• by Stephanie Sarofian , April 8, 2011

Every day, more than 150 years worth of YouTube videos are watched on Facebook. Thirty-six hours of YouTube videos are uploaded every minute. People no longer need convincing that online video has exploded, but now, more than ever, Web series creators need a well-executed strategy to break through the clutter and build an audience. Here's how to do it.

Figure out where your target audience is -- and go get 'em. Who do you think will want to watch your web series? Are you targeting specific demographics-college students, moms, young professionals? Do the research to figure out where your target audience is watching and talking about online video-if they're sharing links on Twitter, if they're watching videos on specific niche networks or heading straight to YouTube. The data part of this is crucial-to  successfully build an audience, you have to know where they're getting their content. That way you can put yours in a place where they'll find it.  

Focus on one platform at a time. You can't master several platforms at once -- at least not when you're starting out. If you try to push your series out everywhere at the same time, you will wind up with multiple half-hearted content strategies and resources that have been spread too thin. Once you've figured out where your target audience is, focus on conquering one platform at a time. For instance: uploading your videos to YouTube is a great way to start distributing your web series and once you have some momentum you can start looking at other platforms -- such as Facebook, iTunes, DailyMotion, etc. Utilizing services like TubeMogul's OneLoad and blip.tv can help ease this expansion. 

Be prepared to commit. Building and maintaining an audience for your web series requires just as much talent, time, and resources as creating the content itself. Actively seek out potential new viewers, such as those who already subscribed to similar content. The experienced creators know how to leverage each platform's insights and social tools to build a community of engaged subscribers. Felicia Day said it best at South by Southwest: creating a community is not just a one-time endeavor, it's a long-term relationship. If you're not ready to put in the time, then find a partner who can.  

Let your audience help shape your content. Ganging up all your production upfront saves time and money but it prevents you from leveraging one of the greatest features of web video; instant feedback. Your viewers' comments as well as analytics tools may help determine what is working for your web series and what is not. Do people stop watching your videos halfway through? Are your viewers clamoring to see a follow-up to one of your episodes? Keep that interest in mind as you develop new episodes. You don't need to surrender complete creative control, but figuring out what your viewers want and letting them feel involved in the process will keep your audience coming back for more. And they'll tell their friends.