The entertainment industry has evolved massively, particularly over the past few decades. Visual media stands out as a key component in supporting this success. Now, these visual channels are seeping into every sphere of life. YouTube can very well be considered as the epitome of visual media’s success. If you are trying to get into video marketing, then YouTube marketing needs to be your bread and butter. It is the second most visited website over the entire internet and that with good reason.
There is so much one can gain from it, from the very comfort of our seats which is why the number of consumers spending time over it is rapidly increasing. Knowing that major companies around the world are investing enormously over this video platform. Because at its core, every business needs visibility in order to grow and YouTube proves to be an excellent digital platform for that.
The good part here is that you don’t need to spend lavishly in order to be a success here. All you need is quality and commitment, (
and a hint of luck) in order to stand out from the crowd. If you have a good enough channel that constantly delivers quality material to its viewers, your subscriber base will steadily grow. Do just that and you will get the attention required to acquire customers through YouTube eventually.
Let break down some important aspects which you need to cater to, in order to be successful! (Note that this guide will focus more on what you can achieve through various aspects of YouTube marketing rather than the basic steps of how to do it, for which there are countless other guides available if you need help with the minute details of setting up stuff)
Creating a YouTube channel
First things first, you need to create a YouTube channel. Think of it as an identity for your online business. Remember that maintaining your channel will require active participation and planning from your side. So hopefully you are ready for it, and if you aren’t, well it’s about time you buck up for it. Since YouTube is a video channel, your portfolio needs to be based on multiple videos and relying on a single video or a couple of them would almost bear no fruit.
Filming a video is just the start of your effort. You also need to allocate proper effort and resources for editing the videos you plan to post on your channel. Your brand objective and goals need to be clearly defined so you always know where you stand in the journey of achieving them. If you are willing to put in the necessary effort in managing your channel, updating and analysing it on a regular basis, then surely your content will gain visibility and you will be well set on your journey towards success.
- Firstly, create your Google account
As you might already be aware, YouTube is owned by Google. So making a Google account will automatically give you access to a large number of Google services, including account access to YouTube. It is highly advised to set up a new Google account to link with the YouTube account since multiple people are expected to access it in order to manage it in the longer run. If you use a business account or a personal one, sharing access might become a concern for you.
You can sign in to Google account from the homepage by choosing the “Sign in” option. Follow the set of instructions displayed afterward to make a Google account.
- Setting up your YouTube account
The next step in your journey is to set up your YouTube account through the Google account you just made. Making a brand account on YouTube will allow you to edit your content as well as establishing a formal presence on the website. On the YouTube homepage, choose the “Sign in” option and put in the same credentials which you used for your Google account. Voila, you are now signed into your YouTube account.
In the tab listing to your left, choose the “My channel” option. Doing so will give you the option of setting up your channel. In the new popup, you have the option of choosing “use a business or other name”. Click on it and enter the desired business name in the new popup window and just click create (Note that you can always revise this name so don’t worry about any accidents happening in the initial phase).
Now that the channel is created, you need to edit the layout as per your liking which is exceedingly important as it lets you stand out from the crowd. The better and more accessible the layout, the higher are the chances of people returning to your channels for repeated visits. Add the icon and art which you have decided on your brand remembering that these will be the first thing any new visitor sees. Make sure these are easy to recognize and remember.
Next step is adding the channel art. Think of it as a cover photo for your Facebook profile. Add something which suits the aura of your brand, keeping in the mind the colors and the texture used. Now that you are done with the two basic steps, it’s time to add a description of your brand in the “About” tab. This section needs to highlight the sort of videos your brand will be posting and the type of business activity it is associated with. Adding relevant SEO optimized keywords is important as search engines rank your profile based on the usage of these keywords.
Now all the basics towards creating your channel have been covered, but you are still far from exploring the true potential of your channel as of yet. YouTube gives you the option of changing the look of your channel for subscribed and unsubscribed viewers, which is very convenient. A great way to attract more customers to subscribe to your channel is to create a channel trailer. This lets unsubscribed viewers see a short trailer of what your channel has in store for them. So make sure it is well worth their time and that it clicks with your target audience instantaneously. Always add a hook into it, which should pull them towards clicking that subscribes button. Don’t be afraid of being creative in your trailer since people are always attracted to unique content which gives them something out of the ordinary.
