4 Ways Consumer Brands Make the Most of YouTube

E-commerce has become an increasingly large part of today’s market, and the idea of a brand or product being available only online is taken as a matter of course. Not only that, but mobile shopping dominated Black Friday in 2018, proving just how far internet shopping has come. However, while we might think of social media sites like Facebook or Twitter as being the big drivers of traffic, YouTube is actually one of the most effective tools to drive e-commerce that brands have made use of the past several years. It’s the second largest search engine in the world, and the third most visited site online (after Google and Facebook). In fact, next year, global video traffic will account for 82% of consumer internet traffic, up from 70% of internet usage in 2015. That’s why if you’re looking for ways to increase your sales, traffic, and customer engagement, check out other brands who have created effective YouTube content.

1. Be Entertaining
Nothing gets people to watch, re-watch, and share your videos like giving them a good laugh or serving as a conversation starter. One of the best examples of this is Blendtec’s “Will It Blend?” series. These videos showed their blender in action, and by putting more and more ridiculous items into the blender, it got viewers to wonder, “What will go in there next?” Of course, at the same time, it showed off the product’s full features and made it clear this blender was tough, uncompromising, and a great addition to any kitchen.

2. Be Brief
People have short attention spans, with a third of video viewers tuning out in under 30 seconds. If they feel like you’re just trying to sell them something, then they’re going to tune out pretty quickly. A product video can usually do its job in 30 seconds or less. While you can go over this general guideline — for instance, the more emotional components you play on, the more time you can get — you should be able to get your message across in no more than a minute or so. Man Crates’ videos are perfect examples of giving potential customers everything they need to know as quickly as possible.

3. Be A Partner
There are a lot of big names on YouTube, and one of the best ways to increase your exposure is to reach their audience by standing next to them. The best way to do this is to collaborate with other YouTube channels. Whether it’s reaching out to an influencer to do an unboxing video of one of your products, or making a video where you and another company showcase your skills and products together, the idea is that synergy will garner more interest than what either of you would get making content on your own. With the right partner, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

4. Engage Your Audience
One of the biggest marketing mistakes you can make on any platform is forgetting your viewers. You need to focus on your audience’s experience and ask what they’re getting out of watching your videos. Sephora understands this: the people in their many tutorial videos reflect the makeup (no pun intended) of their customer base, and their comprehensive library of informative clips makes their channel a must-subscribe for cosmetics and skincare shoppers. Better yet, they’re fully engaged with viewers.

YouTube demands social interaction, giving prominence to channels where customer-and-publisher engagement is high. It’s not just about acquiring likes and comments; your brand should reply whenever possible, offer solutions to customer requests, and working to keep the conversation going rather than putting a period on it. Ideally, you (or a trusted partner that manages your social networks) will do this quickly. Take action as soon as possible in order to avoid having your followers lose interest in engaging with you.

YouTube reaches more 18- to 49-year-olds than any cable or broadcast TV network, with 80% of this demographic watching YouTube in any given month. If your business needs help with social media engagement, we’re ready to jump in and help you engage your audience on this popular platform.

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