how to help a youtube video

Quick recipe - details later:

1) thumbs up

2) subscribe to the publisher

3) watch the video to the very end

4) [s]"friend" the publisher[/s] (no longer)

These four things will, in time, lead to about 500 more views. 

5) click on the "share" button.  Add it to your facebook page, your twitter account, stumbleupon or anything that you think is fun.  This could add dozens or hundreds of views.

If it is the first 24 hours that the video has been up, then you might also:

6) add a comment (on the video page at youtube)

7) add to favorites

Youtube has pages for "most discussed" and "most favorited" for the last 24 hours. 

submit to reddit - this could add anywhere from a dozen to 10,000 views.

Make an extrodinary video, and reddit could bring in hundreds of thousands of views.... (because of the resulting AMA, and interest in other videos)

Apparently, I don't make extraordinary videos.  I make adequate videos. 

So, we make the best of it. 

Of course, I think this advice doesn't apply to just my stuff - but anybody's stuff.  I think a lot of drivel is pushed to the top of youtube because the drivel loving crowd knows these tips.