YouTube Marketing in 4 Easy Steps

So you’ve heard that YouTube is the second largest search engine in the U.S., second only to Google (who owns YouTube and includes YouTube search results in Google SERPs as well), and that 20 million visitors search YouTube every month.  A savvy web marketer would jump on the opportunity to corner search results on YouTube. But just uploading a digital version of the commercial the cable company produced for you will probably not result in more website visitors and increased sales.  Follow these steps to create and promote effective online videos that generate business.

Step 1 – Come Up With Your Idea.

This is the hardest and most important step.  YouTube visitors, as well as Google searchers, aren’t interested in watching a sales pitch or commercial online.  Instead they are looking for three specific types of videos:

• Informational Videos – behind-the-scenes tours, exclusive interviews, product features and more.  This type of video giveS viewers additional insight into your brand and products without directly selling.  Making them funny, informal, and entertaining will help make them even more effective at generating interest.
• Educational Videos – how-tos, instructional videos, advice, and tutorials. Many YouTube visitors are looking for information, and free information from professionals and experts is always attractive. These videos help you establish your company or brand as a trusted authority.
• Entertainment Videos – Give your viewers something funny, beautiful, unique, or diverting to watch that relates to your brand.  A good example of this type of video is the “Will It Blend” series from Blendtec. This type of video helps you build brand awareness among people who aren’t actively shopping but are interested in your industry or particular niche.

Step 2 – Produce Your Video.

There are two important points to note during this step:

1. Production values are important. In particular, spending too little is better than spending too much on production.  Looking too polished can work against you.  However, be sure to pay extra attention to audio quality, making sure viewers will be able to clearly understand everything that is said in your video.
2. Don’t forget to add your website address! The whole point of your video is to help drive traffic and engagement with your brand.  Giving them a link to your website (along with other company contact information) helps viewers continue to explore. Even better – create a landing page on your site specifically for visitors coming from YouTube.

Step 3 – Choose Your Keywords.

In order to make the most of the search potential on YouTube, you’ll need to choose the right keywords to capture viewers. Choose words that best fit your subject area and industry. Keywords should draw in a broad enough audience to get the exposure you seek, while being specific enough to the particular subject of your video to narrow competition.

Try the following to help choose your keywords:

• Use the auto-complete suggestions from the YouTube search box. These suggestions are popular searches that are conducted by YouTube visitors.
• Use the YouTube Keyword Selector Tool. This is another great place to find new keyword ideas related to your video’s topic. You can also put a YouTube video ID in the tool, and it will give you suggestions for key phrases to add to your video.

Step 4 – Share Your Content Across Other Social Media Channels

Now that you have an effective video on YouTube, be sure to promote it elsewhere.  Share it on your Facebook and Twitter accounts, and include links to it in your email newsletters.  Be sure to encourage viewers to share and forward the video to their friends and colleagues.