Millions of people use YouTube every day to watch the latest viral videos, but can YouTube actually be helpful for marketing your business? According to Nielsen, YouTube now reaches more US adults aged 18-34 than any cable network. If this is the target market you’re trying to reach, it only makes sense to get your business on YouTube.
YouTube can help increase your online visibility and convert prospects into customers. Also, videos often appear on the first page of search results. Even if your video doesn’t appear on the first page, most people looking for videos will search directly on YouTube, which is currently the second most popular search engine in the world, only behind Google.
There are a few things you need to know to create the best videos possible to market your business and reach your intended audience. The first thing you need to do is use keywords in your video uploads, just like you would on your website or in any other marketing material. There are a few places you can use keywords on YouTube, including in the title, description, tags and even the narrative of your video. Keyword rich text will ensure that the right people are finding your videos.
Now that you have people clicking on your videos, you need to make sure they stay and watch the entire thing. Make sure you put the most compelling content in the beginning of your videos, especially during the first 15 seconds. This is when your viewers are going to decide if they should keep watching your video or not. Starting with a short clip that previews the video is a good way to get and keep their attention.
Another tip is to put a link back to your website in the description box of your video. This is the best way to turn your video views into website traffic and eventually sales. You can also verbally tell your audience at the end of the video to visit your website for more information.
You should also be inviting your viewers to subscribe to your channel and like and share your video. Posting your videos on your own social networks will help increase the number of shares your videos receive as well. Your business probably already has a following on these sites, so it only makes sense to share your videos there. Views from your social networks also count towards your video’s total views on YouTube.
You can also ask customers to post video responses. Testimonials from actual customers will build credibility with your audience and make your company seem more trustworthy to prospective customers.
Just like on your other social networks, you should have a schedule for posting videos on YouTube and always follow it. Having consistent video uploads will slowly build your YouTube presence and audience. When you are first starting out, you should aim for one video a week.
Following these simple steps will grow your presence in the online world and give you yet another channel to successfully market your business.
