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Video Marketing and YouTube Tips for Authors with Michael La Ronn
In today’s digital age, authors are no longer just wordsmiths; they’re also marketers. To effectively reach readers, many authors are turning to video marketing and platforms like YouTube. In this article, we’ll explore key insights from Michael La Ronn, a seasoned author and video marketing expert, on how authors can leverage video content to boost their visibility and connect with their audience.
Why Video Marketing?
Engagement: Video content is more engaging than text alone. With a combination of visuals, sound, and storytelling, authors can grab and hold the audience’s attention more effectively.
Expanding Reach: YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. By creating video content, authors can tap into an extensive audience that might not typically engage with written work.
Building a Personal Brand: Videos allow authors to showcase their personality, style, and values, helping them cultivate a more relatable and authentic brand.
Tips from Michael La Ronn
1. Define Your Audience
Before creating content, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of who your target audience is. Consider their interests and what kind of content they enjoy. Tailoring your videos to resonate with your audience’s preferences can significantly enhance engagement.
2. Start with a Content Plan
Having a structured content plan helps streamline video creation. Michael suggests outlining ideas for different types of videos—such as book trailers, writing tips, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and personal vlogs. This planning ensures a steady flow of content and keeps your audience engaged.
3. Invest in Quality Production
While high production values are not always necessary, it’s crucial to have clear audio and good lighting. Viewers are more likely to stick around if the visual and audio quality of your videos is decent. Consider investing in a good microphone and understanding basic lighting techniques.
4. Be Authentic
Michael emphasizes the importance of authenticity. Audiences are drawn to genuine creators. Share your writing journey, your struggles, and your successes. This personal touch can create a strong bond with viewers and make them more likely to support your work.
5. Optimize for SEO
Just like with written content, SEO plays a crucial role in video visibility. Use relevant keywords in your video title, description, and tags. This optimization can improve your chances of appearing in search results and reaching a broader audience.
6. Encourage Engagement
At the end of your videos, invite viewers to like, comment, and subscribe. Engaging with your audience through comments can create a community around your channel, fostering loyalty and encouraging viewers to return for more content.
7. Promote Your Videos
Once your videos are live, promote them through your social media channels, email newsletters, and website. Collaboration with other authors or creators can also help broaden your reach and introduce your content to new audiences.
8. Analyze and Adapt
Regularly review your video performance analytics to understand what works and what doesn’t. Look at metrics like watch time, engagement, and audience retention to adjust your strategy and improve future content.
Conclusion
Incorporating video marketing into an author’s strategy can be a game changer. By following the insights shared by Michael La Ronn, authors can effectively utilize platforms like YouTube to connect with readers, enhance their presence, and ultimately promote their books. Whether you’re a seasoned author or just starting, embracing video content can open new doors and elevate your writing career to new heights. So grab your camera and start creating—you never know who it might reach!
I use youtube a lot, and my preference is for long form videos. I do put videos like this one on while I am doing other simple tasks and I mostly listen rather than watch. You so often join me when I am cooking or cleaning. :). I may not make it through the whole thing at one go but I almost always come back because your content is so valuable.
I am just listening while I work on my books…that’s how I do most long form. I have to say that unfortunately Michaels lighting was pretty bad and I can barely make out his face. Great content. Thanks.
Joanna, I love your interviews, and I think the length is great! I found you through your interview with Steve Pressfield, and I've been bingeing The Creative Penn since. I've been writing for years, I have a couple of blogs, but I'm preparing to dip my toe into writing books. As a newbie I've found your content very informative. Thank you so much!
I have a quick look every now and again and listen on my phone while I'm pottering around. I save it on different playlists like marketing, writing craft, publishing, etc so I can listen again later when needed.
Thankyou .
I often watch your videos as I listen. 🙂 Except sometimes when I'm having a motion sick day and you wiggle too much. LOL 😉 But, sometimes I just listen while I'm working on graphics editing or doing some mindless chore. I don't always finish a video in one sitting, but if it's something I want to know about I will come back later to finish it. I bookmark videos that have useful information that I may want to access again later. I don't finish videos that don't interest me for one reason or another. Hope that helps. 🙂
I watch a lot of podcasts on YouTube. I also listen to them when I'm driving. I also put them on in the background while I work.
I tend to watch between tasks and take notes on key information. Watching the people on the video and taking notes helps me to retain information better, kinda like being at a lecture.
