What are you watching these days?
Better yet, where are you watching it? I could throw some facts and figures at you about online trends, and I will, but we both know the answer to those questions. Regardless of whether you clicked on a cat video link or a competitor’s ad campaign, if you were watching a video online it was probably on YouTube.
Did you know:
- Youtube reaches more US adults between 18-35 than any cable
- YouTube is the No.2 Search Engine in the
- 6 billion hours of videos are watched on the platform every month. (com)
According to venture capitalist firm, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, 74% of all internet traffic in 2021 will be from video content. Given the massive amount of people watching YouTube, it’s not hard to see where that content is being housed. That begs the question; how can B2B marketers make the most of those startling figures?
1. Get on board.
A lot of people tend to shy away from video content because it’s thought of as a costly exercise. Perhaps that misconception comes from the days when TV commercials were the best way to reach your audience. Yes, those big budget ads are expensive, but that’s not what a winning YouTube formula has to be about.
Tom Poole, CEO of MarketSense digital marketing agency, recently shared some personal insights that give an example of how companies can leverage YouTube’s prolific online presence:
“Many of our B2B clients have complex offerings. Distilling your value prop into a 2-minute video is a great way to simplify and quickly communicate your offering. Ad a supporting CTA (call to action) directly into the video and you likely have a lead generating machine! Using that type of a strategy, we’re able to get leads from YouTube for about $1 a head and sometimes even less than that.”
2. Showcase Your Personal Brand.
From short, educational How To clips to case studies, thought leadership exercises and event coverage, branded video content is an opportunity to let people get to know you. One of the best ways to do that is to create compelling, personalized videos. By featuring a member of your sales force or customer service team you’re creating a face for your company. Better yet, brand your executives because; “Buyers want to know the ‘why’ and trust the leaders behind the companies they do business with.” Grant Wickes (Strategic consulting firm Wickpoint)
Caption: 75% of business executives watch work-related videos at least weekly. https://highq.com/ 2017-the-year-of-video-marketing/ <insert stat image>
3. Use SEO.
Engaging your audience is only half of the battle. Once you have created the content, you’ll want people to find it, share it and come back for more.
- A branded Youtube channel can act a home base if you’re planning to create an ongoing stream of
- Meta data is your friend. Those are the details that will get your video
- Your Google and YouTube rankings will be determined by your title, the number of video views, likes and dislikes and your video
- Include your transcript in your description because it will be full of keywords
- Consider including a related white paper, case study or ebook with your
- You’ll have 15 seconds to make an impression or loose your
- The first 25-30 words of your description are visible when viewing a video, so jam-pack your introduction with website links, keywords, and a call-to-action.
4. Always be strategic
“Instead of focusing solely on “customer-centric” methods based on your customers’ lifetime value, offset it with “customer-focused” techniques that enable you to provide relevant experiences across all touch points and concentrate on what your customers value most.” Forbes
YouTube reports and analytics are tools that allow for that kind of targeted approach. So, don’t just post videos. Look at the data and create campaigns that have a measured and strategic angle.
Tell Your Story and Reap the Rewards.
We’re all here for the same reason – the business of creating awareness, building lasting customer relationships and increasing the bottom line. You don’t need me to tell you that there’s a lot of noise out there. To cut through it, B2B marketers need to be savvy, insightful and above all, willing to embrace the idea of an authentic voice. Showcase a product, share information, highlight your expertise, but do it in a personal way and make sure that message gets to the right people. The reason video content and YouTube are a good way to do that?
It’s simple.
First, your audience (all of them) is definitely using YouTube and waiting for you to talk to them. And second, the video has to be the best way to show-and-tell, to say “HI”, to look-them-in-the-eye. Like Benjamin Franklin said; “The handshake of the host affects the taste of the roast”.