OK, you've made a fantastic and informative film. You've written
a riveting article. You've uploaded a hilarious video on your
webcam - or maybe you've put together a slideshow of your recent
vacation. Now what? How do you get people to watch? More to the
point - how do you get your hands on some of that cash that
VideoJug hands out to each month's most-viewed user
submissions?
Making a viral hit can be a little like catching lightning in a
bottle, but there are some things you can do to call attention to
your masterpiece - and improve your chances of winning the $2,000
grand prize.
Steps
- Pick A Great Title. Make sure that you have a
title that a) catches the eye of viewers, b) gives them enough
information about your piece of work and c) contains words or
phrases that you think would be frequently searched. For instance,
"How To Train Your Dog" is probably a better idea than "Imparting
Enviable Manners Upon A Canine" or "Sparky Rocks"
- Choose A Great Thumbnail. You'll be given the
option to include a thumbnail with your submission - take that
option! Choose a picture or, if you're uploading a film, a still
that clearly broadcasts what your submission is about. Remember,
thumbnails are small - so keep it simple!
- Write A Great Description. A little
well-chosen text can go a long way in getting your content on a lot
of computer screens. Pay close attention to the "Description" field
and write text that entices people to click. Again, try to think
about phrases and words that people are searching for on Google,
Yahoo and other search engines. But don't mislead your viewers!
You'll wind up with a poor star rating if viewers read your article
on molecular physics because you've promised photos of Britney
Spears.
- Tell Everyone You Know. Your friends are
always bombarding your inbox with forwarded jokes, weird films and
invitations to their Open Mic performances. Now it's time to strike
back! Send your link to friends, family, classmates, and coworkers.
Post your link on your MySpace and Facebook pages. If you have a
film, be sure to post the link to your page on VideoJug rather than
embedding the film on another site, as those embedded views won't
count toward your competition total. Ask everyone to help you win
$2,000 by passing along your link. Don't try to artificially
inflate your numbers, though; any content with an abnormal amount
of clicks from the same IP address will be disqualified from the
competition.
- Tell Everyone You Don't Know. There are lots
of ways to find an audience beyond your own address book. Try
submitting your link on StumbleUpon, or writing a Digg article. If
you've made something funny, you may want to submit it to sites
like FARK or CollegeHumor. If you're doing something more serious,
try finding message boards where people are discussing the topic
you're covering.
By following these tips, you'll improve your chances of turning
your piece of content into a bona fide blockbuster - and winding up
with a $2,000 grand prize.
