Laura ColeThere are many statistics that underline the importance of video marketing in 2015, although some are more impactful than others. Perhaps the most interesting is the assertion of Forrester Research’s Dr. James McQuivey, which suggests that one minute of video carries the value of 1.8 million words. This is the equivalent of 3,600 typical web pages, meaning that on average it would take 150 days of writing to achieve the impact of 60 seconds of audio-visual material.
How to Optimise your YouTube Presence in 3 Simple Steps
This underlines the fact that online video and audio-visual marketing has never been as popular or as prominent as it is today, with YouTube alone boasting more than one billion unique monthly users and an estimated 6 billion hours of video watched every four weeks through the platform.
While the potency of the video platform may be well-known, however, effectively optimising your brand’s YouTube presence is quite another. Here are three practical steps that you can take to optimise the impact and reach of your YouTube channel: –
Brand your Channel Effectively
As a business owner and marketer, the way in which you brand your channel is crucial and it must be consistent with the visual representation of your business as a whole. This starts with your channel name, which appears in all searches, suggested channels and browse placement online. To begin with, your channel name must be discernible from your channel URL, while it must also be concise, punchy and easy remember.
It must also be identifiable with the content included, and provide an accurate reflection of your overarching brand. You can also supplement these efforts by assigning a custom logo and banner image, as this will brand your page using icons and colours that are associated with your business. Finally, remember to brand the content and individual videos themselves where possible, as you look to integrate logo idents at the beginning and the end of each clip.
Make your Channel and Video Descriptions Count
Despite being one of the most effective ways of optimising your YouTube presence and driving traffic to your brand, it is all too easy to overlook the importance of channel and video descriptions. Starting with the former, it is interesting to note that the first few sentences of your channel description are absolutely crucial, as this text will appear prominently on your public profile and most provide a concise and easy to understand description of what your content offers to viewers.
The same principle can also be applied to the individual videos hosted on your channel, as viewers will browse descriptions prior to selecting and prioritising content. In this instance, you need to effectively describe the content of each video in clear detail, while also taking the opportunity to promote your brand and asset a CTA (call to action). By linking directly to your website from the video text, you can help viewers to connect your content and YouTube channel to the brand as a whole.
Finally, ensure that all videos are tagged with viable and relevant keywords. These will enable your video to be indexed according to chosen search parameters, making it easy for viewers and potential customers to identify your brand.
Promote your Videos across an Integrated Social Platform
With fully optimised and branded content, you can then begin to consider sharing your videos and networking across an integrated social platform. This process should start with the YouTube site itself, where you have ample opportunity to subscribe to alternative channels that are relevant to your business and industry. By following these channels and commenting on popular videos, you utilise organic CTA’s and effectively drive traffic back to your own platform and website. This is type of interaction is crucial in the modern age, as it generates interest and engages motivated and like-minded consumers.
The next step is to cross promote your channel and individual videos across an integrated social media platform. This means sharing content aggressively and regularly, utilising high-traffic sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Digg and Vimeo as the focal points for your efforts. Once you have uploaded the videos through your YouTube channel, you can also embed the content onto your own website and develop an additional medium for engagement.
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