YouTube generates billions of views each day, reaching more people than any cable network in the US. Indeed, it would be crazy not to include it in your marketing plans.
Your customers are already on YouTube all the time, and if you don’t have a presence there yet you’re late to the party.
This is a cost-effective way to market your brand, with the video equipment as your major, sometimes only, expense. What is more, once you’re set up you’ll have plenty of opportunities (as many as you’d like!) to demonstrate your expertise in your niche for a price that’s next to nothing.
Not only will you create social proof for your brand, you’ll also build connections with your customers. Isn’t that the key to a lasting relationship with your customer base?
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Videos are processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than texts. We are hardwired to prefer videos over other content, so watching and understanding them doesn’t require a lot of effort from us. This could be the underlying reason why YouTube is popular. Videos are simply visually more appealing.
That said, videos may be the most powerful way to speak to your audience. So start using YouTube to drive traffic to your site and put more money in your pocket.
Here are 6 powerful tips you can use to promote your site on YouTube. Ready? Go!
1. Customize Your Channel
When you sign up for YouTube, customize your channel to include information about yourself and your brand. Just click on “My Channel” and start describing what your channel is about.
Image credit: KissMetrics
The “Channel Description” is similar to an About page, in that viewers will turn to it to learn more about you. Your audience can connect with you more easily if you have this filled out.
Your description should contain links to your sites, including other social media accounts you might have. Add a profile photo and some attractive channel art. Use YouTube’s guidelines for the best image size, and be sure to include keywords in your description.
Here is an example of an effective channel description from VICE:
Image credit: SocialMediaExaminer
2. Optimize Your Videos for Search and Clicks
Your channel description shouldn’t be the only thing that contains keywords. Improve the visibility of your videos by including keywords in the title, description, and tags. Always use your most important keywords in the beginning.
Use keyword tools, like the search bar, to find the best keywords to use. You can also look at the keywords of popular videos in your niche and follow suite. When people watch their content, yours might also come up under the suggested, “up next” videos.
Alternatively, you can also boost the popularity of your videos by buying YouTube views. People are more likely to check out videos with a huge number of views than videos with just a few views.
To encourage clicks on your videos, make your titles interesting and irresistibly clickable. Consider this viral video title “What If Everyone JUMPED At Once?” used by Vsauce, one of the most popular science channels on YouTube. How can you generate the same feeling?
Don’t forget to pick a good thumbnail image for your video. You can customize your thumbnails in the “Video Manager“ section. To get there, click your profile picture at the top right and then click “Creator Studio.”
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Next to the video, click “Edit,” choose a thumbnail on the left preview screen, and then save. You can also use the Creator Studio app to easily add a customized thumbnail to a video.
3. Use Calls-to-action in Your Videos
A CTA, or call-to-action, is anything that directs or requests your audience to take the action you want them to do. On YouTube, it could be the words you leave your viewers with at the end of the video, like “Please, subscribe to my channel” or “Like this video,“ “Comment below,” or even “Visit my website.”
Image credit: H&I Gaming
For the most part, you’re not just making videos to entertain people. You want them to do something. Initial stages of your funnel can involve subscribing to your channel, leaving a comment, and getting involved, but eventually you want people to visit your site and make a purchase. You want potential prospects to respond and engage with you. It’s the first step to sales leads.
4. Know What Kind of Videos to Make
To get ideas for videos you can make, check out what’s popular in your niche. Not to stifle your creativity, but to start with videos that are already proven to work. Once you’re comfortable making videos, it will be easier to branch out.
You can make product demos, if you have products, or make tutorials for any of your services that could benefit from one.
If you have tips that you know people will love, share them in a video. Tutorials and tips are some of the most popular types of videos on YouTube today. This kind of videos will also give you the chance to demonstrate your expertise in your field.
You can also ask your previous customers to say a few words about your products or services, collect them, and turn them into a customer testimonial video.
5. Reinforce Brand Recall
At the beginning or at the end – or both – of your videos, flash an image of your logo for brand recall. You can also add your company name as a text overlay on your videos.
Likewise, you can direct your audience to your other videos by creating a clickable text overlay. If you want an outside link that directs to your site, you’ll have to create a CTA overlay. The procedure for each is different.
Creating a CTA overlay is a great way to drive traffic to your site. Check out the example below.
Image credit: InternetMarketingNinjas
6. Promote Your Videos
Promote your videos and your channel to your friends and family. Post your videos on every social media channel you have, including your blog or your website. Ask your friends and family, as well as your site visitors to share your videos – just make sure they’re share-worthy!
Remember also that YouTube is a social media site, so network with other YouTubers. Comment on their videos, and try to add value wherever you can.
You may also want to comment with your own videos on popular content. You’ll be exposing your channel to a lot of people that way – just make sure your video is relevant and that you’re adding value to the conversation. Do not spam. Nobody likes spammers.
Another way to promote your videos is by creating a playlist. Put together videos of the same topic (include your own videos), and name your playlist with an interesting title that has your keywords in it (e.g., Reviews for Top Windows Software).
Image credit: JoyDownload
Finally, you can also promote your videos by buying YouTube views from reputable companies. The number of views you get serves as a recommendation for others to watch your videos – the more views you have, the more likely people are to click. Your videos will rank higher not just on YouTube but also on Google.
Check out our reviews of the top providers in the industry, and find a company that can help you reach the top.
Start Your YouTube Campaign Today!
Start making videos, and begin developing a strong YouTube presence today. You won’t only demonstrate your expertise, you’ll also be driving YouTube traffic straight to your website.
It’s not easy to make it big on YouTube, but if you explore and apply the tips we’ve provided above you’ll have a great shot. There are billions of YouTube users out there, just waiting for you – are you getting your piece of that pie?
Image credit: Max
Date: March 24, 2017 / Categories: SEO, Tips, YouTube, / Author: Chell
