YouTube: Broadcast Your Company

YouTube is the Internet’s leading video streaming service. Millions of videos are hosted on YouTube, with more being added every day; these videos can range from having tens to hundreds of millions of views. Furthermore, YouTube is the number 2 search engine on the Web. More than 800 million users watch more than four billion hours of video each month on YouTube. Traffic from mobile devices tripled in 2011. It is the third most visited website in both the United States and worldwide.

Before you decide to skip this post because you have no intention of making videos of yourself, note the following:

You do not need to make your own videos to have a presence on YouTube! But, ultimately, your online presence will be enhanced if you do.
You do not have to personally appear in any video you do make.

In other words, you have many options of how to interact with this key social media outlet, and you can increase your presence incrementally once you are more comfortable with it. YouTube can be a useful tool for small businesses, because video is an important means for representing your company on the Internet. Videos help patients make a personal connection to your company. YouTube is also a good place to post updated application examples, training and new product demos. The impact of loading videos on YouTube can be seen in these statistics: 100 million people take some action on YouTube every week, such as sharing, liking, or adding comments. More than 50% of videos on YouTube have been rated or include comments from the community.

Industrial companies who make videos are in the minority, but those who do can become established as experts in their field, making it possible for customers to find them. Videos, including posting and sharing, increase your chances of being found in a search.

Don’t think that the majority of YouTube videos are lighthearted or inconsequential. Many companies post educational information, and many post videos to show their facilities and provide details of the services they offer.

Consider this scenario: A customer is looking for a product you carry, but doesn't know anything about it. Imagine pulling out your tablet or laptop and showing this customer a video of that product in action. Do you think interacting this way with your customer will build trust and improve your sales opportunity? Of course it will.

YouTube is catalogued by the search engines; relevant videos will be prominently displayed—most likely on the first page—of search engine results. The results might be shown as a thumbnail of a video that meets the criteria for a keyword search. Because many industrial companies are not yet incorporating videos into their Internet strategy, you will have a good chance of being highlighted in the search results if you use YouTube.

Video is not difficult or expensive to do. While there is a place for both professionally created and self-recorded video, the guidelines on YouTube are intended to help you get the best results without having to make an enormous investment in equipment or professional services.

Social media experts suggest building your personal brand by creating your own videos to show your expertise, educate potential customers, and build your sales. Only you can decide if this social media outlet fits you and your companies goals. We think it will.