Social media marketing has become a vital tool in today’s digital world, with most companies now maintaining at least one social media account on the main platforms.

But at the same time, many businesses are overlooking another powerful media tool - YouTube, despite being the leader in online video consumption, has been around for longer than Facebook and Twitter, and a such, doesn't always get the same consideration from brands.

Since its launch in 2006, YouTube has grown into a multi-billion dollar company, and has sparked the careers of thousands of comedians, actors, musicians, and more. There are limitless possibilities for creating and uploading engaging YouTube content - posting tutorials and demonstrations, for example, can help potential customers gauge if your product is right for them, while educating your current clientele. In addition, well-crafted YouTube videos have the potential to gain thousands, or even millions, of views in a short time. With effective video design and marketing techniques, this site can be a hotbed for potential company growth.

However, there are some rules that you need to follow when creating YouTube content for your company channel. Keeping a consistent tone, incorporating various video formats, and using effective CTAs can help you produce stellar content.

On the other hand, focusing too much on 'going viral', and mixing audiences, can sour your YouTube potential.

Here are five essential tips for YouTube marketing success.

1. Use Keywords and CTAs

YouTube is the world’s top video-sharing platform, and for that reason, many people treat it like a search engine for videos. The fact that Google owns YouTube also boosts its search capabilities, and as a result, you should always include keywords in your video description and video tags.

When you’re uploading a video, you'll see an option to tag it with common keywords that'll help users find your video when they search on YouTube. For example, if your florist company uploads a video on the types of flowers to use in a fall wedding, you might add tags like #wedding, #fallwedding, #weddingflowers etc. You may also want to tag the video with the flower species that are featured - these keywords will expand the video's audience and reach across the platform.

You should also incorporate a strong call to action at the end of your video, and within the description. Include actionable verbs in your CTA - tell viewers to like, subscribe, follow, call, visit, or buy. Seasoned YouTubers usually close their videos with a CTA, the most common being “like and subscribe.”

Examples of strong YouTube CTAs for company channels include:

Subscribe for more cool videos from [company name]

Call us today at [company phone number]

Visit our website at [company URL] to learn more

Follow [company name] on social media

You should also include links to your websites and various social media profiles within the video description so that viewers can follow and visit right from YouTube. You can add these links to the “About” section of your channel as well, while YouTube also gives you the option to link to other videos and outside websites within the video itself.

2. Don’t Always Try to 'Go Viral'

While viral videos can make headlines and bring great publicity to a company, 'going viral', in itself, shouldn’t be the goal for every video. Viral videos are special because they're unique – churning out content that’s obviously designed to gain as many views as possible loses this special quality.

Focus on making videos that are important to your company and your consumers, with an emphasis on quality and relevance, as opposed to how many views you can get.

While views are important, it’s better to build a solid audience base over time with creative content. If you have a stellar idea that blows up on social media, awesome, but if not, don’t worry about it. Organic, steady growth is always preferable to a one-hit wonder.

3. Determine Your Channel Tone and Style

Before you even begin to create your YouTube video content, you should sit down with your team and decide on the style of your YouTube channel.

It’s important to maintain a consistent tone and style throughout your content - this can build an air of professionalism and make the video-viewing experience more enjoyable.

Brainstorm answers to questions such as:

Who is our audience? What are our target demographics?

How do we want to open and close our YouTube videos?

What should our CTA/CTAs be?

What tone do we want to convey to our videos? Hip and friendly? Sleek and professional?

Will we have actors or staff members in our videos?

What types of videos do we want to make? Tutorials, Q&As, traditional advertisements?

Do we want to incorporate comedy into our videos?

Who will be creating our video content? Do we want to hire an agency or professional videographer?

Do we want to bring guests into our videos? Are there any YouTube personalities or influencers we want to collaborate with?

4. Don’t Mix Consumer and Corporate Content

When you’re creating YouTube content, you may be tempted to gear some of your videos toward potential consumers, and others toward a corporate market. However, this can cause channel dissonance, and make your channel feel disjointed and awkward. Viewers might get frustrated, for example, when they click on one of your videos only to find out that it wasn’t made for them.

If you want to create different content geared towards consumers and to corporate partners, consider making two separate YouTube channels. While this could reduce your potential views, it'll help preserve the effectiveness of both channels in communicating your company’s message.

And since users search YouTube for specific videos, separating the two types of content will also make it easier for them to find what they’re looking for.

5. Do Incorporate Various Video Types

The best thing about YouTube is that you have the opportunity to create any type of video you can think of.

The possibilities are endless, and YouTube celebrates creativity and innovation. Try to incorporate different video formats and series' within your YouTube marketing campaigns.

Create informative how-to videos to help customers use your product or perform tasks related to a service you provide

Upload Q&A videos with company leadership and staff using comments that your subscribers or social media followers provide

Make unboxing videos to showcase new arrivals and boost attention for a particular product

Give a tour of your corporate offices, warehouse facilities, and other company buildings

Broadcast company events through YouTube’s live-stream function.

Upload testimonials from customers

Incorporate office highlight videos, such as a video showing that year’s office Christmas decorations

Interview one employee per month about their experiences working at your company and what they love about your culture, products, and/or services

Invite a well-known YouTuber or social media influencer to collaborate on a video together

Post-commercials and video advertisements for upcoming products and sales

Turn your blog content into YouTube videos – for example, you could demonstrate the 'Top 3 Ways to Clean Your Roof in the Winter' in a video format

Video marketing is rapidly growing in popularity, and that isn't likely to change any time soon. Stay ahead of the curve by joining the millions of other businesses who’ve launched YouTube channels for their customer base.

By incorporating these best practices, you can create engaging and lucrative video marketing content for the benefit of your company.