Promoting on YouTube?

[Marti Talbott]

I have not idea how I got on this mailing list, but I thought the idea was interesting. I hadn't thought of promoting on YouTube. The thing is, it's just one more place to promote.

The ABCs of Effective YouTubing for Authors, Oct 19
 
With about 122 million daily active users on YouTube consuming more than a billion hours of video every day, YouTube can be one of the most effective book marketing channels in your promotion mix.
Investing your time, energy, and resources into building your author brand will make you stand out in the crowd and sustain your book marketing efforts. It will help you to deliver extra value to your readers and bond with them at a deeper level.

In this session for the Author Learning Center scheduled for October 19th, at 10:30 am PDT, author and book marketing expert A.G. Billig  will walk you through the steps of creating content for a stellar YouTube channel, and recommend best practices for including it in your marketing mix.

[alhawke]

The problem with Youtube is it is a super saturated market designed for videos. If you want to really make a splash, you have to either have something that goes viral or you have to have continuous content. And simply talking about your books is not going to bring you YouTube fame, imo (unless you're already a very popular author. But if that's the case, using Youtube to further your visibility is a moot point). So I view Youtube as an extra.

One person who grabbed my attention from Youtube was author and cover designer Derek Murphy. But Derek Murphy did it in order to discuss publishing. Advertising specifically for his books was a side issue (though probably a profitable one).

In order to monetize, you have to have over 1000 subscribers. And in order to get seen in a search, you have to have a lot of views. A lot of views.

All that being said, I've dabbled with YouTube primarily to allow me a forum to post my trailers. I view it as another form of advertising on top of everything else. An extra. I have links with my website and promote it here and there. You can check out my channel, if you'd like:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqQRMSfZ-vZzQAGPynF-tmg

[Marti Talbott]

The problem with Youtube is it is a super saturated market designed for videos. If you want to really make a splash, you have to either have something that goes viral or you have to have continuous content. And simply talking about your books is not going to bring you YouTube fame, imo (unless you're already a very popular author. But if that's the case, using Youtube to further your visibility is a moot point). So I view Youtube as an extra.

One person who grabbed my attention from Youtube was author and cover designer Derek Murphy. But Derek Murphy did it in order to discuss publishing. Advertising specifically for his books was a side issue (though probably a profitable one).

In order to monetize, you have to have over 1000 subscribers. And in order to get seen in a search, you have to have a lot of views. A lot of views.

All that being said, I've dabbled with YouTube primarily to allow me a forum to post my trailers. I view it as another form of advertising on top of everything else. An extra. I have links with my website and promote it here and there. You can check out my channel, if you'd like:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqQRMSfZ-vZzQAGPynF-tmg

In other words, I would have to do something cute like with cats or funny with kids or dogs. Then just run a feeder across the bottom advertising my books. However, I have no idea how to make a video. Sounds like it wouldn't be worth my time. Making a funny video would go viral just as easily if posted on Facebook. Ha, I don't have a dog or a cat either.

Thanks for the advice. Searching, always searching for ways to promote.

[idontknowyet]

i second youtube is a full time job to make it work.

That said i have a plan for it in the future if i make enough money to fund said plan.

[PJ Post]

It's just another promotional channel. The trick, like everything else, is figuring out how to use it effectively.

I think monetization requires 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of viewed content within a 12 month period, which is way scarier sounding than it is. But...

...you have to have continuous content.

This is what matters - same thing for Facebook and Instagram. That doesn't mean every day or week, monthly is fine. Any schedule works really, but you have to stick to it, especially in the beginning.

[Wonder]

I'm leery of any marketing activity that:

1) takes substantial time away from my writing
2) focuses on micro-celebrity/personality/influencerness

That makes YouTube a poor fit for me. But as an example, Brandon Sanderson does well on YouTube. Then again, he has a staff of people who can handle things like editing, upload, and so on.

[Hopscotch]

It's just another promotional channel. The trick, like everything else, is figuring out how to use it effectively.

...you have to have continuous content.

Isn't TikTok easier?  Do an Elaine dance standing on a stack of your books.  Do a different dance everyday until you're a bestseller.  Or get invited to be a backup dancer on SNL.

[Marti Talbott]

I'm leery of any marketing activity that:

1) takes substantial time away from my writing
2) focuses on micro-celebrity/personality/influencerness

That makes YouTube a poor fit for me. But as an example, Brandon Sanderson does well on YouTube. Then again, he has a staff of people who can handle things like editing, upload, and so on.

All good points, thanks.

[Anarchist]

The host's books aren't selling.

The host's YouTube channel has no engagement.

Blog (Self-Publishing Mastery)? No engagement.

Pass.

[DmGuay]

You can listen to this free Creative Penn episode all about YouTube for free. And get everything you need to know, without paying for a course.
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2020/11/16/youtube-for-authors/

[PJ Post]

I think the datum most creatives tend to skip right over when analyzing opportunities is that the overwhelming majority of creatives fail (financially) regardless of platform, discipline or ability. The simple truth is that writing is not always the best use of our time anymore. If you can't move the product you have, more product isn't likely to change anything. Fighting it out Queensbury style in the discount bin is akin to living on a precipice, the slightest change in algorithms can push you off. The most basic business fundamental is differentiation - why should the consumer buy your product as opposed to your competitor's? And while I understand that this isn't a zero sum game, all things being equal, they buy the one they're more familiar with. And that familiarity comes from promotions - advertising and public relations (social media).

This is why GEICO runs so many commercials. Most car insurance is basically the same - limited differentiation - so when people have to pick a company, they pick one they're familiar with.

[Marti Talbott]

Good post. You're right, of course. In our industry, I'm not sure there is a 'stand out' book promoter such as BookBub at least not in the ads I see on Facebook. There are several competitors and their ads are not often repeated. I don't pay for Facebook ads, but I suspect to run an ad often to the same readers, one would have to narrow their target audience to the bare minimum.

[TimothyEllis]

I don't pay for Facebook ads, but I suspect to run an ad often to the same readers, one would have to narrow their target audience to the bare minimum.

Judging by the ads I see on Facebook, 100% of which are crap I'd never want to see, FB probably don't care about targeting an audience. All they want is enough target to keep the mugs buying ads.

Now if the ads I saw were at least 50% in line with my own activity on FB, I'd see doing ads as a reasonable investment.

But a 100% failure rate in delivery, compounded by multiple ads for the same thing from different pages, and how can anyone take FB ads seriously?

[Marti Talbott]

I don't pay for Facebook ads, but I suspect to run an ad often to the same readers, one would have to narrow their target audience to the bare minimum.

Judging by the ads I see on Facebook, 100% of which are crap I'd never want to see, FB probably don't care about targeting an audience. All they want is enough target to keep the mugs buying ads.

Now if the ads I saw were at least 50% in line with my own activity on FB, I'd see doing ads as a reasonable investment.

But a 100% failure rate in delivery, compounded by multiple ads for the same thing from different pages, and how can anyone take FB ads seriously?

Yeah, it's a scam. FB also does all they can to prevent promotion on our own pages, but I've learned to work around that with picture ads and just my website link. It's a new idea on my part, so can't be certain it's selling books, but at least FB leaves it alone. I don't know how to post a picture here or I would give you an example. I'll try an attachment.