Getting Started Marketing Your Small Business on YouTube

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get started marketing your small business on YouTube? Many small businesses make the mistake thinking that YouTube is not a social media site. YouTube is in fact the third biggest social media site in the world! YouTube activity takes up nearly 20% of social media activity. So knowing this, how can you ignore YouTube when you are trying to market your small business and build authority in your niche?

Here are my top tips for getting started with your first video on YouTube

1. Set your goals and target your niche

The first thing to do is set your goals and define your purpose for using video in your social media marketing campaign, in the end, this will save you money! Think about the purpose of why you are doing it, what is it that you are trying to achieve? how you will you use video?, what will you say and who are you trying to reach in your niche? If you work this out first you'll be able to create simple videos with targeted messages using targeted keywords and phrases. If your videos are short and simple with a clearly defined purpose, not only will it be easy for potential customers to find your videos, they will be more likely to resonate with your message. The other benefit is that you won't be competing against big budget competitors who are using / ranked for a broader search term.

2. Metrics for success

When you have worked out your goals you'll be wise to think about the metrics you will use to decide wether or not the video was a success later. Here are some good metrics for determining the success of your video. Will your video do the following:

• Generate Sales
• Generate Leads
• Generate Traffic
• Position you as an authority
• Show new products and services
• Educate the niche
• Entertain your audience

When you have worked out what you want the video to achieve you will be able to start measuring it's success later.

4. Who are you talking to?

It's also time to work out the actual type of person you are speaking to with your video because this will help your video appeal to the correct age group or interest type.

The most fun and effective way to work out how to speak to your target customer is to imagine you are having a conversation with them. Maybe do some role play with a colleague or friend?

5. Type of video

Now think about they type of video you will create! Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Animation (various tools free available also check Fiverr)
• Whiteboard Style Video
• Powerpoint Slideshow Video
• Interview
• Talking Heads
• Educational / How to Video
• Documentary
• Demo
• Case Study
• Location / Out and About

6. Video Length

The video length you should use can be hard to determine! A short video, between 3-5 minuotes is genrally best. But saying that the video on YouTube and Google with the most clicks are normally between 90-120 seconds! So if you can keep it short and sweet you could be on to a winner. However this doesn't show the outcome for your target audience, so drill down and see what the appetite is within your niche to work out the length of your video.

When it comes to thought leadership 1.5 minutes will never be enough so making it a bit longer would benefit you so you can really get your message across. Entertainment and humour videos could work at only 30 seconds. A demo maybe 1.5 minutes. Once you go back to the video purpose you'll be able to determine the length your video should be.

7. Be Authentic

When you are speaking on your video, remember to be YOU! Authenticity is so important with building relationships in social media and video is no different. So match your video content with existing branding and website / social media content this will also help with your video tone, language and calls to action.

8. Video Quality

This is a topic of much debate. Many people will tell you that video's should be done professionally but in my opinion it's to do with content however making sure the audience can see clearly and the sound is good is important. The content of the video and it's purpose is the most important aspect. Having said that if your video is corporate or high end then use quality to reflect that if you have the budget. Otherwise a simple iPhone video will suffice (tip use landscape and get a tripod to keep the phone still)

7. Video Upload

If you have done all of the above and created a video then here's a pat on the back! That's the hard bit done. It's time to get the video out there to your target niche!

If you don't yet have a YouTube Account you can set one up easily in 5 minuites. Here's what to do:

• Use the name you'd like to see next to your YouTube video's i.e yours or your business
• Add a cover image and profile image
• Fill in the about information using your target phrases but remember to write for your niche not for search engines

When your account is set up you can upload your video using the upload button on the top of the page. Choose your privacy settings to public - for all to see and upload your video.

During video upload you can edit the settings, decide if you will notify subscribers (if you have any) and when the video has uploaded, press publish and that's it! done!

8. Marketing and Consistency

To establish your presence on YouTube it will take time as with any social media activity, it's a marathon and not a race. You'll need to post great video content regularly just like with your twitter feed or blog. Remember that YouTube is a huge social network and also a search engine! it is the second most used after Google (for which it is a part of) So keep posting relevant and helpful videos as regularly as possible.

Finally! Good Luck. I'd love to see your creations, feel free to post them below or tweet me @Lucyshall