As many of you know, I’ve been making YouTube videos for a couple of years now. I’ve had a few that have done really well, but some haven’t quite gotten the type of traction I’d hope they would get.
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There’s always this question about how to promote videos, or blog posts, or things one posts on Facebook. The thing I see happening most often, and I see it on YouTube more than anyplace else, is “liking” one’s own video.
The thing about liking a video on YouTube is that, for most people, it automatically shows up on both the person’s YouTube channel who likes it and on Google Plus, since Google owns them. If you have lots of people following you it’s another way to reach many of them who might not immediately go to your page when you post something, and if you have few people it gives you another opportunity to spread the message that you have a new video.
I remember having a conversation with someone a couple of years ago about this practice, only we were talking about blog posts. She said that whenever she wrote one she shared it everywhere, including Facebook, and then if she could “like” it she would because it would not only help spread the message but, in her opinion, if you didn’t show you liked your own stuff why should anyone else like it.
My response was that it seemed narcissistic and looked kind of goofy, especially if you ended up being the only one liking your own stuff. However, she pointed out to me that whenever we created a new page or group on Facebook that we had to like it, otherwise we couldn’t follow it easily. She was right on that front… but I still have problems with it.
I believe in marketing. I believe in selling. I believe that there are many opportunities to do both, and that probably most of us are bad at these things. I’m the guy who did a video telling people that the ultimate secret to success is selling. So it’s not that I’m against any of that stuff.
I just personally have a problem with trying to tell everyone that I think everything I put out is great. Truthfully, I don’t think everything I write here is great. I don’t think all my videos are great. Pretty good most of the time… yeah. Are some things great in my mind? Yeah. 🙂
With that said, if I click on everything I write or record and tell the world that I think I’m great… am I lying, promoting, bragging… what?
Once again, this is something I don’t have the answer to. Maybe I’m the only one with this issue; I’m not sure. So, on a relatively short post for once, I’m asking you, the blogging public, what you think about liking your own stuff in public. I’m not saying sharing now… I mean visually liking your own stuff.
This should be interesting; I can’t wait to see what y’all come up with. And, as a special treat, how about one of those “great” videos of mine, on the topic of influence? Go ahead, I’ll wait… 😉
http://youtu.be/mH02Z4OQxng
My understanding is this, and let’s use Facebook as the example- the more likes and interactions a post gets, the higher up the page it goes. Or something like that. Right? So if that is true, and I want the post to be seen, I am ok with a little nudge by way of ‘liking’ it.
So, you don’t mind the appearance of desperation by liking your own stuff? lol
Mitch, I don’t think that liking your own stuff is a sign of desperation at all. It just shows that you like what you’ve done. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. The only time I don’t like what I’ve done is if I produced something crappy, and we all know I’m way too good to do that lol
Went back to Sire did we? lol It just seems like if no one else ended up liking it that it could be perceived as desperation. If it’s to make sure people see it… well, that might be better, but I’m not so sure…
That wasn’t intentional Mitch, must have been just force of old habits I reckon.
As far as YouTube goes, I didn’t think the general public knew who liked or didn’t like a video. If that’s the case they’re never going to know that you were the first one to like it.
Actually, they do unless you turn it off, like I have. I know every video you like on YouTube. lol
OK? So how do I find out who liked my videos because I don’t know how it’s done. I know people have liked it but I don’t know who.
It doesn’t work like that. I know what you “like” because I’m following you there. That tells me when you like something, upload something, or comment on someone’s video. That’s how I know what other people I’m following are doing. I turned mine off a couple of years ago, though I probably need to check my settings again since they’ve made so many changes. Actually, I think if you’re connected to someone on Google Plus and they like your video you’re notified also.
I only get notified if someone shares it on Google+ or comments. I don’t remember ever getting notified if someone liked it. I’ve got some video with several likes and I’d love to know who liked it so I can thank them but could never find out how.
Either way Mitch, If I were you and you’re proud of whatever you produced I’d like it and that’s that.
He is like James Bond. You never really know what personna he will take. LOL
Indeed you guys had made me laugh when reading your comment. Do you guys joke a lot. Well linking is not a bad stuff but I think Google dispice it
I dunno if it is really “the appearance of desperation”. Honestly, I wonder if anyone really thinks like that other than us over thinkers?
That’s an interesting point Troy. Then again, I like to consider this blog at times a think tank, so I get to think and hope others think as well. lol
To gain influence, start giving money away. In fact, I’ll volunteer to be your first recipient.
That would only make me influential with you; I’ve already accomplished that lol
Your influence is slippin inhaling those fluffer nutter whatevers.
