YouTube can be a powerful marketing tool for businesses of all sizes. Not only is it a great way to reach new customers, but it can also help you build brand awareness and create loyalty among your current customers. In this blog post, we will discuss the basics of starting a YouTube channel for your business. We’ll cover everything from creating an account to uploading videos and promoting your channel.
So whether you’re just getting started or you’re looking to improve your current YouTube strategy, this post is for you!
Create a channel
You’ll need a Google account to create a YouTube channel. You may use an existing Google account or establish a new one for your company.
When you first create your account and go to YouTube, you’ll be asked to name your channel. We propose that you choose a name for your company because it will be the most recognized. You want to make it simple for your target audience to discover you! Remember, YouTube is essentially a search engine (and is powered/owned by the world’s largest search engine – Google). Consider how customers may look for what your company has to offer.
Then you’ll fill out a few forms and accept the conditions. Then – there you have it – a completely new YouTube channel for your brand.
It’s critical to tidy up your house before you begin promoting your new page. After all, it’s in your best interests to make a great first impression!
Here are a few simple things to improve:
Channel Icon
Your channel’s icon is essentially your YouTube profile picture. This image is pulled from your Google account automatically. It is a good idea to use your company’s logo as the icon for your channel if you don’t have one. Use a high-resolution picture that depicts your company in an appropriate business manner if you don’t have a logo. If you’re starting a new side business and you want to create your own logo, there is free software such as Canva that can help.
Channel Art
By customizing your channel art, you may help separate your channel from the crowd. YouTube demonstrates how to do it in detail, including the dimensions and how your artwork will be shown on a variety of devices, including smartphones and TVs.
When selecting your channel art, keep in mind that it will be cropped. We recommend utilizing a basic design or pattern that is consistent with your company’s branding because it will be reduced to a tiny section of the original image.
Always remember that you must have the rights to use any picture you pick. Finally, go check out what these pictures look like on other devices to make sure everything looks good. Depending on what device your subscribers are viewing it on, your channel art will appear differently.
About Section
The about section is when you should introduce yourself, your organization, and what you do. Make sure all of your other social media sites are linked here so that people can find you on many platforms. You should include a link to your company’s website in your about section, if you have one, so that visitors may connect with you and sign up for your email list.
Of course, it’s critical to verify that the right image sizes are being used on your YouTube channel.
Begin making and uploading videos
It’s time to get down and dirty. And the best part is yet to come.
Get all of your stuff together and go shoot some video. Do you lack the necessary recording equipment? Don’t worry if that’s the case. Even if you’re only using your smartphone, you can still create a fantastic film as long as it’s beneficial to your target audience.
Make sure to be yourself and have a good time. A fantastic video always has excellent energy; if you’re not having a lot of fun making the film, your viewers will miss it!
In addition to the aforementioned tools, bear in mind that you are just getting started. You may always upgrade to more sophisticated equipment later. When it comes to video editing, be sure to choose a simple program that isn’t excessively complicated. After you’ve uploaded your film, YouTube offers some built-in editing features you can use right away.
Create playlists
Once you’ve created a few videos, put them together into playlists on your YouTube channel. Even if you only have a couple of movies, it’s a good idea to organize them in a playlist so that your subscribers can quickly browse through your material. This is an important step since the name you choose for your playlist may also aid in Google search rankings.
Playlists will also encourage them to watch more of your videos since they’ll see a list of the rest of the series’ videos, making your material more episodic. Automatons do an excellent job of piquing people’s interests and getting them to view many videos without doing anything.
On your YouTube channel page, you may include playlists. This is a fantastic choice because it allows you to organize and categorize your material while also highlighting the videos you’d want to draw the most attention to. On the Constant Contact YouTube channel, for example, we feature our how-to films and webinars to make our instructional content more readily available.
Share your videos
While organic search may bring in some traffic, don’t be afraid to promote your videos on your other online platforms, such as your website.
Those who have previously connected with you on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest are likely to enjoy your new videos.
Email should also be a part of your marketing strategy. Make sure you have an email list and send them regular emails to keep in touch while they’re not watching your video. Also, don’t forget about email! Including a video in your next email is a fantastic approach to connecting with your audience and driving visitors to your YouTube channel.
Analyze your data
It’s also crucial to note how people are reacting to your videos after you’ve started posting them.
You might want your video to be seen by as many people as possible. You can find out how long people watched your video in YouTube Analytics’ audience retention report. This is a simple technique to determine if your videos are long enough or if there’s anything in particular that might be preventing people from watching. The majority of the time, shorter and more interesting films are more effective.
Stay engaged with your audience
One of the most dangerous things you can do on YouTube is post your film and then forget about it.
Check in once in a while to see whether your video is attracting attention. Responding to people’s inquiries or comments may start discussions that educate your viewers about your business and provide even more value to the video.
You can learn from them, and they can learn from you! Consider feedback and modify your videos to better meet the demands of your audience. Every comment you receive on a video is another chance to have a more in-depth discussion and connection.
Make your videos accessible
Adding subtitles and closed captions to your YouTube videos will allow you to reach out to a bigger audience, including deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals. This also allows foreign viewers who can’t understand the language spoken in your video to benefit from it.
Creating closed captions is straightforward. In fact, YouTube offers a tool that automatically generates them! However, this tool isn’t perfect, and it frequently needs small modifications or adjustments to provide a positive user experience. YouTube’s support page contains detailed instructions on how to generate, edit, or upload subtitles and closed captions.
Consider going live
Live video is more popular than ever before. Going live is a fantastic method to develop trust and loyalty because it is a genuine way to interact with your audience. It’s also an excellent method to introduce yourself and your newly created YouTube account!
Any verified YouTube account can use YouTube Live. On the other hand, only accounts with at least 1,000 subscribers are able to live stream on mobile. Simply go to the Creator Studio tools on YouTube and select the Live Streaming option.
Looking for live streaming advice? We recommend using a high-speed internet connection and setting up in a location that has little background noise or distraction. Read more of our live streaming tips and best practices here.
Connecting with your audience on YouTube
Starting a YouTube channel for your business can be an excellent way to connect with customers and create a more personal connection. By sharing videos, you can reach out to people on other social media platforms, email lists, and beyond. Additionally, make sure to analyze your data so that you can improve future videos. Stay engaged with viewers by responding to their inquiries and comments. Finally, consider going live to connect with your audience authentically and genuinely.