Youtube is the most popular video site on the internet, but with 20 hrs of video being loaded every minute, it is getting harder and harder to get recognised. Below are seven ways to develop a popular youtube travel channel
*Network with other travel channels
Search out other travel video channels on youtube, subscribe to them, add them as friends and even contact them telling them about what you are doing. If they are a partner, they may even feature your channel. Each partner has a branding option that allows them to feature 16 other youtube channels.
*Find an Audience
People who subscribe to other travel channels will most likely be interested in travel videos. Do them a favor and tell them about your channel, send them a message, add them as a friend. Who knows, they might even subscribe to you.
*Get Involved
Youtube is a community – a lot of youtubers visit the site regularly and have favorite channels they follow. Be involved, watch other travel videos, rate them, comment on them and reply to comments on your own videos
*Post regularly
Posting videos at regular intervals helps new people become aware of your channel, it helps place your videos in daily, weekly, monthly statistics such as most viewed, most favorite and most commented. Posting regularly also shows other youtubers you are a serious youtuber and not just a ‘johnny come lately’
*The power of the thumbnail
Believe it or not, both your channel icon and video thumbnail can influence views. One of my most popular videos has a thumbnail of a buxom blonde in a bikini and has been viewed over one million times. Go figure! Also, my channel icon leaves no doubt about what viewers will find on my channel.
*Video responses
If you make a video about a particular location, do a video search for this location, find the most viewed video, and post your video as a video response. This can help people looking for information about this location to find your video.
*Cross post to other social network sites
Spread the love; set up a twitter account, a facebook account, a myspace account, a digg account and cross promote your videos. On facebook for example, there is a travel video group where you can embed your videos and maybe increase your exposure to a whole new audience.
So there you go, seven ways to help develop your youtube travel channel. Some youtubers manage to produce a huge viral video hit and become overnight sensations, but for most, developing a following takes time. Support other travel channels, help develop a network. Viewers love travel related content and by supporting each other we help share culture.
Finally I would like to add a video made by popular comic youtuber, Nalts. He sums up better than anyone, what one needs to do to develop a following on youtube.
Overlander.tv has been working on an interesting online tourism marketing campaign, which encompasses the use of both short video vignettes and a location map marking out regional attractions.
Grampians Tourism wanted to highlight visitor activities within their region, by populating a map with 30 second teaser videos.
To measure the effectiveness of these short videos, a ‘call to action’ web link was used to provide further information, pointing people towards the visitgrampians.com.au website.
Each video also ends with visitgrampians.com.au branding so as to maximize exposure to the Grampians Tourism website.
Online Tools used to accomplish this project
Videos were loaded to tubemogul.com where they could be syndicated across various online video channels.
The videos featured on the map, and thus promoted the most, are from the world’s largest video website, Youtube.
Youtube is part of the google stable, which means, with the clever use of keywords, can place videos high in google search.
Zeemaps.com provided a mapping solution that allowed markers to be placed at various locations and provide video, text and further external web link information.
On completion of this project, a regional map of the Grampians will be populated with 30+ short videos featuring a diverse range of activities from horse riding to rock climbing, wine tasting to family camping.
Grampians Tourism will further promote their video map on social networking sites such as facebook, twitter and myspace. This will also improve search engine optimization for this campaign.
The beauty of this marketing campaign is that Grampians Tourism can measure the effectiveness of each video, from both the internal and external visitor site statistics for their visitgrampians.com.au website.
Our Online Video Business Profile encompasses a short video (1-1.5 minute) that allows business to show the online community their unique products and services.
We have devised this service so that production can be completed in a very quick time frame (approx. one day) and at a cost that is affordable to all business.
It is important for us to measure the effectiveness of your video marketing and we help you devise a measurable ‘call to action’ in pre-production.
Your video profile will be syndicated across various online video channels, such as youtube, and we can help spread your message via social networking sites like facebook. We also ensure your video is added to your website and your google business listing.
Cost $1500
GST $150
Total $1650
What is included:
> Pre-Production support eg Script
> Interview or voiceover with business owner or employee
> filming at your business ( 1 to 4 hrs)
> High Definition Quality
> Non obtrusive Lighting
> High Quality audio recording
> Custom music soundtrack
> Graphics, if needed eg add your logo
> Chance to view rough edit and suggest changes
> Call to Action to measure effectiveness eg web link, competition
> Completed Short Video put online (1 – 1.5 min)
> DVD Master provided for future duplication
* For regional business, a $150 travel fee applies
For further information please Contact us or ring Mark on
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal mentions that online video is starting to become one of the best performing formats for online marketing.
A study by the Kelsey Group found that “online video can combine some of the traditional strengths of video advertising (entertaining, informative, ability to elicit emotional response) with the direct response capabilities of the Internet.”
Other studies have also found that “Streaming video delivers nearly three times higher brand awareness and message association, and more than 100% higher purchase intent and online ad awareness than non-rich media ads.”
Video also performs extremely well in Search (particularly youtube videos, as google owns youtube) Clever marketers are already aware of the power of video in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and it seems search engines are moving away from text search, making searches more interactive via video.
Unlike traditional television advertising, the results of an online video marketing campaign are also measurable. Statistics are available with regard to the age, sex, location, and the followup action of viewers (eg visiting your website and purchasing a product)
Develop an action plan to determine the success of a video, for example, provide a web link for more information or run a competition. Engage your audience, let them learn more about your region, product or business by providing immediate, measurable calls to action.
How to use Online Video in your Marketing Campaign.
The internet allows for interactivity between your business and online viewers.
Business is now a conversation.
Video offers the perfect format to engage an online audience, to tell them about your business, your services, your products and also develop rapport and trust.
This means traditional 30 second television ads don’t work online, because viewers can avoid them at the click of a mouse. You must give people a reason to watch your video. For example, provide them with free information, give them an incentive to watch and avoid the ‘hard sell’ of television ads.
Many business owners are realizing they don’t need to hire models and talent to tell their story, fronting the camera themselves to discuss ‘documentary style’ their services or products. Why TV Ads don’t work on the net
Choosing a Production Company to make your Online Video.
Online video has changed the rules, reducing costs so as to make video accessible to all business.
Better and cheaper technology, means footage shot on the $5,000 professional video camera, in the hands of a skilled cameraman, can look just as good, as footage shot by a television crew.
And now, instead of having only 30 seconds to get your message across, the optimum time to tell your story online is 2 – 3 minutes.
When choosing a production company, first examine their previous work. Can they tell a story and have they experience helping non-media professionals, such as business owners, perform well in front of a camera? And do they understand the online arena, do they have a youtube channel? Do people connect with their work? Do people subscribe to their youtube channel and actually want to watch their videos?
In the new world of online video, a small production company with a strong online video resume, may prove a better and more cost effective choice, than the bigger television production companies, dinosaurs of a different era.
Video example of overlander.tv’s tourism promos featuring all local people.
Article by Mark Shea of Overlander Multimedia. Mark is a video producer and trainer and specializes in documentary and travel/tourism related content. His youtube channel is one of youtube’s most successful travel partner channels
