I was recently asked by someone new to internet marketing what was the best way to build their fan base. Some of you have been doing this for years, some of you have just begun. The following guide is for everyone. It’s always good to check your fundamentals and make sure you are covering every opportunity.

For the sake of this article I am going to assume that you 1. have a blog. 2. have an optin box(above the fold). 3. are giving something of value in exchange for visitors’ email address.

NETWORK
Twitter: Do a search (http://search.twitter.com) for key terms in your industry and befriend folks who you want to connect with.
Facebook: Follow industry thought leaders and their friends.
LinkedIn: Connect with industry leaders and like minded individuals.
YouTube: Follow folks who post consistently.
Blogs: Follow industry blogs.

ENGAGE
The main component to using social media is to “engage”. I can’t stress this enough.
Twitter: Start up conversations with industry thought leaders.
Facebook: Follow and comment on thought leaders’ pages and posts.
Blogs: Comment on posts where you can add to the discussion.
YouTube: Comment on videos. Video comment using one of your videos.

By engage I don’t mean sell, I mean engage. Look at what they are saying and if appropriate (and you have something to add to the conversation) join in the discussion.

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
On your blog site, YouTube, Facebook etc., reply to each comment.
Don’t ignore those who took the time to ask a question or post a comment.
Let folks know when a new video/article comes out and link to it.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
So you have engaged with people online and have (on occasion) let them know about your new video or article or blog post. You have replied to their comments and answered their questions. You have become online “friends” and have established a rapport with your audience. What now? Give folks an opportunity to find out more about you and what it is that you do.

Keep it simple and be consistent.

Did I miss something? Did I leave anything out? Leave me a comment below.

Truth is there is much more to creating a viral video than just shooting a few images or mashing together a few snippets of songs and cartoons. Viral videos can be powerhouse marketing tools. Before you even begin the process of making a video, here are some vital things to consider.

Who is the Target of This Video?

The short answer to this question is, of course, the internet viewer. But, like most targeted marketing campaigns, painted with such broad strokes can lead to potential problems. For example, if your product is specifically geared towards the working mother, wouldn’t you want to cater, somewhat towards their interests? And that brings me to my next point.

What are the Goals of the Viral Video?

Take a few moments to think about why you are making it. Is it to generate new leads? Convince current customers to try a new and innovative product line? Or perhaps the aim of this particular viral video is to simply gain exposure for a new product. Whatever your reason is, it is important, since you will be creating a viral video to meet those goals.

How Are You Measuring Success?

In a way, viral videos can behave like people. They may start out by providing you with 10,000 views the first week, and then through no fault of your own drop down to six views in the third week. Then, as if by some magic, surge up to 200,000 views after a month of being online. So the question to ask yourself is whether or not the viral video is meant to help you out with short term things – such as an upcoming sale, or something more long term? By knowing how you are to measure the success of the viral video, you can decide how much time and effort to truly put into it.

These are just a few simple things to keep in mind before you start creating a viral video. Doing so will help you create the most effective video to meet your needs.

If you truly want to harness the potential of your viral video, you need to do everything you can to maximize the views. Here are some often overlooked, but very effective techniques.

Technique # 1: Use a Title with a Hook

How many times have you been glancing through the internet, or even on a website like Google Video, and something in a title makes you say “Huh?” or “What did that say?” Using something truly catchy is a great first step to getting someone’s attention focused on your viral video. Think of it as the internet’s version of the newspaper boy crying out sensational headlines. Most people view it out of sheer curiosity. Once you’ve gotten the viral video well established, you can switch the title to something a little less sensationalized if you wish.

Technique # 2: Even a Thumbnail Is Worth A Thousand Words

Humans by their very nature are visual creatures. When our eyes see something out of the ordinary, even if it is small, we immediately focus our attention on it. It’s part of our instinctive nature. Knowing this little bit of information can be a great tool when it comes to maximizing the views of your viral video. Take the time to choose a thumbnail image that is arresting, interesting, and perhaps a tiny bit strange. Choose the image of a pink elephant racing across the beach instead of the image of an old man sitting on the park bench.

Technique # 3: A Good Conversation is Always Hard to Ignore

Sometimes you run across a viral video that doesn’t seem all that impressive. You wonder how in the world it became so popular. Then, you scroll down and view the comments section. It’s on fire with conversations, debates, catcalls and praises. How did this simple viral video get this much attention? Chances are not every comment you’re seeing has come from an outside viewer. One of the most effective techniques to get someone to talk about something is to start the conversation yourself.

