Struggling to market your products and services? Searching for ways to peddle your items to more people like never before? Considering social media as a marketing tool but do not know where to start?
These may be some of the questions that are running through your mind that a YouTube marketing guide can answer.
Of the different social media and networking websites, YouTube is one of the most popular. About 1.8 billion people use the website every month.
Believe it or not, that staggering number only accounts to those who have YouTube accounts. In addition, about 9% of small businesses in the United States use YouTube to market their products and services.
With the potential for growth you can enjoy through YouTube, you need to learn how to use it to your advantage. Check out the list below and learn the basics in YouTube marketing.
YouTube Marketing involves using YouTube to promote products and services, leveraging its vast user base and popularity as a social media platform.
Is YouTube Marketing Right for Your Business?
The first thing you need to determine is if YouTube marketing is right for your business. If you answered “yes” to the first two questions we asked at the start, then consider it a necessity for you to learn how to do YouTube marketing for it has the potential to help your business in a huge way.
YouTube Marketing is suitable for businesses aiming to expand their reach and engage with a broader audience, especially given YouTube’s 1.8 billion monthly users. YouTube, an essential platform in any YouTube marketing guide, also ranks second among the world’s most popular websites. It also ranks second among the world’s most popular search engines, next only to Google (of course), emphasizing the importance of a YouTube marketing guide in your strategy.
Showcasing your products and services to millions of people through YouTube is possible. All you need to do is to lay the foundations of a solid YouTube marketing strategy, a cornerstone of any comprehensive YouTube marketing guide.
Let’s Get Started
Begin by creating a YouTube account and a YouTube Brand Account, then plan a video content marketing strategy to attract and engage your target audience.
After logging in, head on to the left-hand menu bar and choose “My Channel” for your YouTube marketing guide.
You will see an option to create a channel. What you want to click first is “Use a business name or other name” found at the bottom. After clicking, type in your Brand Account name then click on “Create.”
After registering a Brand Account, it is time to create a great YouTube channel layout. You want to have a layout that instantly tells your visitors what you are offering.
You need to give them a clear overview of what you can bring to the table.
One excellent tip is to use a color that matches your own website. Make sure to also upload your channel icon, which serves as your profile picture. The icon should be easily recognizable and it should be consistent with what your brand is all about.
You should also post a short “Call to Action” (CTA) that effectively appeals to the possible needs of your viewers. As for your videos, you should also organize them into sections based on the topics that you tackle.
Build Your Strategy
Now that you have set up your YouTube channel, you need to create a solid YouTube marketing strategy which also works for other social media marketing as well. Start off by identifying your goals. Take out your trusty pen and notebook and list down your specific targets for your business. Targets can be the number of subscribers that you want to hit or the clicks and traffic that you generate.
Just like in other goal-setting initiatives, stick to the SMART model. This means that your targets should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Taking the SMART approach to goal-setting will make you adhere to deadlines.
It will help you focus on things that you can do at the moment.
Now that you have identified your specific targets, you need to track your progress. To achieve this accurately, you must build your own key performance indicators (KPIs). Effective strategies include creating engaging content, using SEO tactics like keyword optimization and incorporating calls to action in your videos. This will help you determine if you are on the right track.
Commit to a Cadence
All the successful CEOs in the world follow a certain schedule or cadence. Committing to a cadence is important since you want to build consistency. Set a publishing schedule that you will stick to, no matter what.
This means putting up videos in line with the goals that you set earlier. Consider uploading fresh content during the right time, say the early part of the afternoon or during the early hours of the weekend.
In addition, you need to take note of certain holidays or seasons that you can use to your advantage. If you are selling swim gear, you can increase the number of videos that you post during summer. During the Black Friday sale, you can also go on sale and spread the news through a Black Friday video.
Understand the Different Types of Video Content
To dive deeper into our YouTube marketing guide, you must first understand the different types of video content. You want to come up with content that effectively works for your target market. First, in your YouTube marketing guide there is the “Listicle” where you create a short list of different things regarding your product or services.
You can make a video listing down the “Top 5 Benefits of Your Product.” Next there is the “How To” video, which educates your viewers on how to do things.
If your niche is improving website content, create a video explaining how your viewers can improve their websites. The key is to do it in an interesting, entertaining, and engaging way.
There is also the “Product Video” where you tackle anything and everything about a specific product that you offer. You can discuss its benefits and advantages. You may also surprise your viewers with things that they do not know about the products or services that you offer.
It can also be a launching of a new product in your lineup. The options are virtually limitless.
Video SEO Optimization: Highlights You Need to Know
Video SEO optimization is crucial for increasing the visibility of your videos on YouTube and involves using relevant keywords, hashtags, and effective descriptions.
- Keywords: This pertains to the words that you use to describe your videos. You need to let YouTube know what your brand and channel are all about.
- Video tags: You must add tags to your videos to help viewers find your videos easier.
- Descriptions: Do not take the video headlines and descriptions for granted. Use your keywords wisely by putting them at the start of your headlines.
- Add a video transcript: Incorporating a video transcript gives viewers added value. This helps them understand words that may come out unclear in the videos.
Focus on Engagement
Make sure you include the number of likes and dislikes that your videos get. The same thing applies to the number of shares in other social media platforms and comments your videos receive. These things are all monitored by YouTube.
Check the total number of minutes or hours your viewers watched your videos. Aim for a bigger watch time to increase your ranking. Also, look at the thumbnail and make sure this is visible during the indexing of your video.
Last but not least, always monitor the number of subscribers. This pertains to the total number of subscribers that you have. If new viewers subscribe to your channel after watching one of your videos, then you are on the right track.
Top 5 Expert YouTube Marketing Guide Hacks
There are also some valuable hacks that you need to learn. Let’s take a look at some of them:
1. Add Logo to Boost Awareness
You want to build brand awareness, and one of the best ways to do so is to come up with a logo. A company logo will help your viewers and visitors associate your channel to the products and services that you offer.
2. Have Captions Available
Captions will help open up your videos to a broader audience. Captions will help search engines find your videos faster. To enable captions in your YouTube marketing guide, go to “Video Manager” then click the “Edit” button on the drop-down menu. Select “Subtitles/CC” and complete the process by clicking “Add new subtitles or CC.”
3. Always Have a CTA
Write a Call to Action or CTA right at the beginning of your video descriptions. This will prompt your viewers to watch your videos and get more information.
4. Cross-Promote with Other Channels
Cross-promotion means sharing channels of other businesses in exchange for promoting your channel. This is effective in terms of expanding your reach and building new leads.
5. Add Videos to Your Website Content
Lastly, you need to put links to your videos on your company website, and vice-versa. This increases the chances for your website visitors to see the videos you posted on YouTube.
Conclusion: Go Beyond the YouTube Marketing Guide, Today!
You have the basics in YouTube promotion and marketing. You have a solid foundation necessary to take your business to the next level. Though learning and improving should not stop there.
Did you find this YouTube marketing guide useful? We have other articles to help you find success on YouTube. Subscribe to our blog to never miss an update.