If you are an entrepreneur and you have embraced video marketing as the way to get your brand out there, then you’re on the right track.
After all, video marketing is on the rise, with 86% of businesses now using video as a marketing tool.
And you certainly can’t go wrong by posting your videos on the world’s largest and most popular video-sharing site.
Let’s take a look at six compelling reasons to market your business on YouTube.
1. YouTube’s Numbers Don’t Lie
The primary goal of video marketing is to get your brand in front of as many eyes as possible, right?
Well, going on YouTube is a no-brainer then, as it has more than 2 billion users.
Other figures that ought to make you seriously consider marketing your business on YouTube include:
- People watch over a billion hours of video every day.
- Mobile users make up over 70% of YouTube’s watch time.
- United States-based visitors account for 16.4% of YouTube’s total traffic, which may seem small but is still tops in the world, with India coming in second at 9.2%
- If your business’ products or services are geared towards adults, you’d be happy to know that 74% of U.S. adults are YouTube users.
- Seventy-seven percent of 15-to-25-year-old internet users in the U.S. used YouTube.
- If your target market is kids 11 years old and younger, 80% of parents of children within that age range say their kids watch YouTube.
2. YouTube Is the World’s No.2 Social Platform
Sometimes, people look at YouTube as nothing more than a place where you can watch and share videos to your heart’s content.
Often forgotten is the fact that it’s also a social media platform. It is, in fact, the second most popular social network in the world, next only to Facebook.
If you’re posting videos for your business on Facebook and other social sites, it will make a lot of sense if you make YouTube an integral part of your social media marketing strategy.
3. Google Owns YouTube
Let’s keep in mind that YouTube is the world’s second-most visited website in the world, next only to Google.
Google also happens to own YouTube, which it bought for $1.65 billion in 2006.
It’s not surprising then that it indexes every single video on the platform it owns. As long as you optimize your videos, your business’s chances of showing up in Google search results are better, which could then lead to more views and subsequent attention for your brand.
Also, there is a report that 83% of videos in Google’s search results carousel are from YouTube. While Google denies the insinuation that it favors YouTube videos over the competition, that percentage should give you an idea of how YouTube videos have been doing in search results over the last few years.
4. YouTube Influences Buying Decisions
We have seen over the decades how effective word-of-mouth marketing is.
All our lives, we’ve availed of many products and services solely upon the recommendation of friends and relatives.
Still, even with good worth-of-mouth, it’s natural for consumers to want to know more about a particular business and its offerings before spending money on them.
For many people, YouTube is proving to be quite handy in that regard.
A YouTube search will likely yield videos about a product or service, all carrying vital information that will help users decide whether to buy or not.
According to Google itself, 68% of users make buying decisions with the help of YouTube.
So, if you’re creating explainer, how-to, and customer testimonial videos about your business, make sure you post them on YouTube as well to help potential customers find everything they need to know about your business before making a purchase.
5. Your YouTube Videos Will Be Up Forever
OK, “forever” may be a bit of a hyperbole, but unless it violates YouTube’s guidelines, any video you upload on YouTube will stay there indefinitely.
That means your videos will likely get new views a decade or so after posting, and that could lead to potential customers for your business years into the future.
The fact that YouTube videos never die means you can repurpose old content in any way you like. You can distribute them on other social media platforms, turn them into podcasts, or use them to create a new video that updates the information they contain.
6. YouTube Helps Build Trust
Videos allow you to be seen as an expert in your specific niche.
You can claim to be the best in the business, but nothing would say that better than an actual testimonial video from a satisfied customer.
Put up videos like that on YouTube, where just about anyone can stumble upon it, garnering more attention for your brand.
Create how-to videos, and YouTube users will know that you know what you’re doing.
If your company provides swimming pool services, videos that teach pool owners how to test for leaks or safely mix chlorine into the water will go a long way in earning their trust.
If you own an auto shop, you can make a video giving tips on winterizing cars, helping keep them safe during the cold months.
Are you a real estate agent? Use YouTube for real estate video marketing, and you’ll help countless homebuyers find the best properties available, especially if you use drone videos that show their proximity to schools, hospitals, and public infrastructure.
There are many types of videos you can post on YouTube, and all of them can help build trust for your business, especially if they prove to be quite helpful to users.
These are just a few of the many reasons why you should market your business on YouTube.
Some entrepreneurs may be a bit hesitant about using YouTube to market their business because they find the idea of creating videos and putting them up on the world’s top video-sharing site a bit intimidating.
These days, however, creating a marketing video has never been easier. Smartphone cameras are getting better, video software is becoming more user-friendly, and creating a YouTube channel is a straightforward process.
Start promoting your business on YouTube now, and see for yourself what you’ve been missing out on for years.
About the Author
Gabby Klesser is the Outreach Manager for LA Website Design, a digital marketing agency that has assembled a team of expert web designers and digital marketing strategists. She often writes about web design, UX, social media, technology, marketing, and starting a non-profit.
Need more local marketing tips? Check out our entire Guide to Local Marketing for Real Estate Professionals
