How to Use YouTube for Your Business: 7 Steps to Building Your Brand

Do you feel intimidated by the idea of using YouTube for your business? Is it just for teenagers, with their constant stream of video content and vlogging? Or is there a more sophisticated way to leverage this social media platform?

It is true that many people under 25 use it. But it’s also a place where brands like Mercedes, GE, and even McDonald’s post videos that are much longer than your typical Instagram selfie..

You’ll learn about everything from the basics of creating an account and developing an effective channel strategy, to the details of shooting and editing videos on a budget.

Create a Company Channel

The first thing you should do when building out your YouTube channel is to create a company channel.

This is the account where all of your videos will go. Once you’ve created your channel, you’ll want to add a description of your business.

This description will be the description which appears in the “About” tab of your videos.

You might want to include information like your location, target audience, and the products or services you offer.

You might also want to include a short “elevator pitch” of your company.

Show How Your Product Works

Many products have a “how it works” feature. If yours does, then this is a great place to start.

You can break out your product into 5 or 10 minute videos, with each video showing a different feature.

If your product is more complicated and has a lot of pieces, then you’ll want to do a video unboxing and walkthrough.

Many YouTubers have done this with cars and other complex products.

If your product is more service-based, then you can do a “how to” video that goes through a common problem and shows how your solution works.

Educate Your Audience

You can also use YouTube to educate your audience. A lot of businesses, like educational institutions or nonprofits, can post videos to teach their audience.

There are a few types of videos you could do:

• How-to videos, where you show how to complete a task or solve a problem.
• Top 10s or other lists that go over information in a fun and engaging way.
• Interviews or videos where you interview experts in your industry.
• Explainer videos that go over an important topic for your industry.

Host Q&A Sessions

If you’re in a particularly sticky situation, you can host a Q&A session with your audience that could help a lot of people.

• You can host a “How to” Q&A on YouTube, where you answer the top questions from your followers.
• You can also host a Q&A session with your CEO or other top executive.
• You can host a Q&A session based on your industry, or about a specific problem in your industry. You can also host a Q&A session focused on your product.

Use It to Grow an Email List

Another way to use YouTube to grow your business is to use it to build your email list. Most social media platforms will allow you to add a sign-up form to your channel.

You can add this form to either a video or an About section of your channel.

For example, you could have a video where you talk about a problem your audience has and discuss your solution.

At the end of the video, you can offer an e-book or a piece of content in exchange for their email address.

You can also host webinars on your channel. If you want to go the extra mile, you can hire a production company to create an engaging webinar that will keep your audience engaged.

Showcase Customer Stories

If you have a product or service that is particularly visual, you could set up a phone call with a customer of your product and shoot the call.

This will show your customers in a very personal and engaging way. You can also do a featured customer story where you interview your customers and ask them how they use your product.

Use It to Run Marketing Tests

Finally, you can use YouTube to run marketing tests.

You can test out new videos, see which ones are most successful, and use the feedback you get to inform future videos.

You can test out different types of videos, like how-to videos, product overviews, or testimonials from customers.

You can also test out different types of ads, like pre-roll videos or skippable ads.

Summing up

Youtube is a great way to showcase your brand, educate your audience, and market your business.

In order to achieve these goals, you’ll need to create a company channel, decide what type of videos you’ll be producing, and learn basic video production skills.

If you’re looking to use YouTube more effectively in your business, remember these nine ways to use YouTube.

Create a company channel, show how your product works, educate your audience, host Q&A sessions, showcase customer stories, use it to run marketing tests, and most importantly, have fun!