YouTube is an incredibly powerful and still often underestimated platform for versatile digital marketing. Video marketing is getting better and more common every month and it's obviously here to stay. Look at the success of the almost purely visual platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest,
Tumblr, and even the recently deceased Vine. Even Facebook and Twitter have been growing much more visual each year, with video becoming more prevalent each day. YouTube may be "old news" to some, not as shiny and new as Snapchat or Instagram, but it can still be a game-changer. I happen to also strongly believe it has much greater monetization potential, when in the hands of the right marketer. It's a staple for comprehensive digital marketing strategies, but it can also be a primary platform for many successful businesses.
Unique and high quality video content is also growing and in further demand. We are all aware that there are many "YouTube Celebrities" that make 6-8 figure annual salaries broadcasting their vlogs, music, fitness videos, DIY guides, video game tips, beauty solutions, motivational talks, and pretty much any other niche business you can think of. While it's more competitive than ever these days, making YouTube your business, or a major focal point of your business, is still a viable option for a successful source of online revenue.
While I admittedly made several mistakes early on in my YouTube days, I still enjoy(ed) some major financial successes as a result and learned countless valuable lessons along the way from the best in the business. I personally have nearly 2 Million views and 300+ videos and growing on YouTube between my 2 Partner Channels, and many more working for employers and clients. That isn't very impressive for some of you out there, but keep in mind those numbers were achieved with no advertising dollars spent, no overhead, no expensive equipment, no experience, and no viral videos to carry the load. YouTube was also never my main business, but in addition to extra providing some extra income it certainly created incredible new business opportunities I wouldn't have had otherwise.
Anyways, if you're crunching the numbers you can obviously see that the risk/reward ratio of focusing your business around YouTube can be stellar and it's a truly promising entrepreneurial endeavor for those without major financial means. The business model also fits the definition of "The Power Of Broke", the Bootstrap Business theme, and a major component of my eBook "The $10 Digital Media Startup".
Anyways, I can say from personal experience that the financial opportunities are very promising when you have a successful YouTube Channel. So how can you create your own profitable YouTube media business? In addition to creating content that crushes it, here are 8 tips to maximize your YouTube channel marketing:
1. Become a YouTube Partner
In order to monetize your eligible videos and enable a variety of useful features, you'll need to verify your account to be a YouTube Partner. Prior to 2012/2013 you had to have certain proven channel statistics to become a YouTube Partner. Then for several years it became open to anyone interested. In 2017 business channels needed to have 10,000 total video views in order to become partner accounts. And starting in February 2018 the requirements have gone to whole other level with a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of video views within the last 12 months. It's not quite as easy to get started as it once was, but let that drive you to promote your channel even harder and increase the quality of your content.
You can also verify your blog/website, link your account to Google Analytics for better data, and of course connect your Google AdSense account to start displaying ads. Each of your videos that does not contain copyrighted material is eligible to be monetized with ads that are able to play before, during, and after your videos. You'll earn a certain amount of revenue based on the thousands of impressions and the number of advertisement clicks from your viewers.
2. Utilize Featured Video Functions
Having "flagship videos" is especially important when you're getting started on YouTube. You want to wow your first time viewer or returning subscriber with your highest quality, most popular, or newest content. Luckily YouTube offers many ways to highlight your most important videos. You can do this by choosing the video that new visitors will see when they go to your channel, the video that your current subscriber sees when they visit your channel, and the video that is suggested to them while they are watching one of your other videos. These can all be accessed on the Trailer section of your channel or under the Channel options in the Branding section. You can always change which videos to feature which makes it a very helpful option to have. In addition, you can also place annotations on your videos that viewers can click to bring them to another video on your channel.
3. Create, Organize, & Brand Playlists
You don't just want to have your videos randomly displayed on your channel, or solely based on the date you uploaded them. You need to create clearly defined Playlists encompassing the categories your videos fall into. You can customize and display those specific playlists on your channel or link to them. They'll also show up in YouTube search results which helps your videos get seen. You can also create a detailed description of each playlist with valuable keywords and organize the order of the videos within each playlist and. The playlists can be just as important as the videos themselves.
4. Optimize All Videos & Link Up!
In addition to optimizing your playlists for improved search engine optimization, you'll need to do the same for your channel itself and each video you upload. Use descriptive tags and keywords on the channel and in the video information to boost SEO. It also gives you a chance to explain to viewers what your channel is all about, and various call-to-actions. Add links to your product sales page, other social media pages, or anything else that can benefit your business. There are plenty of areas on your channel to include a dozen links, and in the video descriptions the sky is the limit. Linking from your channel or videos to your website improves SEO and vice versa.
