Video offers some exceptional benefits that other forms of social media marketing don’t. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is priceless. Self-produced videos distributed via YouTube can allow your businesses to reap the biggest benefits of social media marketing. Today, we’ll look at YouTube and see how small businesses can use it in a social media marketing plan.
Social media marketing and YouTube Videos
If you want to include video in your social media marketing plan, YouTube is definitely the distribution vehicle to look at. YouTube allows users to upload videos, link to videos and embed videos into existing web pages. You can even build a library of your own video resources on YouTube. It’s hard to go wrong with well thought out applications for YouTube videos in your social media marketing plan. So how can you incorporate YouTube into your social media marketing goals? Here are three tips to consider:
Make your own demonstration videos.
If your business lends itself to product demonstrations in any way, you should consider a YouTube element of your social media marketing plan. Product demonstrations, step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting, disassembly procedures, self-servicing procedures and how-to videos are extremely popular with consumers. By demonstrating products, services and do-it-yourself tips, you provide a valuable service to your customers and bring them closer to your business. You can use your customer support data and inquiries to help you determine which video subjects would be of interest to your users. Record step-by-step customer service demonstrations and put them on YouTube and you’ll have an instant hit.
Make your own simple commercials.
You can record and publish short commercials for your business, upcoming events that your business sponsors, sales and special offers. YouTube videos also offer another great opportunity to include motion graphics video as part of the video intro or exit. You can also use motion graphics video to illustrate concepts or actions that video can’t capture.
Create webinars and panel discussions.
Some business operations lend themselves to webinars, panel discussions and round-table forums quite well. With a webinar that’s recorded and posted on YouTube, you can have an in-depth discussion with industry experts, your sales staff, suppliers, customers or anyone else. Webinars can focus on a particular facet of your business, upcoming changes, new product or service developments, customer feedback and focus groups or whatever else fits the bill. If your business or profession requires continuing education, webinars and discussions are excellent ways to do that, and keep your customers updated at the same time.
Posting webinars on YouTube as part of your social media marketing plan allows viewers who cannot attend the live event to view the webinar, get more information and potentially engage your business after-the-fact.
If you would like more information about social media marketing, and how you can put a social media marketing plan into action for your business, please email our creative director, Dave Ramsell or call Dave at (330) 243-0651 for a consultation.
Photo Credit: YouTube logo appears courtesy of YouTube
