YouTube has radically changed the way we communicate with each other. The average American can use it to achieve notoriety or simply share opinions, and businesses can create engaging content to attract new customers. Despite popular belief, YouTube is not just for teens and musicians — as a marketing tool, it has the potential to reach an incredibly wide audience, helping position your company as an industry leader, and increasing sales in the process.
YouTube’s presence is strong, and keeps getting stronger. The numbers prove that: over 4 billion videos are watched daily, 800 million users log on each month and there are 48 videos uploaded to the system every minute. That means each passing day brings with it nearly 70,000 freshly uploaded YouTube videos.
Those statistics might cause you to pause and wonder, “How can my videos gain attention with all that activity?” Well, the good thing is that you don’t need to reach the masses with your video to be successful. In fact, it’s ideal to use it to reach your niche. And that’s how successful businesses are using YouTube.
What are the qualities of a successful YouTube video for business?
Keep the following factors in mind as you plan your video:
- Don’t assume humor is required. How-to and informational videos garner a surprising amount of hits.
- The same goes for the entertainment factor. Your video should keep a user’s attention, but it doesn’t need to be a Broadway production, either.
- Appeal to your target consumer, because contrary to popular opinion, all age groups use YouTube, not just the young. In fact, 55 percent of YouTube users are women between the ages of 18 and 54.
- An in-house production with a consumer-level digital camera works. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a professionally produced video to get results.
The types of videos you can produce are unlimited. Often, businesses use YouTube to develop in-house materials, such as presentations and training components. Consumer-focused videos can include spots that highlight product features or focus on help-related topics. Informative videos build communication and brand awareness for consumers. The sky is the limit.
Don’t dismiss the value of YouTube in your small business’ marketing strategy. It can generate leads, build sales and increase brand awareness. Social Strategy1 is a cutting-edge marketing company that helps business owners grow their social media strategy, one pixel at a time.