There’s no doubt that video is one of the most powerful marketing tools at your disposal. It can be used to build brand awareness, engage customers, and sell products and services, and more. In fact, according to Hubspot, 87% of businesses believe that video marketing also gives them a good return on investment (ROI). So why is YouTube such a successful platform for video marketing? Let’s take a look at several reasons:
Video is a Far More Engaging Medium Than Text or Images
It’s no secret that people are more likely to watch a video than read a block of text or look at an image. In fact, according to HubSpot, including a video on a landing page can increase conversions by 80%. This is because video is much more engaging than other forms of content. It’s also been shown to increase time spent on a page by over two minutes.
YouTube is the Second Largest Search Engine in the World
Did you know that YouTube is actually the second largest search engine in the world, according to HubSpot? This should come as no real surprise to anyone, given that it’s owned by Google. What does this mean for your marketing efforts? It means that you have a huge opportunity to reach your target audience by optimizing your videos for YouTube search.
You Can Reach a Wider Audience with YouTube
YouTube has over 2.6 billion users, which means that you have the potential to reach an enormous audience with your video content. In fact, according to HubSpot, YouTube is used by 74% of internet users. This is a much wider reach than other social media platforms like Facebook, which is used by 61% of internet users.
You Can Increase Brand Awareness with YouTube
YouTube provides an excellent opportunity to increase brand awareness for your business. How? By creating videos that are informative, entertaining, and shareable. If people enjoy your videos, they’re more likely to share them with their friends and followers, which will help to increase your reach even further.
You Can Build Trust and Credibility with YouTube
People are far more likely to put their trust in a company that they’ve seen in a video than one that they’ve only seen in an advertisement. This is because video provides a personal touch that other forms of marketing lack. When people see the faces behind a company and hear them speaking, it helps to build trust and credibility.
You Can Increase Sales and Conversions
YouTube can be a highly effective platform for selling products and services. This is because you can use video to provide potential customers with information about your products or services in a way that’s both engaging and informative. You can also include calls-to-action (CTAs) in your videos, which can help to increase sales and conversions.
You Can Drive Traffic to Your Website with YouTube
YouTube is a great place to drive traffic to your website by including links to your site in the description of your videos. You can also include annotations in your videos that link to your website or specific landing pages. Conversely, always be sure to include links to your YouTube channel on your website. You want your customers to have multiple ways to interact with you and your business.
You Can Increase Your Website’s SEO with YouTube
YouTube can also help you to improve your website’s SEO. How? By optimizing your videos for YouTube search and including links to your website in the description of your videos. This will aid in increasing the number of backlinks to your website, which is a key ranking factor for SEO.
You Can Use YouTube to Connect with Your Customers
YouTube provides an excellent opportunity to connect with your customers and build relationships. You can do this by responding to comments on your videos, as well as by engaging with other people and businesses in your niche. This will help to create a community around your brand, which can be extremely valuable. Keep in mind that it’s extremely important to respond to feedback and answer questions. You want your customers to know that you care and that you’re available to help. Be transparent!
You Can Get Insights into Your Customers with YouTube Analytics
YouTube Analytics is another powerful tool that can give you insights into your customers and how they interact with your videos. This information can be extremely valuable for your marketing efforts, as it can help you to understand what’s working and what isn’t.
YouTube is an Excellent Place to Explain Your Product
If you have a product or service that is complex or possibly difficult to understand right away, YouTube can be an excellent platform for explaining it. This is because you can use video to break down complicated concepts into bite-sized chunks that are easy for people to understand. You can also include visuals in your videos, which can help to further explain your product.
You Can Use Royalty-Free Music and SFX in Your Videos
When creating your videos, be sure to use royalty-free music and SFX. Using music and sound effects will give your videos a more professional, polished feel. The right music will set the tone you’re looking for and help to engage your viewers. SFX can also be used to add interest and excitement to your videos. Just be sure not to overdo it! You can also add SFX to make scene transitions more unique or to highlight important points.
Additionally, it’s important to make sure that you have the rights to use any music or SFX that you include in your videos. Fortunately, there are many websites that offer royalty-free music and SFX. More on that next.
Your Best Resources for Music and SFX
You have a lot to choose from here. You can find resources for royalty free music and sound effects online anywhere, but we find that it’s best to use a site that is proven legitimate and reputable, such as Soundstripe, Epidemic Sound, or Premium Beat, for example. These sites offer high-quality music tracks and SFX that can be used in your videos without having to be concerned about copyright infringement or any other legal problems down the road. The monthly fee you pay covers any music licensing needed, so you can have unlimited access to all the music and SFX you’ll ever need to create a well-stocked music library.
The Bottom Line
YouTube is your best friend as a marketing tool. It increases your site’s SEO, can generate more leads and sales conversions, be used to easily explain your product, or be used as a great tool for customer engagement. With all of these boxes checked, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start creating some awesome video content! Don’t forget to use those tips and best practices for video production, as well as using royalty-free music and SFX. By following these general guidelines, you’ll be sure to create videos that are not only effective but also professional and polished. Good luck!