YouTube is the undisputed champ of online video. If it is not part of your digital marketing plan, it should be! Here are a few things to consider.

Despite TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram’s efforts, to knock them from their top spot, YouTube has over 2 billion monthly logged-in users. In addition to web and app usage, YouTube has recently seen a rise on home televisions thanks to Apple TV, Roku, and other smart streaming devices. That presents a significant opportunity for big-screen, impactful outreach, using Google’s audience targeting. It has the reach, the advertising options, and the potential to connect with viewers critically focused on home entertainment. If you’re making video content, you need to have YouTube on your radar.

YouTube can help brands build awareness and influence purchasing decisions as consumers are more likely to buy after watching a product video. YouTube also presents a unique opportunity for small businesses to develop and expand. Only 9% of all small businesses use YouTube. With so few small businesses with a presence, this allows them to dominate their market and compete with the “big guys” by implementing a more personalized business approach. 

In a recent online survey, 96% of consumers said they find videos helpful when making purchasing decisions. And, nearly three-quarters of consumers are more likely to purchase a product or service if they can watch a video explaining it beforehand. 

Producing the right kind of YouTube content enables your small business to connect with new customers. With powerful video, you can:

• strengthen your brand story 
• build on your relationship with existing customers
• improve the customer experience of your product or service
• extend your reach past the 9 out of 10 businesses that don’t use YouTube.

So what more do we have to do to convince you that it’s a good idea to be on the platform? Need ideas about what kinds of videos should you create and what works best on YouTube? We’ve got you covered. Below are five types of videos your business can make to increase the presence of your brand.

Product Spotlight

If you have a product-based business, you can use YouTube as a platform for highlighting and featuring specific products. One brand that does this exceptionally well is Chicago Music Exchange. On their YouTube channel, Chicago Music Exchange often highlights products by having a sales rep walk viewers through product features, tone, options, and more, giving potential customers a virtual test drive of their instruments. 

Featured product videos are a great way to inform and educate your audience about your products. And, the best way to feature a product is to tell a story. Storytelling can bring your product to life and help to engage viewers emotionally. Studies show that positive emotions toward a brand are a significant factor in building customer loyalty.

How-to’s

YouTube is the world’s second most used search engine, right behind its parent company, Google. And, people search for how-to videos a lot! Viewers often watch these kinds of videos to learn how to perform specific tasks. With consumers turning to these videos often, it presents an opportunity to make helpful videos that feature some of your products or services.

FAQs

FAQs have been an essential tool for communicating with customers and can be even more engaging when using video. Here are some tips for creating FAQs:

• Gather the right questions
• Don’t include too many questions. Break your FAQs into smaller digestible chunks. For example, you could break them into categories such as:
  • Complaints & returns
  • Technical issues
  • Tips
  • Product inquiries

Meet The Team

Highlight your team and brand personality by creating meet the team videos. This approach helps create a personal touch and lets your customers start to identify with and connect to your team. 

Empowering your staff to appear in fun team videos enables customers to know who is behind your products and sever ices. Here are a few tips to help your team shine:

• Don’t try to make them marketing videos.
  • Be natural, authentic, and genuine. The video will come off better if it doesn’t feel forced.
• Have your team help plan the videos.
  • The best videos are where your staff is engaged, so allowing them to contribute will give them ownership and leave them wanting to create better videos.
• Capture video of your staff interacting socially.
  • The staff interacting in a usual, casual way will lend itself to great b-roll. Let your team behave naturally — it’s a great way to show how well they get along and work well together.
• Don’t overlook the opportunity for recruitment.
  • Perspective employees can get a sense of what it’s like to work there.

Behind The Scenes

BTS videos will give your audience insight into how your business operates. Giving the audience an insider look will help to build trust and engagement.

• Enhance the customer experience.
• Show the audience how you work.
• Take your viewers on a journey through production and show your process—this will build loyalty and trust.
• Highlight your commitment to quality.

Video offers small businesses so many opportunities to engage their audience. Why not try creating some of these types of videos? It’s an opportunity to be ahead of the pack, grow your brand, and increase sales. What do you have to lose?