Learning & Marketing with YouTube
YouTube is one of the most popular websites that exists today and it can be a great method for online marketing, no matter what business you’re in. Everyone on the web has had the experience of seeing a video from YouTube or seeing a video embedded onto another blog or Website. After launching the site in 2005, and being purchased by Google for $1.65 billion dollars in 2006, there seems to be no chance of stopping YouTube from being the leader for online video sharing.
YouTube is both amazing and unfortunate at the same time for the same reason. It’s amazing that anyone can post a video easily on the site. It’s unfortunate that really anyone can post a video. Every other person is reaching out for their 15 minutes of fame as we speak with their video blogs, talent shows, Star Wars routines, karaoke, and so much more. Nowadays news stations use clips from YouTube, people can watch clips from their favorite TV shows as well as theatrical trailers for new and upcoming movies, music videos…. Why bother staying tuned to listen to the President’s Inaugural Address when you can watch it later on YouTube in your spare time?
YouTube is as simple as…
Anyone with a video camera or web cam with a microphone can post content on YouTube.
To open an account, you must confirm that you’re 13 or older and create a username and password for the site. Once you are confirmed, you can begin uploading anything you want to show on video to the world, as long as it’s not copyrighted material (unless you own the copyright). If it is copyrighted, it will be removed, perhaps not the second you put it up, but probably very soon after. If just one person claims the material is copyrighted, it will immediately be removed. Each video can’t be longer than 10 minutes. You can have a succession of 10-minute videos if you want. After that you’re done and perhaps even on your way to getting your 15 minutes of fame. People can view your videos, you can view others, comment on them….
Learning with YouTube
YouTube is not just a place to show your favorite music videos, it’s a place where you can learn and teach others. Offer your expertise with tutorials on video. Learn how to draw like an architect, escape from handcuffs, pick a lock, moon walk like Michael Jackson, get really White Teeth. Pretty much anything you can think of someone has created a video about it and how to do it.
Marketing with YouTube
If anyone can use YouTube, why can’t you? Why can’t you market your business on YouTube or your school or University? The non-profit online Western Governors University established a contest amongst students. Students were given the opportunity to create a video about how a degree from WGU can enrich a person’s life. The contest promotes creativity amongst the students and it also advertises the university in a positive light.
At one point, Swiffer established a contest for people to make a video about how to break up with their mop. This was great exposure for Swiffer, people were entertained with the entries, and some lucky winner got $15,000.
So how can you use this if you’re a small business? Just make a video about your area of expertise or the products that you sell. See if others like it, comment on their videos, link your video to theirs, and already you’re getting viewers and comments. Now do it again and again and you increase your SERP (Search Engine Results Page). Now link your videos to your website and blog, which helps you increase traffic to your website, so you should have a blog in addition to a website. And there you have it; you have successfully used YouTube as a marketing tool.
