You’ve decided to start your own YouTube channel, and that’s great! A strong social media presence can help you connect with customers and grow your business in a big way. But the world of online video can sometimes be confusing, even to experienced marketers.
So we’ve put together this comprehensive youtube marketing guide on everything you need to know when starting a YouTube channel, from equipment recommendations to monetization strategies to making videos that people actually want to watch!
Start with the Basics
Before you begin, make sure your channel is set up properly by adding–at the very least–a logo and a description of what your channel is all about. Once you’re ready to launch, create engaging content that builds an audience around a topic or brand that people are passionate about.
It can be anything from product reviews and tips to personality-driven vlogging—as long as it makes viewers feel something. Remember: YouTube isn’t just for entertainment; it can also be used as an educational tool.
Solidify Your Web Presence
Solidify your web presence by developing an internet strategy. Business owners should use their websites to engage with customers and promote new product lines and relevant updates. For example, store owners might use a directory like Yelp for reviews or offer special discounts through Groupon.
New businesses should also focus on getting social media accounts set up, including Facebook and Twitter pages and YouTube channels that feature video content. On YouTube, you can even add links to your other social profiles to drive cross platform growth. These online efforts can build customer loyalty while providing you with updated information on current customers’ habits and preferences.
It may seem daunting at first, but small business owners who devote time to setting up their websites will reap long-term benefits from having more direct contact with customers.
Channel Your Art
Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. So autograph your work with excellence. It’s best to start with small, bite-sized projects and build up.
Don’t be afraid of criticism or trying something new, but if you need help, check out some tutorials and never stop learning. The most important thing is that you are passionate about what you do; people can tell when someone cares about their craft.
If you don’t enjoy making videos, that’s okay–you can always hire a video production partner to make them for you! On the flip side, if you do enjoy making videos, be empowered to create even more content and grow your audience–just don’t forget to have fun in the process, too!
Know Your Market and Content-Type
It’s not enough to start a channel. First, know your audience, how many potential viewers there are, and how they want to be engaged. Once you’ve established that, it’s time to decide what kind of videos you want to make: lifestyle, product demonstration, etc.
Choose something interesting for you and fun for your audience. (Watch some videos in your niche for inspiration.) In other words, don’t be afraid to be creative. The sky’s the limit for you to think outside of conventional boxes and try new things. If you focus on having fun and enjoying yourself, your audience will pick up on that positive energy and be more likely to come back again and again.
Lights, Trailer, and Camera
For your channel (and brand) to stand out, you’ll want each video of yours to be an experience worth watching. This is one reason why so many people love vlogging—the ability to connect with viewers on a more personal level can help build trust between you and your audience.
To create a professional-looking video, start by choosing a high-quality camera. The best cameras aren’t cheap, but they are essential if you want to make videos worthy of sharing online. And don’t forget about lighting!
Lighting is important in any photography or videography, but when it comes to YouTube, proper lighting can go a long way toward making your video look great.
Also, consider using green screen technology; though expensive and difficult to use at first, green screens allow you to superimpose yourself into any background imaginable, making them perfect for creating original content or product reviews.
And lastly, don’t use low quality footage! Understand that the correct YouTube video specs for maximum engagement are almost always high definition.
Optimize for Search
The easiest way to get found on YouTube is for your content to show up in search results. To make sure your videos rank well, start by including relevant keywords throughout your video’s title, description, and tags. Next, optimize each video’s metadata:
- Video titles should be clear and include search terms.
- Tags should be descriptive and relevant.
- Descriptions should answer users’ questions.
Think about how you can use these elements of your video to help it appear in search results. For example, someone searching for how to tie a bow tie might also want information on knotting different types of ties; you could add that information into your description or tags.
Next, make sure you have an eye-catching image, as viewers will often click on videos based solely on their thumbnail image. Additionally, use your channel art to give people an idea of what kind of content they’ll find when they visit your channel.
For example, if you have a food channel, try using photos of delicious-looking food in your artwork. Finally, make sure all of your videos are public so that they appear in search results and can easily be shared across social media channels.
The Key to Mastery Is Consistency
Consistency is critical for success. You need to post on your channel regularly and consistently if you want your audience to grow and if you want that audience to trust that they’ll always find something new.
Of course, it’s better to post on your channel every day rather than twice a week, but consistency is key more than frequency. Your audience will come back to see what you have in store, so don’t disappoint them by posting sporadically.
A good rule of thumb is to aim for at least one video per week—and then adjust accordingly depending on how much time you have available. If you can do two videos per week, great! If not, do one.
Just make sure it happens every seven days or so. In general, viewers are drawn to channels with personality: People watch any given channel because they like what that person has to say.
Integrate Your Channel into Your Website and Social Media
Not only is it important to integrate your channel into your website, but you should also consider connecting it to your social media accounts. This can easily be done by adding links on your website and within any other social accounts (such as Twitter, Facebook, etc.).
It’s unnecessary to connect all of these, but doing so will help drive more traffic back to your site. In addition to driving traffic back to your site from your social channels, integrating them with your channel allows you to use analytics from those channels (such as the number of followers) to build up a stronger audience for your videos.
For example, if you see that your Facebook page has many fans compared to your YouTube channel, you might decide to create content that caters specifically to that demographic. The point is: don’t ignore your social media channels—they can be great tools for building a strong following!
Final Thoughts
Once you’ve got all your content together, it’s time to promote your channel. Share your content with friends and family. Contact bloggers who have written on similar topics and ask them if they can share it with their audience.
And then, when you have amassed some fans, prepare yourself for a fun ride–and endless hours of work! But then again, that’s just what it takes to create successful content online. So be prepared and enjoy every minute of it!