This is the third post about starting a YouTube channel. If you haven’t seen the previous posts, you can read part one here, and part two here.
You really need to be leveraging YouTube if at all possible, because it’s the most popular video-streaming service boasting massive online traffic, and constant streaming services – and ultimately, it will maximize exposure and help your brand become recognized within your market.
By the way, if you do decide to take YouTube seriously, then check out the Video Marketing Insider for a suite of top-notch trainings and software from a video marketing expert.
So, let’s look at three more ways to get your YouTube channel more views and subscribers.
A thumbnail is the picture that you click on when you want to watch a video. It should clearly indicate what the video is about, even though your title and description should also reflect the topic of your video content.
One option you have is to choose a freeze-frame from the video that you’ve uploaded.
For example, if you’re a baking company who also sells products to bake with, you might upload a video on how to bake brownies.
You can choose a freeze-frame from the video that shows you mixing the batter. YouTube automatically generates a few that they think are good ones, so this is fairly easy to do.
This is as simple as taking a picture and using a picture editing tool, such as Photoshop, or tools with a shorter learning curve such as Stencil or Snappa, to make it more appealing and relatable to your video.
For example, a beauty brand may want to use a custom thumbnail that features the products being used in the video hovering around a person’s face, using arrows to point where the products will be applied.
Or you can do a split-screen custom thumbnail. In the case of this beauty channel, they can use a before and after picture of what someone looks like with and without makeup, side by side.
Be sure to play around with different looks before deciding on your custom thumbnail, and make sure that it’s interesting enough that even you would click on it.
In addition to everything else, it’s important to have both a profile picture and channel art on your YouTube channel that accurately represents your company and reflects your brand message.
And if your business has accounts on other social media platforms, then your business profile picture and channel art should be the same. Again, it’s all about consistency!
Your profile picture and channel art are the very first things that people will see when they visit your channel. Whether you’re a one-person business or a company with thousands of employees, it’s important for brand recognition.
Your profile picture, for individual businesses, can be a profession-al picture of yourself, a mascot or other image that works with your brand. Simply click on the picture within your channel to up-load and edit.
Your channel art, however, should be a bit more brand specific.
Keep in mind what colors your brand uses the most, as well. Then try and incorporate these colors into your videos as often as possible. For example, if your company’s logo is cobalt blue, then have videos with a splash of this color in it or use other graphic elements like a video bar or subscribe button that includes that theme.
When visitors go to your channel and see your cobalt blue logo above thumbnails with matching thumbnails, they’ll start to associate that color with your brand.
If you’ve spent some time analysing successful YouTube channels, chances are you’ve noticed how common it is for all thumbnails to look similar in terms of color or font styles used.
This helps to build a strong visual identity that helps your account look polished and professional, but also helps to establish a theme.
YouTube is owned by Google, and so your channel will automatically be linked with a Gmail account. Even if you already have one, it’s a good idea to create a separate account just for your business.
Look into investing in G Suite to have professional email addresses created. So rather than @gmail.com, your email will say @yourcompanyname.com. It’s a small step, but it helps promote a professional atmosphere for your channel and company overall.
Keep in mind that the name you choose for your new Google account should be the name of your brand.
Just head on over to YouTube, click on your profile icon in the up-per right hand corner, and scroll down to “My Channel.” Click on it but avoid clicking on “Create Channel.”
This is where you want to click “Use a business or other name,” down at the bottom. At this point you should be prompted to enter your Brand Account name.
Your Brand Account name can always be changed in the future, should you decide to do so. At this point you have successfully set up the foundation for your company channel.
I hope that this collection of articles has given you the direction you need to start building your very own YouTube channel.
Start off by researching your market, spend some time watching videos from successful channels in your niche and then develop a content plan and schedule that you can stick to.
Once you get the hang of it, make it a point to regularly upload quality content based on the schedule you’ve chosen. Try not to change this! Your subscribers will rely on it and begin to log on expecting new content on those days.
Notifications cuts through the noise and helps your channel gain traction with repeat visits from subscribers.
