One of the top pieces of social media news last week was YouTube’s announcement that it had crossed the one-billion mark in terms of unique monthly viewers. Well done to them, but what’s in it for brands? Quite a lot actually, provided that they are serious about their social media marketing and open to advice that would help them keep the view counter increasing.
The list of tips that follows has been drawn up by Krista Bunskoek, content marketer at social marketing apps developer Wishpond. According to Bunskoek, companies should start by branding their YouTube channel, using consistent imagery online and offline so that customers would have no difficulty in identifying the business.
Another step towards increasing YouTube views is cross-promotion. Bunskoek recommends that brands install a YouTube widget on their website or blog and furnish their Facebook page with a YouTube tab. It is also a good idea to have the videos embedded across the company’s online properties, ideally accompanied by encouragement to subscribe to the YouTube channel.
Videos should be created for the purpose of delivering added value to customers. They will attract viewers if they provide interesting product or industry information. Bunskoek also stresses the importance of using and optimising tags although care should be taken to keep a healthy keyword balance.
The list continues with a recommendation to use the annotation feature to spur action. This means asking viewers to comment on the video, subscribing to the channel, trying the product or visiting the corporate website. Another important thing is to make sure there are always contact details provided in the YouTube videos and any changes are promptly reflected.
Bunskoek wraps up her tips collection by recommending that brands be consistent and allow viewers to get involved. The first means keeping the stream of videos flowing and establishing an upload routine so that subscribers will know when to pay your channel a visit. As for interactivity, it will help build a community by allowing a dialogue between brand and viewers.