Using YouTube for Your Business!

Using YouTube for Your Business!

Nowadays there are videos available everywhere. Apart from content, videos are now becoming all the more prominent in the digital marketing world. Yes, videos are the right way to promote your business of late. Be it industry or any other sector for that matter, videos cater to all.

There could be videos, long or short, and they can have a positive impact on your website’s traffic or for conversion. Apart from reading content, consumers also love watching videos. This is easier and hence gaining popularity when compared to reading a text based advertisement.

If you are not yet into video promotion or not aware of it, then it is time to focus on this emerging platform and adapt video marketing to your digital marketing trends.

Videos always attract bigger numbers of customers rather than content. You can add loads of information in a simple and short 3-minute video which would present things in an entertaining and engaging manner.  Customers always love being entertained, and what better way to inform and educate than videos? However, when making videos you should have a clear picture of the product/service you are offering.

Many clients are keen to know the benefits involved with your product/service before they are ready to spend any amount and that too online.

The benefits of online video advertising

Enlisted below are the main benefits:

• High percentages of audience are known to interact with videos, browse through the ads, click the video control buttons and more.

• CTR (Click Through Rates) are always higher for videos than the text, banner, and image ads.

• Viewers watch the video ads. Video ads pave two thirds of the way.

• Specific demographic and the consumer based category can be targeted through video ads.

• Provides great benefit to advertisers as executions can be easily slotted online, saving time and money otherwise spent on creating a whole new execution.

Posting a video on YouTube takes on a life of its own as this video can then be viewed by thousands of YouTube users which in turn would be shared on numerous websites, blogs, and email in the world of Internet. You just need to tailor it according to the user’s needs and requirements, which would send the right message to the YouTube crowd. This simple move would then start generating traffic from the people who visit YouTube daily.

Anyone who is watching your video is a potential customer, and this is why you shouldn’t forget to include your website address or contact information in the video.

Different business ventures into YouTube

There are various types of businesses getting into the YouTube scenario these days. Right from local business to ad agencies to real estate honchos to academic institutions to consultants to national marketers to the entertainment industry, you have them all. It’s not just about speakers anymore; you can get the B2B, B2C, G2G, and G2C, all right there. You name it you get them on YouTube

Besides, there are major brands on YouTube who are doing what is called “brand marketing” like Coca Cola, American Express, Old Spice, Apple, Google, Starbucks, Sony, Machinima, Khan Academy, The White House, Disney, GEICO Insurance… The list goes on.

While this was the case of bigger brands, now for the smaller companies on the go, there’s a story involved too. There can be seen videos from a company that provides information, makes or sells automobile parts, system accessories, etc. Realtors and consultancies use YouTube to show the videos of their future properties and workshops; then there are travel portals using the same for promoting destinations. Similarly, there are many users who provide and share a lot through videos.

Simply put, it can be said that YouTube is a perfect medium for any promotional message as individuals and companies use it for various purposes.

A Company/Individual using YouTube for Business Marketing

Most major brands find a way to reach consumers within a short period of time. In this YouTube plays the important part as the YouTube videos have already been embraced by the probable consumers in the first place. In fact, it’s not a surprise that every brand has a unique strategy in place for their YouTube marketing.

While few brands tend to generate the brand awareness, there are others who work on ways to promote a product. This in turn drives sales. Then there are others who use YouTube for customer support, product training, informational sharing and even for recruiting and communications. Fact remains, you can literally say anything through a video and then distribute it via YouTube.

Using YouTube for Brand Awareness

Many advertisers often use YouTube for advertising their brands to create awareness. Here it’s not about individual videos or services; rather it’s a chain effort to promote the brand in the same way that is seen on television.

The idea is to not focus on any single video, rather you should always try to think bigger and make a visionary path for your brand. Single videos might get lost in the heaps of videos but the brand videos don’t.

Brand Awareness Videos are more about entertaining which is a simple approach where the brand makes an image for its viewers to enjoy.

A look at some good samples of videos produced by famous brands

Most can’t afford to forget Isaiah Mustafa, the famous character when Old Spice launched a series advertisement campaign in YouTube. The video has gained 46,001,587 views till date. Check it out –

This video series gained popularity since 2010 with the likes of “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” and “Did You Know” commercials. It basically is all about simple entertainment, straight to the point that attracts the user to the brand and hence leads to successful brand building.

Using YouTube for Advertising Products

If you fall under the category that pushes individual products, even then YouTube should be the best place for you as this requires direct approach that makes videos informative plus educational while focusing on brand and entertaining.

Using YouTube for Retail Promotion

Many brands use YouTube to promote retail stores. In this case the videos produced can be in general or specifically targeted or for short-term promotions.

To put things clearly, it’s a form of direct advertisement which wouldn’t really attract viewers. However, approaching it differently by showcasing the claims of 10-20% off or weekend specials would do better. Even educational institutions can pitch in for YouTube videos by demonstrating products like Educomp Smart classes, Teach Next or other such services that they offer.

Have a look at this one to know the same –

Using YouTube for Sales

Using YouTube for generating sales for products/services is a terrific idea and can be implemented at the grassroots level itself. All you need to do is show the product in action or provide a clip of the service related to the question and generate sales by directing the viewer to your website.

The best idea is to showcase the product video, how to use, upgrading and other such stuff. Create a shorter version of the videos which you can promote by using YouTube Ads, but focus on the goals of the product in the video which the user wants to see and it’ll gain more YouTube viewership.

Using YouTube for Product/Customer Support

Many companies show themselves as extending support, which is not true; only some companies extend their support for existing & upcoming customers. In this case YouTube helps generate new focus for businesses in support sectors.

Focus on the customer problems, Q&A, and try to produce the videos addressing these issues and methods. If you can do so, then it will not only help your customers but it will help you in future. Always make sure that you provide useful service related videos that will reduce the company’s costs.

All is Possible with YouTube Videos!

TIP: Now you can embed YouTube Support videos in your Website where customers can view them in the support section. What matters here is that the customers should get their problem solved by viewing the Video. No expense incurred here as the customer solves 70 – 80% of the problem by viewing the video itself.

Using YouTube for Training Purpose

Now, you can use YouTube videos for internal and external purposes like product training for meetings, conferences, etc. Doing so will save you a lot of time.

Recently Digital Marketing companies like MOZ, Distilled, and Blue Glass use these methods to reach consumers for conferences and much more! Apart from these, people who are unable to attend conferences due to various reasons can purchase these informative videos online from the relevant stores.

Using these informative videos in YouTube is gaining popularity, as now the videos are available for rental purpose where the user can watch them as and when required.

Apart from these you can also use the YouTube for communication with employees and even for the purpose of recruitment.

TIP: Instead of holding a big meeting and addressing all concerned, companies can record the address and post it on private channels on YouTube where employees can watch them when required comfortably from their own desk

In the next session I will cover what kind of promotional videos you should focus on, till then stay tuned!

Don’t forget to add your valuable suggestions in the comments section below. Thank you!