Small Business Marketing
Advertise with YouTube Videos
Written by Anna Lempereur for Gaebler Ventures
Since the launch of YouTube in 2005, millions have grown accustomed to watching certain channels on a daily basis. YouTube is an effective way for an entrepreneur to send a personal message out to promote a business.
YouTube has grown to become the largest video sharing network since its launch in February 2005.
Each day, millions of users make a hobby out of browsing and watching videos on YouTube. You can use this method to grow your business by to advertising and sending out personal messages.
YouTube is a fast, easy way to deliver a message to millions of viewers
Creating a YouTube account is free, and takes minutes to set up. Once you have signed up, you can create a video and post it onto the site by using a webcam or camcorder.
YouTube allows you and your viewers to see:
- When you joined
- When you last signed in
- Number of videos watched
- How many subscribers you have
- How many channel views you have
In order to find subscribers for your videos, search YouTube for users who are interested in what your business has to offer. For example, if you have a clothing business, search for users who are interested in fashion. Subscribe to their channel, and leave a friendly comment asking them to view your channel. You can also spread the word about your channel by posting it onto your company's website and telling family and friends about it.
It's personal
When the subscriber watches you speak about your business, he or she will have a personal connection with you. Since you made the video specifically for your YouTube subscribers, these subscribers will feel more like you're talking directly to them. They will be able to see you on camera and hear your tone of voice. When you speak about your business, be sure to sound honest and sincere, rather than monotone and rehearsed.
Setting up your channel
The choice to create a single video or a series of videos is up to you. If you think that you can sum up your business in just one video, then that is all you need.
Taking the extra step to create a channel of multiple videos is a way to update viewers on how you and your business are doing. However, it does require consistence and updating on a constant basis.
Whether you choose to update daily, weekly, or monthly, be sure to be consistent to give your viewers a reason to return to your channel. If you create a series of videos and suddenly stop for a long period of time, viewers may become disappointed and unsubscribe to your channel.
Keep it short
Viewers will become bored after watching an advertisement that runs ten minutes long. These people followed the link to your video because they were looking for the basic message that you indented to deliver, so limit the video to just that.
Include the five W's: Who you are, What you do/What your company has to deliver, Where you are located, When your business started, and Why the viewer should be interested. Be sure to include your company's website as well. Avoid rambling and repeating yourself. Try to keep the video less than five minutes.
Don't have a webcam or camcorder?
If you do not have access to a webcam or camcorder, a digital camera will work just fine. By using video editing programs such as Windows Movie Maker, Photo Story, or iMovie, you can easily combine photos of your business and text to create a brief advertisement.
Anna Lempereur is a freelance writer interested in writing about small business. She is currently a Journalism major at the University of Albany in New York.
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