If you have been working to promote your business online, you have likely tapped into the usual channels of social media such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. However, have you been using YouTube to its full potential for business promotion?

YouTube is not just for watching funny videos of kittens and puppies, it can actually be one of the most powerful SEO and promotion tools at your disposal. In fact, many people don’t realize that it is the second largest search engine in the world. If you know how to use YouTube properly to promote your business you can use it to leverage more sales and share your brand with the world.

The great thing about YouTube is that there is no need to have a professional production studio or an expensively filmed video. Some of the most popular videos on YouTube are not professional, they are simply a guy or a girl who gets in front of the camera and talks passionately about what he or she knows the best. The most important thing is that the content is engaging, entertaining and it offers something of value to the viewer.

If you want to tune into the power of YouTube to promote your business, here are some great tips that will help you get started:

  • Do your research. The first step is to find out what works online. Spend an afternoon watching the most popular YouTube videos and figure out what works. Which videos in your niche have the most views, comments and highest ratings?
  • You will probably notice that the most popular videos are ones that are funny, interesting or useful. Think about how you can present your product or service in a way that matches these videos.
  • No one wants to sit there and be advertised to, so don’t create a video which is strictly promotional. Try to offer something of value to your viewer, whether it is entertainment or information. For example, you could create a helpful “How To” video for your product.
  • YouTube allows you to create a channel which will reflect your brand and help you to engage with others. Once you do, make sure that you add the direct URL of your channel to your marketing and social networking profiles.
  • Remember that YouTube isn’t just a video sharing website; it is also a social network. Take the opportunity to interact with people, add friends, join groups, send messages and make as many connections as you can.
  • Look at some of the most popular videos in your niche and see if it would be appropriate to make a video response to them. This is a way of joining in the conversation and it can help you to piggyback off the traffic which these videos receive.
  • Give your viewers a clear call to action after viewing your video. Do you want them to visit your site afterwards? Include a link in the video or in the description box. You can also encourage them to watch your other videos, subscribe to your channel or sign up for your mailing list. However, be careful not to be too pushy as this will put people off.
  • If at all possible, upload your videos in HD. They look so much more professional and HD videos have been shown to outrank standard definition videos every time.
  • Make sure that your YouTube video is keyword optimized so that users will find it when they are searching. Use the relevant keywords in the video description as well as in the file name of the video.

These are just a few tips which will get you started using YouTube to promote your business.

Here are a few expert SEO company tips on how to use YouTube to promote your products and services to your online audience.