Using YouTube as a Social Bookmarking Tool

As a contributor to Associated Content, I often wonder if promoting my articles has much of an impact on the amount of page views I receive. It can be hard to gauge at times. Content Producers are encouraged to use social bookmarking sites like Digg to get our stuff read. As every CP can attest to, submitting articles to social bookmarking sites can be an exhausting process. You have to use at least five of them for it to make a noticeable difference. Even then, there is no way to see how many page views came from each source.

I Digg on a regular basis. I'm still not sure if it helps or not. In a moment of frustration/desperation/Dorito withdrawal, I tried to think of a unique way to promote my articles online. And then it hit me. What is a website that pretty much everyone with an Internet connection visits? YouTube! YouTube may not be a social bookmarking site by definition, but it can be used to direct attention to something that you feel deserves attention. The most asinine videos on YouTube generate at least 100 views. If only I could be published on YouTube without owning a camera of any sort.

Wait, I can! Every PC comes with a neat little application called Windows Movie Maker. If you can make a fun, clever video with a webcam, more power to you. If you can't, create a simple video in Movie Maker that simply reads, "Follow this link to read an article about so-and-so." Windows Movie Maker is extremely easy to use without having any movie-making experience under your belt. I was able to whip up the video in the Additional Resources section (scroll down) in five minutes. And I'm an idiot!

When you are submitting your video to YouTube, include the link to your article in the Description area. Certain articles may not grab oodles of page views, but 25 is better than 0. A big advantage to using YouTube as a social bookmarking site is the fact that you can see how many people have watched your video. This number can be used to estimate how many page views you have accumulated by posting material on YouTube. Since you are guiding people to Associated Content, you aren't violating any copyright laws (especially if you own the rights to the article in question). Legal issues aren't a problem.

YouTube will give you just as many (if not more) page views than Digg, Yahoo, or Newsvine. Try "broadcasting yourself," and see if it gives your page views a boost.