Creating video content is a powerful marketing technique that can help build the brand of your business. Here are some tips for getting the most out of the world’s most popular online video host – YouTube.

Creating video content is an excellent way for micro business owners to boost the profile of their business, the main advantages being that it’s free (excluding the cost of your time) and easy to maintain once you have set yourself up. Two of the most common free video-hosting services are YouTube and Vimeo.

YouTube is the king of online video hosts and is used by most major companies and advertisers to promote and sell products, or to disseminate information locally and globally in an instant.

Vimeo has a similar set-up to YouTube but is more about posting high-quality videos, many of which are from aspiring filmmakers and artists. One great benefit of Vimeo is that you can load full HD videos of very high quality and then display them on any website for free. If you are filming something of high quality and plan to disseminate it to specific people, or host it as an intro on your website, for example, this may be a better option than YouTube.

If your goal is to create easily shareable and locatable content, YouTube is probably your best bet. Some advantages to using YouTube for business are:

• Google owns it, so popular videos rank highly in Google searches
• You can earn money from YouTube by selling ads to appear before your business video
• You can reach both local and global clientele
• Potential gains include increased sales, brand exposure, targeted web traffic, credibility as an authority in your field and more.

Before you jump on the bandwagon though, here are some initial tips for you to consider.

1. Research your competitors

Spend some time on YouTube to see what content is, and is not, being offered that targets your audience. If you were one of your own potential clients, what you would like to see posted?

Want more articles like this? Check out the podcasting and video tips section.

2. Identify keywords

Use this keyword tool to find relevant search terms that potential clients might use when searching on YouTube. This helps pinpoint what they are looking for so you can tailor your message (be sure to use these terms in your video title too).

3. Make it both very valuable and informative, or make it funny!

How-to videos are popular because they are full of information that is interesting to users; however, just as, if not more engaging than informative videos are funny ones. People love to laugh, so if you can inject some humour into your video, then go for it. The funnier your video (or the more controversial), the greater the chance it will have of going viral, which would increase your ad revenue, attract website traffic and would generally be a massive boon for business – to say the least.

4. Post frequently and regularly

The easiest and most time efficient way to create video content is to film a bunch of videos over an hour or two and then disseminate them systematically over weeks or months. Posting regular videos encourages clients to return for more.

For more tips on using business videos to get noticed, click here.

Do you use video marketing on YouTube to promote your business? What are your tips for getting the most out of YoutTube business videos?