While censoring comments on your video may seem like a good way to combat spam and trolling, it can also eliminate a valuable resource in constructive criticism and turn people off who may otherwise become followers.

With viral video marketing as much as with any mode of advertising, it is important to remember that there are some potential pitfalls which can be limiting of your success:

• Stuffing Information – With what is typically a ten minute time limit to work within, you will want to make sure that your audience gets all of your main points in as short a time as possible.  You also want to be sure that your main points are clear, so avoid wasting time by going off on tangents at the expense of your main points.
• Lack of Planning – With such a short time frame to work with, you will want to have a plan for how you will cover your main talking points.  Without a specific outline, it is difficult to effectively cover all of your talking points as clearly and specifically as possible.
• Description in Text – Do not forget that this offers you the opportunity to elaborate on your main points where you may not have had time to do so in your video.
• Keywords – Try to fit some commonly searched keywords within your title and tags.  It is very difficult to gain any recognition without a search result which appears high in the rankings.
• Ignoring Criticism – Although it is obviously not necessary to pay attention to criticism that is not constructive or thoughtful, it is important to remain on the lookout for the constructive and intelligent criticism that may help you improve your approach.  It is better to take constructive criticism than to ignore all criticism and repeat the same mistakes as a result.

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Most video sharing web sites such as YouTube are designed for shorter videos in which the poster will get their message across clearly and in few words, so get straight to the point.

As with other modes of advertising, there are some basic principles to keep in mind when using viral videos for internet marketing:

• Stick to the Main Points – Most video sharing sites such as YouTube limit the length of a video to 10 minutes, so prioritize the most important points.
• Be Specific – You will want to make certain that your audience understands the full context of your message.  Feel free to elaborate with longer explanations in your description box, or to provide links for further reading.
• Organization – This is important both for your main talking points in your video and in how your organize information in your description, especially when you have so little time and space to work with.
• Recognizable Keywords – using keywords in the title and tags which are commonly searched will help your video be found more easily.
• Criticism – Be prepared to take into account valid points of constructive criticism from your viewers in both comments and response videos to improve your approach in the future.

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Facebook's video sharing feature is just one example of how viral videos can be advantageously utilized for internet marketing.

Two features of viral videos which make them a valuable marketing tool are the ability to post videos at no cost on sites such as YouTube, and the ability to share those videos at no cost through social networks.  If the video title, tags and description are implemented effectively, the video will be easily found and receive more traffic on sites such as YouTube.  Additionally, many of those who find the video appealing or interesting may decide to share the video using social networks such as Facebook or Twitter, which will help expand the audience of any company advertising by using viral videos at no extra cost for advertising resources.  With the advent of major video sharing sites and social networks, your audience can become one of your best advertising resources at no cost to you.

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Many viral videos and media will somehow relate to a certain world location or even pique interest in a location with a background image of a unique location.

If a viral video relates in any way to the subject of a particular locality or tourism, a travel agency could take advantage of this by placing ads with special rate offers on the bottom banner of the video.  They may find inexpensive offers for hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and other local attractions and display one within the advertisement which most closely relates to the subject material of the video, so that people who search for the video would also be likely to be the particular individuals interested in what the advertising company is offering.  Doing so effectively can be a good way to see that advertising resources are used so that they will more directly reach the intended target audience.

Technorati Tags: travel agency, viral video

There are many things to consider when Tweeting

There are several things people should keep in mind when writing for Twitter.  Because tweets can only be 140 characters, tweets should be as succinct as possible.  Tweets should also be relevant to the specific goals of the company who owns the account.  Writers should be aware of their posting schedule; too many posts could lead to people unfollowing the account, and too little posts could lead to people losing interest.  Writers need to be aware of the feedback their tweets receive, as these are some of the most direct and concise responses to marketing one can get.  Lastly, writers should be aware of the people trying to engage in dialogue with the account and try to actively engage their followers.

Technorati Tags: Social Media, social media marketing, Twitter, twitter marketing, twitter optimization

Tweet effectively with these tips

While a simple social media tool to use, there are a few guidelines one should follow when using Twitter.  Tweets should be scheduled in a way that does not overwhelm followers’ Twitter feeds.  Tweets should be used to primarily promote positive news and link to any relevant sites.  Twitter can be used effectively as a live reporting tool during events and meetings.  Engaging followers is also a great way to maintain a loyal following; dialogue allows followers to feel included in a company’s mission and culls positive responses.  Tweets should, of course, be used to link to a main site; if people are following a company on Twitter, links to the company’s website will surely be clicked, driving traffic to the site.

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Twitter marketing is often very simple

One way Twitter can be used as a marketing tool is by using it as a newsfeed for all internal and external news about a company.  Twitter’s format allows news to be disseminated quickly and easily to both followers and casual observers.  This allows a company to supply followers with a steady stream of media attention pertaining exclusive to itself.  Twitter’s privacy settings also allow companies to use the site as a way to offer incentives to followers.  By making tweets private, companies can provide exclusive content or offers to followers, thereby rewarding them for following a company’s account and potentially boasting their number of followers.

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Twitter can offer a lot of marketing benefits

A music label could substantially benefit from using Twitter.  There are many things that could be posted using Twitter’s simple format: new bands signed; news and reviews of albums released by the label; tour dates of bands signed to the label; and news related either directly or indirectly to the label.  Bands signed to the label could also provide updates through the label’s Twitter account.  It would also provide the label with an easy platform to interact directly with fans through @ replies.  This would allow questions and comments to be received easily, and rapid, personalized responses to be given.

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Many social media mistakes can be easily avoided

One thing marketers should do when using social media is avoid making fake pages to promote products.  Being disingenuous can only lead to problems down the line.  Marketers should not try to gather followers with lengthy posts, as people do not use social media for these reasons.  Posts should be brief and try to encourage people to join a page or group.  Marketers shouldn’t stick to one method of posting because it can quickly become boring and turn off followers.  Marketers also shouldn’t be overwhelming with posts; filling up someone’s newsfeed can be distasteful to some.  Marketers should avoid isolating social media sites from one another; some people might not be aware of a Twitter page if they’re on Facebook.

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These tips apply to most social media sites

One of the most important tips in effective social media marketing is to appear genuine.  There are many cases of fake profiles being created and exploiting people’s trust, often with poor results in the long run.  Marketing should be kept as concise as possible, as people do not use social media sites for lengthy reports and news.  Marketing should be focused simply on getting people to join a group or page, not selling the entire company, product, or service.  All important information should be relegated to a page or group, and the page or group should be made in a way that encourages viewers to explore the page or group.  Finally, while posting is easy, it can quickly get repetitive and stale.  Posting a variety of content will keep members interested in posts.

Technorati Tags: Social Media, social media marketing, social media marketing tips