- September 24, 2014
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YouTube Beats Facebook. Now Read the Playbook.
Even if you’re not already a loyal reader, you probably already know that YouTube is the second-largest search platform (after Google), providing marketers with wide reach as well as a targeted platform.
We’ve also written about the importance of having a video marketing strategy. And nobody has to tell you how expensive and time-consuming it can be to produce quality video content.
So how’s that working out? Are small to mid-sized businesses using video as part of an integrated marketing campaign to build awareness, connect with customers, and convert engagement into sales?
Who’s More Social?
“Too many companies still use YouTube as a dumping ground, rather than as a social platform, said Jayson Duncan, Chief Storyteller at Miller Farm Media, a video production company based in Irvine, California.
Duncan cited the latest news that the video-sharing site recently surpassed Facebook as the largest social media site. (Yes, YouTube is a social network, too.)
Think about that: YouTube now gets more traffic than Facebook. That should present an opportunity for businesses of every size.
But there’s a lot of competition for all that traffic. Your video is competing with 100 hours of video, which are uploaded to YouTube every minute. To borrow a phrase, Content is common, so how do you make it king?
When In Doubt, Read the Playbook
Many businesses using YouTube poorly don’t know that YouTube offers a Creator Playbook for brands. It offers instructions on how to use the channel as a social media site and make your content more shareable and “sticky”.
Instead of passively waiting for viewers to find your video once its been uploaded, Duncan advocates a proactive YouTube advertising campaign. “Do it within the first 3–5 days of the content being published on YouTube,” he recommended. “The number-one secret to making a video go viral is by marketing it! There’s so much content on YouTube, you’ve got to find a way to push it out, then draw people in to view the rest of your content.”
