Monday, August 9, 2010

Promoting Your Business with a YouTube Video!

Okay, admit it, most of you have sneaked a peak at YouTube videos like the one showing Bruce Lee playing ping pong with nun-chucks.

 Image by Dr. LoveMachine
 
Beyond being fun, YouTube can also be a powerful marketing tool for your business. However, you must produce something of interest that will not only attract viewership, but provide value to your company. In addition, you need to effectively promote your video on YouTube. Is it worth all this effort? YouTube is now the third most popular site on the Web, so--in a word, the answer is YES!

The following resources explain how to tap into YouTube's marketing power for your business:

30 comments:

  1. As youtube being the third most popular website on the internet these days, marketing has never been any easier. Literally millions of people are viewing videos daily of all sorts of random topics from sports to news to of course different businesses. Now the key to using youtube videos is marketing your markerting videos.

    You cant expect one video out of millions to get viewed alot. So like posted in the 15 tips article you have to make it interesting. You need to make youtube friends to helps spread your video and make it viral. Youtube also has an embedding code where you can place your video on your website or facebook (another social sharing network.) The key to attract people is to create alot of videos so at least one your vides out of many will be viewed and will link them into you other videos. Make sure to make your videos stand out so people will want to watch them. Youtube is an amazing tool in the hands of business owners.

    Nick Burton

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  2. Youtube is a great marketing technique that many businesses have picked up in the last few years. With so many videos being posted a day you need to make sure your video is interesting and short and to the point.

    In order to attract people to your video you need to make sure and comment on your video as well as other videos that are similiar to yours so that you can get your username out there and attract people to your own videos. I think its especially important to comment on videos that have had many views. Also rating videos similiar to your own is a good way to promote your own videos. Many times people will watch a video they find interesting and go on to read the comments about it, where hopefully they will come across your comment which includes a link to a similiar video of your own.

    Mary Gillies

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  3. Nick and Mary,

    Glad you enjoyed the post about YouTube as a business promotional tool. The most important thing is to create an innovative and creative video that can go viral. The farther the reach, the more effective the YouTube video.

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  4. I think the thought of trying to use youtube to market your site or product can be a bit intimidating. However, its somethingeveryone should consider. It is really not as hard as you may think. It does not require any high tech camera equipment and no expensive software. Look at the videos getting hundereds and thousands of hits a day. Some of those are done with a cell phone.

    The thing we need to remember is to make it unique. Make something people will watch and get them to go to our website.

    Filiz Yuce

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  5. I like this video, it gave me insight that videos could themselves promote a business. In the video it said that it had a time limit, so if you want people listen to the video, it is a good idea to make it as interesting as possible. Otherwise it isn't going to be viewed. Using youtube as a way advertise a company is a good idea, just finding a way to get people to listen to it is the key.

    It would have to be interesting enough, so finding a phrase in the beginning, is what is going to keep the listeners listening. Its all about how you sell the product, online or in person. Another thing you can do to get listeners is be imformative, if you know what you are taking about, the more likely people are going to take you into consideration.

    Brittany Roper

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  6. Brittany--glad you liked the post and you make a great point about how important it is to grab the viewer within the first few seconds of a video. Studies show that if you don't "hook" a person right away the almost immediately stop watching.

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  7. This is was really good. I learned alot. One thing that really stood out for me is the step where you have to put yourselves in the costumer's shoes that is so true. When I want to look for a business I want something that I enjoy and love. I don't like the video' that have boring things in it. When I watch one it makes me feel like that person don't like their job.

    I am going to remember when I get ready to do a vidoe of my business I am going to make it fun and put my self in the costumer's shoes. Then I am also going to add my friends so they can tell their friends and vise versa. I learned in order for my video to stick out I have to make it catchy and make susre that it keeps my audince itnterested.

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  8. Youtube, Facebook and all of the other social network sites give companies endless opportunities to get their product out there. If a company were to fail because of non-advertisement in this day and age it would be a shame since advertising has never been easier.