And remember to upload in different video formats to keep it interesting and keep the viewer’s attention.
We wish you the best of luck in creating a quality channel and hope you’ve enjoyed this series!
If you want to know more about setting up your YouTube channel the right way, check out the featured resource below for an expanded version of this article covering all 11 tips in the series; download, read it and take action 🙂
As I mentioned in my previous post, one of the best things you can do to expand your business is to start a YouTube channel.
It’s the most popular video-streaming service boasting massive online traffic, and constant streaming services – and ultimately, it will maximize exposure and help your brand become recognized within your market.
And if you can get YouTube monetization enabled, you can even make some extra cash right inside YouTube itself.
So, let’s look at four more ways to get your YouTube channel more views and subscribers.
Now it’s time to determine the types of marketing videos that you want to create.
Keep in mind that you need a good balance of variety while still sticking to your overall theme. The last thing you want is to confuse subscribers who are used to finding one type of content on your channel with a whole other thing.
On the other hand, viewers enjoy a variety of video content, and there are different ways that you can produce quality content while still sticking to your theme and brand.
Depending on the type of channel you are planning to create, you’ll be able to offer a variety of content.
For example, if your channel is being created to promote other products and services, consider creating case-study style videos that highlight the progress your existing customers have made.
Another type of marketing video is a How-To, DIY, or Tutorial. This is a good idea for when you want to demonstrate to potential buyers exactly how to use one of your products.
If your company sells home furnishings, then a How-To video about how to arrange furniture is a great way to showcase your products and educate the consumer.
Another good marketing video idea is a Listicle. These are especially popular for when you have several points to cover.
For example, a baking company may want to create a listicle video that discusses their most popular bakery treats. They can go over each dessert they offer, and then next to it on the screen list, promote an event that it would be ideal for.
And for practically any type of company, a funny, behind-the-scenes, candid video is sure to engage viewers. Show some bloopers from videos you’ve created, how you come up with video ideas, and anything else that helps viewers see the human side of your business.
For example, a telecommunications company could shoot a video of their customer service department. In between shots of representatives helping customers, some employees could be shown having fun. This is a great way to humanize your company and connect with your audience on a deeper level.
In order to both maintain and grow your YouTube audience, it’s imperative that you know all about your current viewers and overall market. You’ll want to be able to create a visual snapshot of who your average customer is.
In truth, market research should begin long before you create your YouTube channel. The more you know about your target audience, the easier it will be to create engaging content that they’ll be interested in.
When you’re inside of your YouTube admin panel, head on over to the Analytics tab.
This is going to give you a tremendous amount of information concerning your content and the type of visitors you’re getting as well as what they are spending time watching.
On this page, you will find:
View Counts– the number of times your videos are being watched;
Average Watch Time– how long people stay on each video;
Revenue Generated– money earned;
Interaction Rate– physical engagements with content.
Pay close attention to the demographics section as well, because this will tell you:
Location in the world that your videos are being played;
Age range of viewers;
Gender of viewers.
Use this information to help your channel grow by knowing who your market is and what they want from you.
For example, make sure that your videos are being watched where you primarily offer your services. If they aren’t, then think about marketing video ideas that can help localize your content.
Depending upon the type of company you own, you’ll want to make sure that the age group and genders it’s meant for are also watching your content. If they aren’t, then come up with some new marketing videos that target these specific groups.
And finally, the YouTube Community profile is a fairly new feature that’s starting to become quite popular. It’s basically a timeline for you to post and interact with your followers.
This is where you’ll want to post pictures that are relative to your channel, polls that will help you understand your audience, and even some fun, engaging content.
Just like your business does in the real world, you should keep tabs on your competitors on YouTube. Not only can they help you better understand your audience, but you’ll be able to find inspiration from the successful channels in your market.
Set some time aside each week to review a handful of top channels in your niche.
Pay attention to the videos that receive both the highest and lowest number of views. Watch them yourself and pay attention to the different elements included in the video as well as the general style.
