I’ve been spending more time on YouTube. So it seems are many people worldwide. I’m shocked at some of the comments on videos that I see. I’m even more shocked by some of the conversations that social profit organizations allow to appear beneath their videos.

I think this happens for several reasons:

• Youtube is more often thought of as a vehicle to host content than as a form of social media
• Organizations may not realize that they allowed comments in the first place
• People can comment with pseudonyms which make them less personally accountable for what they say.
• People may also feel free to make inappropriate comments if they see that they are perceived to be allowed by the organization or its supporters because of what they see happening in the comment stream.
• Maybe the comments have sprouted up after a “changing of the guard” and the new staff don’t realize there are videos open to comments that require monitoring

Youtube - Don’t upload and forget it

There may have been a time when you could post a video on Youtube and expect few if any comments but based on my experience that is no longer the case. You can’t upload it and forget it.

Normally, I don’t recommend moderating comments. On blogs and Facebook, you are normally better to have the comments be posted without moderating. Generally, comments are appropriate even when critical. By having a process in place, you can respond to comments as soon as possible once they appear allowing you to deal with the issue publicly (if appropriate) or deleting the comment (to be done rarely but when a comment violates your policy for users). If you have developed a healthy community, it also tends to protect you and others in the community or someone may think twice before taking a chance at posting something that may not be welcomed by the community.

I should add that have been surprised by some comments that some “digital natives” believe are appropriate on Facebook even when their name (and employer) are publicly known but that’s a whole other issue.

Some videos on Youtube do not allow comments. That may be a safe, easy approach but it means losing the benefits of Youtube as a social media. Hopefully your content inspires interaction and conversation. If someone is viewing your content on Youtube then that is the most appropriate place for the type of engagement that also encourages sharing.

What I recommend for a YouTube video is to use the “Allow comments after approval” setting so that you can assure that a conversation is occurring that fits within the expectations for what is appropriate for your online communities. What that implies though is that you are reviewing your comments as soon as possible after they are made and approving them if they are suitable. You should also be making a point of responding to comments to show that you are present and active in the conversation.

As YouTube continues to be a larger part of people’s lives and to be more commonly used as social media, it requires some time and attention to make sure your organization is benefiting and not providing a platform for inappropriate content.

Youtube is not your only choice

But before you put a video on Youtube, you should decide why you are using that platform and if there is a better option to achieve your objectives. For some time, I’ve recommended that YouTube is your best choice if you are looking to attract as many eyeballs as possible. But there are other options. For social profits I have recommended Vimeo as an alternative if your objective is mainly to find a server to host your videos so that you don’t have to worry about if your website host is up to the task of providing fast video streaming especially if you have a popular video.

But there are other alternatives. One I’ve learned about recently is Vidyard which allows for a cleaner, more controlled environment that has a greater emphasis on the marketing uses of video. Some of the benefits are similar to what is available on Youtube’s Nonprofit program so it may be difficult to justify the cost even at 60% off but you may want to consider it when developing your digital marketing strategy.

I know of at least one case where a registered charity was turned down for Youtube’s program so it may also be your only option for including links to online giving and other calls to action.

What do you think? Do you have any questions or something to add?