Do you think that Google ranks content on its own properties higher? You bet they do! And because Google owns YouTube, video content that promotes your business may help in getting you more attention from your target customers.
In fact, today, YouTube is one of the biggest sites where people search for content – second only to Google. And if you can bring in people and make them aware of your business and what you do, they are more likely to visit your website and/or your physical location. As well, the videos themselves may be ranked highly in other search engines, notably Google, thus sending more traffic your way.
So what makes a good web video? We’re not talking about the polished, promotional videos that your business might do to introduce itself to new customers. Instead, we’re talking about the kind of video you might make to enhance other content on your site. Perhaps you’re sharing tips related to your business, or demonstrating how to do some task.
With a few quick tips, you can produce videos that work with your other business marketing efforts and help drive people to you:
1. Keep it short. A lengthy video – with few exceptions – will cause viewers to lose interest. Good videos are under a minute, and if possible, keep it to about 45 seconds. This is enough time to share something of value without losing the viewer to something else on the web.
2. Keep it focused. You’re sharing a specific tip or idea, not the history of your business. Don’t deviate from your topic and don’t devolve into a sales pitch.
3. Be relevant. Think about how you can share your knowledge in a way that appeals to your customer. This shouldn’t be focused on how cool or how smart you are. You want to add value to your customer’s business life and show that you have expertise without being overbearing.
4. Remember production values. You don’t have to be a professional to make your own videos, but poorly lit, hard to understand clips aren’t going to benefit you. Even if you are using an inexpensive video camera, film in good light and pay attention to how your environment enhances (or doesn’t!) sound. Choose someone in your organization to voice or appear in the videos who has a clear voice.
5. Use search engine optimization. Once you have created your video, you’ll upload it to YouTube, and you’ll have the option of adding a great title and description. Because of YouTube’s role as a search engine, include keywords that people will use to search for and find you.
A good title will have the name of your business, your location, a keyword or two about what you’re showing in the video, and perhaps your name. You’ll also have 1,000 characters for a description. Consider starting the description in a non-spammy way by including your website address. You might write something like this: “From https://www.visualpeople.com, here’s a video tip about setting up a Local Business Listing on Google.” You can continue to fill out the description with location and keyword info.
You don’t have to stress about doing videos for your business. If it’s too time-consuming or not your thing, there are other ways to promote yourself online. But video is becoming increasingly more important and can be a great addition to your marketing mix if you keep it simple and create it in a spirit of helping your customers.