Hurrah for YouTube!  We all use it, whether it’s to set up an embarrassing Mariah Carey playlist to sing along to while you work, or finding silly dancing dogs to entertain your sprats for five precious minutes.

YouTube: the Untapped Resource

But YouTube offers so much more these days and businesses are really starting to capitalise on what the site can offer.  It’s no secret that we’re an increasingly lazy bunch of humans so why read something (apart from this obviously) when you could just zone out and watch a video?  And these videos don’t have to be incredible in terms of production, oh no.  You can just warble into your webcam if you like or hire a professional film crew if budgets permit – the choice is yours.  It depends entirely on the level of professionalism you want to convey.

What Kind of Videos Work?

You could start by recording a short introduction to your product or service, explaining who you are and what you’re all about.  If you’re not comfortable being on camera, you don’t have to show your face.  Opt instead to pan around your showroom, shop, office or whatever fits with what you’re saying.  Bear in mind that, depending on what you’re selling, your customers might like to see your lovely face to help build trust.  Or maybe you’ve got a really hot friend who could lip-sync to your voice track.

Another approach is to use humorous videos that are linked to your line of business.  You can build a dedicated ‘giggles’ page into your website and send people there for more in your video description.  Make sure you have permission to share the video first!

Remember to Optimise

Now that Google and YouTube are so closely linked, videos are cropping up more and more at the top of search results.  This means that you should name your video appropriately and include keywords that people are likely to search for.  Make sure you link back to your website in the description.

Comments

When you are uploading your videos, make sure you have enabled comments.  A lot of people will use this section to ask questions they may have about your videos and it will also provide you with valuable feedback on what you’ve created.  It also provides a great opportunity to converse with your customers directly.

Work the ‘Room’

Make sure you put yourself about a bit on YouTube.  If you visit relevant channels, watch some videos and post some comments – people in your arena will start to recognise your screen name (tip: use something including your business name if you can).  Also, make sure you scatter links to your YouTube channel liberally across your blog, Twitter, in forum signatures and on your website.  The better the quality of your backlinks, the higher you will rate in YouTube search results.

Finally, make sure you leave your videos open for sharing.  The more places your video is listed, the more views you will receive and it’ll only help to strengthen your network.