YouTube is the 2nd Largest Search Engine in the World Behind Google. You may already know that amazing fact. But did you know that YouTube is also one of the most “Social” sites on the internet?

YouTube has just undergone the a “social facelift” with a major revamp. Here are 7 Things about the new YouTube that YOU need to know if you are in Business. And thus 7 Reasons why it is never too late to start including video in your Social Media Strategy. The recent “social” upgrade and facelift to YouTube has brought with it many new features, so it is all very exciting. Check out these 7 awesome nuggets of info about YouTube that you need to know if you are in business and looking into Engaging Social Media., and then stay tuned for more Blog Posts about YouTube over the coming weeks. We have plenty of tips to share! Refer to point 4 if you want to stay updated. [Shameless Plug asking you to Subscribe to Socially Sorted's channel. www.youtube.com/sociallysorted – just sayin']

1. YouTube is the 2nd Largest Search Engine in the World. So your business needs to be on it. YouTube and Videos played on YouTube can impact greatly on your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Google Loooooves Video. Refer to Point 7.

2. You Tube is Social. You can like and dislike YouTube Videos. You can comment on them. There is even now a NewsFeed! Don't take my word for it…check out the following video for an overview of the new “social” YouTube and one quick tip for optimising your YouTube Channel.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpZDZ_btpKQ&list=PL810AB325B87CAE15&index=1&feature=plcp]

3. YouTube is now integrated with Facebook, Twitter & Google Plus. You can showcase your other social media sites direct from your YouTube Channel.

4. YouTube is now integrating the old “friends” format with “Subscribe”. Previously you could be “friends” with other users on YouTube as well as “subscribing” to updates. YouTube has announced that it is planning to merge the two into one Subscribe List. What does this mean? If you have “friends” on YouTube, then subscribe to the channels of those friends that you love. And it means that the Subscribe Button just became more important for building your social media community on YouTube.



5. YouTube is a lot like your iPod. YouTube now has really cool Playlists so that you can feature videos under particular categories. This is great for highlighting videos that you are producing, as well as featuring the videos of other channels. With playlists you can do pretty much anything and feature any series of videos in any way that you like. Have fun with it! The playlists are a bit like channels on a TV. This has enormous potential for business!

6. Facebook Loves Video so give it Video! Facebook loves posts that keep people “on Facebook” for longer. Therefore video and links rate higher than photos or status updates, as they are more engaging. And let's face it. Everyone loves a video! So, what does this mean? Make more videos, feature more videos and repost your videos from YouTube to Facebook (and Twitter and Google Plus while you are at it!).

7. YouTube and Google LOVE each other. In Fact, Google bought out YouTube a few years ago, so video rates highly. Posting video online will definitely attract Google's love and attention. With all the changes in social media and the way in which search engines work, and the introduction of Google+ as another social media platform using video, getting your content online in a video format has never been more attractive.

So there it is. Just a few reasons why it is worth considering YouTube as part of your Social Media Tool Kit. Look out for future posts with lots of tips about how to take advantage 0f YouTube over coming weeks. The new YouTube is a bit like a playground – lots to explore, so I will be sharing my journey with you!

Do you have a YouTube Channel? Have you played with any of the new features? If you haven't used video yet, what is holding you back?