Across the internet, there are countless websites that hosts videos that can promote the growth of your business. While some of them merely provide videos as one of their side features, such as Facebook and Twitter, many are solely dedicated to it and use this to gain not just new visitors, but new users as well.
Hands down, the biggest and most popular website to upload videos to is YouTube. It is the second most popular search engine, right behind Google – who, funnily enough, owns the website – and is used by 122 million users daily. While there is certainly no denying that the content uploaded to YouTube varies from channel to channel, many use it as a means to promote their business. Here is a list of four things that will certainly help you promote your business using YouTube:
1. Use keywords
Whenever someone searches for something on the internet, they are looking for something precise. To do so, they will be typing in a certain word or set of words to find it. Without using the right terminology, it will be difficult for potential customers to find your videos and, in turn, your business. This is why keywords are so important.
Let’s say you’re going to make a video about online banking. Those two words are the keywords themselves. To ensure that viewers/users find your content, be sure to use those keywords in the video’s title, description, and tags, as well as synonyms of it. For example:
Title: Online Banking with (name of company)
Description: This video will give you the ins and outs of online banking when you join (name of company.)
Tags: Online banking, banking online, (name of company), digital banking, virtual banking
2. Decide on your format
Just like how there are different genres for film and TV, there are different formats for online videos. You should ask yourself “how are you going to market your videos?” While you’re most certainly going to showcase what your business does, there are various styles you can use to present yourself. These include, but are not limited to:
- Interview – You’re speaking to someone or, perhaps, they’re speaking to you.
- Talking head – The speaker is directly addressing the camera. This practice is named as such as it can include just a closeup of the speaker’s head, although it isn’t uncommon for the camera to be positioned so that nothing can be seen from the waist down.
- Review – Maybe, instead of you presenting a video, it’s a testimonial from a satisfied customer. They are the ones who are interested in your business, so if they like what you do, it’ll encourage more to come along.
- Screenshare – This is literally what it says on the tin. You’re sharing to viewers what is on your computer screen. This format is especially effective if your business is digital and you need to teach viewers of how to complete a task on a computer. This would work well with the aforementioned online banking example, as some people may not know how to navigate the website.
3. Think about thumbnails
The only way viewers/users are going to be able to see what your video contains without watching it is to look at its thumbnail. There may be that old expression of “never judge a book by its cover”, but a thumbnail will certainly give you an insight into what the video will be about. If you depict or state something in the video proclaiming you have what the audience is after, you will gain their interest.
There are two things that must be kept in mind regarding the use of thumbnails for YouTube videos:
- Normally, YouTube will automatically generate three thumbnails to select from after you’ve uploaded your video. They will depict a screenshot from the video, but the screenshots are chosen at random, so this might mean your video won’t have a satisfactory thumbnail to get your message across.
- By verifying your YouTube account, you can create your own thumbnails, preventing the above problem. Obviously, this will mean you’ll need to then come up with an appropriate one and edit it together using a picture editing software, such as Photoshop or GIMP.
Also, under no circumstances should you use your thumbnails to mislead your audience. This is called clickbait and is considered false advertising. It’s even against YouTube’s terms of service and could get your channel banned.
4. Be social
YouTube is a social network. As stated in the introduction, its focus is on videos, but it does provide features for users that websites like Instagram and Facebook also have. Reply to the comments on your videos to show that you appreciate what they have to say and answer any questions they have. Conduct polls to find out what users like. Create playlists to group your videos together. These are less than a fraction of the other available features at your disposal.
In Conclusion
There may be countless video-hosting websites across the web, but YouTube is your best bet. It has hundreds of millions of users using it every day, so by reaching out to them by using the site and these four tips, it is guaranteed you will certainly gain customers.
However, these were only just a small number of tips as to how you can use YouTube to help promote your business. There are many other pieces of advice that can certainly assist you, so contact Floodmaker today to learn more!