5 Things I Learned From YouTube - Long Format Videos

 

As a content creator working for brands and a YouTube platform, I have seen and learned a lot of ways to get traffic results. Social media is always changing and keeping up with trends are vital to be valuable to clients that need my services.

In the last year and a half I have been working for this YouTube platform. I am in charge of cinematography, photography, still image editing and social media.  

For a relatively new platform we are doing very well with views and subscriptions. We have also learned what works and doesn't. Below are 5 things I learned from YouTube creating long formats.

I have heard so many people say, "people have short attention span, so only create short form videos." It may be so for certain platforms, but we've discovered that long formats are still high in demand and viewers are enjoying them. When we first started the platform we would upload 1 - 3 minute videos (posted several of them) and one video would gain views. Then we started exploring 10-15 minute videos. Those did ok. But, once we started posting longer forms from 45 minutes to 1 or 2 hours, our numbers started climbing. 

Collaboration

In order to grow your channel, you have to collaborate with other YouTubers or influencers. This helps speed up the process by you gaining bandwidth from that collab. But make sure to work with the right collaborators. If that person has good social media presence, you will absorb some of their audience. Make sure it's in the same demographics as your brand or project. 

You either entertain, educate, or find controversy (the audience has to find value)

Whatever your channel may be, there has to be some value for the viewer. We first started to shoot celebrities, sports athletes and leaders of their industry. We have found the controversy brings in the comments which results in higher views. For example, the news rarely reports feel good stories, instead, they report of drama, extreme situations, fear and so fort...this negativity brings in views. Some of the guest we bring on the show have colorful history with crime and imprisonment. Many are gang or mafia affiliated. In general urban stories. If you watch majority of our high views many of them have hundreds of comments. Lots and lots of chatter.

Engage with your audience

In the comments it's important to communicate and engage with the audience. Sometimes even the most ridiculous comment needs some attention. By interacting, it makes the audience feel connected with the channel. Often times, we try to engage in a very neutral approach. Make sure to try and respond promptly so it fresh. Having a non-contested comment sit for weeks and months doesn't help the channel feel active. 

Quality

In our channel we aim for quality. We shoot in a high end green screen stage equipped with state-of-the-art lighting, camera and audio equipment. You won't find us using a cell phone during an interview, only in cases of behind the scenes content, we shoot with smart phones. We have been praised for the quality of the production, which makes our audience love the content we publish. Professionally done, with great results. Lower end quality can also work. You just have to be consistent with the content. 

Thumbnails and Title

It's important you also put equal amount of time into the thumbnail and title. This is like the "first impression" for the audience seeing your channel. If the viewer sees an eye-catchy thumbnail, they are more likely to click on the the video. You can have a one/two punch if you also get them on a catchy title. Often times, click bait works best on certain types of titles in videos. The great thing about thumbnails and title is, you can always change it. If you find you are not getting enough engagement, then it's time to switch them up to something new. 

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