When it comes to advertising strategies, many small business owners understand that YouTube provides a wealth of opportunity. However, most are stumped as to what it takes to create a successful video marketing campaign. YouTube is, by far, the most influential video hosting service on the Internet today and has instant integration capacity with so many different applications that harnessing its power it vital to the success of your video marketing strategy.
The Power of Video Content
Think about this for just a minute. When is the last time you went longer than 24 hours without watching a video of some sort? Still thinking? Today's world is a media frenzy and video content still reigns supreme. As a matter of fact, YouTube is actually the second largest search engine, coming in just after Google. Studies have shown that up to 1/3 of all Internet searches are conducted on YouTube alone, which means that if you aren't posting videos there, you are missing out on a huge chunk of internet traffic.
4 Strategies to Consider
Of course, there are thousands of ways you can put the power of YouTube to work for your company, but for those who are just starting out, here are four tried and true strategies that will help you get on the map with YouTube and offer you new ways to monetize your advertising platform.
Create Viral Video Content
Viral videos are what everyone who posts content on YouTube is shooting for. And, for every few thousand videos that are posted, one or two are bound to go viral. Viral videos are a great way to drive traffic to your website and ultimately help you make new sales. But, they are notoriously difficult to craft. Here are some tips that you can use to increase your chances of creating YouTube gold;
• Simplicity. Most viral videos are extremely short and the messages that they deliver are simple. There are two main drivers for this. One, the attention span of most viewer is relatively short ( two minutes or less) and two, the way videos are shared on social media sites, which are the platforms for viral video sharing, short and sweet are vital for quick consumption and rapid sharing.
• Unique. The last thing you should be doing with your YouTube videos, unless you aren't trying to go viral, is to copy something that has already been done. While it is tempting to see if you can elicit the same success of another video, viewers are very fickle and if they feel like they've seen something before, they won't be sharing it with their friends. Duplicate videos also stand no chance of standing out to YouTube, so your video won't be getting much attention from the search engine either.
• Timely. Finally, your video has to be timed just right to go viral. This is often the most difficult hurdle for marketing experts and companies to manage. It takes some skill, some experience and a lot of luck. Try to stay on top of current topics and trends to increase your chances of success.
Build an Engaged Community
Viral videos are kind of like one hit wonders. They are great for a while and companies can ride on their success for a little while. However, at some point, their fire will burn out and people will be waiting to see if there is any substance behind the hit. Building an engaged community takes longer, but provides a much more stable, long term result. The best way to do this is to create solid, professional looking videos that provide readers with substantive content. These are the videos that will strike a chord with people and motivate them to share. It's also important to introduce new videos on a regular basis. Just like with the content on your website, if you leave your channel stagnant for too long, your followers will start going elsewhere for their video fix. And lastly, keep your video offerings consistent. What you are putting on YouTube should be a reflection of your brand and public image.
Give Advertising a Shot
Many companies are not aware that they can pay for advertising on YouTube just like they can with Google, Facebook and other online properties. If you aren't advertising with YouTube, there is no better time to start than right now.
YouTube offers four main avenues for advertising. Which one you choose will depend on your goals, your budget and your industry. Spend a little time browsing through their advertising options to see which ones will work for you the best.
4. Get Brand Placements with YouTube Stars
Last but not least, understand that there are literally thousands of channels out there that have millions of YouTube followers that are ripe to receive your message. By advertising with these YouTube Stars, you exponentially increase your ability to reach new customers. You don't have to do anything with YouTube yourself and can still reap incredible rewards. The key to making this strategy work is to advertise with stars where your products and services align with the audience following them. You won't find much success advertising mountain bikes on a channel that caters to those with physical disabilities.
