Should small business owners jump on the YouTube bandwagon to get exposure for their products or services?
According to Jason G. Miles, author of the book, YouTube Marketing Power: How to Use Video to Find More Prospects, Launch Your Products, and Reach a Massive Audience, the answer is yes. Miles took his small start up business, Liberty Jane Clothing, to a different level by incorporating YouTube videos to build his brand and in the book, he teaches the reader how to do the same.
Miles says there are only three uses for YouTube – video hosting, social sharing and paid advertising. He says that it’s imperative to use them in conjunction with each other to get maximum results.
When writing about why someone would watch a video about your business, he mentioned two reasons –– curiosity and self-interest (learning something new, humor, solving problems, entertaining, etc.).
Miles started out by using his 5-year-old daughter as the spokesperson. After a few years, when she matured, he used his wife. Since his wife wasn’t a “show woman,” he used her voice and filmed in an offscreen approach.
He suggests when starting a YouTube campaign, you should write out a plan and then after you figure out what your goals are, think about your onscreen persona. Who should be the spokesperson? What should you convey? How should you convey it?
He said building an audience is the biggest challenge on YouTube, but it can be done.
He also suggested working with Vloggers to get your message out. He calls this experiential marketing. He says to offer them an experience and in return they will vlog about it. (For those of you who don’t know, a Vlogger is a video blogger.)
He dedicated an entire chapter to video styles which can include:
• Anchorperson video – shot indoors
• Weatherperson video – shot outdoors
• Hand model video – having a hand demonstrate something
• Movie trailer video – for an important event coming up or a launch
But, Miles emphasizes the importance of camera angles, lighting, editing, and more.
Throughout the book, he interviews successful YouTube marketers. I found it interesting to hear what others do to get the word out about their products and services using YouTube as their primary business tactic.
YouTube Marketing Power: How to Use Video to Find More Prospects, Launch Your Products, and Reach a Massive Audience is a solid beginner book because Miles actually walks the reader through setting up a YouTube account, a custom URL, channel art work and even making sure social links are on the channel.
Miles also talks about how to analyze the data and advertise on YouTube to get results.
The book is lined with power tips and tactics that any business owner or non-profit organization can use and benefit from. If you are interested in using YouTube as a tactic to get the word out about your business, this is a good book to buy for your bookshelf. But, make sure to have your computer on hand when you’re reading so that you can follow along online and get the most value from it.
Can’t wait to see your next video! (Don’t forget to watch Glasslandia, the first ever Google Glass reality show, on www.youtube.com/hjmtpr.)
————————
