Top Ten Tips to Master YouTube Marketing for Your Small Business
When was the last time you watched a YouTube video?
Maybe it was a how-to video on how to fix your washing machine. Or perhaps it was a compilation of a bunch of funny vines.
You use YouTube in your daily personal life, so why not add it to your marketing tool belt? Check out these ten tips on creating a powerful YouTube marketing strategy.
1. Optimize Your Videos
When creating your videos for YouTube, make sure to optimize them as much as possible. There are so many different ways to optimize you can’t afford to miss out.
Titles
Your titles should include your main keyword and be 70 characters or less. YouTube titles cut off after 100 characters, but it’s best to keep it shorter.
Use emotion in your titles but don’t take it overboard. Titles that seem clickbaity won’t get as much engagement as people will tend to just scroll past.
Descriptions
The first 300 characters are the most important in your description as this is what you see before you click the “show more” button. This section is where you put the most essential information about your video to let the readers know what to expect.
Include your keyword in your description, but make sure to do it naturally. Keyword stuffing may seem great for your engagement, but search engines can tell the difference and lower your rank.
Thumbnails
Creating custom thumbnails for your videos will help your viewers know what to expect and can draw them in to want to watch.
Use an image or face of someone from the video to keep it even more consistent and exciting. Include the title of the video or a caption related to the title in the thumbnail as well.
While you should personalize each video, keep your overall branding consistent. Too much variation will leave people confused and unsure of who you are.
Don’t forget…
Add your keyword in the video, and add categories and tags to help your viewers understand and find your content.
Calls to action (CTA) are a great way to increase engagement. You can include a clickable CTA in your video or add cards, end screens, and watermarks.
And most importantly, always remember to end your videos with a reminder to share the video or subscribe to your channel to keep your audience growing.
2. Optimize Your Channel
Having your videos optimized is excellent, but it doesn’t end there. Optimizing your channel can help you bring in even more viewers and keep your business growing.
To optimize your YouTube channel, you can:
Organize your videos in playlists
Keep your posting schedule consistent
Brand your channel with your logo, colors, banner image, etc.
Use the description to explain who you are
Include your keywords in your description
Feature other channels that align with your business/industry
Add a trailer video for when users first come to your site
3. Focus on What Your Readers Want
When creating videos, pay attention to the content your viewers watch and interact with. At the end of the day, your viewers are the reason you’re there. They want to learn and watch and communicate, and that’s what social media is all about.
Look at YouTube analytics to check your engagement, views, and much more that can help you excel.
But what if you don’t have any content posted yet? How can you keep an eye on what’s working? That’s where our next tip comes in…
4. Keep an Eye on Your Competition
Whether you’re just starting out or you have tons of content posted, keeping an eye on your competition can be helpful.
What are your competitors doing?
What’s working for them? What’s not?
Analyzing your competition can help you stay in the game and even put you ahead of your competitors.
5. Work with Influencers
Influencer marketing can help you build trust with your audience and get your business viewed by more people. You can use many different types of campaigns to increase your reach, so find the one that works best for the influencer and your business.
Some types of campaigns are:
And don’t be afraid to hand over a little control. Influencers know what they’re doing and how to communicate with their audience. If they have a fan base, they must know what they’re doing.
Engage with your influencer’s videos as well. This shows you’re looking to build a partnership and not just take. Make sure you are giving back as much as you are receiving to continue to build a relationship with them.
6. Interact with Your Audience
Creating conversations with your viewers is a huge part of digital marketing in general. The more conversations you have, the more of a chance you have to help them and build trust.
YouTube encourages engagement and uses it to determine your ranking. They look for things like time spent on your channel, watch time for videos, likes, and comments.
Pose questions for your viewers to answer and discuss. You’ll learn about your audience, they’ll feel heard, and YouTube will move you further up the ranks.
7. Don’t Forget about SEO
Did you know YouTube videos show up at the top of Google search results before anything else? Next time you search for something, take a look and see if a video pops up at the top.
If your video ranks for the question asked, your content will be at the top of the list, even if you don’t rank that high for your website or other socials.
Search engine optimization on YouTube videos can keep your business at the top.
8. Cross-Promote Your Content
As large as it is, YouTube is still just another social media site where you are producing and sharing content. So why not share it to your other sites?
Sharing your video to Facebook or LinkedIn can help you gain followers from all different places. The more your content gets seen, the more people can love your business and want to support you.
9. Experiment with Different Video Types
There are many different types of YouTube videos you can create for your business. Research what your target audience is already watching and try those types first.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with the different types to see what fits your business and brand.
10. Take Advantage of the Tools Offered
Don’t forget to use the tools YouTube gives you. Like we said above, screens and cards for calls to action are a great way to gain engagement.
You’re even able to add transcripts/closed captions to your videos. This makes it easy for people who may have disabilities to access and view your content.
Bonus: Our 3 Favorite Tools for YouTube Marketing
There are many great YouTube marketing tools out there that you can use. Here are our three favorites.
Vidiq
VidIQ gives you great insights and guidance for your YouTube channel. They have daily ideas for videos, keyword tools, competitor tracking tools, trend alerts, and much more to help you succeed.
And with their new use of artificial intelligence, it’s even easier to make the most of it for your business.
With four different packages to choose from, ranging from free up, you’re able to find the one that fits your business’s needs.
Canva
Canva is a great place to create your channel’s banners, art, and thumbnail images. Its easy-to-use layout allows you to make creating great-looking content in no time.
There are so many templates you can choose from, making it easy to find one that aligns with your business and fits your needs.
With plans for any size business and budget, they are a great tool to use to your advantage.
Vyond
Vyond is a great animation tool for your business. You can create professional animated videos for all different industries.
For me, having to show my face in videos can be stressful and makes me feel nervous. This tool makes it easy for me to create content without all the stress. I even created myself as a character, so it feels like I’m the one in them!
While pricing can be high, I think it’s worth it. Creating the videos is simple, and it’s a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.
So What Now?
Now that you have these great tips to master YouTube, what’s your next step?
Adding or improving a YouTube strategy can take time and energy you just may not have. Hiring a digital marketing agency to help can leave you with more time for other essential tasks.
