YouTube #YouTube has audience figures that dwarf those of major TV networks. More than a billion unique users visit one of the world’s largest search engines every month.
The video sharing website’s phenomenal power and reach spells out opportunity in flashing neon lights, something that hasn’t escaped the notice of the small business community.
According to Social Platform 2013, a report by digital innovation think tank L2, 95.1% of all luxury brands now use YouTube.
In China, investment in online video, search and mobile will boost digital media spend in the country by more than 44.5 per cent year-on-year, according to Carat’s global ad spend forecast for 2013 and 2014.
YouTube is not just for posting videos of animals doing silly things as more people turn to the site as a source of information.
This makes it is a highly effective business marketing tool that can be used to demonstrate your expertise, share knowledge, connect with customers and show off your products and services.
Nothing can turbo charge a marketing campaign #MarketingCampaign like strong visuals. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then hundreds of them strung together to form a video are worth a whole lot more.
In fact, research by Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research found that one minute of video equals 1.8 million words, that’s more than 3,500 web pages.
Videos #Videos are powerful because we think visually. Even when we are reading text our brains are converting those words into images.
Achieving Results with YouTube
You probably don’t own a pet pooch that can juggle tennis balls or a green parrot that sings the blues so it is unlikely you’re going to create a viral #viral sensation that gets the whole world sharing your content.
But you don’t need to be the next Gangnam Style #GangnamStyle to promote your company and make your small business part of the bigger picture. Neither do your pockets have to be as deep as those of a Fortune 500 #Fortune500 company to launch an effective attention grabbing video.
However, a few golden rules apply:
Create great content – one of the biggest mistakes that many small business owners make is to think their videos have to be as sophisticated as a TV commercial to make an impact.
In reality, YouTube is full of many excellent videos that have been filmed on nothing more than an iPhone or camcorder. What makes them standout is that they speak directly to their audience.
How-to videos are among the most popular as they help to solve problems that consumers face. So are filmed tips about specific areas. Not only do they help audiences, but they can demonstrate your thought leadership.
Short is sweet – most audiences have a short attention span and a video that comes in at more than three or four minutes is unlikely to attract a lot of eyeballs. So keep yours brief and to the point.
Employ good production values – YouTube videos do not have to be blockbuster productions, you are not shooting the next Star Wars #starwars epic. But they must be in focus and have good lighting and sound quality. A badly shot and produced video will tarnish your company’s image.
Interact with comments – don’t forget that YouTube is a social media channel and after you’ve uploaded your video viewers may want to comment, so engage with them. In this digital age marketing is no longer a one-way broadcast.
Ensure your videos are actionable – don’t leave your audience dangling in mid-air at the end of your video. Tell them what you want them to do. Do you want them to visit your website, subscribe to your newsletter or call a toll-free number?