    The tips given on how to make your YouTube video a success are very helpful. Changing the video frequently, making it exciting and attention getting etc. are all great ways to keep things fresh and exciting for consumers.
    Melissa Smith

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  9. I think marketing through youtube is great idea.

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  10. Marketing through YouTube could be extremely successful. Not only would you be projecting you business and getting the word out, it would be a great way to show off the creative side of your company. A lot of times, consumers don't buy products because the advertising doesn't accurately explain the product. Therefore, it's important to find an eye-catching/appealing way to present and explain your products. YouTube wideos are not only free, but highly accessible and a great way to show off your stuff.
    David Fox

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  11. David--thank you for the nice words about the post. Glad you find the information about YouTube as means to promote a business useful.

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  12. Great post! YouTube is definitely worth the effort with the amount of traffic it generates. Besides that, many consumers "trust" it, in the sense that it is safe for viewing on their computers, etc. Of course, like virtually all social media, it's free advertising and marketing, so why not jump into the fray? I suppose the biggest obstacles may be copyright infringements, like using popular songs or pictures to accompany the video you publish. That, of course, can be handled beforehand. Still, the potential benefits of a well-planned YouTube marketing strategy are overwhelming.

    - Tony Bowe

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  13. Using YouTube as a marketing tool something that I think is a very good way to promote a business. The fact that is it the third most popular site on the web explains it all. If you promote a business though a video on this site it is bound to be looked at, and then can be sent through links to other social networks. It is so simple to put a video on YouTube, and even if it doesn’t work for a business I don’t think it is that big of a loss. Almost anyone has access to the internet these days, and not using the advantages of the internet for promotion just seems foolish.
    Obviously you can’t just make any random video about your business; it has to be presented to your viewers in a way that will be appealing to them. After looking at the 15 Secrets for Successful YouTube Marketing it is clear that just like in a business setting your customer needs to come first even online. Making sure that is it something they will enjoy is the first step. Don’t make a video that is going to be boring, because if it just ends up being white noise the viewer knows nothing about you. Videos that have some sort of universal humor in them always seem to be good, because it’s what catches people’s attention and makes them talk about it to others. Making sure to share with everyone about your new videos also will draw them in because they feel included and possibly want to know more about what is going on with your business. Making sure that your customer interest is always number one on the list is what is going to sell you as a business in the real world and on the internet.

    -Krysten Carl

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  14. You tube is one of the most cheap effective ways to promote a variety of businesses in today's society. Anyone can use you tube, and anyone can access it easily. Businesses can create commercials to post on their website, or a variety of videos related to their businesses for free to market themselves. I have seen different businesses from Real Estate to Music artists use you tube as a means of promoting themselves.

    One of the most effective uses of you tube I have seen recently is in the promotion of musical artists. It's free, and with you tube being the third most popular social media site on the internet today, it can reach people world wide, which is a very impressive to promote someones music. Many musical artisits can produce music videos themselves and post them as a way to promote themselves. In general, youtube is a great way to connect people and promote themselves or their business.

    -Kristen Maita

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  15. I agree with using YouTube as a tool to catch peoples attention for your business. Most people use newspapers, tv ads and bilboards. But most of the population are online. You can view the newspaper online, watch tv online and have ads posted all over websites. But you got to be creative otherwise you wont catch the peoples eye. It's just like a sticker I was before read "I was gonna take over the world but then I saw something shiny".

    To catch someones eye you have to make it interesting, make it "pop". Even just adding a type of music that people listen to can catch their eye. Colors even. Think of it as the television shows you kids watch. It catches their attention because of the singing and dancing. It's about the same way when you are trying to catch an adults eye on a product you are trying to sell. I think using YouTube is an excellent idea in marketing your business/product.

    -Kimberly Kasinger

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  16. For many years, YouTube has became a very popular and free social sharing site not only for marketing reasons, but also for the fun of entertainment, bringing a variety of viewers to the site. I see nothing but potential in marketing with YouTube, only if the marketing on the site is done correctly.

