Using YouTube for Your Business – 5 Reasons to Start Today

Over a decade into the social media boom, you might think that the channels have become very streamlined. And to a large degree, that’s true; more than 80% of small businesses now have a presence on Facebook, recognizing the power of the world’s largest social media network. But are you using YouTube for your Business?

But there’s a blind spot that too many businesses are still missing. What if I told you that businesses of all sizes are underestimating the second largest website in the entire world?

I’m talking, of course, about the video behemoth you know as YouTube. Every day, users throughout the world watch more than 5 billion YouTube videos. And yet, most businesses have failed to unlock the platform for their marketing efforts as less than 10% of small businesses have an active presence. You should be using YouTube for your Business.

It’s time to rethink that strategy. Consider these 5 reasons you aren’t using YouTube for your business enough, then start thinking about a strategy that can help you drive a turnaround.

1) Your Audience is on YouTube

As mentioned above, YouTube is the second most visited website in the world. That makes it more popular than Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media site. More importantly, the network is not just limited to young audiences; Users 35 years and older as well as 55 years and older are the two fastest-growing demographics on the network.

The core reason for choosing a marketing channel is audience overlap. With a ubiquitous presence like YouTube, achieving that goal is easy. Simply put, your audience spends significant time (multiple hours every week) on the platform. If you want to reach them, here is your chance to build a strategy that accomplishes just that.

2) YouTube Combines Social Media and SEO

Is YouTube a social media network like Facebook or a search engine like Google? The true answer lies in the middle–or, more specifically, at both ends. It simultaneously is the biggest platform for finding visual content on almost any topic, and a way for audience groups to interact with each other.

As such, the website boasts some of the unique benefits of both channels. For example, you can target your videos based on keywords, making sure that they show up as your audience enters specific search queries related to your product, service, or industry. But you can also put an emphasis on engagement, not just posting videos but responding to comments and building two-way communication opportunities with your audience.

No other digital platform accomplishes this intersection quite like YouTube. As a result, you can build a comprehensive marketing presence that reaches, engages, and converts your audience.

3) You can Build Your Visual Profile

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: In modern digital marketing, visual content is absolute key to reaching and drawing in your audience. Without it, you will stand little chance against other brands and businesses who engage their potential customers. In fact, about 80% of all internet traffic now occurs through video.

As a result, almost all digital marketing platforms now offer some type of video component. But naturally, none focuses quite as much on this area as YouTube does. After all, the platform was built for video. Here, you can not just upload and optimize individual videos, but build them into playlists and organize them into topics that enable a more comprehensive presence.

In other words, you can be using YouTube for your business and help to build your brand’s visual profile. Use it as a hub for your visual content, from explainer videos about your product or service to news analysis, industry interviews, and other thought leadership content. Take messages you have already been building, and expand them into the visual sphere.

4) YouTube Hits All Stages of the Sales Funnel

Experienced marketers tend to split up digital channels based on stages of the sales funnel. SEO works great for generating awareness, gated content converts curious web visitors to leads, and email nurtures leads to become customers. YouTube is unique in that it can affect all three of these areas throughout the funnel.

By optimizing your videos to be found easily via search, you increase interest in these videos. Calls to action throughout and at the end lead to website visits. And of course, embedded videos placed strategy on landing pages and in nurturing emails can play a major role in converting both leads and customers.

Add paid YouTube strategies to the mix, and the possibilities increase even further. Now, you can more strategically reach out to prospects based on relevant video categories and keywords. You can also use smart lists and remarketing efforts to specifically target past viewers of your videos as well as existing prospects in your queue.

5) Integrate Your Content Throughout Your Online Presence

Finally, it’s time to explore a piece I’ve already hinted at in the above section. The beauty of YouTube is that its videos are not confined to the site itself. In addition, it can acts as a host of visual content that you can now embed throughout other channels.

Every CMS allows for easy integration of YouTube videos. Similarly, you can embed the same videos easily on many email clients. Even social media networks like Facebook and Twitter allow you to post YouTube videos without having to natively upload the sale content on each platform.

As a result, you can maximize the benefits you get from each brand video you create. Attract and convert prospects not just on YouTube itself, but a variety of platforms with which it integrates.

And yet, you cannot take advantage of any of these benefits if you don’t have an active account on the platform. Which gets me back to my initial point: if you are like most businesses, you are not using YouTube for your business nearly enough to be successful in your digital marketing efforts. Only a more strategic, visual, and comprehensive approach can help you improve brand awareness, interest, and conversions, ultimately building your business and generating more revenue. Contact us to learn more about a comprehensive YouTube strategy that can help you accomplish these goals and get you to start using YouTube for your business.