Did you know that YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the world, right after Google? In fact, 69,400 hours of YouTube videos are streamed each minute. According to recent studies, YouTube has over 2 billion users – almost one-third of the world population. And while many people use YouTube for entertainment purposes, there’s a lot of potential for using YouTube as a business tool.
You may be thinking, “YouTube? Isn’t that just for kids, music, and cats?” Au contraire! YouTube can be a powerful business tool when used correctly. It can help your business get more leads and customers than you might expect. From creating video content to advertising your products and services, YouTube has a lot to offer entrepreneurs and small businesses.
What is a Video Marketing Strategy?
Before we hop into the specifics of using YouTube as a marketing tool, let’s start by discussing video marketing strategies in general. A video marketing strategy provides direction for all of your video marketing activities, including videos you create and the way you use YouTube.
The most effective video marketing strategies are simple, scalable, and measurable. A good strategy should begin with goals for your business to know exactly what results in you want to get from it. The second step is to choose a video medium (e.g., video blogging, testimonials, interviews) that meets your business objectives and aligns with your audience’s expectations.
After that, the rest of the strategy deals with how you create and use YouTube to meet those goals. For example, if video blogging is the chosen medium, you might have a goal of increasing leads for your business. Your strategy for accomplishing that might include creating weekly video blogs, promoting them on social media channels, and encouraging your customers to subscribe to your channel.
How Can YouTube Increase Leads and Customers?
YouTube is ideal for getting more leads and customers for your business because it’s naturally optimized for search engine marketing. If you use video blogging as your video marketing medium, here are a few tips that can help you put YouTube to work for your business:
1. Integrate keywords into your videos.
This not only benefits search engine optimization but also helps you rank higher in YouTube’s internal search results. When people watch related videos, it gives them the opportunity to learn more about your business and what it can do for them.
2. Encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel.
Make it easy for visitors to subscribe by putting a big “Subscribe” button on the video player or near the featured video section, which is usually located at the top of a user’s homepage. This way, you can introduce people to your channel and make it easy for them to keep up with your videos.
3. Link from other social media.
Linking from the YouTube player will drive traffic back to your channel. Still, this technique is even more effective when you link directly from another social media account (e.g., Facebook, Twitter). If someone already follows you on one of those accounts, they’re more likely to also follow you on YouTube.
4. Develop a call-to-action.
The end of your videos should include a clear and engaging call-to-action, so people know what you want them to do next – subscribe to your channel, visit your website, sign up for a free trial, etc. That way, you’ll be able to track the number of leads and customers your videos generate for your business.
What Can You Do with Your YouTube Channel?
Once you have a basic video marketing strategy in place, there are a few things that just about anyone can do with their YouTube channel:
1. Upload videos.
This is the most obvious and also the first step in creating a how-to video series, for example. Your videos don’t have to involve special effects – just good content that tells your story and educates your audience on a particular topic.
2. Choosing the right thumbnail for your video.
Thumbnails are the first thing viewers see when they’re scanning through YouTube, so choosing an eye-catching thumbnail can help your video get noticed.
3. Include an intro video.
Adding an intro to your channel can help set the tone for what people will find and also give them a preview of the kind of content you offer. There are free intro video maker tools available for this purpose.
4. Use annotations.
Annotations can be very effective for drawing attention to important information and visual cues in your video. You can even use them as an advertisement to draw viewers back to other videos on your channel.
5. Promote your business.
Videos can promote any of your products or services, as well as your brand. You can also promote events or services related to your products and services (e.g., discounts on products/services, webinars, etc.)
6. Communicate with customers about your business.
Videos allow you to communicate directly with potential customers without needing intermediaries like email marketing campaigns, social media posts, or traditional customer service. It can be a powerful tool for getting real-time feedback directly from your audience.
7. Target new customers with advertising.
There are two ways to advertise on YouTube: pre-rolls and banners. Pre-rolls are ads that play before your video starts, while banners are just text or image ads next to related videos. Both methods can be effective if you target the right audience and use good keywords in your ad copy.
8. Increase website traffic.
Having a YouTube channel is like having another website that you can promote to gain more exposure (and, ultimately, more traffic). Make sure your main site includes links back to your YouTube page(s) so people who are interested can find out more.
Summing It Up
The great thing about YouTube marketing is that it’s a very versatile strategy. You can use it to create awareness for your brand, drive leads and customers to your site, or even sell products and services right on YouTube. This video-sharing platform is definitely worth exploring, especially if it’s an untapped resource for your marketing strategy. It’s also a cost-effective way to get your business in front of new people and connect with potential customers. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
