How to Use YouTube to Market Your Business

Internet media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, provide the opportunity to find and target potential customers in a cost-effective and highly efficient manner. YouTube is among the most powerful of the new media platforms. Like any new marketing technique, it takes time for business owners to understand and fully implement it. Instead of missing out on the most powerful applications for your business, use the following guide to market a business of any size.

Time to Update the Marketing Plan

If your business is like most, you use expertise, credentials, and professional appearance to reach broad audiences through paid advertisements. You also rely on word-of-mouth advertising, personal reviews, and perhaps a Facebook profile to stimulate interest. Home-based businesses come in many varieties, but most use a variation of the above tactics with one more especially suited to YouTube.
Since its purchase of YouTube, Google now places a premium on websites with user-generated video content. Videos are also shared more often than text through social bookmarking sites such as Digg and StumbleUpon. In short, the Internet landscape now highlights video over other forms of content. Whether you are a dentist, auto mechanic, affiliate blogger, or landscaper, video content will drive more traffic to your page and maintain your primacy over the competition.
When you weigh the pros and cons of capitalizing a video campaign, it's worth noting that YouTube is a free service. Unlike other forms of advertising, you won't pay a dime to upload your video and embed it on your website. Home-based entrepreneurs should make a special note of this, since low start-up cost is a recognized pillar of small-business success.

Brainstorm YouTube Applications for Your Business

Most owners with at least a little marketing experience can think of one or two types of video content for their business. That's a good start, but it's important to identify many possible uses. This will expand your content and ensure you don't miss out on a key audience. Consider these few ideas as a jumping off point.

• Make video introductions for yourself and professional staff.
• Promote your service or product.
• Show customers the results of using your product or service.
• Provide troubleshooting advice for common problems.
• Give customers tips on prolonging the life of your product.
• Use video as visual support for a blog entry.
• Make a video of your special events.
• Invite customers to post testimonials in a contest.

Keep a running list of video content ideas for your business. Many applications are possible, and most are specific to a certain type of business. A leading theme with video marketing is one that affiliate marketers understand well. Sharing you knowledge with potential customers earns their gratitude, and they will remember you when they need your product or service.

Tips for Effective Use

Posting video content is only part of successfully using YouTube to promote your business. SEO strategies, proper use of branding, and regular updates all play important roles in driving traffic to your videos and business website. Use the following strategies for maximum effect:

• Making the Connections
Your YouTube campaign begins with creation of a channel. This will hold your content and allow subscriptions. Every video in your channel should contain a text link to your website. Include call-to-actions at the end of each video if appropriate, and always design your logo and clickable address into the video.
• Signatures and Linking
The next step is ensuring you attract an audience. A unique signature for your account is a natural way of promoting your business through comments. Search out related videos for comments. Don't forget the text description of your video is useful for drawing search engine traffic. Use keywords related to your business or featured on your personal website.
• Persistence and Creativity
Websites with regular updates rank higher than stagnant pages. The same goes for your channel. People are more likely to subscribe with an active and useful channel. Simply adding content is not enough however. It also needs to be creative and at times personal. Add a whimsical video or one not strictly related to your business every once in a while. You can also use a youtube music converter to allow viewers to access fun music videos that relate to your business.

With the right types of content and effective use, you'll receive more unique traffic and inspire customer loyalty. People have a natural desire to personalize consumer relationships. Use this to your advantage by adding video content to your website.


Guest Author: Amy Nielson is a freelance blogger. You can follow her on Twitter @NielsonAmy