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"We need more traffic to our website." "Our bounce rate is too high." "Our social media doesn't convert." These are common complaints from business owners. While every platform offers its benefits, there's one in particular many brands seem to forget and really need: YouTube. So many businesses aren't exactly comfortable with producing video content, but the benefits of YouTube for your business are undeniable.
If you aren't utilizing the platform, you're seriously missing out.
Gone are the days when a few Facebook posts and a tweet here and there would suffice. Your online presence needs a lot more than that — and it needs to be strategic. Don't post any old content just for the sake of posting content — it's not going to work. You'll soon find that the time, money, energy, and resources you're putting into your digital marketing are being wasted.
However, a well-thought out YouTube strategy can massively pay off for your brand. YouTube is free to use, and you can produce videos for very cheap and even free, if needed. Producing videos does not need to be this huge production. More often than not, a quality smartphone and good lighting will get the job done.
So, you know that making videos is doable — but what do they offer over other types of content? Here are just seven benefits of YouTube for your brand.
Posting on YouTube Will Help People Find You on Google
Google owns YouTube. Have you noticed how videos are showing up more than they used to in Google search results? That's no coincidence. By consistently utilizing YouTube for your business, you increase your chances of showing up in search results and improving your own rankings.
As a business, you should have a goal of maximizing your online presence as much as possible. It's even better to do it with YouTube because it's a Google product. Google loves businesses that use their tools and most likely give priority to those brands, at least to some extent. You can't go wrong here.
The more real estate you can take up in Google search results — assuming it's for a positive reason — the better. Posting YouTube videos is one more way to stack the odds in your favor.
YouTube Will Expose You to a Huge Audience
And we do mean huge. Here are just a few important YouTube statistics to consider:
- YouTube receives more than 30 million visitors a day, who watch nearly five billion videos.
- More than half of the views come from mobile devices, and these users watch an average of 40 minutes.
- YouTube has local versions in more than 88 countries and 76 languages.
It's the second biggest search engine, coming after only Google itself. And take note that YouTube is only growing. Year after year, more people are spending more time on it.
And perhaps unlike some other platforms, YouTube's audience is extremely varied. People of all ages, education levels, and income levels use it — men and women who are located all around the globe. They use the platform for a number of reasons, including education and entertainment. No matter what your brand is trying to promote or what your goals are, the odds are you can get the job done using YouTube.
Acquire Qualified Traffic
This is important. You don't want any traffic you can get, because not everyone is going to buy from you. You want qualified traffic — people that could be potential leads and customers.
Business owners often fail to understand this. Sure, getting a million hits on your website might sound pretty nice. But if it's a million random hits and not one of those people purchases from you, then who cares?
You need qualified traffic that is meaningful to your brand. YouTube can easily help you accomplish this.
When people go on YouTube, how do you think they find you? They don't just stumble upon your page. They type something into the search bar, and then you pop up in the results.
Like we said earlier, people use YouTube as a search engine — just like they do with Google.
This means that you can probably assume that people who watch your videos are at least someone interested in your product or service. Thus, you should be doing something to really capture their attention and turn them into a loyal fan.
Here's one example: In your YouTube videos, you might mention a freebie your followers can receive when they sign up to your mailing list. Include the link in your video description, and direct their attention to it.
This is a simple way to use YouTube to turn video viewers into email subscribers — which is huge.
Videos Have Higher Conversion Rates
Some research suggests that video content is 12 times likelier to be watched than text is to be read. Furthermore, we might be processing videos 60,000 times faster than text.
Plus, videos can evoke emotion like no other form of online content can. They can make you think and feel. And if they make you think and feel, you're not likely to forget those videos. That's much more than can be said for most other types of online marketing.
Last but certainly not least, videos help humanize your brand. They bring it to life, taking your messages from flat and static to dynamic and engaging. Videos help your brand build trust and authority in such a unique way.
If a brand really wants to connect with people, videos absolutely have to be a part of their digital marketing plan. Undeniably, videos capture our attention better than both text and images.
You Can Utilize YouTube Ads to Reach an Even Bigger Audience
Another one of the many benefits of YouTube is their robust advertising platform. It runs through Google Adwords but isn't like your standard paid advertising.
