Have you noticed how new social networks quickly get dubbed as “The Place” to start putting your content?
Each new social network makes existing social networks feel old and out of touch with the newer platforms. This is a big reason why Instagram added 15-second repeating clips in response to Vine and Instagram Stories in response to SnapChat.
New social networks do present an opportunity since the algorithms on the new platforms don’t have as much content yet. Less competition gives you a better chance of standing out. However, this window is only open for a short period. By the time everyone is talking about the new social network, the competition is already there.
I have no problem with businesses pursuing new social networks if they can continue growing their existing social media audiences on other platforms.
This brings me to YouTube ”¦ one of the older social networks people keep talking about. Is YouTube worth it for your business?
YouTube is still a heavily populated social network with over 2 billion logged-in monthly users. That’s more than enough people to start growing your audience and gain future customers.
YouTube is different because of its focus on video. Other social networks have changed their platforms to welcome more videos, but they still have text posts. On most social networks, good engagement is if someone likes your post and leaves a comment before continuing to scroll. On YouTube, good engagement is if someone watches your entire video.
Almost no one will look at your Instagram post for five minutes. Many of my viewers watch my videos for five minutes, with some viewers watching hour-long videos that I’ve posted to my YouTube channel.
On YouTube, there is a higher level of attention your content can generate. If you follow an Instagram influencer, you might consume their content for 5 to 10 minutes each week. If you follow a YouTuber influencer who uploads multiple times each week, you might consume their content for 30 to 60 minutes each week or much more than that if you watch the YouTube influencer’s older videos.
On other social networks, you just scroll. On YouTube, you eventually click on a video. The user experience is completely different, and YouTube is one of the stickiest platforms.
So how do you use YouTube for your business? Here are some quick strategies:
Know your stats ”” The winning formula is to optimize your videos for higher retention rates and watch time and optimize your titles and thumbnails for higher clickthrough rates. I typically spend 15 to 30 minutes creating each thumbnail. Your thumbnail matters just as much as the content.
Upload videos consistently ”” I upload at least two new videos to my YouTube channel each week, where I talk about business and dividend investing strategies. Let your audience and subscribers know your frequency and the days you will be uploading new content.
Look and be the part ”” Don’t wait until you hit 100,000 subscribers to work like a YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers. Your channel page and videos should be such high quality that if you had 100,000 subscribers right now, people would understand why. You can use Canva to create your channel art and thumbnails to look professional and branded.
Use the video and description to sell ”” When appropriate, quickly mention your product or service in your video. You can also utilize the video description to mention your products and services. As viewers see them more often, some will ask you about your products and services and may eventually become a client.
Post video teasers on your other social networks ”” post small video clips on other social networks that lead people to your YouTube video. Natively uploading videos into each social network will give you an extra boost in their algorithms rather than just copying and pasting the YouTube URL.
If you want to learn more about creating engaging YouTube videos that attract visibility and revenue to your business, make sure you grab your copy of my recent book YouTube Decoded which is available on Amazon.
Marc Guberti is a USA Today and WSJ bestselling author with over 100,000 online students. He is the host of “Breakthrough Success” podcast and radio show. He coaches content creators on how they can attract more traffic and boost revenue.
