YouTube for Business Marketing: Why and How to Use It

Wondering how to market your business outside your website and social media? YouTube business marketing is one of the most effective ways.

If you haven't thought about using YouTube for business marketing, it's time to consider adding a YouTube channel to your strategy in 2019. I'll give you the reasons why starting a YouTube channel will gain you more clients. And I'll also let you know how to use YouTube to market your business through the best types of video content.

The benefits of using YouTube for business

Using YouTube videos for business marketing purposes is becoming more and more popular among brands around the world. That's because those brands started to understand that customers want to see more video content from businesses. And they also became aware of the benefits a YouTube channel brings to the table.

1. It's a free platform

Would you pass on a free opportunity to promote your business if it turns out to be highly successful? I'm pretty certain you won't if the payback is worth the shot. Promoting your business is not always free. It requires investing in Google Ads, social media ads, and in all kinds of means to get your business out there. And when you are a small business that hasn't begun to see a great ROI yet, you're limited on how much you can spend on promotion. Fortunately, there are ways to promote your business that can generate amazing results without having to invest tons of money. YouTube is an amazing platform for small businesses to grow their brand without having to pay for it. Creating a YouTube channel for your business is free of charge, easy, and extremely powerful when done right. You just have to register for a Google account and, from there, setting up your YouTube channel is pretty straightforward. Depending on the videos you'll be creating, you may need some pieces of equipment like a decent camera, a microphone, and a tripod. For editing, you can find great video editing tools that are free and provide the basic features you'll be needing for starters. So there's no need to invest in a professional editing tool in the beginning. While you have to spend some money on equipment and to invest time in content creation and promoting your channel, it's a small and solid investment. You'll be building a long-term promotion channel with evergreen content, unlike the temporary content on social media. After a while, you can begin making money from your YouTube channel to expand your earnings.

2. It's an ever-growing platform

Where do you go searching for quick solutions to your problems? Don't know how to assemble your furniture? Need a tutorial on editing images Photoshop? In the mood for listening something motivational for a little push? I bet that most of the time (if not every time) you head over to YouTube. Type in your query in the search bar and there you have it. A lot of videos to help solve your problems. So does a great part of the population. This behavior gained YouTube 1.58 billion users until 2018. “The number of hours people spend watching videos on YouTube is up 60% year-over-year, the fastest growth we've seen in 2 years.” People are giving up TV in favor of YouTube. In fact, statistics show that 6 out of 10 people prefer online video platforms to live TV. Are you convinced now that YouTube keeps growing fast and steady? Moreover, you have access to people all around the world. Which means an opportunity for your business to extend globally. Using YouTube for business promotion places your brand in front of a growing audience thirsty to be entertained and educated by video content. Your audience is already there, why aren't you?

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3. Easily showcase your products

What's the best way to familiarize prospects with your products? That's right — a video. Customers trust businesses' video content more than any other kind of content. Because through videos they can actually see the products in action, not just read a description of them. Video content is the most popular type of content today, and not just because of YouTube. Videos are taking over the internet. Videos on Facebook, for example, have the greatest reach and face the highest engagement rates. If you can demonstrate the benefits of your products or services through video content, your prospects will be more likely to trust your business and become customers. Do the sales for your business occur on your website? That's fine. Using YouTube to promote your business doesn't mean that your audience has to be sold directly on YouTube's platform. It's easy to drive viewers from your YouTube videos to your website with the use of calls to action. When you let people know about your website in the video and tell them to check it out, most of the time they'll do as they were told. Moreover, viewers coming to your website through the YouTube videos already know about you. They're aware of who you are and what you have to offer. This makes them more open to purchasing your services or products.

4. Build awareness & credibility

How do people become aware of your brand? How do you make potential clients trust your business? Most businesses focus on their website to do the job. Or use social media platforms to grow the awareness for their brand and gain more credibility in their services. While social media is not something to overlook and should be part of every business marketing strategy working to become successful, it's not the only free option to get your brand into the spotlight. Creating a YouTube business page is an easy way to build credibility for the services or products you have to offer. You won't be using the YouTube business channel just to show your products and directly promote your brand. You'll also use it to form a genuine connection with possible prospects. YouTube gives you a chance to show how proficient you are in your field. You can teach people skills related to your niche, give them advice, show them behind the scenes of your business. With these kinds of content, people will get to know what stands behind your brand. Think about it for a moment. You need to hire a company to handle your social media platforms. Who would you hire? A company you can read a bit about on their website, or a company that also has a YouTube channel educating people about how to successfully use social media for businesses? I trust the second one would have a greater impact on your decision because you have proof they know what they're doing.

5. Attract clients with your expertise

Do you have real knowledge in your field? I believe you do. So why not share that knowledge with others to let them know you're an expert in your niche? This will give you a huge advantage in front of your competition because you'll be perceived as an authoritative figure in the field. It will also help you get new clients by demonstrating you're a great fit for the job. Even if you offer digital services or you are a local business, building a YouTube channel where you share the insides of your niche is a step further in growing your business. Setting yourself as an expert will make viewers ask for your services. Let's say you are an interior designer. You start a YouTube channel where you give people tips on how to chose the colors for their homes, what materials to pick for the living-room, and how to make the kitchen more practical. People will see your videos and will be excited by your expertise. Some may think “She clearly knows what she's doing. Why not hire her to design my home instead of doing a poor job myself?”. Building a YouTube channel can make a huge difference in a small business marketing strategy working to get the firsts clients. And can also help more established brands to grow their business even further.

