YouTube is a powerful video marketing tool that can help your business attract more customers. According to TechCrunch, more than 1.5 billion people use the video-sharing platform each month. With that said, YouTube is only an effective marketing tool if users actually see and watch your videos. If you’re struggling to generate views for your business’ YouTube videos, consider the following tips.
Embed Your Videos
You can attract more views by embedding your YouTube videos elsewhere. If you have a blog or website, for instance, considering embedding your videos there. This allows users to watch your videos from your website or blog, without ever accessing YouTube directly. To embed a video, access the YouTube page and click Share > Embed. After copying the embed code, paste it into your site’s HTML.
Email the Link to Subscribers
As explained by Entrepreneur, you can promote YouTube videos by sharing the link in emails. Hopefully, you have an email newsletter where users can subscribe for updates and news related to your business. After the user enters his or her email address, you can send them messages for as long as they remain subscribed. Placing links in these emails is an excellent way to increase exposure and boost views for your YouTube videos.
Use Custom Thumbnail Images
Normally, YouTube allows publishers to choose from one of several thumbnail images for their videos, which appear in the search results. Assuming you have a verified account, however, you can upload and use your own custom thumbnail. This is a great way to make your videos stand out by including text overlay using contrasting colors. And because YouTube uses a 16:9 ratio for thumbnail images, it’s recommended that you stick with this ratio for your custom thumbnails as well.
Share Videos on Social Media
Of course, you can always generate more YouTube views by sharing your videos on social media. According to Statista, 81% of the U.S. adult population has a social media account. So, you can rest assured knowing that your target audience is here. By sharing links to your YouTube videos on social media, you’ll generate additional exposure and traffic.
Include Tags
Don’t forget to include relevant tags when uploading videos to YouTube. Tags help search engines — including Google and YouTube — understand what a video is about. With this information, they’ll have an easier time ranking it for the right search queries.
So, what tags should you use in YouTube videos? Here are some tips on how to create effective tags:
- Include your brand name as a tag.
- Use the keywords for which you want to rank as tags.
- Include variations of your target keywords.
- See what other, similar videos use as tags.
- Use a keyword research tool like Google’s AdWords Keyword Planner to uncover additional tags.
- Don’t limit yourself to using just one or two tags. Take advantage of this feature by adding 10 or more tags.
- Remember, tags must be limited to 120 characters (though you shouldn’t come close to reaching this limit)
Product Tags
For product videos, Google specifically recommends highly descriptive tags that include the respective product’s UPC, EAN, ISBN, MPN, model number, etc. When someone searches for a product’s model number on YouTube, for instance, they’ll likely find your video.
Build Links to Your Videos
You can also promote your YouTube videos by building backlinks to them. Again, you can use your business’s website or blog to create links to your YouTube videos. Links are a great way to funnel traffic to your videos, while also encouraging higher search rankings for your videos. Every link is essentially a seal of approval in the eyes of search engines. As your YouTube videos accumulate enough high-quality links, search engines will respond by ranking your videos higher in their search results.
Host a Contest
Consider hosting a contest to attract more YouTube views. According to the social media service HootSuite, contests are a great way to attract subscribers to your YouTube channel and ultimately generate more views. You can host a contest in which a random subscriber receives a free gift, for instance. Because everyone loves free stuff, this is an effective strategy for promoting your YouTube videos.
Create Valuable, Useful Video Content
Sometimes the best marketing strategy for YouTube videos is to create useful content. A dry 30-second commercial that fails to connect with the target audience isn’t going to generate many views. However, a longer, more engaging video that’s filled with humor is certain to leave a lasting impression. Users will remember your video, some of whom may even share it with their friends and family. As a result, videos such as this will generate additional traffic and exposure.
Views are just one metric to consider when creating YouTube videos. Conversions are perhaps even more important. Nonetheless, you need views to generate conversions. So, if you’re struggling to generate views for your YouTube videos, consider using the tips listed here.