    First of all, to "suck the viewers in" your video must be intriguing with out letting people get bored easily and fast. Personally, I find marketing videos interesting when they are humorous and related to everyday reality, depending on the topic. Some cases are different than others. Another benefit is that YouTube is a visual way to attract people. I also find YouTube as a wonderful resource because a video can be posted on a company profile such as facebook. Who doesn't know what facebook is? It's a great way to interact with customers as long as communication is a continuing cycle. Lastly, a video on YouTube can always grow through networking and sharing. Everyone knows someone who knows someone and eventually, your video could be big! I think YouTube is a very smart social sharing site for marketing.

    Kassandra Spinnell

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  17. Although YouTube is a very popular website today, I am actually not familiar with it and never use it before I clicked on the video “Nokia N96 Bruce Lee Limited Edition” because we can’t use YouTube in China. In addition, I didn’t know that many companies and people use YouTube as a powerful marketing tool to promote their businesses before reading this post.
    I think it is an interesting way to see advertisements as an audience, a consumer, or a potential consumer. Maybe some people begin get sick of seeing advertisements from TV, newspaper, magazine, or billboard, so they prefer go to website like YouTube and choose to see videos that interest them. This trend encourages businesses to produce creative and innovative advertising videos in order to attract people and therefore effectively promote the business. Moreover, people don’t need to pay money to YouTube for posting videos on the website which reduce the marketing cost of a firm. However, YouTube do not play the videos to everyone. Here comes the challenge to companies and people that want to use YouTube as a marketing tool—they need to make their videos stand out, attractive, and go viral by their own efforts. YouTube would be one of the best and costless places to advertise for anyone who wants to promote business in area other than China and is able to make videos go viral.

    Dongyan Zhang

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  18. Since YouTube is the third most popular websitre on the web today, it would be very smart to advertise something over YouTube. YouTube is something that people go too when bored and just watch videos, so if a company has something that could link to something that is searched often, it would be a great marketing strategy.

    The internet is the main source for people to look up information on products they are interested in. Throughout the web, many products are advertised even on the side bars of websites such as Facebook, YouTube, and other popular sites. If companies advertise on these websites, they are more than likely to get more people interested. It also helps that YouTube is free to upload videos, so it would be an easy, cost free way to get your product out there.

    Sharissa Sokolis

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  19. Since the internet is very popular You Tube would great website to promote your business. The website is used a lot making it the third most popular website in the world. Marketing with You Tube could make your business very successful.

    Making sure your video stands out and catches the viewer’s eye is very important. This will attract viewers which will make your video popular. Advertising on You Tube is very smart and it's free.

    Kaitlyn Wilburn

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  20. When ever I am watching a youtube video and see a subtle advertisement slipped in there I actually like that product less. The sneaky little tricks companies pull to promote their brand are frustrating when I am trying to watch a video or movie. I do not want everything in my life controlled by advertisement.

    More and more I have noticed product placement in video, If you watch your favorite sports star on youtube you will likely be exposed to about a dozen ads in just a hort three minute video.

    Justin Simmons

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  21. I really think that YouTube is one big idea to use for marketing. Since it has be the 3rd leading website as a means of marketing your business, people are able to view your clips for free. Nowadays, internet are very much useful because lots and lots of people are using it. I think that in order to get your business popular, you need to hook on other's account in youtube and be friends with them. In that way, the clip would get viewed by many people.

    It is not very difficult to increase the popularity of videos over YouTube. The more people view, the higher it grows and goes to the top page. Once it comes to that point, the embedded code provided by that side is able to post it over at some other social websites such as Facebook and Twitter. I think that YouTube could be the first step you can use in order to be successful.