All this information will help you improve, as well as shape your content so that it will likely appeal to most your market.
And just as you do for your own videos, take time to scroll through their comments. See how viewers respond, both negatively and positively. Perhaps someone has even referenced your brand in these comments.
Take notes of their descriptions and titles, what keywords they use, and see if you can apply it to your own content.
Another great way to learn about YouTube success is during your downtime, when you can relax and watch videos from some of your own favorite channels.
These aren’t the channels of your competitors, we’ve already covered that. This is when you spend some time in off-market channels, meaning that you’re studying how other channels outside of your niche are increasing engagement and driving in traffic.
Just because they aren’t in your niche doesn’t mean you can’t learn something valuable from them.
In fact, it’s quite the opposite. By studying other markets outside of your own, you’ll likely be able to generate fresh, new ideas that your own niche hasn’t yet seen.
You’ll also begin to see a pattern based on the content style that people are more excited about as well as how the channel owner chose to produce that content and in what formats (candid, professional, how-to style, etc.)
For example, what about this video is holding my attention? Remember that YouTube is all about clicking, clicking, and clicking.
If this is a channel that you’ve been subscribed to for a while, then what keeps you coming back? Is it the graphics, variety of videos, tone, style, or something else?
Look at the techniques they use to keep viewers returning day after day. Perhaps they include giveaways, fun facts, candid interviews, or live streaming sessions. Are any of these something that you can do on your own channel?
Get those creative juices flowing!
If you want to know more about setting up your YouTube channel the right way, check out the featured resource below for an expanded version of this article covering 11 tips; download, read it and take action 🙂
One of the best things you can do to expand your business is to start a YouTube channel. It’s the most popular video-streaming service boasting massive online traffic, and constant streaming services – and ultimately, it will maximize exposure and help your brand become recognized within your market. And if you can get YouTube monetization enabled, you can even make some extra cash right inside YouTube itself.
And it’s the second most-visited website on the Internet with nearly 2 billion monthly users logging on to watch videos every day.
So clearly, it’s a great way to connect with your audience and keep them engaged for longer periods of time, while encouraging repeat traffic and views.
For any business owner, it only makes sense to use this as a marketing tool to better position yourself in your market. If you don’t, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re leaving a great deal of exposure on the table.
And if your competitors are working hard to create attention-grabbing content for their channels, then you’ll find it even more of a struggle to persuade your market that you have more to offer.
Unfortunately, a lot of people struggle to set up their channels. They find the learning curve too steep, or they believe that the investment of time and money may not pay off and chalk it up to a risk not worth taking.
Still, regardless of the fact that creating a stand out channel takes time, there is no mistaking just how powerful YouTube is as a marketing vehicle that can carry your message wider and deeper into your market than nearly any other social platform.
And if you’re unsure about how to get started while minimizing the learning curve, then keep reading because these articles were written just for you.
I’ll walk you through the ins and outs of YouTube, the best times to upload videos, and even how to make sure you attract the most people to your channel.
There’s a lot of information out there about how to get started with YouTube. It can be overwhelming, so I’ve done my best to condense some of the most important tips in a way that is easy to follow. That way you’re equipped with the basic knowledge you need to create your own channel.
Then, you can continue learning about YouTube including advanced optimization and marketing strategies later, once you have hands-on experience building and managing your channel.
So, don’t complicate the process and try to learn everything about marketing on YouTube at once.
Take your time and focus on the basics: building a channel based on market research so you know what kind of content is in demand. Then optimize and expand!
One important thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need to treat your YouTube channel as an extension of your business, not as just another social media platform. Building a successful YouTube channel takes time and effort and above all else, consistency.
That’s the only way you will be able to gain traction and take your channel to the level you want.
Are you ready to get started?
Let’s begin!
One of the most important things you can do is to develop a clear vision and strategy for your channel long before you begin to create content.
You want your channel to appeal to a specific audience so that you’re able to connect with your core market. You also want visitors to immediately understand what you have to offer and that your content appeals to their interests.
