The use of social media is like a big snowball rolling down a mountain. It grows bigger and bigger, in the same way as the number of users of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Studies show that 3 out of 4 Internet users watch videos online every day. For obvious reasons, this makes YouTube the perfect platform for marketing and branding your company, where you stray from the traditional push-marketing strategies and into the realm of PR and social media.
You can’t avoid YouTube
YouTube is the fourth largest website in the world and the world’s second largest search engine. If you want to use YouTube strategically in your business to achieve success, there are a few basic things you will need to consider before you start.
Who is your target group, how do you best come in contact with them, and how do you get loyal subscribers to your YouTube channel? To answer these questions, you need to develop a brand strategy. This way you will get the most out of the YouTube platform.
First and foremost, it is a question of producing interesting content that generates added value for your target group. Make sure it is relevant for your primary target group, so they want to spend their time watching your videos. And remember the golden rule that a video shouldn’t be longer than 3-4 minutes at the most if you want to retain the viewer’s interest. Generally speaking, the shorter the better.
A medium like Facebook has enormous power, so upload your videos directly to Facebook, so those who follow you can see them, ‘like’ them, comment on them and share them.
The amount of video clips on the Internet is gigantic, and the challenge is clearly that users have become very selective. Therefore, it takes a bit of effort to ensure your videos aren’t drowned out in the crowd. It is necessary to think creatively and produce quality videos that hit the mark – preferably with a quirky slant that surprises or delights viewers. And it doesn’t hurt that your video has a bit of X-factor.
Try to arouse your target group’s curiosity
But don’t try directly to sell a product. Instead, do reviews of (related) products that your company can be indirectly associated with, or make instructional videos (they have real value for viewers) or funny clips. Try to arouse your target group’s curiosity, so they want to learn more about your products or your company.
Technically speaking, it is important that your videos are designed so they work with Google. The future will undoubtedly offer Google searches for topics to get a visual presentation rather than one that has to be read to get more knowledge and information. And the future has only just begun.
It is essential that you optimise your content by creating titles containing relevant search words, and the content description of the video’s content should also be formulated as an SEO text. This will substantially increase the likelihood that your videos turn up as video links on Google.
Integrate your YouTube channel with your website, as well, and incorporate a link between them. That way you increase the value of your videos.