Nick BuchheitAfter Google, YouTube is the second most visited website in the world. So if Youtube marketing isn’t already a part of your marketing mix, chances are you’re leaving a lot of opportunity on the table.
Every month, 2 billion people log in and watch videos on YouTube. And 68% of those people state that watching Youtube videos helps them make purchasing decisions.
No wonder the number of businesses advertising on YouTube has more than doubled over the last two years. And as the user base keeps growing, so does the number of companies who want to integrate Youtube in their marketing.
Let’s have a look at 9 steps to a successful Youtube marketing strategy.
#1 Always Be Building Your Subscriber Base
The longer your subscriber list, the larger your organic reach will be. Make sure to ask your viewers to subscribe to your channel at the end of every video, and create playlists to encourage viewers to binge-watch your video content.
Create a professional and branded channel page, and upload an enticing trailer to your channel to pique the interest of first-time visitors. Also, send social media followers from your other platform to your YouTube channel, and don’t forget to add a YouTube follow icon to your website so your visitors can find your channel.
#2 Repurpose Your Existing Content
Remember, you don’t have to start from scratch when you create content for your Youtube channel.
Repurposing is the name of the game here, and will allow you to scale your Youtube presence quickly. Think about what content you already have that can be turned into videos. It can be blog posts, news articles, pages on your website, or manuals.
#3 Post New Videos Regularly
Like most content platforms, Youtube rewards consistency. Decide on a cadence that is feasible for your company, and then stick to it. Whether you choose to post something new every week, or every month, regular posting will result in better reach and more engagement. By publishing new, high-quality content on a regular basis, you teach your audience to come back for more, and you will also get the regular feedback that allows you to fine-tune your content over time.
#4 Create How-To Videos and Tutorials
Educational content is king on Youtube. If you have something to teach, Youtube will love you for it.
Whether it’s how to draw the perfect eyeliner or code a dating app, there’s no better place to share tutorials, how-tos, and animated explainers than Youtube.
Here’s an example of how we’re helping GoDaddy Pro create a series of instructional videos to educate and build trust with their target audience. Video content like this can help you position your brand as an authority in your field.
Related reading: Producing Inspirational Educational Videos
#5 Be Authentic and Personal
As always, when creating corporate videos, aim for an authentic and personal vibe. Viewers want real stories about real people, and anything that feels overly polished and produced risks being written off as ads and just scrolled past.
Now, authenticity doesn’t equate to shaky handheld cameras or filming with your iPhone but is rather a matter of achieving that feeling of realness and relevance that captures peoples’ interest.
Related reading: 10 Steps To Creating Authentic Video Content
#6 Tell Captivating Stories
An efficient way of capturing your audience’s attention is by telling compelling stories. And the best way to do this is usually by putting your customer at the center of the narrative rather than your brand.
People are not interested in brands bragging about how great they are. They want to hear about how your product or service has changed someone’s life for the better.
Related reading: Creating a Story Arch for Corporate Storytelling
#7 Leverage Video Content On Your Website
Embedding YouTube videos on your company website is easy and has many benefits. All you have to do is copy the embed code under your video and add it to your site.
Integrating videos with your written content will not only enhance the experience for your visitors. It also increases the time they spend on your page, which signals to Google that your content is valuable. As a result, your ranking will improve.
#8 Optimize Your Videos For Search (SEO)
If you want more views, subscribers, and traffic from YouTube, you need to optimize your video content for search. Just like you use SEO tactics for your written content, you need a strategy to make your Youtube content visible and easy to find. The first thing to focus on is video keyword research. Then, just as you would in regular SEO, you pick the ones you want to target and create a structured plan for doing so.
#9 Cross-Post Your Videos
YouTube makes it easy for you and others to share your videos across all other social networks. To share a video, simply click the “Share” tab under the video and select where to publish it. But it doesn’t end there.
You can also share your videos in newsletters or post them in answers and comments on social media. If your video is part of a more extensive campaign or theme, make sure to use relevant #hashtags when appropriate to ensure your video becomes part of the larger conversation.
Related reading: Corporate Videos–Dos and Don’ts
#10 Film Real-Life Events and Behind-The-Scenes
Get creative and think about new ways of documenting what you’re already doing. So you’re launching a new line of clothes? Don’t settle for filming the result; share the events that led up to the launch. Let people peek behind the curtain and get a sense of what your brand is all about. Conferences and live events can make for great opportunities to catch people on the go for fun and spontaneous interviews.
Get Started Sooner Rather Than Later
Youtube is the second biggest search engine after Google, and taking the leap to video can transform your marketing.
But just as is the case with other online content, establishing a presence takes some time and persistence. Given the fact that Youtube only keeps growing, there’s no better time to get started then the present. The sooner you make Youtube part of your marketing mix, the sooner you will get to reap the benefits of this fun and inspiring content platform.
Get in touch to learn how Covalent can help you leverage Youtube and videos in your marketing.