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The best ways to amplify views on your video content

Almost every business operating today includes video as a key pillar of their digital marketing strategy. They know it’s a powerful way to engage audiences and spread their brand message.

Ensuring it reaches your ideal customer can be a task in itself, which is why we offer video strategy support before video has been filmed. But how can you ensure the maximum number of people will view your valuable content?

That’s where content amplification comes in. We’re going to explore what it means, the importance of banging the drum for good quality videos, and how to get the most out of social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.

What is content amplification for videos?

As the name suggests, it’s the art of making your video cut through the noise of whatever marketplace you are in.

Content amplification can involve several methods, from using paid search to running a Facebook video ad campaign. It’s all a means to the same end: making people (potential customers) look at your videos.

Why does it matter?

Human beings are vast consumers of videos. Our appetite for this content is astonishing. Last year, YouTube alone racked up 14.3 billion monthly visits, beating Facebook which scratched up a mere 11.7 million, while Instagram had just over three million, according to a 2022 Hootsuite report.

We’ll examine how to capitalise on YouTube’s success later, but for the moment, absorb this little fact: it is the world’s second most-visited website.

If your company is commissioning videos but doesn’t have a YouTube channel, it’s worth creating one and tapping into this huge market.

Quality over quantity

As anyone who has ever fallen down an Internet rabbit hole or lost an afternoon through mindless scrolling will tell you: there are a LOT of low-quality videos cluttering up the web.

WordPress estimates more than four million blog posts will have been created and published before you had brunch today. How many of those will feature videos that are really worth your time?

As well as competing with rival businesses to engage the wider audience, your video also has to stand out on very crowded, noisy social media platforms.

Think of your target audience

There are several ways you can expand the audience for your video and cement your firm’s reputation as an expert in a specific niche or field.

But before we get to them, let’s focus on the kind of videos you’re publishing. We know that cat videos are always super popular (for example!), but when it comes to your company’s content, there are some serious questions to be asked.

Aims and goals

The first is establishing exactly what your video has been created to do (aside from increasing conversions and sales).

Each piece of content, whether it’s an explainer or a short teaser video, should seek to entertain or educate your audience, then encourage them to take an action: whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, clicking a link or making a purchase.

Note for Emma – should this be a H1 heading?

Funny cat videos can be wildly entertaining but consider the following: will they resonate with your audience? Are they relevant and prompt a positive response, or will the viewer simply scroll on to the next mindless video?

Our expert team creates video that will bolster your digital marketing strategy (and hit your aims and goals) and move potential customers further down the sales funnel.

Choose your amplification strategy

After establishing what your video is going to do, who it’s aimed at and where it’s going, the next stage is amplification.

There are several ways you can do this, and most businesses opt for a combination of methods, rather than just focusing on one.

1. Boost only the best content

If you were going to a job interview what would you wear? The stuff you wear around the house on a Sunday or your smartest outfit?

Of course the vast majority of people would choose the latter because they want to be seen at their very best. It’s the same for your digital marketing videos. There’s very little value in trying to amplify poor-quality content on social media channels.

The crème de la crème of content

Think back to those four million blog posts that have hit the internet before your chai latte has cooled. What percentage of them were really good? How many of that number were truly exceptional?

That’s the sort of content you’re looking to amplify via TikTok or YouTube. The best of the best of the best. Pushing tired, off-message or unengaging content is a waste of time and money if you’re paying to promote that content.

Even worse, if it has poor sound quality or doesn’t have good lighting, it can also be harmful to your brand. That could go on to erode trust among consumers and possibly even morale among your team.

We can advise and select which elements of your video will make great pieces of short-form content, allowing you to repurpose and maximise the value from each asset.

2. Call on influencers

One of the best content amplification methods is by calling on influencers to cross promote your videos on their social media channels and enhance the organic reach of your brand.

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Taylor Swift, with their hundreds of millions of followers, may be out of the reach of most businesses (though never say never, right?). But that doesn’t mean you can’t aim high.

It is worth doing your homework and identifying which social media figures are really influential in your field. Go beyond their profile picture and social media posts: drill down into their hashtags, relevant keywords and audience figures. This strategy applies with both b2b and b2c influencers.

What’s their goal?

Then find out what makes their most popular videos tick, who they’ve collaborated with and what wider motivation lies behind them.

Are they eager to spread a particular message to a particular community, or is it all about them, them, them?