You can upload a trailer by clicking the gear icon next to the “subscribe” button. Turn on the channel layout customization option and simply press “Save”. Afterward, simply choose the upload option in the top right corner and you are good to go. Give the added file a name and description. Your trailer gives you the perfect outlet to let new see what your business stands for.
Whenever you upload a video to your channel, YouTube lets you choose the desired category for it. Just go to the “Advanced settings” tab and your good to go. Be vigilant in choosing the right category from the list though as proper sorting helps you attract potential clients towards your goal.
You must have heard this term at least a few times around. This refers to the image which the audiences see next to a video link. Thumbnails are exceedingly important and work directly on the principle of ‘the first impression is the last impression’. Your audiences need to find the image entertaining/intriguing enough in order to click through it. YouTube also gives you the option of auto-generating a thumbnail but it is advised to choose your own to add a higher degree of personalization. When you film your video, choose a few high-quality images which can describe the essence of the content within, and you’re all set using them as your thumbnails.
- Adding cards and end screens
YouTube recently allowed uploaders to add cards and end screens to their videos once again due to their amazing utility. These allow you to generate polls from your viewers regarding various subjects, such as the type of videos you should be uploading and whether they liked the content displayed or not. End screens usually take up additional 5-10 seconds after the video ends and you can urge your viewers to subscribe to your channel through it, which is very useful especially if audiences are skimming through videos (like we quite often do). You can alter these cards and end screen sequences from the video settings tab from your profile account.
Remember that creating high-res YouTube videos, uploading and downloading them, will require a dependable internet connection. Especially if you are entering into the domain of YouTube video posting, make sure that, you have a formidable internet to support your cause. Go through Comcast internet deals in your area to get some of the internet options available.
Types of Videos you can create and post
Now, the next part is the type of videos you can create. Let us list down some of the most basic and effective types of videos which you can create
Testimonials are quite common these days. These are short interview based videos where customers shared their experiences with products or services with the audience. These are commonly used in order to establish credibility among the masses.
- Product/Service demonstrations
Demonstrations are exceedingly important when you are introducing something unknown to the industry. These types of videos introduce your audience to the nature and practicality of your offering so that they can relate it to their lives and needs. Sometimes needs aren’t always there and they are created for which exceptionally thorough positioning is required.
- Project details and reviews
People are often intrigued by looking at statistics as they present concrete evidence towards certain trends. These types of videos can introduce the audience to case studies and project details in which often products and offerings are involved. These can portray the exact implementation of your product or service in an environment which becomes very useful.
Video logs are quite definitely the bread and butter of many YouTubers around. You upload videos on regular basis regarding various events and happenings of your life, and if people find it all interesting, your subscriber base is going to grow like crazy.
Above are a few renowned types of videos which you can create, but there is no hard and fast rule for creating videos. Your wit and imagination are the cruces of creating something awesome, which clicks with the heart of your audience. So don’t be afraid in trying new marketing techniques in your videos.
Analysing your audience
Now that you have a proper channel, among the various perks you enjoy is the analytics tab. This gives you a wide variety of statistics based on your channel. You can get the accurate data of your view count, watch time and the revenue generated through these videos. Knowing your subscribers is important and the demographics segment can help you with that. You get to know the kind of audience which enjoys your content as well as knowing if you are targeting your desired audience in the first place. Adapt and adjust your strategies in accordance with the data collected.
Qualitative data is also important and you get to know the motivations and feelings which your audience expresses through the comment segments and related segments. Keep an active head towards these activities so that you are always aware of how your audience views you and your business.
Creating your video script
A video is only as effective as its building blocks. Before starting on the content you need to establish your goal, what you intend to achieve with a particular video. Having a clear goal will help you a lot in choosing the right colors, tone, and expression, which the content encompasses when it is presented in front of the audience. And you will be able to determine through the analytics afterward if that goal is being achieved. A few important pointers for creating your video are listed below
- Create a clear storyboard and own it. This saves you a lot of time and focuses your effort on the important aspects which need to be highlighted.