    Leny Burke

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  22. Viral marketing is not a sure thing. For every one success there are many epic fails. That is one of the downsides to doing a viral video there really isn’t a middle ground it’s all or nothing. Browsing youtube you can see many failed attempts at it.
    But if you can have a successful viral video like Ken Block and his gymkhana video which features the brands of Monster, DC shoes and Ford which has been viewed by millions of people and was even featured on an episode of Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory on MTV. You can see what a successful viral video can do for brand awareness. Because the logos for the aforementioned companies are all over that video and you really don’t notice how much they are in your face because you are to busy watching Ken Block drift his car around obstacles.
    Tyson Daggett

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  23. I have never been a big You Tube user. I have heard alot of people talk about watching videos of other people mishaps or jokes being played on someone. I have not really thought of it as a marketing tool untill now.

    I now see that it can be a valuable resource for a business. A business video would definately have to catch the attention of the viewer in the first few seconds to keep them watching. You would need to make sure you had as many appropriate tags as possible to get your video out there and seen. After watching this video it has given me a new perspective on You Tube.

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  24. U tube is a great way to get your business out there, interactive, fun and creative way of promoting your business. My brother is a small engine mechanic, for a company that was very small in Phoenix, AZ. He decided to add a spin to he business and film himself on certain parts of a engine. May it have been a new part, to discribe the function and where it goes almost like a "how to.." video. Than at the end he gives out his number and email for questions, after a short period of time he was reciveing 50 hits a day from all over the place and a few phone calls a week for orders. His boss created a new postion at work just for this reason that it gave them business. I personaly think it is a great way to advertise and get creative with your business. Great topic of how to advertise. Lornajane Thompson

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  25. Youtube is definitely a fantastic way to advertise a business. Millions of people visit Youtube every day, your video could end up being exactly what someone was looking for. I honestly had not really thought about Youtube being used for marketing before now. It's a great idea.
    Brett Anderson

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  26. I think you tube is a really great idea. From reading some of the comments I'm a little confused. Are you talking about the advertisements that run before the videos play, or making a video featuring your product.

    I think the latter is actually a genius idea if you are able to post a video that is interesting enough to draw viewers, and you can post for free. I guess the best advertisement is free.

    Deviney Blore

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  27. As a skateboarder I’ve watched and uploaded many videos on YouTube, so it makes complete sense how it could help advertise a business through YouTube. I’ve seen many viral videos from random browsing of YouTube. As for uploading videos tags are definitely important. When I was uploading skateboard clips of my friends and myself the most important thing was tags. One video even grew to just under sixteen thousand views. I’m sure if I didn’t add the tags I had it wouldn’t have picked up near as much.
    The main thing companies need to understand too. Is that for the most part people view YouTube for entertainment and humor. So a viral video has got to either be some sort of crazy antics and/or some good humor. Otherwise many people will have no problem switching videos. There are so many possibilities for advertising on YouTube any business is only holding their company back if they don’t catch on.
    Norman Hansen

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  28. YouTube is one of those things that I've always wanted to become more involved in. You see people like Julian Smith, and Phil Defranco who started on youtube and are now fairly well known. Julian Smith has made a career out of producing videos of which he first started posting on youtube. These 2 guys alone have inspired me to pick up a new camera to start recording.

    With it being the 3rd largest website, you can bet it's a great strategy to market with it. It's free, so you might as well. As for how you are going to market yourself, no one is going to log onto youtube for a 10 minute presentation on why we should buy your products. Anything well received on youtube is generally funny. If not funny, visually stunning. Anything to keep the viewers viewing.

    Avery Steven Xander Rice

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  29. YouTube I love the site myself, I watch mainly music video's, But being in college I now use it for math help. It is a wonderful site for people to find funny things to brighten their day, make them laugh. Find more serious things like math help, or just to catch some little quip on advertising a product. There is something for eveyone to enjoy and learn from.

    I was reading through the steps on the do's and dont's most everything in the 15 steps I thought were logical in value. But in the how to use YouTube to promote your company. I would of never thought of a time limit, thinking it over and remembering when I do watch it you are right a video lasting to long a person gets bored and starts to lose focus. this article is very informative and I enjoyed reading it.

    Lecia Tallman

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