YouTube isn’t just for kids, it can also be used to promote products and services.  Many business owners have successfully used YouTube to help them acquire customers and sales.  You too can do the same.  Video marketing is easy to do and the cost is considerably low compared to the other media.  To get started you’ll need to open up an account with YouTube.  If you are primarily going to use YouTube for advertising your business, you should make the username memorable; either use your business name or something similar to it so that people will be able to relate the videos to your business.

 

Don’t try to submit every video you find on the net, submit only those that you think people will enjoy.  Tutorial based videos are generally popular and it’s great way to build trust as well as showing people that you know a thing or two in your field.  Comedy type of videos is also good if you are in a “not so serious” industry like toys, electronics, food, sports, clothing etc.  But you have to be very careful not to send out the wrong message.

 

If you do run out of ideas you could always review other people’s products or services that are related to your market.  Only review those that you like and would use yourself.  After you have done a few reviews you can send the Youtube video links to the original owners and they like what you done they will ask you to review their next product, and this time, most of them would offer you a free “copy” of their product or some payment.  Before you accept their offers, try to find out if they have a strong customers list or a popular website/blog.  If so, ask them if they would promote your product or service on their website or to their list.

 

So now you have your first video on Youtube, but how do you get people to view it? The best way to go about doing that is by commenting and rating.  You need to find related videos that are popular and leave comments on them.  Try to make your comments relate to the video content, and avoid short comments like “nice video”, “thanks alot”, “cool stuff”…etc You can also comment on other people’s comment if you have nothing interesting to say.  When you comment on someone’s video, other people will click on your username to see who you are.  When they are on your profile’s page they will see that you have uploaded similar videos.  Keep on doing this and you have more and more subscribers.

 

To make Youtube work for your business you have to use all available options, and commenting is the next best thing you can do after uploading your videos.  The next thing is rating, to do that you need to view a video.  Once it’s over you can rate it by clicking on the yellow stars.

 

Both commenting and rating are great way to get your username out there, especially with commenting because human beings enjoy chatting, therefore if your comments are interesting people will want to start a conversation with you sub-consciously, so they reply to your comments.  Another good thing about commenting is that your comments will be there permanently.

 

If you’re in a small company, or a larger one that doesn’t want to mess with video hosting and access issues, YouTube provides a free, easy way to host corporate video.  What kind of video?

 

1. Executive presentations. Executives at many companies provide regular presentations to department groups or even the entire workforce, to discuss financial performance, share information, recognize outstanding workers and so on.  While the bulk of the audience may be at headquarters, many others may be in remote offices.  Or a lot of workers may be absent the day of the presentation or unable to attend for other reasons.  Videotape the highlights of the presentation and put them on YouTube, and they can be viewed by everyone who is authorized to do so.  More on that later.

 

2. Videos can be a great way to train workers on anything from using software and setting up equipment to making a great sales pitch.  It’s easy to use screen-capture utilities, for example, to show users how to master a new software package, complete with mouse clicks and different screen displays.

 

3. Does your help desk get repeat calls from users requesting assistance on the same problem? “Now, how do I turn off my ‘out of office’ message, again?” Videotape the correct steps to solve the most common problems, and build up a bank of self-help videos for users to check first.  Of course, knowing users, the help desk would probably begin fielding a lot of calls like: “Now, how do I access those help videos, again?”

 

4. A picture is worth a thousand words, and thousands of pictures streamed together at 29.97 frames per second is worth a lot more.  Show off that new shiny hardware to prospective customers or demonstrate that new software and provide product data, statistics or any other information you choose.

 

5. Events.  Computerworld recently held a 40th anniversary party at which the founder regaled the audience with hilarious tales of the old days when he started the company.  It was held in a spectacular venue high above Boston Harbor on a perfect spring day.  It’s a shame everyone in the company couldn’t be there to see it, but being able to watch it afterward would be the next best thing.  And it would be great if those who were there could watch the highlights again.