In today’s world content is king, and with 5 billion videos watched every day on YouTube — video is certainly sitting proudly on the golden throne.
But did you know that only 9% of small business owners are using the platform?
It’s no secret that creating great videos takes time. However, with a little planning, you can be confident that your content will get the engagement it deserves.
It will be creating sales leads for your business.
Steve Jobs liked to say that it’s not enough to kill bad ideas, you have to kill good ones too. That’s because a good strategy is about making choices and it takes more than intelligence or even instinct, it takes discipline, one of Jobs’ most overlooked qualities.
Marketing strategy is particularly difficult because, as I’ve noted before, the rules have changed. A generation ago, brands mostly strove to create buzz and “drive awareness,” now they need to build compelling experiences that keep consumers engaged.
Steve Jobs liked to say that it’s not enough to kill bad ideas, you have to kill good ones too. That’s because a good strategy is about making choices and it takes more than intelligence or even instinct, it takes discipline, one of Jobs’ most overlooked qualities.
Marketing strategy is particularly difficult because, as I’ve noted before, the rules have changed. A generation ago, brands mostly strove to create buzz and “drive awareness,” now they need to build compelling experiences that keep consumers engaged.
However, the old tasks have not gone away. We still need to run TV ads and in-store promotions, man conference booths, and hand out brochures, but now on top of that, we have a whole new world of algorithms, apps, and devices to master. To meet the new challenges, we need a new strategic approach, a new mindset, and new organizations.
If you are looking to venture into the world of video content, but aren’t sure where to begin, take a look.
These are awesome 6 key points to creating a great YouTube content.
Description
There are millions of videos on YouTube, all competing against each other for attention. To make sure your audience can find your content, you need to add a detailed description.
As this screenshot from a Shopify video shows, a description not only gives the viewer an overview of the video but can contain links.
They will provide for them to visit your website. It’s a great place to ‘sell’ your story and give viewers a reason to stick around.
In addition, a well thought out description can also help your video reap a host of SEO benefits. This will build a great way to drive traffic to your website and increasing sales in return.
To fully utilize this, make sure your description is keyword rich. This will enable your user to search and find your video content more easily.
Video Length
This is the classic conundrum when it comes to producing YouTube videos. How long should they be?
Unfortunately, there’s no hard and fast answer. Video length depends on the topic and purpose.
Generally short, snappy videos receive more engagement on YouTube., This is because they cater to the average viewers’ love of fast, digestible content.
In fact, it’s been found that 75% of viewers will watch videos of up to two minutes until the very end. This compares to 60% for a video of four to five minutes.
However, when it comes to product guides, you can afford to go a little longer. More detail justifies a longer duration.
But no matter the length of your video, make it as engaging and entertaining as possible.
Best YouTube videos … visuals
Visuals allow you to turn a standard video into one that offers the viewer a truly immersive and engaging experience. They help bring your video to life. And they showcase the personality of your brand.
Of course, they help to showcase your product and drive sales too.
A company that has fully harnessed the power of visuals on YouTube is eBay.
Their videos are colorful, engaging, and exciting to look at, as the example above shows.
By using a mixture of graphics and live shots within their videos, they are creating visually appealing content. Their content is a hit with consumers.
Their audience relates to them well.
The content showcases the seemingly endless range of products that are available to buy on their website.
Tone of Voice
It’s important your YouTube video is in line with your brand’s tone of voice. Consistency is key.
Once you’ve established your brand voice, it’s relatively straightforward to portray it in written copy. But when it comes to using it in videos, there are many elements to consider.
To make sure that the tone of voice in your YouTube video comes across well consider this. It’s important to decide how you want your brand to be portrayed and build your script from there.
If your brand is familiar and friendly, your language should reflect this. If your brand is more serious, consider a script and tone which is authoritative and formal.
Many businesses use their YouTube channels to showcase the human aspect of their business. They do this by featuring members of staff.
If you are considering this approach, you must define how you can do it in a professional manner. Again, consistency is key.
Do you think that telling stories is just for kids? Well, think again!
A great YouTube video should be highly captivating and entertaining for the viewer. This is even true when you want to provoke an emotional response.
It’s important to think about what response you want to get from your viewer when creating your YouTube video.
For example, creating a behind the scenes video allows your audience a deeper insight into your company.
While a video that makes a viewer laugh is the perfect way to show the lighthearted side of your business. It is a great way to build a relationship with your audience.
As with any good story, it’s important to have a recognizable structure to keep the viewer interested.
As the example above from TOMS illustrates, a behind the scenes video of charitable activity is the perfect way to tell an emotive story your audience may connect to.
Here, TOMS take their viewers on one of their giving trips, visually showcasing the work of the cause.
They include interviews with staff and those who benefit from their work. It is a perfect way to showcase brand storytelling and create an emotional connection with their audience.
Call to action
It’s important to end your video with a strong call to action. This will drive the viewer to take the next step.
Whether you want them to subscribe to your channel or visit your website, you need to make it clear where you want them to go next. You don’t want to drop them out of the sales funnel.
A clear, striking, and persuasive call to action is an essential part of a great YouTube video. The viewer has invested time in watching your video content so are the perfect audience. The one to tell you more and more about your brand.
In turn, you need to do everything you can to use their interest to your advantage.
The bottom line
As you can see, creating a great YouTube video requires time and effort. Nothing beats quality!
However, by choosing to invest in video content, you are giving your customers the chance to engage with your brand. And engage your products on a whole new level.
As video becomes more prevalent in content marketing, these simple tips will help you make the most of this medium.
Now that I’m freelance I love spending my days writing, learning more about digital marketing, and sharing my tips with fellow entrepreneurs. I live for digital and am always on the lookout for the next big thing.
All you get is what you bring to the fight. And that struggle gets better every day you learn and apply new ideas.
When things are not what you want them to be, what’s most important is your next step.
Test. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Are you devoting enough energy to innovating your social media strategy?
Do you have a lesson about making your advertising better you can share with this community? Have any questions or comments to add in the section below?
Mike Schoultz is the founder of Digital Spark Marketing, a digital marketing and customer service agency. With 40 years of business experience, he blogs on topics that relate to improving the performance of your business. Find them on G+, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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