This requires careful content planning. You’ve probably already decided on a general focus for your channel, but now it’s time to dig a bit deeper and create a content plan that will help you stay on track while ensuring that your channel is focused on what your audience wants most.
The key to YouTube is being consistent in terms of the type of content you offer as well as uploading fresh, unique content on a regular basis.
Creating a content plan helps you stick to that overall theme.
Believe it or not, a lot of new YouTube channels often overlook the importance of a highly optimized channel description.
This is the first thing that people often see and if someone is interested in subscribing to your channel, chances are, they’re going to read your description to determine whether it’s something worthy and relevant to what they are most interested in.
Therefore, creating a well-written, keyword optimized, informative channel description is imperative to the success of your YouTube channel. Potential subscribers will find this when they click on your “About” tab.
To begin creating your channel description, click the “Edit” button within your admin panel, and then fill out the “About” section. Use this opportunity to inform viewers about the type of content you offer. Include links to your website or landing page so you can convert that viewer into a mailing list subscriber as well as a channel one!
There are also places to link your other social media accounts for your business, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, so be sure to fill them out if they’re applicable, as this is a great opportunity to gain followers on other social media platforms and create a flow of traffic to all your accounts.
If your channel will offer a weekly podcast, then be sure to include the link and content schedule in your “About” section along with a relevant hashtag for your podcast.
Use YouTube as a spring board to generate and control traffic flow to other avenues of your business. It’s one of the easiest ways to position yourself in your market and build a loyal following.
Once you’ve created a handful of videos, you can also create a playlist that is linked and featured in your About section. This is great for the times where you are offering longer videos on external channels like Twitch.
You can upload a portion of the full video to YouTube and then funnel traffic to the full video on another site where perhaps you’re able to monetize.
At the end of your about section, you’ll want to include something to encourage viewers to interact with your videos – essentially, a call to action.
Videos with a high level of interaction tell potential subscribers that what you produce is good, binge-worthy content, and keeps people engaged instead of clicking on something else and moving on.
For example, say something along the lines of something you’ve likely seen a hundred times on other channels:
“If you enjoy watching our videos, then please comment, hit that like button, subscribe to our channel, and share!”
A critical part of having a successful YouTube channel is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This is what puts your videos on the Google map, as well as other search engines and social media sites, where people searching the internet can find it.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with Google’s Keyword Planner, which is found at: https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/
You can also use Google Trends here: https://trends.google.com
Begin by evaluating different keyword phrases to determine what people are actively searching for, but also what keywords are relevant to your market. Chances are you’ll uncover a ton of high-traffic keywords you haven’t even considered.
Use a few of these keywords throughout your entire channel, not just your description but also in your video descriptions and title tags.
Also keep in mind that repetition matters.
Don’t keyword stuff (this is where you use keywords in ways that don’t make sense to your audience or detract from a viewer’s experience).
At the same time don’t be afraid to use the same keywords multiple times throughout different areas of your channel. 2-3 times is best practice. Any more than that can get your account flagged.
We’ll cover 4 more areas of your YouTube strategy next time…
If you want to know more about setting up your YouTube channel the right way, check out the featured resource below for an expanded version of this article covering 11 tips; download, read it and take action 🙂
In the old days, just about everything online was based on text and images. It wasn’t because people weren’t interested in watching video; it was simply a matter of the slow streaming and download speeds that were common at the time made them virtually impossible to watch without the dreaded buffering ruining the experience.
It could take several hours to download a single movie, or 10-20 minutes to download a music video and the vast majority of people just don’t have the patience to wait that long.
These days, smooth streaming is possible in many areas of the world because download speeds are getting faster all the time. It’s now possible to stream full HD videos with little to no buffering in a large portion of the world.
Now that internet speeds have made this possible, video has quickly taken over as the type of media that most people prefer to consume online.
Even websites which previously focused primarily on text or image content have now moved toward video, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more.
You may be wondering if video could even be helpful for your business.