You’re not going to tell me you’ve never heard of them either are you? I mean, you’re a New Yorker after all; it originated here! So sad… lol
I think this is a really solid argument that if you don’t like your own stuff, then why would others like it but if you are the only one liking your post, you look like a fool. But then its again how you take it. I would prefer giving my special like to my favorite best unique posts for sure.
It’s an interesting topic overall Prerna, but I just can’t do it. Have you been doing it with your articles?
Hello Mitch,
I guess its controversial topic, And facebook is an ultimate example but I don’t like my own stuff at facebook lol.
And I also think that there is nothing wrong in liking own stuff.
Mitch, I’m like you in that I feel uncomfortable promoting my own stuff too aggressively. I’d much rather get endorsements from others who are objective, because I think it has a lot more credibility. All advertisers say they’re the best, so I pay attention to the impartial reviews. If someone with nothing to gain says something is good, then it probably is.
By the way, Fluffernutters are good. I remember how excited I was the first time my mother finally agreed to buy Fluff.
Finally, a man totally after my own heart, especially on the Flutternutters! lol I think my mother was shocked when we got home and that’s what it was, since she usually bought what I asked for unless she already knew it was bad for me. But she ended up liking it also; yay!
Meanwhile, have you seen that I’ve been adding more stories to or as posts lately? You get some of the credit for that, though mine are more recent, including today’s post. 🙂
Hi Mitch,
I’m with you on the idea of “liking” your own stuff. If you finished a performance and a crowd applauded it would be appropriate to bow in thanks but not to applaud along with them as if to show that “Yes, I did do well didn’t I!”
I have noticed a few of my facebook posts showing that my page “liked” them but I think it was from my wife clicking Like. Since she’s also an admin I think that by default it shows up as the page “liking” the post instead of her liking it. In those few instances I do just leave it as is since they have the most likes.
As far as gaining more influence(the MOST influence) that’s a simple one- get a thumbs up from Oprah 🙂
I just learned about Fluffernutters three weeks ago. There was a news segment on TV about how some folks in Massachusetts are trying to get it to become the official state sandwich. Just so happened my wife was visiting our nephew in Massachusetts that week. I asked her by text if he was making them Fluffernutters and she didn’t know what they were.
Maybe it’s one of those regional things. I’m from Pittsburgh and growing up I never heard of Tri-tip. And since I’ve been in California I’ve never seen any chipped ham 🙁
Could it be that Fluffernutters go by different names in different places?
Aaron, first I hope your mailbox is clear now so emails stop bouncing. lol
Second, when I talked about it here no one had ever even heard of the concept, so I doubt they go by a different name in different places, though it did seem like it might have made sense.
Third, I keep wondering if my stance on this is like my stance on many of the blogging networks and such, where I don’t want to promote my stuff on other sites because it lets people read it there instead of here, and I want people to come here and find me. Missing out on a promotion bonanza probably, but we have to have our standards right? lol
Thanks for the reminder about my full inbox. Every time someone tells me in person about the bounced emails I forget by the time I get home.
I’m going to have to buy a jar of marshmallow and give fluffernutters a try.
You’ll love them Aaron. Then you can experiment as to whether you need more PB, more Fluff, or more of both. lol
I think we talked on this very site about Liking your own stuff (specifically Facebook). I’ve gotta believe that Facebook must either not count or somehow downplay your own “Like”. I don’t think it counts for that much, and I think it looks bad so I don’t want to do it.
Back when there was a problem with receiving notifications I could understand why people did it, but that problem has long been fixed.
I don’t have the answer, either, except that I’m not going to do something if I don’t feel right about it, and no matter how many people tried to tell me to Like, +1 or even favorite my own tweets I ain’t doing it lol.
Sometimes I would look through someone’s Twitter favorites and every single one was either their own tweet or retweets of their own stuff by other people.
I have no way to know if this actually helps in a tangible/measurable way but it looks bad to me, and actually makes me think LESS of their favorites and of their opinion. I still see it done a lot so there must be some benefit.
So, to sum up..I have no answers lol…
LOL! Great stuff John. I’ve never favorited anything on Twitter because, truthfully, I’m not sure what it’s for. Knowing that someone can go looking through my list of favorited stuff is kind of… well, disconcerting initially, but maybe that’s what it’s for.
As for the liking thing… I wanted to see what some folks had to say but I knew coming in that unless it was unanimous I wasn’t doing it. Facebook forced me to like my own group and business page in order to access it, which was kind of goofy, but I’m with you in thinking they had to discount it. And I did talk about it before but it was based on a conversation I was having with someone one night, and the practice of folks doing it on their own YouTube channels hadn’t come about yet because integration with G+ hadn’t come about yet.