The goal of your viral video is to be seen. Therefore, it is imperative that your video dance in front of the eyes of as many viewers that it can. Most would believe that simply posting a great viral video is enough to reach the next marketing plateau. However, just posting something to the World Wide Web doesn’t necessarily mean that it will become an overnight sensation. Sometimes you need to help it reach the masses.

Make Use of Blogs

Take a look around the web for bloggers with similar interests or ideas. It couldn’t hurt to ask them to run your embedded videos, and perhaps even blog about it. If the video is to their liking, convincing a few bloggers might be the best way to send your viral video on its way.

Social Media Networks are perfect for Sharing

Nearly everyone who uses the internet for business or pleasure has some sort of presence on the social media scene. Why not use this vast resource to your advantage when it comes to promoting your viral video? Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn provide easy to use ways to share videos with friends and contacts. Just post your best viral video on multiple sites, and encourage your networking contacts to share.

Email Lists Are Still an Effective Option

One of the oldest, and perhaps most useful targeted marketing tool from the Internet age is that of the email list-service. This, along with RSS feeds are perhaps one of the easiest ways to distribute your viral video to those who are already interested in your product and service, and will most likely be willing to pass it along. Never forget to make use of that core, returning clients to help you find new ones.

Making the most of your viral video is a lot like any marketing or advertising tool. Very few of them can be successful without a little push. The options described above are just three of the many ways that you can get the ball rolling.

Viral videos are perhaps one of the most popular marketing tools today. These catchy, infective, and often outrageous little videos are a great way to expand your business exposure. Unfortunately, it’s not all about splicing some footage together, or digitally enhancing some video from the depths of your marketing supply closet. Rather, viral videos work best if you follow a few simple tips and tricks.

Tip #1: Keep it Short

One of the nice things about viral videos is that effective ones are often short- no more than 30 seconds. This gives them faster loading times, and makes it easier to share them across multiple social media platforms. If you have a longer message, consider splitting it into a multi-part viral campaign. This not only makes use of people’s natural curiosity, but it will also make each episode a little easier on the computer bandwidth.

Tip# 2: Don’t Make an Ad into a Viral Video

Unless your marketing department has come up with something simply extraordinary, you should shy away from using a classic add for viral video material. Viral videos are shared organically because they are so engaging that people want to pass them along. There are very few advertisements that are successful as viral videos. Instead, focus on a way to surprise, entertain, or just confound the viewer- then you can direct them to a website of your choosing.

Tip # 3: Keep the Video Simple

When it comes to viral videos, the whole idea is exposure. Remixes or mash-ups are great tools for getting your viral video seen by millions. Therefore, your video composition needs to be simple, and easy to remix. Those who want to share your viral video within a mash up of their favorite things will have an easier time.
These are just three of the tips that you can use to help make your viral video the marketing and exposure tool that you need. Remember, viral videos may be the newest craze in marketing, but it still takes an intelligent player to win the game.

Have you ever considered using video marketing to attract other businesses? If you haven’t you might want to consider the possibilities. After all, business to business marketing isn’t about telling the potential customer that you can provide the best service. It’s about showing them exactly how you will do it.

Establish Your B2B Goals for Video Marketing

Your online B2B video marketing needs to have specific goals and objectives. These can be anything from an increase in sales and an overall jump in brand and product awareness to something as specific as “an increase of 15% in customer recognizability by the end of the next fiscal month.” Whatever they are, be sure to keep them in mind while you are creating your video.

Remember That Businesses Are Run by People

Despite what the media may indicate, big corporations that you’re trying to land as clients with your video marketing are run by people. These people have invested their time, money, effort, and a good portion of their lives. By keeping this in mind, you can create a video marketing approach that focuses on what they need to make their business even stronger and more fiscally sound. That of course, in one form or another is your product or service. In the business to business world, just like in the business to consumer world, the bottom line is whether you can provide a better value overall. Video marketing, if used correctly can be a sure-fire way to convince your potential clients of this fact.

Video Will Show Who You Are

Never forget that video is a visual medium. How you present yourself and your company to others will forever be ingrained in their psyche as who you are. When creating a video to place on the Internet, take the time to do it professionally, look put together, and have all your material ready to go. Make sure it is accurate, and never, ever misleading. Remember, this may be the only chance you have to make a great impression on your next business to business client.