Often, when people talk about social media marketing, they mention Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But there’s another platform that marketers and entrepreneurs that need to maximize, and its YouTube. It isn’t only a video platform but also a vast social network and one of the largest search engines today.
Marketing opportunities on YouTube aren’t only present through online ads that viewers may even skip. Creating a YouTube channel for your brand is another way to engage your audience and promote your products and services online. But how should you start your brand’s channel? Here are some tips.
Focus on quality over quantity
YouTube isn’t a content feed—it’s a content library. If you post a substantial, high-quality video, it can be searched and viewed for weeks, months, and even years. Make it a goal to upload one or two videos with great topics or well-researched and evergreen content, eye-catching thumbnails, and good editing per week or every other week. Since YouTube doubles as a search engine, great videos that answer users’ questions or satisfy their curiosity while entertaining them rise to the top and stay there for long.
Target and serve a niche audience
If you’re building a channel for your brand, make sure that every piece of content is in line with your branding or messaging. But it’s also good to specify a niche. For example, if you run a local café, you can create different videos—from videos of sharing some coffee hacks to behind-the-scenes videos. But if you want to grow a specific audience online, it’s best to pick one clear value proposition for your channel. Perhaps, it’s to give your existing and potential customers a peek at your daily grind in the café. Or appeal to those who enjoy homemade recipes by uploading instructional videos from your baristas.
Sharpen your video-making skills
If it’s possible, hire a corporate video production company for your YouTube channel. This way, you can assure consistent and high-quality video production, from pre-production to the actual shoot and editing. But if you own a startup or work for a company with no big budget for video production, rely on your video-making skills and the right tools and software. Continue honing your skills, especially your editing and sound, as these two technical elements can help keep viewers engaged to your channel.
Learn YouTube analytics
Every marketing effort should be measured. It’s crucial to study YouTube insights and analytics. This way, you will know whether your past videos worked, or you need to adjust your storytelling or further specify your value proposition or niche. Start with metrics like click-through rate. It can tell whether your thumbnails work. Are they stunning enough to catch the attention of users searching on YouTube? Other metrics, like average view duration and view velocity, can tell more about your channel’s performance. Use those metrics to correct errors, optimize current videos, or create better videos in the future.
Millions of people are on YouTube. Some want to fix their washing machine or look for a new coffee blend to try at home, while others merely want to get entertained. Nevertheless, you’re missing out on these many people if you still haven’t set up a YouTube channel for your brand or growing startup.