• Business Marketing
• Search Engines

Using video to promote your business

Written by Simon Geraghty.

YouTube is the world’s largest and most popular online video site. We all know that YouTube allows users to upload, view and share videos. It is also acts as a strong branding tool if your channel is populated with good quality videos. YouTube is a great channel for quickly engaging your customers and managing your PR.  Done well it can help drive traffic to your website and increase the overall reach of your offerings.

In a nutshell, YouTube will give your business the chance to:

• Show your expertise & knowledge in your sector
• Market your products and services
• Connect with your customers and prospects
• Deepen customer relationships by adding some personality to your business

YouTube v Vimeo: Quantity v Quality

Vimeo, another US based video sharing site,  was founded in 2004 by a group of filmmakers who wanted to share their creative work and personal moments from their lives. By December 2011 there were 65 million unique viewers per month on Vimeo.

Vimeo’s hosted its first annual Vimeo Awards in October 2010 in New York, the awards are dedicated to showcasing and awarding creative video content hosted on the site. Overall, videos on Vimeo tend towards higher production values and the platform is a strong for those in the creative industries (such as video production, design, film, photography).

Both Vimeo and YouTube have similar search functionality, but did you know that  YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world and has over 800 million unique users per month?

So to drive reach YouTube is your only man.

Make your videos entertaining or really useful

For businesses in particular promoting their own content and services is the best starting place. What are the tips that would help your customers get the most from your services? Get out there and offer some general tips for your sector. Create something memorable but go easy on selling. Whatever you do try not to be memorable for the wrong reasons!

Here are some high level ideas for topics:

• Take the viewers on a tour of your offices, restaurant, hair salon, factory, dental practice and the town you are based in to help them feel connected with you.
• Carry out some customer video testimonials to build your credibility.
• Explain your product or service, what are the most frequently asked questions by your customers?
• Create a “how to” video to help your customers use your product or service or offer solutions to common product or service problems.
• Conduct an interview with an expert in your field discussing:
  • The big changes in your field
  • The weekly news for your sector
• Upload recordings of presentations you’ve given to demonstrate authority and public speaking skills. Alternatively, create a video of slides from presentations you have given that isn’t available elsewhere.
• If you already produce podcasts, why not turn these into videos and grow your reach?

6 Steps to go live, then Rinse and Repeat:

Step 1: Choose a user name for your channel URL

Add this URL to your marketing collateral and social network profiles. Display your company information in each video including company name, URL, phone number and email address.

Step 2: Storyboard

What are you trying to say? Some words and phrases to keep in mind before writing your script….

• Keep it conversational and avoid technical or industry jargon. Keep it simple
• Look to captivate keep it short you might have a lot to say, but maybe break it into a few shorter pieces. Don’t bore us.
• Look to use anecdotes, testimonials but avoid the mundane. If you do take us on a tour of your workplace and home town keep us amused, tell us stories, don’t just itemise ‘things’.
• Build your story around the ideas in the section above.

Step 3: Shoot some video

You can do this yourself or work with one of the many small independent production companies that specialise in B2B videos. Two things to note:

• You might think that a particular Beatles, Springsteen, Beastie Boys or Clash song really fits the mood you are creating, but remember you need to pay for the rights to use these. This ranges upwards from €20, for a relatively unknown band, up to €1,000s for well established acts.
• It goes without saying that you must own the rights to the images and have permission of anyone featured in the video.
• Include a call to action such as: ‘subscribe to my videos’, ‘rate this video’,’ check out my channel’ etc.
• Make sure you tag your videos with the right set of keywords.
• Create a playlist to organise all your videos, viewers can see all videos with one click rather than having to scroll, search and play each clip individually.

Step 4 Up-load.

• Include a call to action such as: ‘subscribe to my videos’, ‘rate this video’,’ check out my channel’ etc.
• Make sure you tag your videos with the right set of keywords.
• Create a playlist to organise all your videos, viewers can see all videos with one click rather than having to scroll, search and play each clip individually.

Step 5: Promote

Now that you’ve done all the hard work and you have an informative and witty video, it needs to be promoted. Where?

1. Your newsletters
2. Through Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, G+, Pinterest, Tumblr.  Harness all the channels you have at your disposal.
3. Social Media Influencers: Ask them to promote your content.
4. Blogs: Ask other bloggers to promote your content and gain access to their audience.

Step 6: Analyse & optimise:

Have a look at your channels with the integrated Google Analytics and YouTube Insight to make the most of your future videos.

Final checklist

Your videos need to be interesting, but they also need to be authentic. Your content should be able to tick a few of the following boxes (with some examples for inspiration from the sublime to the ridiculous):

• Stand out from the crowd: DollarShaveClub
• Be dramatic: Don’t Make Up & Drive  
• Make me laugh (always subjective): Beer Chase
• Topical: New iPhone
• Amaze your audience:  Kubrick One-Point Perspective (& show off your snappy video editing skills).

Happy shooting.