How to use YouTube to effectively brand your business.

HARBINDERNARULA

How to effectively use to Brand your Business

© Harbinder Narula, 2013; www.harbindernarula.com

Why use YouTube for your Brand? For the same reason we use any other media to promote our business – Reach. YouTube is accessed by millions of people everyday not only to watch and share personal videos but also to get informa,on & guidance. People use YouTube to understand features of the new phone that they intend to purchase, to know how to use the new soHware or learn how to beIer their digital photography skills. It is not only a great opportunity to adverKse but also to engage with the audience and be their friend. In the next couple of slides I will try and capture a few Kps on how to effecKvely use YouTube to grow your brand online.


Consider it to be a business Tool Tip # 1

YouTube is an eco-system that allows people to share videos. Like most social networks, this eco-system is also bound by rules, which may change. So it may be a great idea to use YouTube like another social network to engage & share to be able to influence your audience and redirect them to a place which is owned by your business to transact.


Optimize keywords to leverage SEO Tip # 2

YouTube is owned by Google and videos appear high in search results, so make sure that the tags and descripKons are keyword-‐opKmized. YouTube is also recognized as the second largest search engine aHer Google and people are accessing it for various reasons that in many ways influence their purchase decisions, so opKmizing the words that describe the video is important.


Appear as an expert Tip # 3

The key is not to sell but to show your experKse. Pick a problem related to your business that your viewers might have and give them a soluKon. If you're an Interior Designer, offer a simple design Kp. A dry cleaning company can make videos on easy Kps to pack clothes at the end of the season. Show them something you know how to do that will benefit them.


Create content, NOT Ads Tip # 4

The consumers are not interested in tradiKonal forms of markeKng on an interacKve media like the web & mobile. They want to be educated and their behaviors of search & discovery of informaKon have changed. People look for and expect to find soluKons online which is why they look for content that can help them. Recently, ‘Shoppers Stop’ effecKvely used videos that explained how to Ke different kinds of Tie knots. They saw a surge in the traffic to the product catalog page on their e-‐commerce site.


Your products in action Tip # 5

Don't just show your products or services, but show them in acKon. If you sell barbecue grills, teach your viewers some great BBQ recipes. Videos that show how to do something using the product are the most effecKve in markeKng. Similarly, a camera manufacturer can upload videos that help a user learn how to click beIer pictures.


Upload testimonials Tip # 6

YouTube videos are a great way to build credibility & trust for your business. It has been repeatedly menKoned that social media is all about conversaKons, and in business context it is similar to a word-‐of-‐mouth. If this is the case, tesKmonials about your product or service could add value in building trust and further influencing purchase decisions.


Keep it short & simple Tip # 7

Videos don't have to be long. In fact, they shouldn't be. Focus on making videos that are just a few minutes long. If you've got a topic that stretches over 4 to 5 minutes, make two videos covering different aspects of it. You cannot be sure of the device the user may use or the bandwidth that person may have access to, so keeping you videos short as well as light will make the viewing experience pleasurable.


Give a sneak peek Tip # 8

You might like to make videos that show your business’ inside operaKons. Viewers who already like your brand love to get a sneak peek at what goes on behind closed doors. This would actually work well for luxury brands to let the audience know of the processes being followed and the quality of raw material being used which will make the brand unique and aspiraKonal.


Socialize & subscribe Tip # 9

YouTube is a social media site so one must use it like one. It is ok to subscribe to other channels, watch videos, comment and make friends. You will soon find that other users will do the same for you and you'll create a network of similar minded businesses. This will result in gebng traffic to your YouTube channel which could result in business leads.


Customize your channel Tip # 10

Make use of all of the customizaKon opKons that YouTube offers for your channel. Try to give your visitors the best user experience possible. Here are a few pointers: Leverage One Channel Design: It is clean and is more friendly for a business channel and is also responsive to the device being used to access YouTube. Customize the background and Align themes and colors with your website and other markeKng materials. Choose a player view: It will help you feature a video you want to promote. Create playlists: This will help arrange the videos for easy access for your audience.


Schedule content production Tip # 11

It doesn't maIer how oHen you produce videos, but you need to do it regularly. Decide how many you'll post per week and sKck to it. This will engage your users to come back to your channel more oHen.


Use annotations Tip # 12

You can add logos and text links on the video which can be helpful in redirecKng the user to other landing pages, other videos, playlists or subscriber opKons. This is an effecKve way to build a call to acKon on your videos.


Push people to your website Tip # 13

It is more useful to have people visit your website than just hang around on YouTube. At the end of the day you are using YouTube to promote your business and you want people to transact. Some of the ways in which you could do that are: 1.  Include you web URL in the descripKon 2.  Include a link in the “About” secKon 3.  Use a link in the annotaKon 4.  Use YouTube to upload teasers and main

content is on your website. This is effecKvely used by premium content owners who use YouTube for trailers and sell content on their own website.


Embed with other social media Tip # 14

Put your videos all over your other social media sites. Embedding videos is as simple as copying a code and pasKng it. You'll get them seen by more people and you'll also get backlinks. Once you upload a video, you can provide a link through your blog and you may even tweet about it. Using Facebook is an effecKve way to drive traffic to your YouTube channel.


Build in Call-To-Action Tip # 15

We must not forget that we have business objecKves to deliver, and that is the reason we are using YouTube (at least when you are using it to promote your business). You can ask the user to do something reasonable that will benefit both of you. You can ask him to subscribe to your channel, visit your website or just share the video with friends. It may be a smart thing to build compelling reasons which results in acKon like promoKng a coupon, teaser to an event etc.


Viral worthy Tip # 16

Everybody wants to have a viral video. Just one video that goes viral can get you exposure like you've never dreamed possible. Most viral videos get passed around because they're funny, so add a bit of humor to your videos. If your agency is smart, they will be able to integrate your brand smartly in the video.


Use ‘insights’ to review Tip # 17

You can use YouTube Insights to review the success of your videos. You can analyze and find out who watched your videos and how did they discover the videos. This will provide feedback on what kind of videos work well with your audience and will help you plan further.


Once you start seeing results from your YouTube branding efforts, you might consider upgrading your video equipment. To get started, all you need is a good web cam. But invesKng in gear such as lighKng, a beIer sound system, a camera and ediKng soHware can help you produce beIer videos more easily. It's well worth the money to create higher quality videos than your compeKtors'.


About the author Harbinder is a product crusader who loves consumer web and enjoys working on non-obvious ideas. In the past 17 years, Harbinder has worked in the internet and mobile industry with focus on content and business development. Some of the exciting stuff that Harbinder has done includes re-launching the Indiatimes IVR portal as a separate profit center in ‘05 followed by starting Google’s business development function in India and then launching YouTube’s India site with premium content partners on board. He also was a part of the management team at a startup that launched gifting of mobile airtime among expats in the US followed by leading Buongiorno’s mobile operator led business in India. Most recently he exited the online healthcare venture which he kick-started as co-founder, after handing over the operations in the hands of a team he developed. Harbinder currently offers business consultancy and is known to connect ideas with resources. Also, he regularly takes time out to mentor young entrepreneurs. Email: [email protected] Phone: +91.9910773666


How to use YouTube to effectively brand your business.

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Transcript of How to use YouTube to effectively brand your business.