Perhaps you’re in a market that doesn’t usually make use of videos often but does that mean that you should ignore it?
Absolutely not, and it may just make you stand out from your competitors if there is a lack of video in your niche.
The truth is, just about any market you can think of can benefit from the use of videos.
For example, think about a local paint contractor. You might think the company would have no use for video, but this is one way such a company could actually stand out from the crowd.
Most people in similar businesses just post photos of their work on their websites and social media, but videos could increase their business in many ways.
For example, using videos could:
Almost any type of website can benefit from the use of video.
Restaurants can use it to show the sizzle of the steaks they serve. Professionals who offer a service can use it to demonstrate their abilities.
Retail websites can show how well their products work, or how high the quality of their material is. Tutorial websites can create lessons that make it easier for students to learn.
Videos can enhance nearly every site, but a lot of people are worried that it’s too hard to create videos.
However, that simply isn’t the case any more. You can use basic tools which are free or very cheap, such as Screencast-o-matic to record basic videos.
And if you have a webcam, you can record both your screen and yourself at the same time.
In fact, these days creating simple videos is not much harder than sending an email or posting on a blog. If you already have a blog or website, you are definitely capable of making videos.
There are plenty of services that make it easy to create videos, including:
Animoto >> warr.us/Animoto
Vidnami (Content Samurai) >> warr.us/ContentSamurai
Rocketium >> warr.us/Rocketium
Doodly >> warr.us/Doodly
These services will have you cranking out all sorts of videos from sexy animated videos to doodle and whiteboard videos in next to no time at all.
And you will probably want to edit videos too and this is where Camtasia comes in.
Camtasia is a very powerful and user-friendly tool to make editing you videos a cinch.
And if you want to master Camtasia, you should really take a look at Camtasia Mastery as it is an incredibly comprehensive video training course taking you through all the editing options and tricks to make the most out of Camtasia.
Finally, let’s look at some ways to use videos profitably — how to really make the most out of your videos.
Here are a few great ideas for ways to incorporate video onto your websites:
The best way to use video is explained in a fantastic training called Video Marketing Insider and this is quite simply the best course on video marketing that I know and the creator is constantly adding and updating the content.
Plus you also get access to a number of softwares when you sign up so I suggest you check out Video Marketing Insider as soon as possible.
If you want to dive a bit deeper, then there are another couple of posts that you may find useful which cover the benefits of video in marketing in more detail and you can find part 1 here and part 2 here.
OK, there you have it. A quick overview of why you should be using video in your business and a few tips on how to incorporate them. Now get recording…
Businesses need video marketing in their arsenal and key to this is developing a strong video marketing strategy.
This idea isn’t new but what has significantly changed over the past couple of years is how important video has become on every platform and channel. It’s no longer just one piece of your overall plan. Video needs to play a central role in your outreach and campaign efforts.
Let’s be honest; video is here, and it’s here to stay. Facebook itself has predicted that the platform will be all video in less than five years. And while it’s still important to maintain a focus on optimizing your content for Google, you’re seriously missing out if you’re not considering how to get found on the world’s second largest search engine — YouTube.
Video has been an important part of digital marketing for a number of years now, but it’s amazing how much it has changed and evolved over the last 2-3 years. From basic animations and “talking-head” videos to new live streaming and social media formats, there are so many ways to embrace video within your digital marketing strategy.
So, what does video marketing look like in 2018 and beyond? And what is the best way to approach your video marketing strategy in 2018 and beyond?
Take a look at these stats:
It is obvious from these stats that video marketing is here to stay so the next question you should be asking is:
Now that you know how important video is to the sales process, let’s look at how you can incorporate video into your marketing strategy for the foreseeable future.
Here are some of the best ways of using video and the best types to use to maximize effectiveness.
Live video rightly deserves to be at the top of this list as it continues to grow in popularity, and we believe this new trend is here to stay. For brands, live videos offer the following advantages:
Video formats are always changing, affecting all aspects of design and production. While videos used to be all done in landscape mode, the advances in phone and tablet technology have changed the way we think. More brands are creating vertical videos from the start and the focus is definitely shifting to “mobile-first” or “mobile-friendly.” However, the more popular solution at the moment is square videos. This format occupies 78% more space in the Facebook News section, leading to more engagement.
