Your video marketing starts with building a fan base. You upload videos and try to get them seen. Once you have viewers, you need to interact with them. YouTube is social media and like all social media sites, it’s all about engagement. It shouldn’t be a one-way interaction.

Say Thanks

First of all, always respond to comments viewers leave. Do it personally and let them know there’s a human being on the other side of the profile. Don’t bother with trolls (who, by the way, YouTube is overpopulated with), but only people who actually say things.

When you first post videos, set YouTube to alert you whenever there’s a comment. Reply to it as soon as possible. If it’s a comment, comment on their comment, or if it doesn’t warrant a reply, just say thanks. If it’s a question, offer help and don’t say anything promotional.

Use Bulletins

Use bulletins to keep your viewers up to date. These are like updates on Facebook and Twitter. Use them to let your fans know what’s going on, what projects and videos you’re working on, and so on.

Post anything at all that would be interesting to your viewers in your bulletins. One good way to do this is to take a question one person asked, and post saying, ‘So-and-So asked this question…’ and answer it. If one person has a question, chances are good that others do as well.

Get Feedback

Ask your viewers personally for feedback. Get their opinions on whether or not your videos are helpful or entertaining for them. Ask what kind of video content they’d like to see and produce it for them. You can do this through bulletins, comments, email or social media sites like Facebook and Twitter (where you should connect with them as well).

Reward Loyalty

Encourage and reward loyalty. Set up a loyalty program where you reward viewers who share your videos, introduce new viewers or embed your videos on their sites. At the very least, make a special effort to interact with loyal viewers whenever possible and say thanks.

Haters and Trolls

Don’t engage haters and trolls. When someone on YouTube says ‘u suck’ or worse, everyone knows it’s just a mean little person who hates from behind a computer screen. Don’t get angry or even acknowledge them. Nobody else does. They’re not worth it.

If someone has a legitimate negative comment or complaint, respond to it. Use your best customer service skills and ask them to clarify, explain if they don’t understand, and offer ways to make it better for them.

Building your brand is all about engaging your viewers. Take every opportunity to personally interact with them. Make sure you have two-way communication going on with YouTube.