You know by now roughly how many people are spending how much time on YouTube. Imagine serving your ads to qualified viewers who could very well turn into leads and then customers. Gaining organic traffic on YouTube is already incredibly powerful. Paid traffic can deliver an even higher return on investment for your business. Additionally, as all of the social media platforms become increasingly competitive and saturated, you're almost required to pay to play if you really want to see a difference — but it's so, so worth it.
YouTube, similar to Facebook, is very savvy when it comes to delivering your ads to exactly the right kind of people. Unlike other platforms and — gasp! — TV and radio ads, people actually watch the YouTube ads that show up in front of their eyes, because they're on topics that are of interest to them.
There Are Several Ways to Repurpose YouTube Videos
It's about a lot more than what you post on your own YouTube page. Your video efforts don't need to end here. In fact, they absolutely shouldn't.
Yet another one of the many benefits of YouTube is that there are a multitude of ways to use this content. For starters, you can share your videos across your other social media channels. Because videos get more people's attention and keep it longer, it's an excellent way to increase traffic and engagement on your other social places.
Plus, this is a smart way to direct even more traffic back to your YouTube page and collect more subscribers.
You can also embed your videos into you static web pages and blog posts. If you guessed that this will help keep people on your site longer, you guessed correctly. Don't take this lightly. It isn't always easy to improve your bounce rate and keep people on the page for a longer period of time.
But if that's your goal, embedding a video might be the answer.
Another important detail to point out: On other platforms, your posts get buried and will likely never see the light of day as you continue to share more and more posts over time. Such is not the case for YouTube.
Because it works like a search engine, as long as people are looking for what you've created videos about, you can be found. That's a big win for your brand.
Videos Are Better at Getting People to Take Action
You might already know how important it is to incorporate a call-to-action (CTA) in social media posts, blog posts, and other types of digital content. That's because time and time again, CTAs have been shown to get more people to take action than content that doesn't have a CTA.
Your YouTube videos are no different. And perhaps unsurprisingly, videos can be more effective than other types of content when it comes to getting your viewers to actually take action.
Don't get us wrong: More viewers, in and of itself, are excellent. However, if you don't get them to take some sort of action, you might never convert them into followers. This is where YouTube videos come in. Some research says that a call-to-action along with a video can equate to 380% more clicks than a regular call-to-action.
This is insanely powerful! Think about a goal you want your viewers to accomplish. Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter? Like your Facebook page? Shop using a discount code?
Whatever it is, a YouTube video along with a simple and concise CTA might very well be your best bet. Remember: You're not creating content for the sake of creating content. It's a tool. It should serve a purpose. It should ignite measurable change in your online presence.
Videos get more traffic, keep that traffic there longer, and are better at telling that traffic what to do. It's a win-win-win scenario.
It's evident that no digital marketing strategy is complete without YouTube videos. If your brand hasn't joined Team YouTube, do so immediately, if not sooner! It's clear from the aforementioned benefits of YouTube: Allocating time and resources to this will pay off.
Managing your online presence is so much easier with the right social media management tool. That's where we come in. eClincher makes it more convenient than ever to post and schedule social media content across a variety of platforms — even Google My Business. And our analytics remain unparalleled. We help increase efficiency and productivity when it comes to managing your social media workload, and we'll show you where you're excelling and where you're falling short.
The Bottom Line
YouTube is a powerful social media tool that can help you reach new customers and grow your business. It’s important to create engaging content that will keep people coming back for more. Are you using YouTube to its full potential?
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 5 benefits of YouTube?
The 5 main benefits of YouTube are reaching a global audience, can share your ideas and experiences, Low-Cost Advertising, Build Your Brand, and Creating a Community.
What are the advantages of YouTube for students?
There are a few main advantages to YouTube for students. It provides access to educational content. YouTube is a great resource for students looking to learn more about a variety of topics. It can expose students to different perspectives. YouTube is home to many different perspectives and opinions, which can help students better understand a subject from different points of view. Finally, it is super easy to use so any student can figure it out.
What is the main purpose of YouTube?
The main purpose of YouTube is to provide a platform for users to watch, share, and create videos. In the last decade, YouTube has just become the most popular video-sharing platform in the world.
Why is YouTube so special?
YouTube is special because it is a platform that allows people to share their ideas, stories, and lives with the world. It is also a platform that enables people to learn, be entertained, and be inspired, all without having to leave their homes. Furthermore, YouTube is a great place to discover new content and connect with other people who share similar interests.
