Next to Google, YouTube is the second biggest search engine in the world. It has over 1.5 billion users monthly while 300 hours’ worth of videos is uploaded per minute.
People upload videos for a variety of reasons: sharing their passion, promoting their brand, or looking for their tribe. Regardless of the motivation, one thing is clear. Everyone wants to get their videos watched. The problem is not everyone generates the views they like despite the mind-blowing figures above.
It can be hurtful for marketers using YouTube to build and grow a business. Video productions, after all, take a lot of time, effort, and even money.
If you’re the marketer or business owner, how do you make sure people will watch your video? Consider these tips:
1. Start with the Rules
YouTube does police content, although it also receives help from other users. To guarantee others will see your videos, know the website rules.
According to its community guidelines, you cannot engage in the following:
- Sensitive content like suicide and self-injury, nudity and sexual content, and anything that endangers child safety
- Spam and deceptive practices like links in content, impersonation, and fake engagement (e.g., buying views or subscribers)
- Regulated goods such as the sale of regulated or illegal substances and firearms-related content
- Violent and dangerous content like hate speech, violent and graphic content, and cyberbullying
Not following the policy can result in the removal of the video or suspension or deletion of the account. It can even land you in some legal trouble. Note, though, that you can dispute the decision if you believe your content doesn’t violate any of the standards.
2. Invest in Good Production
YouTube works because humans, by nature, are visual. The videos also stimulate our different senses, such as our sight and hearing. This also explains why many content creators on the platform are spending money and maximizing their resources to produce a single video.
The best-quality videos are stunning and engaging. The colors are sharp and vivid while details such as human expressions are clear and relatable. Excellent production and editing can also help weave stories that invest in emotions, and feelings do sell.
If you’re using videos for marketing, professional online video production services can match the content with the message and personality of the brand.
With production, you can do it in-house or outsource it. It’s your call. But unless you plan to shoot meticulously produced videos often, it might be ideal to let third-party providers do it. They already have the tools, equipment, and even talent.
3. Optimize Your Videos
Remember, YouTube is a search engine, which means it could behave the same way as Google. Unless your market has subscribed to your channel, most users search for content using keywords.
For your marketing, make the most of these keywords by inserting them naturally in strategic places:
- Add them to the title of the video.
- Include the keyword in the description of the video.
- Use them as hashtags.
- Tag the video using your targeted keywords.
- Choose the best category for the video and even channel.
4. Include a Call to Action
CTAs or calls to action are incredibly effective when used in various online marketing tactics. Their conversion rate could go beyond 100% depending on factors such as their location and actual texts.
Moreover, CTAs promote power in repetition. According to experts, the more frequent someone sees or reads something, the more they are likely to respond to it. In turn, you create the results you’re looking for.
When creating your videos, make sure you encourage your viewers to subscribe to your channel and hit the notification bell. Make it better by telling them the buttons to click.
5. Be Authentic but Diversify
The last thing you want to happen is to confuse your audience. Your videos must speak clearly of your brand and the message you want to share whether it’s for them to buy a product or improve consumer awareness.
However, repetitive content is B-O-R-I-N-G. Instead, learn to diversify it:
- Focus on DIYs, tutorials, or how-tos since they’re some of the most popular types of videos.
- Pay attention to trends.
- Create a video series to help break up long content.
- Go live and do a Q&A. You can also invite experts to interact with the audience.
- Collaborate with influencers interested or part of your industry.
Be as imaginative and as creative as you like but don’t forget tips 1 and 2.
In a recent survey, YouTube videos ranked among the top five online marketing strategies. Meanwhile, over 75% of marketers shared that video marketing is one of the most effective tactics, beating Facebook.
While it offers a high conversion rate, not all videos can benefit from it. To increase your chances of succeeding, remember these five tips.