part 1:
http://velvetpumpkin.bmeurl.co/75FF88D
part 2:
http://velvetpumpkin.bmeurl.co/763D402
The two previous articles, focused on identifying three steps that have been proven to increase viewership by sharing how Peter McKinnon and Ryan Connelly incorporate the first two of these steps into their mega-subscribed and viewed vlogs.
How Peter McKinnon and Ryan Connolly use the third and final step is left for this last article in the series. This is the step that turns views into cash. It’s the step that most vloggers don’t know about or don’t choose to practice.
You need to know: You are buying your viewer’s time with your videos and you need to resolve how you can convince that viewer that it’s worth his time over and over again to come back to you and watch future videos as they get posted. You need to get your viewer to invest in you by subscribing to your show.
It’s not enough to create good content. It’s not enough to produce a high-quality production. It’s not even enough to ask the viewer to subscribe – which most vloggers do. You need to build a relationship with your viewer and it’s not easy to build a relationship with someone you have never met and will likely never meet; however, both Connolly and McKinnon have done this to perfection.
To start with, Connolly and McKinnon each have appealing personalities and they use that to their vlogs’ advantage. If you tend to be nervous it’s a good idea to get some ‘in-front-of-camera’ coaching. These two pros kick up the volume on their appeal almost characterizing themselves in their videos; like it’s a performance – a show. Not too much. Just enough to keep their viewers coming back for more.
McKinnon chooses to get personal in his vlogs, making fun of his own addiction to coffee in multitudes of his videos. It has nothing to do with the content he is teaching but it makes him relatable and shows a sense of humour. He also reached out to his audience by letting them know that he is a father and a husband – allowing all kinds of viewers to connect with him at different levels. Lastly, he reminds his viewers that they matter to him and that he is grateful for the time that they give him in watching his videos.
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Connolly takes advantage of the first few seconds in his videos to display his wicked sense of humour. He either throws a couple of one-liners to his viewers as he talks into the camera, or he gives his viewers a short skit that makes us laugh while demonstrating a cool film special effect. Connolly also creates a conversation with his audience by keeping a keen eye on the comments they make below his videos. Then he collects a few related comments and makes another episode inspired by those comments. The greatest part of this is that he lets his audience know that he’s doing this – once again, creating a connection between himself and his viewers.
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These may all look like distractions from the focus of their vlogs. But the willingness that Connolly and McKinnon have to get personal with their viewers is what has helped them achieve the financial success they’re both enjoying through their YouTube vlogs. People watch Connolly and McKinnon to benefit from their content, of course, but they are also invested in Connolly and McKinnon as human beings; likeable personalities.
There are thousands of videography and filmmaking tutorials to choose from on YouTube, but people watch Connolly and McKinnon because they are Connolly and McKinnon. These two guys have worked out that balance of being likeable and relatable personalities while also sharing their expertise – the focus of their vlogs.
From a business point of view, this third step – building a relationship with your audience – is so crucial. Connolly’s and McKinnon’s fans are more likely to buy their products and hire their services because they have that sense of trust and loyalty to Connolly’s and McKinnon’s personal brand.
Understanding and implementing all three of these steps has helped propel both Ryan Connolly and Peter McKinnon’s vlogs into the YouTube spotlight! I hope you found the three steps in this series helpful for your own vlog. From all of us at Velvet Pumpkin Productions~ happy vlogging! |