This has given me ideas about my page. One minute seems workable to me. It allows me to communicate information in spurts (which suits my personality anyway 😄) and I may be able to hold views for duration of the video. 🤔
I'm one of the people who is watching your talking heads while listening to this video. I'm watching because this is a topic I'm very interested in learning more about, so I don't want to miss anything by doing something else while this is playing in the background. Great content here. Thanks for sharing!
I make videos and picked up some good hints here. Will look at Pro Camera Plus. Screen Flo is good. I use iMovie. Thank you to both. Dale E. Manolakas, Legal Thriller Author, http://www.dalemanolakas.com –My trailers are on my channel, and I'd love feedback. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCac1mJynScdPGd2FVz1987A
I listen while getting ready for the day.
I typically "watch" the Creative Penn and SciFi & Fantasy Marketing at work with the browser window either minimized or behind whatever I'm working on… So, yeah… I just listen.
Michael, your lighting was erratic during this video. Too dark, than fine. Back and forth.
Michael I also have enjoyed your videos and sorry to learn that you i belive no longer do the help videos for authors and more concentrating on your fiction. 🙁 I also don't need people to be funny. Pleasant yes. Informing great! And we don't all have short attention spans!
I come to your videos to Learn! So don't assume. I do sit and watch the entire video like a class! I save them to favorites and also take notes re sites I can use that are mentioned by you and the person you are interviewing. If anyone I follow stops doing video they lose me. I just don't listen to podcasts. And enjoy both longer videos like these and shorter ones.
Personally I connect with book trailers. Yet another reason to look up a book and author. I am visual so I always watch a video.
Very helpful as usual Joanna and Michael! And Michael, I also like seeing the art on your walls!
I prefer the Youtube videos as I have them on whilst I'm working at my desk, and then look up occasionally. Feels like I am hanging out with friends then. If I am on the train then I listen on the podcast but it takes longer to get into from my phone, whereas YouTube is less clicks to access, and I love that Youtube shuffles them and auto plays.
I find these really informative.
I do prefer shorter videos, but when I watch longer videos, I'm generally doing the dishes or eating breakfast, so I'm mostly just listening.
I really appreciate your long videos, they're full of helpful info and I learn so much.
i watch the whole thing for the most part… i slip away to open tabs regarding what you guys are talking about but i watch it all for the most part…
For the great content you produce–great guests and great questions–I definitely like these longer videos. I don't really watch, just listen through headphones while I work. Thanks for all your efforts!
I love watching your long videos, they are so very interesting. I usually watch them while I have my breakfast or morning break. Just like some other viewers, I prefer to watch one longer video than a lot of shorter ones.
Please don't stop producing long-form videos! I listen to them every chance I get. And your guest was right. I half listen, half watch the videos because sometimes I feel more immersed in the conversation when I can see the facial expressions. Its as if I'm in a room and I'm part of it. It's much more personal.
I don't watch, I only listen. usually with the Bluetooth headphones listening at work or while I'm doing house or yard work.
Today I put on the video on my TV with Chromecast so I could hear it through my stereo while I cleaned the house ^_^ Normally I listen to the podcast, though. In the past 3/4 years I've been listening, it's been 95% podcast.
I've done both cleaning the house and driving the car. I love these long videos and really interesting people and topics.
I'm in the minority apparently; I usually go looking for videos that are at least 20 minutes long, preferably longer. I like to listen to YouTube videos in the background while I do chores or draw. (Currently I'm working on an art commission while listening to this.) It's a great way for an aspiring author to multi-task. Short videos actually frustrate me often, unless they're part of a playlist that will automatically continue without me having to keep pausing my chore to start a new video.
I typically watch longer videos in smaller chunks. It's not anything that I plan, but sometimes something will catch my eye in another browser tab, and I'll want to take a few minutes to give that article my full attention while not missing out on the video; other times, possibly more likely, I get interrupted by a dog who wants to go outside.
Personally, I love these longer videos. While I'm working, I prefer to click on a vid that's over an hour long rather than one that's only a few minutes, because after a few minutes I have to find another video.
Variety is key. Having videos of different lengths is a good idea, because it offers options for your viewers.
If it makes sense for your video to be 40 minutes, then it should be 40 minutes. The specific length of a video doesn't matter as much as people think it does – what matters is how suitable the length of the video is for the content in it.
I listen to this stuff while I draw illustration and animation. I find listening to something interesting helps my brain feel stimulated during the long hours of tedious drawing.
Thank you for this video. It was very informative. I will recommend it to my friends, who are also writers and youtube video makers as well. I listen or watch your videos doing various things, eating, dishes, cooking, video games. I also watch to the end.