According to Statista Research, YouTube is expected to have 187.8 million viewers in the United States by 2019. When you realize that is only one country’s viewership amongst a massive global audience, you will understand the full potential of building a brand on YouTube. Second only to Google as a search engine, YouTube can attract a huge number of eyeballs to your brand. But you need to stay on top of video marketing trends to ensure you get the most bang for your buck. If you want to maximize the potential of your YouTube marketing in 2017, here are five tips you should keep in mind.
Optimize Your Title and Tags for Voice Search
Voice search is exploding in popularity. From Alexa-enabled televisions to Google voice search on smartphones, today’s tech-savvy users are searching audibly. Increase the chances your videos will be discovered by incorporating voice SEO into your title and tag strategy. Your YouTube competitors are likely still relying on old-school SEO; build a framework for long-term growth by using voice search as part of your YouTube marketing strategy.
Match Your YouTube Channel to Your Business Branding
Make sure the branding on your YouTube channel matches your website and social media profiles. Your Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest channels should all feature the same colors and logos as your YouTube channel. You want your branding to be recognizable and cohesive on all platforms.
Use a Variety of CTAs to Increase Conversions
Using call-to-actions on YouTube is absolutely essential. There are three main types of Youtube CTAs: Verbal CTAs are spoken by a narrator or host asking viewers to like and comment on the video or subscribe to the channel. In-Video CTAs are part of the video itself and a good option if there’s a website you want your viewer to visit, a promo code you want to share, or some other text-based piece of information that might get lost if it’s only spoken. End Card CTAs are the “final credits” for your YouTube video. Use end cards to encourage viewers to watch other videos, visit a URL or follow you on social media.
Ask Questions When Sharing Your Videos on Other Social Networks
One of the best ways to increase your subscriber rate on YouTube is to ask questions when posting your videos on social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter. In the same way you can host AMAs (ask me anything) on Reddit, you want to encourage and nurture extended conversations with your followers on multiple social media sites. This not only drives engagement on Twitter and Facebook, it increases the chances viewers will subscribe to your YouTube channel because of past conversations they’ve enjoyed.
Use YouTube Live to Attract New Audiences
Video marketing on YouTube isn’t just about pre-filmed videos. YouTube Live (youtube.com/live) lets you interact with video viewers in real time. Thanks to a powerful search function, YouTube Live viewers can discover all sorts of intriguing content happening as they’re searching. Incorporate live video outreach into your marketing plans and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your audience will grow.
YouTube is too powerful a platform to ignore. As mobile video continues to explode in popularity, building a strong following on YouTube is critical. How many of these video outreach tips will you be integrating into your 2017 YouTube marketing strategy?