Combining the right content with a solid influencer that has a highly engaged audience can be a powerful tactic. It could boost organic traffic and bring new followers to your YouTube channel or social network.

So, how do you get your chosen influencer(s) on board?

Reach out online

If you want an influencer to help your marketing videos secure more YouTube views, one of the most effective ways to build relationships is to engage with them online first.

Like, share and comment on their videos, whether they’re on your social platforms or other social networks. Make your brand visible to them and their audience with positive interactions and comments.

Post enough of the right content to get on their radar, but don’t overwhelm or harass them. Then, as the relationship develops, you can perhaps suggest working together via a private message, rather than on the public forum.

You never know, they may even propose the idea themselves.

Extend an email invitation

Another great way to introduce your brand to an influencer is via email. It’s more direct and can be faster than nurturing a relationship on social media (though you can still do that too).

It’s worth remembering your chosen influencer could receive hundreds of emails per day. If your marketing videos are time-sensitive, your message may get lost in the shuffle.

Keep your proposal brief, relevant and above all, polite. You may have to send it to more than one potential collaborator.

Use their content as a springboard

This is another great tactic to gain new subscribers and promote your brand. Take an influencer blog post or other content and use it as a starting point for a conversation with your target audience.

You can perhaps present a counter conversation for visitors to your Facebook page or other social media platforms.

Create an organic buzz and you’re almost guaranteed to attract the original influencer’s attention, allowing you to float the idea of content amplification.

3. Use remarketing to boost potential viewers

Many business owners are dab hands at analysing the data from their latest email marketing or other ad campaigns, thanks to tools provided by big tech companies.

But what happens when your latest video campaign doesn’t encourage viewers to take any action?

The short answer is: you go back to the data. Most marketing strategies are built on target keywords and an ideal customer – but there’s always room for refining ads using analytics and search results.

Specific parameters will yield results

Remarketing is a brilliant content amplification tool because it hyper-focuses on your ideal audience.

You might think casting your video marketing net as wide as possible is likely to garner more subscribers, but it’s not always so.

Use your analytics to choose really specific targeting parameters for your marketing strategy, guaranteeing your ads are seen at the right time, in the right place and by the right people.

4. Use communities to boost your video marketing

Social media is behind another of the best video content amplification strategies, thanks to the communities that gather on those online networks.

If you want your video to reach a wider audience, your business must be part of a community with an appetite for what you’re selling, whether that’s on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

It’s not enough to drop in with a hard sell every few months either. To effectively promote your company and turn users or viewers into customers, it takes investment beyond money.

Become a trusted community member

Spend quality time on your chosen platforms, interact positively with the other users and work to become a trusted, relevant member of that community.

Then, each time you publish a video, you have a receptive community of viewers, ready and eager to offer their comments.

They’re more likely to share it with other users and on other channels. It’s a form of content amplification money simply can’t buy.

Which platforms does it apply to?

Let’s say you have a fantastic video that’s the cream of your marketing crop. You’ve hooked up with a stellar influencer and you’ve nurtured your online community.

Now we’ll explore the best content amplification strategies for three major social media channels.

Here are a few tips on how to maximise each channel, increase watch time for your videos and get more views.

TikTok

Let’s establish what counts as a ‘view’ on this hugely popular platform that’s gained one billion global daily users since launching in 2016.

For TikTok, a video gains a new view the instant it plays, which is refreshingly simple. But, it doesn’t count views from the account that owns the video – so watching your own content won’t help. So, how do you boost your watch time, views and amplify your TikTok videos?

Get on the For You page

This is TikTok’s home page, packed with algorithmically curated videos that are personalised for every user.

Although anyone’s content can be picked up, there are a few tricks that could make the algorithm sit up and pay attention.

  • use relevant keywords/hashtags
  • be consistent to your niche
  • use audio that’s trending
  • focus on short videos
  • publish at optimal times

Cross promote your content

Nowhere is it written that a video made for TikTok should stay on TikTok. Forget exclusivity!

To effectively reach your target audience you should post your full video on your YouTube channel, as well as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and don’t forget your own website.

Dare to go live…

Building up a bank of marketing videos can be a sensible idea and then scheduling them for publication leaves you free to run your business, plan your next video or analyse the most recent data.

Alternatively, if you really want to shake things up, you could create a live video. It’s a direct way to engage viewers and, if it goes viral – for the right reasons – it could gain a lot more viewers than you imagined.