But with the emergence of Instagram Stories and Instagram TV (IGTV), there is an increasing requirement to start producing more vertical videos.
Basically, mobile is growing and you need to think “mobile” when producing any type of video content, especially for the social media networks.
Product and services videos can be a powerful tool, but videos are flexible enough to have many other uses, such as e-learning. Such training can be used to monetize your videos and help you transmit information to customers or prospects in a clear, visual way.
Many information products used to be simple pdf type reports or eBooks, but video training is becoming increasingly popular as most people prefer to watch rather than read.
These can be simple PowerPoint/Keynote presentation style videos, talking head videos or screen capture videos.
You can even use videos for in-house training for employees or integrate training and marketing by offering up a valuable video to users who submit their contact information. There are countless uses for video limited only by your imagination.
Using paid media can be a big jump for solo entrepreneurs and small business with a limited budget.
But the rewards can be huge.
Done correctly, paid and sponsored videos can be highly profitable on social platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. You can even partner with YouTubers and other influencers to boost your content.
To maximize ROI, carefully measure your results and make edits when necessary. Tracking and testing is critical to your success with paid media, so get tracking in place BEFORE you start paying for advertising.
360-degree videos are becoming increasingly popular as a way to show destinations, experiences and products in an interesting way. On top of that, case studies conducted by Magnifyre and Google suggest that people engage more with 360-degree videos.
Many modern mobile devices allow you to capture 360-degree videos so give them a shot.
Showcase how your product works — whether that’s taking viewers on a tour of your software and its particular uses or unboxing and putting a physical product to the test.
This works great with affiliate products. You can show your viewers inside the product, outline and show the pros and cons and then make your recommendations so they can make an informed decision.
This is great for building trust IF you are honestly reviewing products with the buyer in mind and not just out for the commission; always put your prospects first.
Brand videos are typically distributed as a part of a larger advertising campaign, showcasing the company’s high-level vision, mission, or products and services.
The goal of brand videos is to build awareness around your company and attract your target audience.
Combining this with paid advertising to increase awareness about you and what you have to offer is a cheap way to increase your exposure.
Getting internal experts or thought leaders in your industry to do short interviews on camera is a great way to build trust and authority with your target audience.
Find the influencers in your industry or those with a different point of view and get these discussions in front of your audience.
It can feel a bit intimidating to approach these people, but what is the worst that can happen? They say “No!” But what if they said “Yes?!”
How-to videos can be used to teach your audience something new or build the foundational knowledge they’ll need to better understand your business and solutions.
This type of content is great for building trust and positioning you as an expert in your niche and is a very popular type of video to create.
This type of video is used to help your audience better understand why they need your product or service.
Many explainer videos focus on a fictional journey of the company’s core buyer persona who is struggling with a problem. This person overcomes the issue by adopting or buying the business’s solution.
This is why these types work well in VSL’s (Video Sales Letters).
Animated videos can be a great format for hard-to-grasp concepts that need strong visuals or an intangible service or product.
They are also different to many other types of video so will tend to stand out.
Many explainer videos used as VSL’s are animated or doodled in this way for this very reason although as they have become more popular, their efficacy as a sales tool depreciates.
Your prospects want to know that your product will solve their specific problem, and one of the best ways to showcase this and build trust is by creating case study videos that feature your happy and loyal customers.
These are your best advocates. Get them on-camera describing their challenges and how your company helped them meet their goals.
Social proof is increasingly important so using these types of testimonials goes a long way.
In the same way you use other types of content (such as email campaigns) to move your audience along the buyer’s journey from awareness, to consideration, to decision, you can also do this with video.
Facebook and other platforms now allow you to build custom audiences based on behaviors, allowing you to also retarget based on the same.
