YouTube and Video Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

Is YouTube marketing right for your small business?

When you look at the numbers behind YouTube, the potential benefits are immediately apparent. However, YouTube isn’t the right channel for every business because the platform is massively competitive. Not only is it the 2nd most popular website in the world (even beating out Facebook), there are hundreds of hours of video content uploaded every minute.

With all of this competition, it’s easy for your video marketing efforts to go unnoticed, especially if the quality of your content is low. Video is one of the most engaging content types out there, but it can be expensive and time consuming to produce the level of quality that YouTube audiences are accustomed to.

But don’t let that deter you from producing video content; while it’s sometimes tough to attract audiences on YouTube, it can still be a great platform to host your videos. Those videos can then be easily shared across your other social media channels, like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

How to create a YouTube channel

Getting your small business account up and running is a relatively easy process.

Here are the steps you’ll need to take to create it:

1. Since YouTube is owned by Google, you’ll need a business-focused Google account. (Be sure not to use your personal Google/Gmail account.)
2. While logged into your business Google account, visit YouTube and enter your account details. Then you’ll be able to create a channel for your small business.
3. You’ll be asked to enter a name for your channel; often this is just the name of your business or brand.

Once created, you’ll be given the option to add touches like a channel image (also known as a channel icon), banner art, and a small bio. Just look for “Customize Channel.”

Here are a few more tips:

• Your channel icon should be 800 x 800 pixels. This will yield the highest quality image. Double-check that your selected profile picture looks clear when shrunken down to this reduced size.
• For a banner image, choose a picture that represents your company or products and communicates the advantage you offer over competitors.
• The “About” section of your YouTube channel is your opportunity to share details about your company and provide a few details about the types of content your audience can expect to see. Think about some keywords you can use to showcase what your business is all about. (Keywords are words or phrases commonly searched on the internet.)
• Finally, you can add additional “managers” or admins to your YouTube channel. If you have more than 1 person creating and managing the YouTube content for your brand, you’ll want to add them as managers. This will give them permission to view, post, and manage the channel.

Popular types of YouTube content

In order to produce effective marketing videos for your YouTube channel, you’ll need to create engaging content.

Here are some ideas to consider as you’re making videos:

• Listicles: In any format, lists are a popular content type that can be both entertaining and informational. They set a clear expectation of how much time and effort will be required from your audience to consume the content, as well as how much potential value there is to be gained. Longer lists provide more value but require more time, while shorter lists exhibit the opposite. Experiment with both to see what your audience prefers.

• How-tos: Instructional, step-by-step video guides detailing how to use a product or solve a common problem can be very effective. Not only can they help existing customers find answers to their questions without having to seek customer service, they’ll help prospective customers learn more about your products or services, too.

• Behind the scenes: Offering a behind-the-scenes look at your operations or staff can help humanize your brand and give customers insight into your business. They’ll get a feel for your work culture, learn how products get made, meet the people behind your services, and more. This type of insight can help make people feel like they’re a part of your business’s story instead of just being another customer.

• Product videos: Video allows customers to get up close and personal with your products without having to enter the store or make a purchase. This affords them the opportunity to learn what exactly your products have to offer and decide whether they’re right for their needs.

• Testimonials: As effective as you may be at marketing and talking about your products, consumers will often place more trust in the opinions and sentiments of other customers. Testimonial videos allow you to use past success stories to promote your brand and sell your stuff. You could even offer a discount in exchange for your customers’ participation to entice them to record testimonials.

YouTube posting strategies

Creating great content is important, but it’s only part of the equation. Small businesses also need to be strategic in how they’re posting those assets. The following tips will give insight into some of the ways you can ensure that your content reaches more members of your target audience.

Create content goals

If you’re already producing content for other platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you’re probably familiar with creating content goals.

Businesses produce content for different reasons. You may be focused solely on growing your audience and improving engagement. Or maybe your social media efforts are dedicated to converting existing followers into new subscribers or customers. No matter your reasons, you should have clear goals in mind because they’ll help you measure how successful your YouTube marketing efforts are.

Develop a content schedule

Success on any social media platform—YouTube included—is heavily influenced by the amount of content you produce. The more you share valuable content that your followers can engage with, the more reputable your business becomes on the platform.

For this reason, creating a content schedule that dictates when and how frequently you post is very important. Over time, your YouTube audience will become accustomed to when they can expect you to release new videos.

Tip: Unlike other social media platforms which many people check multiple times throughout the day, YouTube users are more active at night and during the weekends.

Optimize your videos for search

YouTube is part of the Google family of platforms and services, so it’s well equipped to allow businesses to enhance content with keywords, video tags, and other search-related elements. Using these to your advantage can help make your videos more visible in YouTube’s search results.

Encourage, monitor, and respond to comments

It’s good practice to encourage viewers to comment after they’ve watched your videos. This will help produce valuable interactions between your business and its target audiences. It will also fuel conversations amongst your followers.

When your videos receive audience interactions and comments, be sure to respond in a timely manner so customers know their voice is being heard. A simple response can help solidify the brand-customer relationship for months to come.

Start promoting your business with video

Video content can be a valuable addition to any business’s marketing strategy. As the number one video sharing platform, YouTube is a great site for any type of video content. Now you’re ready to set up your YouTube business channel and begin publishing exceptional, effective videos that attract views and followers!

Written by Ashley Segura for Mailchimp. Ashley is an expert in social media marketing.

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