If the thought of live video leaves you apprehensive, our team can support you through this process too.

YouTube

Google-owned platform YouTube is the channel to watch videos, with millions of users and viewers soaking up a jaw-dropping one billion videos per day.

YouTube considers a view counted when a) it is a viewer-initiated, intended play lasting at least 30 seconds and b) the platform’s algorithm has despammed the video.

If your video clocks up 300 views, YouTube will freeze the counter and scrutinise the plays to ensure they are all genuine. Those deemed fake are deleted, and even verified videos are monitored afterward.

Get the basics right

To attract more views for your YouTube videos you must cover three fundamentals for your channel:

  • a consistent visual identity
  • a full and informative About section
  • your latest contact information

Once you’ve ticked all those boxes, then it’s time for the really smart stuff.

Boost that search results ranking

You can choose your friends but not your family, or so the saying goes. But imagine being related (kinda) to the world’s biggest search engine?

Yes, YouTube users can leverage Google Search to find out what people looked for, the terms they used and optimise their videos accordingly. How’s that for content amplification?

As well as boosting your search results ranking and gaining new views, it also increases the chances of creating original videos because you can see what’s previously been done.

Use metadata to get your YouTube videos noticed

Your keywords are a crucial part of your YouTube videos, because of the way the platform’s algorithm serves content to users.

Among the factors it considers is content that’s topically related. The keywords in your metadata can be the difference between being passed over by the software, or getting picked up and those YouTube views skyrocketing.

Those same keywords can also help distinguish your content from other videos on the platform. There’s only so much value to be extracted from each YouTube video.

If your keywords are popping up in rivals’ content, it may be time to chat with us about a new video.

Get more views by doing more than ‘how to’

YouTube video marketing has finally evolved beyond ‘how to’ content. Yes it is effective but why not use it as a springboard to more innovative original content?

Use your deep understanding of your target audience to commission high-quality YouTube videos that are relevant to them.

It could include talking head interviews, animated explainers or even conversations between different employees.

Just remember to entertain, educate and enable embedding for every YouTube video. That way, your audience can share them on social media channels far and wide – amplifying your top-drawer video and securing more views.

Use cards and end screens to direct YouTube video traffic

Did you know videos that have cards and end screens can bypass the YouTube algorithm and directly influence what a viewer watches next on the online channel? You do now.

Cards are clickable and more often than not pop-ups, so it’s crucial that they add value. To get the most out of them, serve up a link to your video playlist to secure more views.

They’re also an ideal prompt to insert at a point in videos that experience an audience drop-off.

An end screen, as the name suggests, appears in the last few minutes of a YouTube video and is a direct call to action.

They’re a great way to encourage users to like or subscribe to your YouTube channel, or promote more of your other videos or playlists.

Instagram

Content amplification on Instagram follows many of the same rules as on TikTok and YouTube: know your audience, post quality content for viewers to watch, and team up with influencers where possible.

But there are also a few handy things to know about Instagram that will help get you more views on the channel.

Use the right hashtags

Companies posting videos on Instagram must do their research. They have to know all the hashtags relevant to their niche that their target audience is using across all the videos they watch on social media.

They should also include hashtags that are:

  • unique to your brand
  • trending in your area of expertise
  • your competitors use to drive engagement
  • top influencers in your niche use

The more specific the hashtags used on the Instagram videos you post, the more that content will be amplified and secure more views on that channel. Why? Because it’s reaching the viewers it interests the most.

Bouche Media’s video strategy support and planning

There is a lot to think about when it comes to creating videos and video ads, and it’s worth looking at the strategy behind what happens before and after content is produced.

We offer strategic reviews and planning to help you get the most from your videos and maximise your results.

Before filming, we will help you:

  • understand the value and worth of your video
  • plan and design a video that will cut through to your audience.
  • learn how to recycle assets and prolong your video’s shelf-life
  • have all the tools and knowledge you need to ensure all stakeholders are happy

The support continues when the video’s wrapped too. We will:

  • support you with a plan to ensure content is effectively distributed
  • help you understand the data generated by your videos
  • ensure you know your content is sufficiently amplified and working as hard as it should

Contact us

As well as creating compelling videos for corporates and other businesses, we offer four video strategy services to choose from. If you want to know more about any of them, click here.

To talk to a member of our team or, if you have any other queries about video production, you can call us on 0203 6373597, email info@bouchemedia.com or use this contact form.