments on each video it has propelled them to tell others "go watch this is so funny!"

In each video he used humor with smoke connected and it brings a huge smile to your eyes even listening on the 151 time.

Sometimes his humor was directed at his goofs (or appearances at goofs) like when he blended the new iphone not the old one hee hee! We all have a sadistic side of us that gets our jollies from that.
Use humor to your advantage!

2. Shock value.

This started off as their biggest component in their videos. As time grew people expected them to do some really showing and stupid stuff.
They looked forward to seeing "what crazy thing will they do next?"

Now, you might now be able to blend glow sticks LOL but be creative about what you can do to bring shock value to your videos and when it is combined with humor, you have a good combination.
Use Shock Value to your advantage!

1. Use the popularity of items in the market or coming out in the market.

Timing, Timing, Timing. Here is a key way to use timing in your favor. Whether it's the release of a new game like Guitar Hero, iphones, Grand Theft Auto.....you get the picture.

Also popular people! Besides Chuck Norris (One of my favorites),Blentec used a well known fitness guru Shawn Phillips and his supplements and after Tom drank his shake he turned into the fitness guru! So learn to watch trends and ride their coat-tails in popularity it gets you more exposure and if you make it funny and use all the other things we have talked about then you are on your way!

Think about how you can create buzz on your product by connecting it to things that will generate buzz already.
Use their advertising dollars to your advantage!

Well, I just proved that wrong, you can upload TEN Videos! You rebel you!!!!!!! Opps, sorry talking to myself again.

Ok, here we are looking at the least viewed and this is where I challenge YOU to tell me WHY they didn't rate. After watching these videos THREE times over each, I know what I think.....Isn't that a lot of times where we get our best education? I learned from their mistakes. Isn't it fun to learn on someone else's nickel?

Now, I promised I would tell you their biggest mistake in my opinion (key word there folks) Was Drum roll please.......................

The Super Bowl videos! They couldn't use the term or keyword to generate views and it would have been a biggie. They tried to do it covertly and as you see they were the two least watched videos they have done.

The #1 least viewed video was at a conference on the road where a lot of people talked about what they saw and what was their favorite video, but again it was not consistent with their framework, foundation and pattern they set with their other videos so it was not funny. I have learned you need to keep all the components together otherwise your views will go down.

Another thing I noticed after watching the videos over and over is the funniest ones are the winners. I would say they made mistakes by not using more humor. There were times they could have used so much more humor. I was sitting there yelling out jokes or play on words they could have used lol.

But hey you gotta learn right?

I also noticed that in some videos Tom did not smile as much and you wondered if he really wanted to be there, so remember to smile! People respond to smiles.

The there times the items they blended did not seem exciting enough, therefore I was bored and thought hmmm would I have done this one? For ex: ice cubes into snow, hmmmmmmm then I was wondering how could I have made it funnier and that might have gotten better views.

I did notice that most of these mistakes were in the beginning of their recordings so as they went along they paid attention to what worked so kudos for them.