Our world is getting more digital, more mobile, and more video-based.
Think about this within the context of your own life and how you:
- Do your banking
- Search for a vacation destination
- Consume content on your mobile device
If you are like many people, you are consuming far less text-based online content than you once were, and are consuming more photo- or video-based content. Evidence of this shift in preferences can be seen everywhere in social media; including a platform that is not often thought of as a social media platform…YouTube.
The great news for TSS clients is that YouTube is supported within all of our service packages. Many people don’t realize that YouTube is a social network, because users can:
- Set up personal or business profiles
- ‘Friend’ or ‘subscribe’ to others’ channels
- Message one another publicly or privately.
Most importantly, YouTube is the #2 search engine in the world…in fact, it’s the #1 search engine used by children under age 18, which says something for the future of search!
Finally, and very importantly, YouTube is owned by Google, which commands 80% of search here in the US.
What this means for your business is that you have the opportunity to get more out of your online and social marketing by embracing video more frequently. Google’s search algorithms heavily favor the high-quality of video content. Provided that you have tagged and labeled your videos properly, you’ll see a nice boost in your SEO (and your social networking) through more judicious use of your YouTube channel.
Tips for your YouTube channel (TSS clients will get many of these services included with their service packages):
- Brand your channel – Make sure that your channel carries your brand name, and carries elements of your brand throughout the channel
- Tag your videos – Include search terms that will help users find your business more easily.
- Find friends – Find ‘friends’ for your YouTube channel. Target channels that are in your industry, or in a relevant related industry. By ‘friending’ them, and subscribing to their feed, you increase the chance that they’ll follow you back
- Post frequently – Much like other social media platforms, your brand won’t be buzz-worthy unless you are creating buzz. Record a number of interesting 30-90 second video vignettes which highlight a product or service that you offer
Many of Total Social Solutions’ clients ask us what sort of videos they should be posting, here are a few ideas and best practices for posting videos on your YouTube channel:
- Keep it short – YouTube searchers tend to have shorter attention spans. Keep all of your videos under 90 seconds if at all possible. If you have one running longer, see if you can break it up into two unique pieces of content.
- Keep it simple – Focus on only one product, service, or point of differentiation about your business
- Keep it focused – If your video does not capture the viewers attention within the first 5-7 seconds, there’s a great chance that you’ll lose them. Be brief, be bright, and be gone!
- Post the videos throughout your other social media spaces – YouTube is the big player in video, but don’t forget to post your videos on your Facebook profile as well. Facebook and Google/YouTube have a well-publicized battle going on, and assets posted on one of these platforms will not be indexed (nor will it appear) on the other.
Great news for TSS clients…we support your YouTube efforts! If you have a question on how to optimize your channel, call or email us!