- Choose the multimedia components which you want to display in your video. The proper integration and placement for these elements should be decided pre-emptively so that a proper structure can be formed around these for maximum appeal.
- The length of your video shouldn’t be too long as to get boring for the audiences nor should it too short so that the message is not conveyed. The optimal length should be somewhere between 2 minutes as statistics show that videos under 2 min mark get the maximum level of views and engagement from the audience
Editing your videos
Editing your content is much more important (and difficult) in most scenarios than creating it. Make sure you have a good grip on the software you choose for editing your videos as that you can do it properly. Windows Movie Maker and iMovie are the default options which Windows and iOS allow you to work on. These do tend to be sufficient for basic usage but if you want to go proper pro, then you can choose another option from the various online stores. Adobe Premiere CC is a nice alternative if you are willing to spend more. YouTube also offers you its own editing platform but the features you can access through it are somewhat limited.
- Thumbnail and watermark implementation
Once you are done with the editing part, choose a thumbnail for your content. And just like it was stated previously, the thumbnail needs to present a hook or the essence of the video so that the click-through rate is up to the mark. Adding a watermark into your video is also a good practice as it gives you exclusivity over the usage of your content. You can add a watermark directly from your YouTube channel by visiting the Branding tab.
- Adding audio to your video
The sounds you implement into your video content need to resonate with the image of your brand or product. Good quality music and proper sound effects can make all the difference when it comes to filtering between an amateur effort and professional material. You don’t need to spend lavishly in order for the music to sound good, rather you need to be intelligent enough to use the tools you have at your disposal.
Remember that you will have to get permissions in order to use music from different sources. Or you can also choose “royalty-free” music from various online sources which let you use it without having to worry about copyright infringement.
Marketing your videos properly
Now that everything has been created and how to have the content you need to make a formidable impact, the next and the final step is to market your efforts onto various other platforms. This would let you attract traffic from these sources especially if they can relate to what you have created.
Social media has become the ‘in-thing’, especially over the previous decade. We have countless people spending a major chunk of their everyday activities over these platforms. Sharing directly from YouTube over a variety of these platforms is very easy and you can use the embedded tabs under your videos for those. You can even enjoy a shortened version of your URL to add a degree of convenience.
Now the tricky part is how you share your videos. Sharing them as it is unexpectedly will not yield the best results obviously. You need to analyse the perfect situation, or create one for the matter and then post it as a result. For instance, if people in a certain forum are looking for a new product or service to fill in some niche, their curiosity and need could be your perfect landing platform. Introduce yourself accordingly and voila! People like you already. Just is just one example of how you can do need. Be creative and vigilant in reading the latest trends and act accordingly.
There is a high probability that you own a website for your business already now that you are making videos to promote it. Even if you don’t own a website, you might have contacts or can develop some effective ones to help you promote your content. A YouTube follow link can be embedded into websites, which lets the audience directly access your videos from there. Adjusting your videos with the content available on your website and promoting it through those videos works as a great strategy. It helps make your content more in-depth and engaging at the same instance. Simply copy the embed code found underneath the video in your channel on YouTube and you paste that on your website to link it.
Remember that email lists still play a major role in a company’s success online unlike some people believe. Remember to share your video links with your existing as well as new email lists. This would help you bring back old customers while making considerable progress with the new ones. Newsletter has also gained popularity in recent times and statistically, their click-through rate is the highest among the various types of email marketing. Therefore creating a well-designed newsletter supported by your videos is another great way you can use your email lists.
- Collaborating for mutual benefits
Having good terms with companies related to what you are offering is always a plus. You can use goodwill and share your videos in collaboration with them. Now if one of them have notable traffic over their own YouTube channel, you can rightly benefit from that and vice versa. This works exceptionally well when you have complimenting offerings. For instance, if one company offers travel services, the other company could be related to the food industry. The travel agency can include the food company as part of their awesome travel package while the food industry can promote the travel company, which offers special meals from that particular place. Hence, it becomes beneficial for both.
We this we conclude our guide for YouTube marketing for beginners. We have touched on the basics of various segments, which help you create notable videos in your journey towards success. The real breakthrough comes from consistency and commitment. So make sure you are putting in the necessary efforts and surely, you will be able to achieve your goals.