How to create a YouTube channel for your business

Video continues to be one of the best ways to engage an audience and a significant driver of traffic to business websites when used correctly. So, it’s no wonder that YouTube is the second biggest search engine globally, only behind Google for internet users to find answers, step by step guides or entertainment. 

But how do you get started with YouTube as a small business owner? This article will be a guide in setting up a new YouTube channel for promoting your business by looking at the following areas:

• Why you should create a YouTube channel
• How to create a YouTube channel for your business
• How to create content for your channel

With YouTube being the second most popular site worldwide, it would be a good idea to have a presence there. Your target customers will likely have watched a video via YouTube or a YouTube link via social media and so getting your business name and content in front of them can only be a good thing. 

Creating helpful content for your target audience also builds trust with your company as you are showing that you are an authority on your area of expertise or have products/services that can make your customer’s life easier. Trust is becoming an increasingly important factor in consumers purchasing decisions, and content is a great way to build familiarity with the people you want to sell to.

So how do you get started?

Here are the steps you need to take to set up the YouTube channel itself:

1. Create a Google account. If you already have one for email or the business, then use this. The name and email address do not have to be related to the company if you want to use your personal details for ease.
2. Then go to YouTube and ‘Create a Channel’ – you’ll want to select a Brand channel, instead of a personal one, as this is for business purposes. Then type in your business name or your chosen channel name.
3. Now go to the settings on the left-hand side of your channel, and select Branding. Here you can add your logo and any imagery that reflects your company. You can link any other social media accounts here, too, so you can share across all your profiles.
4. Finally, update your Basic Info. Updating the information to include your industry, what you offer in terms of products and services, and your website URL will mean that your channel is ‘discoverable’ for users searching for content like yours. YouTube does this by using the keywords you put here to show your videos to people searching for similar topics.

Then you’re ready to upload your first video! Setting up a YouTube channel is easy, but creating a successful YouTube channel is where the hard work comes in. That brings us to producing content for the channel. So how do you start making videos, and what do you talk about?

When planning your videos, first think about the common questions you get asked at work or issues that your customers generally struggle with. Then, ideally, you want to answer those queries in a video. That way, individuals who are searching for the answer will be presented with your videos.

Let’s say you are a local electrician – some potential ideas could be ‘How to Wire a Light Fitting’ or ‘Why is Your Electricity Bill so High?’. Although you are an expert, remember the queries you answer might need to be more basic to attract those individuals who don’t know anything about your field – and therefore need your services.

Another good way to get free article ideas is to Google a question your business gets asked all the time. Using the same electrician example, many of your customers might ask you which colour wire is the live wire. Start by searching that query, and scroll down until you find the ‘People also ask’ list of more questions. These ‘People Also Ask’ questions should give you various related subjects to start creating videos about, to show potential customers that you are an authority on the topic.

Smartphones have great quality cameras, so don’t feel you need to fork out for a fancy camera to get started. Instead, a tripod and mobile will be good enough to start making informative videos. 

It may also be worth investing in a decent microphone. Research shows that video watchers can forgive if picture quality is lower if there is high-quality sound. Many watchers may be using headphones too, so they may be turned off if there is crackly audio or it’s too quiet for them to hear your advice. Many business owners might prioritise the visuals but don’t make the mistake of ignoring the audio in your production.

You may also want to add subtitles to your videos if you are sharing them on social media. Adding subtitles can be helpful because many people scrolling social media feeds may be on their commute or a coffee break where they don’t have headphones handy, resulting in at least 85% of videos on Facebook being watched without sound.

Managing your finances can be stressful and time-consuming. That’s why thousands of business owners use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. 

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation, invoicing on the go, receipt capture tools, tax estimates, and cash flow insights, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Find out more here.