This way you can target people who have watched a certain amount of your video to create highly targeted audiences that you can advertise to.
As far as structuring your videos is concerned, you need to think about the overall objective.
Are you just using it to increase brand awareness, or are you hoping to monetize it by reviewing/promoting either your own or affiliate products?
You also need to decide on what type of video you are going to create. Will it be a presentation style video? In that case you can use PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides.
Animated videos can be done quickly using tools like Explaindio
Doodle videos can be done quickly using tools like Doodly
If you want to create really cool-looking Buzzfeed style videos, the best options are Content Samurai and Rocketium.
They are both good and although Rocketium has more customization options, I prefer Content Samurai as it is really quick to create great looking videos in minutes.
All videos should have an introduction, followed by a call-to-action.
Then you transition into the main part of the video where you are sharing the information you have promised.
Make this good content that people would be willing to pay for!
You can have calls-to-action during this part of the video if you want, but certainly when you transition into the end of your video, you definitely want another call-to-action followed by your outro; don’t overcomplicate it.
It isn’t difficult to structure a good quality video and the more you do it, the better you’ll get!
Once you have the video created, you will need to edit it, and this is where Camtasia come in. This tool is fantastic; you can add intros, outros, lower thirds, alpha animations, text boxes, quizzes and so much more, but you will need to learn how to use it effectively and you can do that here
If you do want to sex up your videos by adding logo stingers, intros/outros, lower thirds and overlays, I highly recommend checking out Viddyoze as it is an amazing application.
OK, so now you have gone through all this and decided to create your amazing video. Now you need to decide on a strategy to market it.
Now that you know what video creation and marketing looks like in 2018, here’s how you can begin to develop your strategy.
Here are 4 steps that you can use to build out a video marketing strategy for your business.
To make sure your videos connect with your customers, you need to be sure that you’re targeting the right message to the right audience.
To do so, you’ll need to take the time to find these consumer insights before creating your video.
While text can be easily rewritten, videos take a lot more resources to be re-done. It’s best to try and get them right the first time.
Make sure that your messages match your brand voice in every instance.
This is a step that many new marketers skip over, but it is incredibly important that you know who you are going to be talking to, so DON’T skip it!
Next, you’ll need to create measurable goals and KPIs for your video campaign. Without goals, you can’t calculate ROI and prove that your videos are working.
To learn what works well for your audience, perform some A/B tests, then determine what “good” looks like for your brand.
Constantly monitor your stats and keep testing and tweaking to ensure that your videos are optimized as much as they can be.
There are many platforms where you can “host” your video, including Facebook, Snapchat, LinkedIn, YouTube, e-publications, etc.
You’ll need to research where your audience spends time and which platform is the best fit for the tone of your message; this is tightly linked to step 1!
Some content platforms are better for short-term campaign videos, while others are better for live videos. Still others (like YouTube) are best for longer videos that you want to have some staying power.
Make sure that your video is easily recognizable with visual-striking branding, then tell a story that matches your goals and your brand.
Having attractive thumbnails and enticing headlines are a key factor in whether someone will click on your video if/when they find it.
You can choose to create your video in-house or work with an external agency to build them for you if you have the budget.
You will be able to create in-house videos quicker and it is easier to edit them later if required, while external videos ensure your content looks professional and appeals to your audience. In-house videos are typically more cost-effective, though they do take a fair amount of time.
Now, if you want to learn all about video marketing, including setting up your YouTube channel correctly, optimizing your video/thumbnail etc. and all about using video ads then you really need to take a look at Video Marketing Insider (VMI) as it is an incredibly deep course and you will become a better marketer for it.
There are also a number of software’s included which are exclusive to members which can make your video marketing efforts easier and more effective.
But hopefully reading this has encouraged you to get started, and by using tools such as PowerPoint/Keynote/Google Slides, Content Samurai and Rocketium, you don’t need to appear on camera at all so that hurdle is easily overcome.
Video is here to stay, so grab your piece of the action today and see your marketing efforts become even more successful by leveraging the power of video.
