Youtube has become more than a search engine and more than a free video hosting platform. It has become a place where brands can build communities and truly flourish. Including a Youtube section in your Social Media Marketing strategy goes a long way.   But, there’s a catch!   Not any presence on Youtube is a notable one. Understanding the essence of Youtube, your demographic on it and how to brand your business is key to utilizing it successfully.   Here’s everything you need to know about branding your business on Youtube:  

Social Media Marketing on Youtube; is it the best idea for you?

Unique storytelling for your brand

If you feel like your brand has more to offer than just the usual Social Media Marketing skits, then Youtube is the answer.   Check out Airbnb’s Youtube channel, that focuses on the emotional aspects of travel and the power of people.   Youtube is a great platform to form an emotional bond with your customers. It gives you space to visually express your brand’s story in any way you feel fits your persona.   It is also a great opportunity to let your customers know that your brand is more than just trying to sell. Telling your brand’s story, its mission and vision, its goals beyond the bucks is an amazing way to connect to your consumers.  

There’s a whole world waiting on Youtube

Did you know there are over 500 million hours of video watched on Youtube daily? Your brand might be missing out on all those views.   Depending on the quality of the content you are producing, you could have build your own loyal community on Youtube.   Forget the traditional Social Media Marketing methods, video is the way to go!  

Get those extra SEO points

Aside from the typical article section you get when you first Google search, you also get images, videos, news, maps and more. Youtube videos typically outperform other videos from different platforms.   Ranking on the videos Google search section will massively help your business. Research finds that viewers retain 95% of your intended message on video as opposed to text. That means more engagement, more fans and more business for your brand.  

Start presenting yourself to Youtube

1. Create your business account

Start your new Social Media Marketing endeavour by creating your Youtube business accounts with these quick and easy steps.  

• Sign in to Youtube using your business’s Google account.

• Click the user icon on the top left of your screen then “My channel”.

• Choose “Use a business or other name” and fill in your business’s name.

  And you are done!  

2. Fill in the blanks

Now that your account is set up, begin filling in the blanks.   The About section of your channel should be a gateway into your business. Create a thorough and distinctive description of your channel that helps viewers understand your brand.   In your description, use the top keywords associated with your brand or a phrase your business is known for.   Want more traffic to your website?   Fill in your email account, your location and your website to help potential customers reach you faster. Linking your website as well as your different Social Media Marketing platforms is sure to drive traffic into your various accounts.  

3. Unleash those artistic vibes

Now it is time for the visuals!   Branding your business on Youtube is mostly visuals. Details like consistent thumbnails, custom “subscribe” watermarks and unique channel art goes a long way.  

• Profile picture

Edit your profile picture with your business’s logo or most recognizable photo. Match your Youtube profile picture to all your other Social Media Marketing accounts.   Your profile picture should be one of the constants about your profile. Changing it might throw off your viewers or confuse them. So put up the photo you truly feels fits and keep it.  

• Channel art

Your channel art is a great way for your brand to get creative while presenting itself. Keep it on brand by making sure it contains your logo as well as your signature color palette. It could be aesthetically extravagant or minimally simple, as long as it conveys the message. Your brand should be the focus of your channel art or cover photo.  

• Thumbnails

Customized thumbnails are the key to your viewers recognizing your content right away.   Create a unified thumbnail template on which you can easily edit each time you upload. Or simply follow a specified pattern each time you create a thumbnail for each of your videos.   Check out the instantly recognizable thumbnails of Sunny Lenarduzzi’s Youtube channel:

4. What can viewers expect?

Your channel trailer is super essential for your channel.   Here’s why!   It is one of the first elements of your account that people see. Nailing that trailer means keeping the viewer on your channel a little while longer. During this time, they could start watching your videos and subscribing to your channel.     In your channel trailer, you could include a sample of what your viewers can expect from your channel. You could also include a taste of the services or products you offer.  

5. Upload and optimize

Figuring out what kind of content to upload on your Youtube channel is tricky.   If you are coming on Youtube to sell, you probably will not find the desired results. Youtube is a community platform. Thus, your content should feed and nurture your community. Think inspiring your audience, feeding their curiosity or offering them unique insight.

Examples of content your business could use:

• How to guides and tutorials

• Product reviews

• Unboxing products

• Vlogs \ Behind the scenes

• Educational videos

• Infographics

Next, help your video rank through the right SEO maneuvers.  

SEO optimize your video for Google ranking

• Include your targeted keywords in the title, video description and tags

• Manually submit your captions and transcriptions for Google crawling

  Remember..   Youtube can be as beneficial as your typical Social Media Marketing accounts. Optimizing your videos for Youtube means optimizing them for Google as well.  

6. Build your community

The very essence of Youtube lies within its sense of community.   Think of a brand like Jeffree Starr that went from a Youtube vlogger to a massive cosmetics business. With over 10 million subscribers, Jeffree Starr maintains his business through staying relevant to his Youtube community.   Don’t make this mistake!   Treating Youtube like just another one of your business’s Social Media Marketing platforms is a no-no. Youtube is its own platform and should be treated as such.   Catch our next article where we give you our tips for optimizing your videos.