Getting the Most Out of Your Audience

I went to a Nelly concert last year, and I remember leaving the show thinking he was INCREDIBLE, the best performer of several at the show, by far (Nelly is a 90s pop artist by the way.) I reflected as to why I was so impressed by his performance, and what struck me is how at every song, he kept thanking his supporters. Specifically, he’d thank his original supporters from back in the day. So when “Just a dream” came on and he thanked anyone who liked it back when it first came out, I remember feeling a glow! I’d liked him when he was small, and he recognised my support!
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I could give you heaps of more examples like this, most recently with Taylor Swift, but the moral of the story is that big stars are CONSTANTLY thanking their audience and interacting with them like friends. This is what I call “Audience Engagement”. It’s similar, but also very different to promoting yourself, so you’ll see a bit of overlap between this and the next newsletter.

Why Engagement Matters:

Audience engagement matters because at the root of YouTube are basic human needs: To be seen, to be appreciated, and to know you (or your time) matters. Your audience are not just viewers; they’re humans and active participants in the adventure you’re on. The first and most effective thing you can do to improve your channel is shift towards a mindset of seeing your audience as humans whose needs you are SERVING.

Setting Expectations / Setting the Tone:

You set the tone of your community for all interactions. It starts in your videos, and then makes its way through to your comments section. How you speak, interact, and respond all sets the atmosphere for how your community interactions.

My research shows that at the heart of this is authenticity and showing your true personality.

Didn’t you know? YouTube is a journey of self-love!

Show that you’re not a robot behind the screen, but a fellow adventurer eager to connect.

A big part of setting the tone is how you respond to comments. My personal recommendation is to start by blocking out super triggering words and then respond to the rest of it with grace. Yes, address criticism constructively, but let your community see your resilience and positivity.

Yes, you can respond snarkily or with some clever clip, and a lot of channels do this, but be aware that this will impact the atmosphere. As I will probably say in every newsletter, be intentional about how your response style impacts your community.

Interaction Types

Interaction Encouragement:

Encouraging interaction is crucial for fostering an engaged community. Below are some of the numerous ways you can do this:

• Polls: Let your audience have a say in your next adventure. Polls not only engage but make them feel part of the decision-making process.
• Ask Open-ended Questions: Avoid the yes/no trap. Ask questions that invite stories, opinions, and a piece of their world. This can be done at any point in a video but is often done towards the end.
• Live Sessions: Go beyond the screen with live sessions. Zoom calls let your audience speak, share, and become more than just avatars.
• Facilitate Connection: If you can, try to connect your viewers who have like-interests or live in the same area. You can do this on YouTube by mentioning another comment in a reply or tagging creators in responses on social media.
• Ask for Tips: Encourage viewers to share tips related to your travels such as prices, best time, etc.
• Ask for Video Ideas: Actively encourage viewers to leave suggestions for video ideas. With this action, they believe they are co-creating and become invested in your success and the next video.
• Reward your audience: Give out rewards in exchange for an interaction. This can also be a great opportunity to partner with a brand.
• Respond to all Comments: This will help your viewers believe you are accessible so they will bother commenting more.
• Feedback / Reflection: Ask your viewers what they think of your videos. This can be a really great way to show your humanness, that you value their time, and get your audience invested in you improving over time.

Interaction Fulfillment:

Interaction fulfilment refers to fulfilling viewers’ interactive requests.

• Fulfill Requests: When possible, bring your audience’s requests to life. It shows you’re not just talking but listening.
• Q&As: Answer their burning questions. Name-drop their ideas, giving credit where it’s due. Show them you’re tuned in and you see them.
• Create Expectations: Create expectations for new content and fulfill those expectations. You can do this with conversations too by always responding to comments and signaling to viewers that their needs could be fulfilled by continuously interacting.

Interaction Reflection:

• Ask How They Are: It’s not just about your adventures. Genuinely ask about theirs. Something like this can be really impactful: “Firstly, I just quite like to ask how you are, because I feel like you guys are always asking me how I am, and I would actually quite like to know how you are.”
• Constant Gratitude: Thank your viewers relentlessly. Let them know their support doesn’t go unnoticed.

Information:

• Timely Updates: Keep them in the loop with timely, relevant, and engaging information, whether it’s related to you, products on the market, or resources you are providing.
• Cross-promotion: Share the love. Promote content from other creators that would actually benefit your audience. It’s not just about you; it’s about building a supportive community.

Notes to Keep in Mind:

• Perceived Authenticity: Be real. Sharing vulnerable bits about yourself makes you appear more human and approachable.
• Camera Impact: Camera work can have a big impact on how your audience engages. An eye-opening lesson for me recently is that the low-quality handheld selfie talking head actually is a great way to talk to the camera during an episode. Its low-tech but is makes you approachable.
• Time Management: Balance is key. Limit your comment time to maintain sanity but also ensure your audience feels heard.
• Changes Over Time: You’re more approachable and “real” at the beginning of your channel. As you become successful, you become less human, so need to humanise yourself occasionally. Research from Sara McCorquodale in her book Influence shows the biggest vloggers do a heart-to-heart video about once very 6 months. It’s only lightly edited, directly talking to the camera, and typically involves some tears and lots of vulnerability.
• Not Too Much: Don’t encourage too much interaction so that the audience doesn’t even know how to interact. Pick one call to action per video!

Action

Some of your audience will have no interest in interacting, they will just watch and then move on. But if your audience chooses to interact with you, they are doing it, whether consciously or subconsciously, to fulfill their basic human needs of being seen, heard, and appreciated.

To get down to that mindset, try to get yourself to see it as an in-person interaction. In fact, if you mimic in-person interactions, your audience will feel like you genuinely care about them and their response.

When going through and deciding how you will interact, as yourself:

“What would benefit my audience the most?”

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