More advanced monitoring software for the website monitors traffic from
specific pages on the originating platform. This makes the decision of which
videos bring the most traffic back to your platform much better.
Instead, each video you post to YouTube can include a unique code.
The easiest way to do that is to show in each YouTube video a specific URL
for your main site; the URL will connect to a special landing page on your
website. Another way to measure success with video is to determine what
type of response you want. Is the video designed to generate direct sales
either through your website or through your 800-number? Is that video meant
to drive traffic to your website? Is the video designed to enhance or reinforce
your reputation as an organization or brand? Or is the video designed to cut
the cost of customer support or technical support?
This is key — to measure your YouTube video's success, you must first
determine what you're hoping to achieve. Then you can calculate the results,
and only then:
- If you aim to generate sales, then evaluate sales. Include in the video your
website URL and 800-number, along with a coupon or order code, and then
monitor purchases, which include that code. - If your goal is to drive traffic to your website, then calculate your pre-and
post-YouTube traffic footage. Using web monitoring to determine the source
of site traffic, explicitly monitor the traffic coming straight from the YouTube
site. - Measurement is more complicated if your goal is to create your brand
image.
Once the YouTube promotion has had a chance to do its thing, you'll need to
do some market research and ask customers what they think of your brand —
and where they learned about it.
- If your goal is to the consumer or technical support expenses, measure the
number of requests for assistance before and after posting the video(s) on
YouTube. The more successful the picture, the less supportive the
corresponding calls