YouTube is one of the often ignored facets of a strong social media marketing campaign. As a platform, with approximately 5 BILLION videos watched daily, it has easily become the most popular destination for entertainment seekers on the planet. You know who’s among those going to YouTube daily for entertainment? Your target audience. Whether it’s for news updates, music videos or funny videos, the platform’s ability to showcase content that is short on time but long on entertainment has slid in perfectly into a society that has decreased its attention span considerably.
Traditional media is becoming increasingly left out in the cold as people use their phones and laptops as devices for communication and entertainment. A recent Cisco Systems study showed that the amount of internet traffic dedicated to streaming online video will reach 80% by 2019. With YouTube being the largest provider of online video content on the planet, putting your company’s content in video form and made shareable on YouTube can help you achieve massive success as you continue to promote and distribute compelling content online.
When we used to want to watch a video, someone had to find the channel we were looking for or grab a DVD from the shelf to sit down and enjoy some entertainment. Now, with YouTube pointing us in the direction of what we’re looking for, based on our regular viewing habits and what other people are watching at the moment, we are basically pointed in the direction of what we enjoy just by typing in www.youtube.com or by clicking on the apps in our smartphones. That type of consumer power has yet to be exercised within mainstream media.
What that means for you and your business is simple: creating a YouTube channel and distributing content on your regular social media platforms can create an effect of maintaining your audience’s attention through the use of links and shares. By linking to your YouTube channel from Facebook, you’re showcasing your brand’s content to an audience you’ve already built. Through the use of Tags and linking back to your Facebook and other social media from YouTube, the audience you attract there can then find you online and on social media.
Through the use of content marketing and paid advertising, your brand can get exposure that was once impossible. While gaining viral attention is a nice thing, your focus should still remain on compelling content that attracts audiences in an instant. Even the comments section, which I have to admit is rife with internet trolls and the occasional bot, can offer you the chance to sift through feedback on your product and content offerings instantly.
When it comes to your company, if you haven’t begun to join the YouTube revolution, getting started as soon a possible is imperative. If you’re sitting on the sidelines and letting others in your industry take advantage of the platform, what’s missing on YouTube will be the most significant to your overall brand success; YOU.
