According to RevLocal, YouTube videos now reach “more people than any cable TV network in the US.” YouTube is also one of the largest search engines on the Internet — second only to Google.
In an article republished by Forbes, The Product Company CEO Josh Fechter said, “The key for marketers in succeeding on YouTube, ultimately, is to pay attention to how users most enjoy utilizing the platform.” As YouTube grows in popularity, people are no longer looking for short clickbait videos — they’re coming to YouTube to learn and engage. Fechter continued, “They go there for tutorials and lessons, analysis and reaction.”
YouTube is the perfect place for reaching prospective customers or clients — even without spending ad dollars for video advertising.
Maybe you have an interest in using YouTube to market your business but don’t know what kinds of content to create — or that there even are different kinds. Today we’re sharing our best content ideas and tips for jumpstarting your brand’s YouTube marketing journey.
Content Ideas to Jumpstart Your YouTube Channel
YouTube content should be easy to follow and provide value for your target audience. Remember, your audience is likely coming to your channel for a tutorial, lesson, analysis, or reaction. Perfectly curate your brand’s channel with these 3 types of content:
1. Tutorials
Tutorials are one of the best ways to introduce what you’re selling and ensure your target audience has an understanding of what you’re selling and how it works. With tutorials, your customers learn directly from you (their guide!), making your brand more personable.
If you’re a service company, a video on the “Top 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Our Service” can help clients maximize your offer. Maybe you sell a specialized cooking utensil or a project management software or build-it-yourself furniture. A tutorial can teach people how to use it! YouTube tutorials are a great way to demonstrate why your product or service is worth the investment.
2. Testimonials
Product reviews never go unnoticed. In fact, in 2020, 79% of consumers said they trusted online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends or family. What better way to show your target audience that your product or service solves their problem than with the words of those you’ve already helped?
A short and simple interview with satisfied customers might persuade YouTube viewers to invest in your brand. You can also ask popular YouTubers or influencers in your market to review your product or service. Then add their video to a testimonials playlist on your channel!
3. Livestreams
Some viewers want a way to personally connect with your brand. A livestream is a great way to engage with your target audience and answer questions they have in real-time!
Interacting with a live chat allows you to hear from your audience firsthand, answer FAQs, and crowdsource future video content. You can build hype with special announcements or a new product launch! Livestreams also make you and your company more personable and accessible to your audience — it feels like getting a “behind-the-scenes" look.
Additional Tips for Building Your Channel
Here are some additional tips for building and maintaining an audience on your YouTube:
1. Keep up with your comments.
The comments section on your videos is one of YouTube’s best features for engaging with your audience so keep your notifications enabled! Build your online community by responding to questions, addressing and fixing issues with your product or service, crowdsourcing for future content, and more.
2. Invest in the quality of your content.
When you take the time to invest in quality equipment and content your audience will recognize the difference. The higher the quality of your video, the longer the viewer will keep watching. Good visuals, camera techniques, and audio all increase the quality of your YouTube videos. We wrote a whole blog post about how to improve audio quality here if you need help getting started.
3. Pick the perfect title for your videos.
Titles are one of the most important things on YouTube. Just like an email subject line, no one will click on your video if the title isn’t interesting or representative of your content. The video title is on of the first things that grabs your audience’s attention and convinces them to click.
4. Create compelling and consistent thumbnails.
Your video thumbnail is just as, if not more important than your video’s title. Thumbnails should be compelling without misleading viewers. You can also build brand awareness by including your logo and brand colors in your thumbnails — which also gives your YouTube channel a clean, consistent look.
5. Use YouTube SEO to increase your channel traffic.
Since many users treat YouTube like a search engine, you need to optimize your YouTube videos and channel’s SEO. You can boost your searchability by writing a good video description, adding closed captioning, using the right tags, and encouraging viewers to like, comment, and subscribe.
We hope these content ideas and tips help you take the guesswork and intimidation out of YouTube. If you’re ready to integrate YouTube into your digital marketing strategy but you’re unsure where to start, schedule a call today! We’re here to help you create engaging content for your YouTube channel that generates leads and revenue.
