A guide to Social Media and YouTube - Tips, Tricks, and Tools

Flammy said:
Quick and dirty tips, tricks, info, tools, and recommendations for social media, this time focusing on Twitter and Facebook.

If you have any specific tips of your own to share, please comment below and I'll include them. Please let me know if any of these become out of date via changes to these services.

If you would like to write up a similar guide for another social media platform (tumblr, pinterest, etc) please PM or write it in a reply and I'll include with full credits going to you.

Overall tips:
  • Social media works best as a one way communication channel: You talk to your fans, they consume and hopefully spread your content. You can read and reply to all the comments you get, but this is less time efficient especially as your channel grows. Keep in mind the goal of social media is to facilitate this one way communication channel.
  • Do not spam your fans.
  • Don't put too much time into social media when small - It won't help you grow unless you have an existing following on facebook/twitter/tumblr/etc. I wouldn't even bother making a FB page/twitter until 100+ subscribers.
  • Do NOT spam.
  • Provide VALUE to your fans via your social media. Interacting, getting feedback, letting fans feel they are influencing the content and direction of your videos is good, but should be considered a minimum.
  • Did I mention 'Don't spam' ?
What Social Media site(s) to use?

Use whatever your fans are on! This largely depends on your audience's demographics... Facebook is generally the safest bet, but here is a global look at users:
raceforsecond3-thumb-570x369-121948.jpg

Note: Facebook isn't shown on this graph from The Atlantic as it is by far in first place by number of users. Personally I use Facebook and Twitter, so my advice is focused towards what I know.

Facebook:
  • Make a Page, not a profile: Facebook Pages are intended for brands/personalities, anyone can create one easily and for free.
  • Pages operate like users... mostly. Most noticable differences is people "like" pages rather than friend request them. Notably they can't initiate PMs, can't use messanger, don't have friends
  • Advantage: Lots of users have Facebook
  • Advantage: moderately detailed analytics are available Note: Restricted for pages with low follower counts still.
  • Disadvantage: Facebook posts don't always show up on your fan's news feeds, typically only 10-20% of your fans (people who have liked the page) will see the story.
  • Facebook tip: You can post as your profile on any other page by clicking the gear symbol on the top right and selecting "use Facebook as [page]" '
  • Facebook tip: All pages can schedule posts for the future.
  • Facebook tip: quotes, images, and polls (questions) statistically get the most responses from users.
  • Facebook tip: Facebook Page URLs can be changed, but only once forever.
  • Facebook/YouTube tip: You can have posts automatically posted to your profile, but can't do the same for pages currently. You can however automatically re-post all tweets, including the auto-sent to twitter ones for new uploads by linking your Facebook Page with Twitter.
  • Facebook tip: Facebook now has #hashtags.
  • Facebook tip: Facebook pages have a mobile app called 'Facebook Pages Manager'
  • Facebook tip: You can 'Like' other pages as your own page to permanently link to them, similar to the 'sub box' on YouTube channels.
  • Facebook tip: Shares are more important than likes and comments combined.
  • Facebook tip: The email you use to register your page is visible! It is hidden, but users can find it, so I recommend using a throw-away email in case it gets reposted. Only rarely to people actually notice it (I get ~1 email because it per week on a page with 8000 likes)
Twitter:

  • Twitter accounts are exactly the same for businesses, brands, individuals, and celebrities, so don't worry when you sign up.
  • Twitter tip: You can link your YouTube and Twitter. Even if you choose not to automatically tweet YouTube actions such as uploads/likes/comments/etc, others who have linked and their share settings enabled will automatically tweet at you when they favorite videos, gaining you more twitter followers.
  • Twitter tip: Display names can be changed an unlimited number of times, however handles (name you tweet @) is fixed.
  • Twitter tip: Twitter has mobile apps which are easy and simple to use.
  • Twitter tip: Politely encouraging users to ReTweet (RT), especially messages with links to your videos can help new users find your content.
  • As always, don't spam, which is easy to do accidentally on twitter given the volume of messages you can send out quickly. (see tools section)
  • Twitter tip: Favorites don't matter. Retweets are best, replies are second best.
  • Twitter tip: Quickly let fans know you got their comment, message, or advice by favoriting their tweet. Favorites are private and don't spam others but DO notify the person who got Favorited.
Twitter Introduction:

As a significant number of YouTubers have never used Twitter before, here is a really quick starting guide:
All messages are limited to 140 characters. URLs are automatically shortened. Tweet at someone with @ThierTwitterHandle (just like on yttalk: Flammy). Note display names and handles are not the same. #Hashtag common topics such as "I just posted a vlog on #ExampleCurrentEvent!". Nearly all actions on twitter are public. Direct Messages (DMs) are the only private action, both users must follow one another to DM. Follows and followers are public. Twitter is not email - don't spam tons of messages in a short period of time, the messages are not private and everyone sees them and probably considers it spam. If you are new to twitter, bookmark and return to this page rather than the homepage: https://twitter.com/i/connect (This pagef lists all actions/interactions others have had with you by chronological order, including messages @you)


Tools:
  • BufferApp - AWESOME tool for spacing out social media posts to not spam users. Automatically posts statuses/links to multiple social media platforms, tracks clicks/impressions. Simple and quick to use.
  • HootSuite - Lets you schedule posts, post to multiple social media platforms, tracks clicks/impressions. More powerful than BufferApp but also harder to use. I recommend using Buffer.
  • Image dimensions when setting up any social media page (infographic)
  • Link your social media on YouTube. Edit your links on your about page: youtube.com/user/[username]/about by hovering and clicking the pencil symbol to edit. Example: This turns into this on the bottom right of your banner.
Thank for reading! I hope you enjoyed. If you did, throw the post a Like and I'll work on getting more guides/posts up.

You may also be interested in some of my other threads:
Click to expand...
Hi! Great guide and tips! :D i can definately become better using social media regarding my channel. I have a problem regarding how to verify my facebook fan page via YouTube. It says that I have to verify it (it's "resting"), but i don't understand how to do that. There's a few options "how to" but I'm obviously not technical enough to do so. Any help would be appreciated:D
Best,
Roger
//40splishsplash
 
I actually never noticed this post until I saw it in the YTTalk Newsletter, almost missed something VERY helpful! Thanks Flammy.
 
That is a lot of great info. I do have a facebook page now, I only have a small following currently but I find it good practice to post regularly.
 
Thanks for the thread :D. I am atleast a little less confused about twitter. I had 10 followers and i guess i was accidently spamming. So now i have 0 followers..... -.-
 
Just wanted to tell everyone that Buffer has added several additional tools, including the ability to post to google plus pages. While google plus isn't super popular compared to the others, there really isn't a downside to sending your FB page posts to google plus as well.
 
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