There’s no denying that blogs are still incredibly important as a digital marketing tool. In fact, companies who actively and regularly blog receive a whopping 97 percent more traffic to their website than companies that don’t blog.
So, now that you’re actively writing and publishing a blog, you’re all set, right? Well, not exactly. It’s great that you’re getting traffic to your website through your blog, but that isn’t the only medium you can use to rank in organic searches and drive traffic to your website.
YouTube is the new go-to for searchers, especially younger searchers, who are looking for products or want to learn how to do something. With over one billion views per day, your business should seriously consider starting a YouTube channel.
Who’s watching YouTube?
It’s no secret that attention spans are getting shorter as people care less about written content and more about video content. This is, in part, why YouTube is so popular among younger viewers. As far as social media platforms go, YouTube attracts more millennial and Gen-Z users than other favorites like Snapchat and Instagram.
The reasons people watch YouTube are as vast as the content selection available on the platform. Whether they’re looking for new products, watching product reviews, finding music videos, or learning about the latest video games, people turn to YouTube for all sorts of reasons. The top four categories on YouTube are comedy, music, entertainment (pop culture), and how-to.
Interestingly enough, 80 percent of YouTube viewers live outside the U.S. That means that adding YouTube to your marketing strategy could vastly expand your global reach and introduce your brand to completely new markets.
Ready to get started? Here’s how to do it.
How to create a YouTube channel
Getting started with a YouTube channel is relatively easy. Even better, it’s totally free. So, there’s no reason not to go ahead and set up a YouTube channel today so you can start benefitting from all that it has to offer for your business.
Create a business Google account
Google owns YouTube, so to set up a YouTube account, you first need to set up a Google account. Make sure to set it up in your business’s name. That way, anyone from your business can manage it and your personal information won’t get mixed in with your business channel.
If you already have a dedicated Google account for your business, then you can skip this part and simply log in to Google using your business account information. You’re over halfway to starting a YouTube channel by this point!
Create a YouTube channel
Now that you’re logged into Google, head over to YouTube.com. You should see your profile/avatar in the top right corner. Click on it to get a drop-down menu. From there, click on “Create a channel.”If it gives you the option to create a channel in your business’s name, then click on that.
Otherwise, click on “Use a custom name.”From here, you can name your channel and update your picture. Customize the banner to include your brand’s icon along with all of your business’s other social icons. Finally, write a compelling channel description that includes a call to action and a link to your business’s website.
Upload videos
Once you are logged into your YouTube account you can click the upload icon, select your video file and start the upload.
Depending on how long your video is this might take seconds or a few minutes. While the video is uploading be sure to enter a descriptive and enticing title, a thorough description including a link back to your site, and make use of relevant tags.
Once the video is finished uploading YouTube will let you select a frame to use as the video thumbnail on the site, but we recommend uploading a custom thumbnail. Check all the most popular channels and you’ll see they all do this because a custom thumbnail can be made to look much more interesting and compelling than a random frame from the video itself.
Yup, it’s that easy. You’re already on your way to becoming a YouTube superstar (or, at least, publishing good, relevant video content for your customers). What are you waiting for??
How to make awesome videos for YouTube
Ok, so setting up your YouTube channel was relatively painless. Now comes the time-consuming part—making and uploading new videos.
Here are some things to consider as you start making videos for your new YouTube channel.
Be authentic
With blog posts, you can edit your words and develop a tone for your brand. The same is true for videos. And, just like with blog posts, viewers can sense when a brand is being inauthentic in a video.
Of course, you want to portray your brand in a positive light. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun while you highlight your brand. Try these ideas for creating authentic videos that connect with your audience.
Bottom line: Don’t try to be something you’re not by creating videos that don’t align with your brand’s values.
Be engaging
Why do so many people prefer to watch videos on YouTube instead of reading an article? The same reason why people would rather binge-watch Game of Thrones than read the books—entertainment value.
Videos are more entertaining than blog posts. They’re easier to digest and don’t take as much brainpower. Not sure where to start? Hubspot has some science-backed ideas for how to make engaging videos for your YouTube channel.
Bottom line: A YouTube channel full of boring, monotone videos isn’t going to do your brand any favors. A YouTube channel full of unique, interesting, and entertaining videos will.
Invest in video editing software
Sure, you can create and upload YouTube videos from your phone. Just make sure to edit them using video editing software. Mac users can start with Apple iMovie for free.
If you want more features, consider paying for video editing software. Some of our picks include Adobe Premiere Pro, Movavi Video Editor, and Magix Movie Edit Pro.
Bottom line: Spend a little money to create better videos. You’ll be glad you did.
Play around with the types of videos you create
There are almost limitless options when it comes to creating videos for your business’s YouTube channel. Some popular types of videos include:
- Product reviews
- How-to tutorials
- Brand story videos
- Company culture highlights
- News and announcements
Once you have a library of videos, you can create playlists to organize your videos and make your content more accessible to users.
Bottom line: YouTube gives your brand a chance to be creative! Don’t be afraid to try a new type of video. You might just become the next YouTube sensation.
Build and adapt your channel as you go
Just like with blogging, the big secret to a successful YouTube channel is consistency. In the beginning, focus on creating quality videos and publishing them at regular intervals.
You’ll understand more about what types of videos people love and which ones they ignore once your channel has been active for a few months and you have data. From there, you can adapt your channel to better suit your audience.
Bottom line: The most important thing about starting a YouTube channel is to just start. Publish videos regularly and rely on your YouTube metrics to guide your strategy as you build and grow your channel. You won’t know what works until you publish it!
Starting a YouTube channel is a no-brainer, but sometimes you might find you want to host your video elsewhere, in which case you should check out our post on the best free and paid video hosting services.
