How to use YouTube for marketing

Marketing your business on social media can help you reach new clients and grow your business. YouTube, in particular, is the second most visited website in the world, so it can reach nearly all target audiences. Because of this, it’s useful to understand how to use YouTube to market your business effectively. 

This guide will cover how to use YouTube for marketing your small business, including

• Getting started with YouTube for marketing
• Creating YouTube content to market your business
• Interacting with YouTube to grow your audience

To market your business on YouTube effectively, first get to know the platform a bit. 

The first step in how to use Youtube for marketing is to set up a Youtube account. You’ll want a creator’s account so that you can upload videos to your channel. When creating your account, you can choose to make a business channel. 

You may also want to verify your creator’s account so that you can make custom thumbnails and longer uploads. 

You may want to create your channel using your business name so that viewers understand who you are. Add an avatar or profile picture using a clear headshot or your business logo. You can also link your other social media accounts and website to your channel. 

Add relevant information about your business to your channel’s profile. Create a description that tells viewers what your business offers. When putting together your YouTube channel, consider your business brand and try to remain consistent. This will make you easier to find and more accessible. 

To properly use Youtube, you may want to familiarise yourself with how it works. To do this, watch introductory videos on the platform. You could also browse other content on YouTube to see what other creators uploaded and learn some tips. 

YouTube’s platform is full of marketing opportunities. But to reach potential clients, first consider your target audience. 

For example, if you run a recruitment business, target employers and job seekers. If your focus is social media management, try to reach other businesses that are in need of social media help. Once you determine your audience, you’ll know how to create relevant content to reach them. 

You’ll likely want to create and upload videos that are relevant to your business focus. You can also use the platform to collaborate with other channels and pay for advertisements to grow your outreach. 

Decide how you want to approach your channel and plan short-term and long-term goals. Maybe you want to reach a certain number of views or subscribers in six months. Sticking to these goals will help you grow your channel and find more clients. 

Knowing how to use YouTube for effective marketing means knowing how to create regular and engaging videos. 

To create videos for your YouTube channel, you’ll need to first brush up on video editing skills. You’ll also want to be aware of the copyright laws. If you accidentally use external content without permission or credit, you could be fined or removed from the site. 

Apart from this, you’ll likely need: 

• A good video camera 
• A camera tripod or stabiliser 
• An external microphone
• Lighting tools
• Additional video editing software

Start by brainstorming content ideas for your channel. You could upload tips and tricks relevant to your business or discuss some of the things your business offers. You could also create vlog content about your business journey. 

You’ll want your videos to be professional and engaging. So, try to research your topic and write outlines before filming. When you do film, use a clear and animated tone and add visual and sound effects. 

Also try to keep your content on the shorter side. If you want to grow an audience, you need to keep viewers’ attention. So, aim for videos between five and fifteen minutes. 

Set yourself a realistic content schedule and try to stick to it. Say you want to post hiring tips for your recruiting company. You can aim to post once a week. This will give you enough time to plan, film, and edit your video. 

To market yourself, consider opening and closing each video with a brief overview of your business. You can also add links to your social media accounts at the end of your videos and in the video description. Also remind your viewers to like and subscribe to your videos. 

In the description of your video, use SEO tools like keywords to promote your content. Clearly describe what your video offers as well as how it relates to your business.  

Apart from creating regular and relevant content, knowing how to use YouTube for marketing means knowing how to interact with the platform. Try to engage with your channel and other creators. For instance, you can regularly look through comments and respond to questions. 

You can also contact other channels that do something similar to you. If you plan collaborations with these creators, you can share each other’s audience and grow outreach. Apart from this, you could ask other creators to review your business or react to your videos to grow your audience. You could also pay for ad-reads from other, more popular creators. 

To grow your audience, try sharing your YouTube videos on other social media channels. This makes you more accessible and may help to bring more users to your channel. As your YouTube marketing grows, keep track of your subscriptions and views. Compare this to your client base to see how the marketing affects your business. 

Once your YouTube channel starts bringing more clients to your business, you’ll need to manage your finances. Financial management can be stressful and time-consuming when you’re self-employed. 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.