YouTube and Video Marketing Guide for Small Businesses

Video platforms are a powerful way to market your business on the Internet. YouTube, in particular, is a great way to reach a large audience and has over a billion unique visitors each month.

In this guide, we’ll discuss ways your small business on the Internet can effectively market on YouTube.  

Is YouTube right for marketing your business on the Internet?

When considering the size of YouTube’s audience, it’s clear that there are benefits to having a presence on the platform. Since it’s such a popular platform, there is a high level of competition. To be successful on YouTube, you will need the capacity to publish quality videos on a relatively consistent basis.

Luckily, creating professional videos is easier than ever thanks to smartphone technology and inexpensive video editing apps. But even if you don’t have the resources to maintain an active presence on YouTube, you can still use the platform to host your videos. By doing this, you can easily share your videos across your other social channels.

How to create a YouTube channel

You can set up your small business YouTube account by following these easy steps:

• You’ll first need to create a Google My Business account if you don’t already have one.

• Once you’re logged into this account, go to www.youtube.com and click the icon in the top right-hand corner of your browser to view a dropdown.
• Click ‘create a channel’ and ‘get started’.
• From here, you will enter a name for your channel. We recommend using your business name for your channel so your customers can easily find you on the platform.
• Once your channel is created, click ‘Customize channel’ where you can add in your business’s unique branding, including a logo, banner art, and a short biography.

Here are a few tips to consider when creating your channel:

• Make sure that your channel icon is 800x800 pixels for the highest quality image.

• Choose a banner image that represents your business and value proposition.
• Make sure to use keywords in your About section so customers can easily find you. Keywords are words or phrases commonly searched for your business on the internet.

• If multiple people will be editing your YouTube channel, make sure to add them as admins to your channel so they can view, post and manage your videos. 

Popular types of YouTube content

It’s important to create quality, engaging content to be effective on YouTube. Here are a few different types of videos that are often successful for small businesses on the platform:

How Tos:

How-to videos provide step-by-step instructions on how to use a product or how to solve a common problem. These videos are a great way to answer common questions that your current customers have. Moreover, they can help prospective customers gain a better understanding of your products. By giving them an up-close and personal view of your products, they’ll be able to see how they can help solve their challenges, without having to set foot in your store.

Behind the scenes:

These videos give viewers a behind the scenes look at your business’s operations. By showing this close look at your business and staff, you can humanize your brand while giving customers insights into your business. These videos help give viewers a feel for your business’s culture and insight into your products or services. This behind-the-scenes look will help current and potential customers feel like they are a part of your small business’s story.

Customer testimonials:

Testimonials are great ways to establish credibility in your market and build authenticity for your brand. Instead of simply adding a customer quote to your website, consider creating a video testimonial. Not only will a video testimonial of a customer be more engaging, but it will also be more relatable and personable.

When creating a video testimonial, make sure to focus on the customer journey. Instead of just talking about the end result, ask the customer questions that will help build a narrative and show the viewer the full story of their experience. Your users are going through the customer same journey, so this approach will help them better understand why your product or service would be valuable to them.

Bio videos for employees:

Bio videos are a great way to introduce your team to potential customers and showcase their personal, friendly qualities. Bio videos are short videos that introduce someone and tell their story. They usually include both professional details, like job titles and experience, and personal facts, such as their hobbies and where they’re from. These types of videos will make your business feel more personable and relatable to potential customers.  

YouTube posting strategies

Creating great video content is only one part of a successful YouTube strategy. You must also be strategic in how you are posting your videos. You can follow these tips to make sure your videos are reaching your target audience: 

Create content goals

Before you start posting videos on YouTube, it’s important to establish content goals. Some examples of YouTube goals may be:

• Growing your YouTube audience

• Improving video engagement

• Converting existing followers into customers

Having a clear goal will help you plan your marketing activities and ultimately measure their success.

Develop a content schedule

Success on all social media platforms is largely influenced on the volume of content your produce. Frequently posting new content helps improve search engine optimization, expand your audience and gain new customers. A content calendar dictates when and how frequently you post new content on YouTube. It makes it easier to organize your efforts and ensures that you are staying on top of your YouTube presence. 

Optimize your videos for search

There are many ways that you can optimize your YouTube videos for search. Make sure to enhance your videos with keywords and video tags so your videos will be visible within YouTube’s search results.

Monitor and respond to comments

If your videos are receiving comments, make sure to respond in a timely fashion so your audience knows that they are being heard. A simple, quick response will help build a strong relationships with your audience base.

As the most popular video platform around, YouTube can be a valuable addition to your small business’s marketing efforts. With these easy steps, you’ll be on track to establish a successful YouTube presence.