Let us be honest: What comes to your mind when the term “social media” is mentioned? You probably think of Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Right?
But did you know that YouTube is also a powerful social media platform that can be used for small businesses? YouTube is an effective platform for building brand awareness, establishing customer relationships, and boosting sales.
Since its inception in 2005, YouTube has attracted over 2 billion users to become a powerhouse. Currently, the video-sharing platform boasts more than 30 million daily visitors and is the second most popular search engine.
Creating an account with YouTube is free and easy; all you need to do is create a profile and link it to your business’s website or even directly upload videos as you go along. Once that’s done, you can start implementing creative strategies for your business.
Here are a few tips on how to use YouTube for small business:
1. Establish Your Brand
Use your profile to introduce your brand and provide useful information about yourself or your company.
This can include uploading videos that showcase the products and services you offer and what makes them special compared to other offerings in the market.
In addition to introducing your brand, you can also use YouTube as a platform for customer testimonials and positive reviews. This will help build trust with potential customers who may be unfamiliar with your business.
2. Customize Your Channel
Customizing your YouTube channel is a great way to make it stand out and give your viewers a unique experience.
Not only can you use your logo, color palette, tone, and slogans to reinforce your brand identity and make it easy for viewers to recognize the video content they are viewing as associated with your business, but you can also add other elements to the page such as a brief bio, links to other social media accounts, and a contact form.
By providing all this information in one place, you can help ensure that viewers can easily learn about your business.
Setting up a custom channel will also make it easier for potential customers to find and navigate your content on YouTube and help you better track and analyze your channel’s performance.
3. Create Quality Content
Quality content is the key to engaging viewers on YouTube. Create videos that are informative and relevant to your target market.
Aim to show viewers how your business can improve their lives or provide helpful advice they can use in their day-to-day activities.
In addition to creating quality content, you should consider SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This is the process of optimizing your YouTube videos to rank higher in YouTube’s search engine results.
Use relevant keywords, add a video description, and include hashtags in the titles of your videos to maximize visibility and reach more potential customers.
4. Always Choose the Right Category and Tags
When you upload a video, be sure to select the appropriate category and add tags that accurately describe your video. This will make it easier for viewers to find your content and improve its chances of appearing in YouTube search results.
You should also customize the thumbnail for each video. An attractive thumbnail can significantly increase clicks, views, and engagement with your video content.
5. Include Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
You probably have goals for your YouTube channel, such as increasing website traffic or boosting sales. To help you achieve these goals, it’s essential to include CTAs in your videos.
CTAs are instructions that encourage viewers to take action after watching your video. This could be signing up for a newsletter, visiting your website, buying a product, or any other action to help you achieve your goals.
Including CTAs in your videos may help you track each video’s performance and see which ones are playing a critical role in moving viewers further along in their buyer’s journey.
6. Engage With Viewers
Once you start creating content on YouTube, interact with viewers and respond to comments or questions they may have. This will help create a sense of community and establish relationships with potential customers.
You can also use the platform to run giveaways, contests, or exclusive offers for your followers. This can be an effective way to reward loyal customers, as well as to attract new ones.
Finally, don’t forget to promote your content on other social media platforms. Share links to your YouTube videos on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and you’ll be able to reach an even larger audience.
7. Promote Your Channel
Once you have set up your YouTube channel and started creating content, you need to promote it for viewers to start engaging with your videos.
Create a promotional plan that includes using social media platforms, email newsletters, blog posts, and paid advertisements.
You can also partner up with other YouTube channels or influencers in your niche who have their own audiences that may be interested in your content.
8. Continually Explore New Features
Did you know that YouTube is constantly launching new features? There are plenty of tools available to help you create more engaging content and reach a larger audience.
For example, YouTube stories allow you to share bite-sized snippets of content in an interactive format. You can also create polls, ask questions, and use text, images, or emojis to make your videos more engaging.
By staying up to date on the latest features, you can ensure that your content remains fresh and relevant to viewers and continues to drive engagement.
The Bottom Line
YouTube is a robust platform that has the potential to be a great asset for small businesses.
By following these tips, you can start creating compelling content and engaging with viewers, helping you maximize the platform’s potential for your small business. Good luck!