If you decide to expand your marketing strategy to YouTube, here is a guide that goes over the steps of starting a YouTube channel for beginners.

Types of videos for your YouTube business channel

Using YouTube for business marketing means deciding on what videos you'll be uploading on your YouTube channel. It's crucial to have a YouTube content strategy planned ahead so you can set up goals, come up with content on a regular basis, and measure the results. I'll guide you through the most profitable types of video content for businesses.

1. Face-to-camera videos

When you show your face in the videos and look at your audience while you speak, the connection you set up with the viewers is more powerful. Face-to-camera videos are the best way of marketing through YouTube. They grab the most attention because it feels more like a conversation rather than just an instructional video. People want to see faces, and they react better to businesses that show the face behind the screen. If you look to the most successful businesses out there you'll find that they have a couple of real people relating to the business.

marketing through YouTube

2. Whiteboards

If you're not yet ready to show your face on camera, don't get discouraged. You can still take advantage of a YouTube channel. There are all sorts of video content types that don't involve filming yourself. One of the easiest and most engaging ways of educating people without a face-to-camera approach is to use whiteboards animation. What are whiteboard animations, you may ask? You've probably seen them as they are quite popular and generate high engagement. You record the voice and combine it with an animated illustration. The illustration follows the story that's being voiced. This is a great way to create a clearer picture of the subject and even give more visual details on tougher topics.

3. How-tos & tutorials

People spend most of their time on YouTube for entertainment and to learn things. That's why how-to and tutorial videos are extremely popular. Regarding on the niche you're in, you can certainly find subjects you can educate your audience about. Even how-tos videos on how to use your products or services are a great idea. Focus on teaching your audience some skills related to your services. By doing so, people will see that you know the subject really well and the trust they have in your business will increase. There are various kinds of tutorials. They can be face-to-camera instructional videos or they can be done without showing your face. Some subjects allow you to make screen share tutorials. If you teach about using a piece of software or an app, you just have to shoot the screen and record your voice over. Other topics allow you to make presentations. It all depends on the subjects. If you educate about furniture mounting, for example, you'll have to record an actual tutorial with you assembling the furniture, you can't just talk about it without showing.

4. Show your knowledge

It's your chance to show people why they should trust your business. Talk about your experience and about what you learned down the way. Show people how much you know about the subject and don't be afraid to share personal stories (keeping them relevant to the topics). YouTube video marketing is even more effective when personal stories are part of the content strategy. People are more inclined to feel connected to a brand and to sincerely trust its services if they can link the business to a human being they appreciate. This doesn't mean you should start telling stories about your dog though (only if your niche is animal related). Speak about tips and pieces of advice that are relevant to your business. Q&A videos are a great way to show your knowledge with your audience. Viewers ask you questions, and you give them the answers they are looking for. These kinds of videos are more conversational and personal than any kind of content because you're directly responding to viewers queries.

5. Testimonials

Do you already have several testimonials from satisfied customers? You should if you run a website for your business. How about getting them on camera? Testimonials are powerful as you have others vouch for your experience. They show real people who were satisfied with your services. If you can get a couple of customers to do video testimonials for your service, it will improve the perceived value of your business and will get you more clients. It can be tricky to get video testimonials from customers if you're not a local business. You can use Fiverr for this matter. They have a section dedicated to testimonials where you can hire actors. You get the genuine written testimonials from real clients and have an actor read them on camera. Even if it sounds tempting, I suggest you do your best to get recordings with real clients. There is a great chance your viewers will realize when there's an actor performing which will bury your credibility. There are certain questions you can ask your customers to get convincing testimonials to strengthen your brand. What was your main concern with purchasing our product? What features did you enjoy the most? Would you recommend this product? The power of the testimonials lays behind the questions being asked.

Example of YouTube testimonials video

6. Say no to sales pitches

Don't fall into the trap of endlessly talking about your business. “Nobody likes to be sold to, but everyone likes to buy.” – Frank Kern Keep this in mind when producing content for your channel. Viewers will immediately drop your videos if all you do is praise your brand all over the place. Sharing strong points of your brand once in a while is fine, but don't make it all about you. Using YouTube for business marketing is more than advertising like a top-shop commercial. The main purpose of starting a YouTube channel for your business is to create connections with possible prospects who will ultimately become your customers. But the key here is they will become trustful in your brand only if you add value to their life through your content. Think of your YouTube channel like another way of helping out your customers. You give people something of value and they will reward you by becoming customers and advocates for your brand.

Choosing the right content for your channel

Now that you know what types of video content you can create for your YouTube channel, take some time to think which ones are best suited for your business. Consider your audience and what kind of content catches their interest more. People go to YouTube to be entertained or to find answers to their problems. So what problems does your audience have regarding your niche? How can you help them solve those problems? You also have to consider what your competitors already do. You don't want to do the exact thing others are doing because then it'll be nothing special about your brand. In order to set yourself apart, you need to come up with a different approach. You can either improve your competitors' content, or you can present the topics from another perspective. Be creative. The key to a successful YouTube channel is to be original and authentic.

Ready to use YouTube for business marketing?