YouTube: The Start-Up Business Video Stars

Because there are so many benefits to online marketing, many business owners have started creating blogs, websites and using social media including Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter to gain brand recognition.

YouTube, however, has just as much power to promote your company's brand. After all, over six billion hours of video are viewed on YouTube each month, which is higher than any cable network. People love watching videos and many prefer it to reading, especially when it involves instructions for assembling or using a product. Videos posted on YouTube have the potential to reach millions of future customers.

To make this strategy effective, however, your videos need to be unique and you'll need a large number of viewers. But you have to start somewhere so here are a few tips and strategies to assist you in becoming a YouTube video star!

• The Potential Benefits of YouTube

  Technically, YouTube serves as an advertising platform, community website, hosting service, search engine, and social network. From a user standpoint, however, it is far less confusing. Consumers use YouTube to watch videos. Thus, to benefit from having a presence on YouTube, your strategy needs to keep the user in mind at all times, meaning that you need to instruct, entertain or support users through videos that are relevant to your business. With the right content, users will become far more familiar with your brand, and the videos will improve your company's reputation and overall legitimacy in the eyes of viewers.

• What Type of Videos Should You Produce?

  The most straightforward, common video is a “How-To” video, in which you instruct customers on how to use your product (and simultaneously illustrate why it's great). Keep in mind that your video should be no longer than two minutes. As with any type of advertising, it's always best to get straight to the point in order to have the best effect and maintain consumer interest. You can also make a more creative video, in which you illustrate different ways that your product can be used in a more entertaining, humorous way. The key to this type of video is making it memorable. One option is having a celebrity or expert discuss the benefits of your company and its brand, as this type of support makes a significant difference in the eyes of consumers. It is also useful to record testimonials from loyal customers who love your product. After all, the best salespeople are those that truly love the product they're selling. Finally, you can create a video that is simply for entertainment value. Comedy can go quite far in gaining followers and customer approval. After all, people enjoy being entertained, and clever advertising can go a long way in the social media world.

The most straightforward, common video is a "How-To" video, in which you instruct customers on how to use your product (and simultaneously illustrate why it's great). Keep in mind that your video should be no longer than two minutes.

Additional Tips and Tricks

• Be Brief and Engaging

  Getting viewers' attention to begin with is difficult, but it's even harder to keep it. Most users tune out within the first ten seconds of a video, so it's vital to keep your message quick and precise.

• Quality, Not Quantity

  Nobody wants to watch a video that's blurry, irrelevant, or hard to hear. You have a few seconds to capture a user's attention, and you'll need quality audio and images that are engaging and direct. It's not necessary to spend a lot of money creating the perfect set, but you need to use proper lighting and make sure your content is relevant to your company and industry.

• Share the Love

  Once you've created your content, spread the word. Share your video on your blog, Facebook, Twitter and your website. And don't be afraid to ask others to share your video as well!

• SEO, SEO, SEO

  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is just as important for YouTube videos as it is for any other web content. Implementing effective SEO techniques is the best way to ensure that your video appears in searches which translates to an increase in brand awareness and viewers. To do this, use keywords in your title, description, and within the annotations (text bubbles) in your videos. Also, make sure a link to your website is displayed prominently to encourage additional traffic and gain more followers.

Bottom line: By effectively utilizing social media applications like YouTube (and integrating them with your website, Facebook, etc.) you can potentially reach an endless number of consumers and truly make your brand a household name.

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