As we noted a few weeks ago, YouTube is currently gathering more than 1 billion hits a day, effectively making it the world's second largest search engine (behind Google), and a hot destination for online marketers looking to spread their message virally.
Like a lot of things in life, however, marketing on YouTube is a lot easier to talk about than it is to actually accomplish. That's because viewers go there looking to learn or be entertained... but rarely to be sold to.
For that reason, the marketing message has to be wrapped up in something more interesting – like medicine that tastes like candy, it needs to be fun before it can be effective. You can only take this idea so far, though; videos of your employees falling down the stairs might get lots of hits, but they aren't going to bring many sales.
With that in mind, here are the five items on your YouTube marketing checklist. Don't upload a video without them:
A crisp, relevant, and interesting topic. The most impactful videos are short and to the point. They should show off your expertise while teaching the viewer something special they can use in their work or home lives.
A script. A lot of marketers are tempted to “wing it” and produce their videos without any script or rehearsal, but it’s not something we would recommend. While you don’t want your clip to be so practiced that it seems unnatural, it’s a good idea to at least run through your thoughts a few times before you shoot the final version.
A catchy opening. If the first 5 or 10 seconds of your video are boring, no one is going to bother watching the rest. Aim to capture attention quickly.
Good production. Shooting quick videos with a handheld cam is a great way to save money… except that it usually costs you future customers. If you don’t have the equipment to produce and edit sharp-looking video, find a creative partner who does.
Contact information and a call to action. Invite viewers to visit your website, download a free report, or take some other action. Otherwise, they may click away to the next video and never return.