See Tip #7 for more information regarding linking to and from your YouTube Channel and your website.
5. Be Consistent!
One of the most important things (besides great unique content and a strong distribution system) to keep in mind for YouTube success is the need to be consistent with your uploads. There might be a few people that disagree with me on this, especially in the age of Live videos every minute, but the majority of creators and viewers do see it my way.
Let your viewers know that each day or each week at a certain time you'll be posting a new video (or going live) and for them to tune in. You end up creating a consistent schedule that your fans can count on like a syndicated television series. It's not always easy, and an inconsistency here and there won't doom your channel, but keep things moving. Try posting different topics or subcategories on different days. A very simple example of this might be a "Thursday Thoughts Vlog" and a "Monday Motivation" discussion. To publish your videos at the appropriate time you can just use the "Schedule" option on the upload screen where you edit your video details.
6. Cross-Promote With Other YouTube Influencers
Doing cross-promotions with other YouTube Influencers, or hungry young entrepreneurs looking to make a name for themselves, is a win-win situation. And in today's competitive digital landscape, it's almost a requirement to make it big. This is especially important when you're getting started. You might have a very small audience starting out so you'll want to work with other people on your level or more established YouTubers to build up your viewership. Work with others in your industry or social circle to add to your Other Channels module if they will return the favor. That way on each channel it will give you more exposure and more subscribers. You can add up to around 15 of these channels so that is an opportunity to get 15 other channels to do the same for you.
Even more importantly is actually making cross-promotional videos with peers in your industry. This can double your viewership and get your business out there. Collaborations are crucial for YouTube success so start initiating discussions with peers and influencers. Show them how you can add value to their channel and they'll usually give you a chance.
7. Share Your Videos and Channel Everywhere
Now that you've put all this work into your videos and channel, it's no time to be bashful with your content. You should be sharing your videos everywhere you can, especially your other social media marketing platforms. Post your videos on to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Periscope, Reddit, Google+, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, and even Instagram (use your Profile link to feature a specific video and refer to the link in your profile text or Instagram posts). Give your Snapchat followers a quick preview of the video and let them know your new video is up. Unfortunately (but understandably) your YouTube videos shared on Facebook and Twitter won't perform as successfully as they used to because they strongly promote native video content instead. But that shouldn't stop you from getting thousands or even millions of views on your videos from these supplemental social networks.
Embed your videos on your blog or website in new posts or relevant older posts that still get plenty of traffic. If you don't have a website or blog then remedy that situation immediately! Spend $10 on a domain name, start up a WordPress or other free platform blog, and get to it! Your YouTube Channel and website / blog have a symbiotic relationship and your overall traffic, page rank, and revenue will increase. Since you're already earning with Google AdSense on YouTube, you might as well enable those ads on your blog or website as well for additional revenue. Your YouTube Channel will drive traffic to your website, and vice versa.
I know it may seem like I got off on a bit of a tangent there, but having an effective blog and/or website is crucial for most people to enjoy maximal and prolonged YouTube success.
8. Advertise Branded Products or Services
This is the big one. Yes there are some successful YouTube Creators making a good living just from the revenue generated directly through their videos via impressions and ad clicks. But the best and brightest YouTube Partners maximize their revenue by creating and promoting their own line of branded products or professional service. The sky is really the limit on this one, whether you're selling online memberships, eBooks, dietary supplements, fashion products, T-shirts, or anything else that fits with your business niche.
You could also choose to focus primarily or exclusively on promoting another company's products when they offer to compensate you for the work. If you're an industry Influencer then a lot of savvy businesses out there will be interested in providing you with paid contract work (and probably some free product if applicable) for you to review or promote your products to your subscribers in your videos.
Initially you probably won't be in a position to be too picky with business offers because you need a track record of successfully working with smaller companies so you can land a more lucrative agreement with a bigger company. But be wary of promoting a product or service that contrasts severely with your own brand because it could end up doing more damage than good in the long run.
These digital strategies can also make or break your business if somebody sabotages your AdSense account and your videos can no longer generate revenue in the traditional manner. And yes that can happen unfortunately. In business it's not usually wise to completely depend on just one revenue stream.
Overall, if you follow these tips you'll be on your way to growing a profitable YouTube business. When you successfully unleash the power of YouTube you'll be amazed with the results. Now it's time for you to start filming, editing, uploading, and promoting!
I hope you enjoyed this article about marketing tips for your company or brand's YouTube channel.
Interested in more posts about social media marketing tips?
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Published by Michael J SchiemerOwner of Bootstrap BusinessMarketing Media Money MotivationDigital Marketing | SEO | Social MediaMike Schiemer Builds Better Business
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