GTChannel Welcome - New Partners - April/May 2014
New Partners -
Included are all the new partners joining the GTChannel community over the last month. (I've also added a couple more partners that haven't accomplished all the starting line tasks to begin optimizing your channels.)
This email could be 100 pages long, but I'll attempt to keep it short and to the point. I've had the pleasure of working with several of you to get you into the network. I've enjoyed it. You come from all areas and you all have your individual goals for the channel. Some started their channels as a hobby, while others are ready to create the next BBC. Some are individuals and some are large businesses already. But in all regards you are all committed to growing your channels and the community as a whole. We are thrilled to have you and look forward to watching you grow and succeed.
Let's get to it.
GTChannel is here to help. If you have any problems - youtube, creating content, equipment, music, ideas, social marketing, whatever - if you have questions don't hesitate to ask.
PARTNER INFO/PROFILE
Many of you have signed up off-line. Our online signup and partner profiles is back online. We want everyone to go online and set up a GTChannel Platform user/password. There is also info for partner's details that we want to have in the system.
This will be redundant for some of you, but it will help us and you to have you on the platform. If you already signed up this way - you are all set.
Click Start to run through the process.
You will also find info to do a couple important things.
1. Add a logo, so we can use it for promotions
2. Creating Channel Trailer - if you haven't started this it is very important to help get new subscribers. Read up.
3. Tax forms (domestic US and international)
Important emails to keep
Newvideo@gtchannel.com - when you upload, please shoot us the URL. We will look at all partner uploads and look for the best ways to promote them. Remember the goal is to build YOUR channel not our channel, so we look for the best avenue to promote the video. YOU will be promoting this yourself as well, which is critically important.
Support@gtchannel.com - We have set up a response system to make sure any request for help gets pushed to the right person. While I'd love to help on social marketing, but I'm not the best guy for that - support@ will let us get that to the right person. You should get a response in 24 hours or less. If you don't - email me and I'll make sure you are taken car of.
When you join >> for new partners
Promotion: Our social media team will promote in a variety of ways depending on what we think will help best.
1. Google+
2. Add to featured partner playlist on YouTube
3. Twitter
5. Instagram
6. Facebook
7. Press - in these cases, we'll present some videos to press outlets that may pick up the video link. It helps to have something special to get picked up.
8. Cross-promotion - part of our effort is to utilize the power of the network and community. You may be asked to help another partner to cross-promote. This will help you both, so we encourage you to participate in these opportunities. One of the big secrets to success is to introduce your channel and content to an audience that hasn't found you yet. Cross-promotion is a great way to do this. You may be asked to include a partner's video on your channel, or to like a video, or other - in turn they will do the same for you.
Let's talk Social
There is likely no better way to grow your channel than using social.
If you don't have your social component set up - you need to get this going today!
* Facebook page for Channel/Brand - this should be the same name as your YouTube channel with same logo.
* Instagram - same Channel/Brand as your YouTube channel
* Twitter - same Channel/Brand as your youtube channel
* Google + - VERY important, it ties into Youtube in a very powerful way.
* If you are a video gamer - set up a TWITCH Page as well.
1. Let GTChannel know all your social info. We need to have this on file to help promote them as well.
2. Subscribe to GTChannel's FB, Instagram, Twitter - we communicate through social, and it is important to be in the on going conversation
(Here is a good video on how to set up google + from your YT channel >
Subscribe to GTChannel Blog. This is one of the key ways we communicate with partners.
3. Take a look at your channel's about page - This should include all your social links. Here is GTChannel's about page.
4. EVERY video that you upload should include your social (and web links)
Example ...
Much more on social to come ...
1. how often to post
2. how to buy more reach
3. new technique to hit 10 time the reach as normal
more ...
UPLOADING Videos -
1. Make sure you have the category set for each video you upload - many will be auto & vehicles. Make sure you include this. Going through new channel's videos I've seen many with this unlisted. Remember, when youtube sells ads to brands, they do this by category in many cases, so it is important to be included in a category.
2. Content ID
This is very important. You should ONLY be clicking or checking this if your content is 100% your content. If you don't own all of the material and assets you should not select this. It will cause a variety of issues. We'll have more follow up on this and the copyright, music discussion.
What's in a name.
Looking at many of the new partners (and some older ones) you have not set up your youtube channel URL yet.
You'll need to have your GOOGLE + account set up first very easy, and part of the task listed above, so let's add that again here.
Once you've set up Google + let's fix the name. Go to your channel > select "About" - look at the URL
If your channel is listed as some UC + random set up numbers, we need to fix this so it shows your user name.
This is important since it is quite unwieldy to use the random UC code (This is technically called your Channel ID and will always be associated to your channel - you just don't want it visible). Trust me no one is remembering this, better to have your channel URL look like this ...
Here is how to do it - watch the video.
GTChannel Logos -
We have provided a GTChannel Network Partner logo for partners to use. This can be used on videos, in your YT header, on social pages, and in your channel description. This hi-res logo is attached here. We will be putting out detailed info on how the logo should be used, and some ways we don't want it to be used. We want this uniform to everyone so we are all building the brand in the same way.
