If I were to ask you to name the world’s largest search engine, you’d probably know immediately that it’s Google.
But were I to ask you to name the world’s second largest search engine, what would your answer be? (Hint: It’s not Bing.)
It’s YouTube.
That’s right. YouTube, with 1.5 billion logged-in users per month, isn’t just a repository of cat videos and viral memes. It’s a go-to resource for answers to questions, with viewers watching an aggregate of 1 billion hours of YouTube a day. In fact, a Cisco study projects that video will represent 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2021.
How can your business take advantage of the huge volume of search traffic on YouTube? Create videos that engage your customers and potential buyers. To get started, consider these four ideas:
Help solve problems.
Video is an effective platform for answering industry FAQs. Think about questions your customers commonly pose to you or that they might be too embarrassed to ask. For instance, a restaurant might upload a video on tipping etiquette. A jewelry designer might share a tutorial on how to change a watch battery. A flooring contractor might explain how to measure a room’s square footage. These how-to videos don’t need to be overt sales pitches, but instead seek to position your company as an approachable, knowledgeable and helpful resource.
Delineate differences.
Another way to use video is to explain differences between products. Talk about situations where a certain product is especially beneficial. Help customers choose between your various product offerings by going through the pros and cons of each one in detail.
Create a buying guide.
The kinds of products that people research on YouTube are likely to be somewhat intricate. Create a video to discuss the factors buyers should consider before purchasing, such as key features, price and customer use cases. Include smart questions that consumers should ask as they make their choice.
Demonstrate your products.
Showing your product in action can impact whether a customer buys it or moves on to another corner of the web. Video can be an effective way to show how easy your product is to set up or install, for instance. For physical products, give a sense of scale by showing hands using the product or how it fits in a setting such as a kitchen or a garage. Your product demonstrations should highlight the main features of your product as well as any features that may not be obvious, such as keyboard shortcuts on an app or hidden pockets in a garment.
By incorporating video into your overall marketing strategy, your business can start to capture a piece of YouTube’s enormous search traffic. Think through the various stages of your customer funnel, and create video content to address viewers at each stage. Once you’ve got a few videos under your belt, start driving traffic to them to grow your network of viewers and subscribers. Keep creating videos to answer new questions from the community and to provide product updates. Optimize each video listing by including a clear call to action, writing a concise video description and creating a video thumbnail that encapsulates your content.
Meet your customers where they are, and remember that — increasingly — where they are is on YouTube.
From: Forbes
