Using YouTube as a Promotional Tool

If a picture is worth 1000 words, then a video is worth 1000 pictures (or 1 million words, I guess). Video can be a great tool for increasing your business’s visibility, and unlike a TV commercial, it doesn’t have to cost much. YouTube accounts are available for free to anyone who wants to sign up for one, and YouTube also foots the bill for the bandwidth necessary to stream your videos.

How effective is video as a sales tool? Visit our blog to view some eye-opening statistics.

Video-capable devices, such as digital cameras and smartphones, are more than adequate for this purpose. Your video isn’t going to screen at the IMAX, so ultra-high resolution and production values aren’t as important. As long as the quality is good enough to illustrate your point clearly, don’t worry about making your video look like it was shot by Steven Spielberg (the exception being audio: if the audio is unintelligible or distorted, nobody will watch for more than a few seconds).

The most important factor to consider when marketing your business through video (YouTube in particular), is that most users search for key words and concepts related to your business, not the specific name of your business. Therefore, to attract the most viewers, be sure that the video offers something of value to the viewer and isn’t just an advertisement for you.

What kinds of videos offer value? Consider these three possibilities:

• Tutorial – A plumbing company might produce a video demonstrating how to replace a flush handle on a toilet.
• Testimonial – A dental practice might ask a willing patient to describe his or her results with a teeth-whitening treatment, including “before,” “during,” and “after” footage.
• Product knowledge – A kitchen or home-furnishing store might share knowledge regarding what to look for when shopping for a food processor or chef’s knife.

Once you’ve shot your footage, edit it using Movie Maker (Windows), iMovie (Mac), or a third-party program to tell your story (Lightworks is a free, yet powerful, video editing program that rivals high-end software packages, though there is a bit of a learning curve). If you do need a hand with the production end of things, check to see if your local high school or college has a media arts program, and ask an instructor if any students might be willing to help you out.

Lastly, after you have uploaded the finished video to YouTube, embed it on your website or post it to your Facebook page.