What is YouTube? It’s a great place to upload your videos, but is that all? Well…not exactly.

There are some amazing conversations and interactions that happen between video creators and their fans, and that’s why I tend to think of YouTube as more of a social network than a video file locker.

So, that said — what are some of the best ways to interact with your fans on YouTube? Here are six really creative ways that I’ve seen some YouTube creators interact with their viewers:

#1: Ask viewers for their opinions or suggestions

Epic Rap Battles have been doing this for years, so you’ve probably already noticed that in every episode, they asks their fans ‘who won, who’s next?’ and then ask them to decide ‘who’s next!’:

2: Create videos based on audience requests

In the show ‘Honest Trailers’ on Screenjunkies , they ask for fan suggestions for episodes, and then make videos based on the suggestions with the most requests:

#3: Respond to comments in your videos

Mike from the PBSideachannel does an amazing job with creating discussions around their videos by responding to the comments from each and every video, and is always my go-to example.

#4: Call out individual viewers by name

Imagine your favorite celebrities in your favorite show suddenly turning to the camera and calling YOU out — wouldn’t that be cool? Well, if your favorite celebrities are Glove and Boots, and your name is Lisa N, well — that’s exactly what’s happening here:

#5: Feature content from your viewers in your videos

Your fans can also be some of the most creative people in the world, and whether they’re making fan art of your show, covers of your songs, response videos, or even their own channels — give them some of the spotlight! Check out how the guys behind Vsauce have a whole channel for featuring creations from their fans:

#6: Invite viewers to come on the show!

Your fans are real people — not just numbers! And just like other real people, you can hang out with them! Check out how Hannah Hart travelled around the world to meet all her fans and hang out on her show:

What are some of the most creative ways that you’ve seen YouTube creators interact with their fans? Find somebody doing something cool that I didn’t share? Let me know!

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