For now, feel free to use on your vids - but keep it short. Remember - the first 15 seconds is the MOST important to retain the audience. If you have 20 seconds of logos and openings - you'll lose the viewer. You can also use the logo in your channel ABOUT in the description.
MUSIC
Always an on-going discussion. My co-founder Taro, wrote up a great piece on this last week. In case you missed it.
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We often get questions on what kind of music to use and how to get good music for your videos.
First thing we need to recognize is that the music you use in your video must be created by yourself or you have the rights to use someone else's music.
You can create simple beats with some bass using software like Garageband but finding royalty free music is an easy way to incorporate music for your videos. We all know, lousy music can make or break a video.
Here are some of our suggestions on where to find royalty free music on the internet.
- YouTube: Go to Video Manager>Creation Tools>Audio Library. You will be surprised by the amount and quality of free music they offer here. We strongly suggest you start here.https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary
- Activity Music: There are several YouTube channels that offers free copyright free music in exchange for crediting the artist and placing a download link in the video description. Activity Music is one of them. They have tons of electronic music if that is what you're looking for.https://www.youtube.com/user/ActivityMusic
- Incomptech.com: From African music to Rock, these guys have something for everyone.http://incompetech.com/music/
- Dig.ccmixter.org: A site that has 1000s of songs with permission to use for your videos.http://dig.ccmixter.org/
- Josh Woodward: This guy knows what he's talking about. He has hundreds of videos for you to use free of charge. Only thing he asks in return is to credit and include a link in your video description. He even has a note on his website for YouTube partners. http://www.joshwoodward.com/#/
Here are some sites we go to buy or license music.
- Jamendo.com: We have often turned to Jamendo to find high quality licensed music. You usually pay what you get for and when free stuff just isn't doing it, you have to go to the pros.http://www.jamendo.com/en/welcome
- YouLicense.com: Another site that offers decent music for a reasonable price.http://www.youlicense.com
I would recommend you go visit these sites to see which one matches your needs as a video creator. Many of them lets you create an account and save playlists for future projects.
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RANDOM items
In trying to put together some new partner suggestions MILLIONs of suggestions come to mind. We can't include them all, but I thought I'd bullet point some suggestions, comments, and tips here.
* Don't include dates in your video headlines. They are great in 2014 ... but when 2016 comes along - no one will watch.
You want people watching these videos for the next 10 years.
* Video constructions - Our goal is to increase TIME WATCHED. This is the #1 factor youtube looks for and it is the one metric no one can game or manipulate. The perfect use case is for a user to search or see your video listed on the platform. They are interested, so they click it and watch all the way to the end. That tells youtube that the viewer got what the viewer was looking for. The video and your channel is rewarded for this through youtube recommendations, increased ad plays, and even higher CPMs (ad rates). How do you do this?
- Headlines that attract, but realistic to the video you will show. If you say - BRAD PITT THROWS UP and you show a video
that has nothing to do with Brad Pitt - viewers will click out - BAD TIME WATCHED %. Not what you want.
- Good Tags - that help the viewer that is searching to find your video
- Thumbnails - engaging and interesting, and again NOT Brad puking.
- First 15 - Remember the first 15 seconds is super important. Just think of television - or film - they use this all the time.
You watch a James Bond movie and the movie opens with a crazy car chase or action scene ... then the movie open. You are hooked. If you watch a TV sitcom or drama - same thing - a tease scene up front. Watch the news, they list the five stories that you might want to see - I always hate this because the one story I want to see is always last.
But this can be done on your vids as well - show a teaser or tell the audience what the video is about to get them excited - then open the video or move on to the good stuff.
Tell em' what your going to tell them > tell them > then tell em' what you told them.
* Think Shareable
With the rise of social media platforms, sharing has become one of the most important ways to find and develop an audience. While you can't guarantee any video will go viral, you can make it more shareable by using some proven tactics.
Identify trending subject matter
Keep your finger on YouTube's pulse, and stay on top of popular search terms.
What words will viewers use to describe your video when they share it? Would you click on this yourself?
Connect through emotion
Viewers are more likely to share a video that elicits a strong emotional response. Make videos that induce laughter or feelings of sweetness, excitement or nostalgia.
Appeal to your audience's values
People often share content because they feel the content conveys something about their own beliefs. Sharing funny content makes them feel funny, sharing informative content makes them feel knowledgeable, and sharing topical content makes them feel on top of the latest news. Keep this in mind: What will your video say about the people who share it?
Create ongoing series with break-out potential
Viral videos and recurring series are NOT mutually exclusive.
Many of YouTube's top creators release series in which each episode enjoys high sharing and viral activity. Often one video will break out and then introduce massive audiences to the entire series.
>>>>>> The next steps ...
I've thrown quite a lot on you to start, but getting the channel up to speed with best practices is key to start building.
Please let me know any questions or thoughts you may have. Work on the above and we'll see everybody grow.
Sincerely,
Scott Schlichter
CEO/Founder
GTChannel
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