Why Every Brand Should Have a YouTube Channel

Why your brand needs to be on YouTube

There are more than 33 million small businesses in the United States. According to Visual Optics, 67 percent of them utilize social media marketing. With 2.68 billion monthly active users, YouTube is the second-largest social media platform in the world, surpassed only by Facebook. And YouTube is the second-largest search engine, behind its parent company, Google. 

YouTube is a powerful tool to increase brand awareness online and reach new audiences. Here are some other YouTube statistics from Statista to consider:

• YouTube generated more than $29 billion in advertising revenue in 2022.
• More than 126 million people visit YouTube daily.
• 720,000 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube daily.
• Over 80 million people are YouTube Premium subscribers. 

YouTube helps businesses access a large, global audience while making them more searchable on Google. If you regularly create content and utilize keywords, your video’s thumbnail could appear in relevant searches.

Unlike other social media channels, YouTube videos last for a long time. They aren’t pushed to the bottom of the newsfeed in favor of newer content. Your videos can be used for many purposes and shared on different channels. 

5 advantages of being on YouTube as a brand

Consider the following advantages of having a YouTube channel for your brand.

1. A YouTube channel brings brand exposure.

When you share a video on YouTube, your target audience can find your content via YouTube and Google searches. Google owns YouTube, so optimizing your videos on one platform nets you benefits on the other.

When people find your videos during a search, you gain brand exposure and visibility over the long term by effectively telling your brand’s story. Additionally, new, targeted customers can discover your brand’s content. In contrast, when you post on Instagram or share content on other social media platforms, it tends to have a shorter shelf life, such as a few hours or days.

2. A YouTube channel can help generate leads. 

YouTube helps your business reach a massive worldwide audience with just a few clicks and offers many ways to generate leads, including the following:

• Optimize your videos with keywords: One effective lead-generation tactic involves optimizing your videos and channel using keywords and phrases for which people search. This tactic makes it more likely they’ll find your videos. 
• Include links in your channel description: You can also include links in your channel description to direct viewers to your landing pages for more information about your business and the specific solutions you offer. 

Other YouTube lead generation methods include:

• Encouraging comments and subscribers
• Partnering with YouTube influencers
• Using paid YouTube ads

By providing useful, entertaining and engaging content, you can educate your viewers and answer their questions. Include a compelling call to action that points viewers toward your products and services as the perfect solution to their problems and challenges.

3. A YouTube channel can help you become a trusted authority.

YouTube is an excellent platform for building authority and credibility. Viewers will quickly determine whether you’re authentic, and they’ll continue to watch your videos if you demonstrate effort and produce quality content. 

Some ways to leverage the power of video to build brand trust include the following:

• Create customer testimonial videos
• Introduce your team
• Feature behind-the-scenes content
• Create videos showcasing user-generated content

4. A YouTube channel can help you acquire customers.

YouTube can act as an additional customer acquisition channel for your brand for the following reasons:

• YouTube can attract your target audience: YouTube makes it easier to identify the target audiences interested in your brand. Further, according to Wyzowl, 91 percent of consumers want to see more online videos from brands they trust.
• YouTube videos share your message quickly: YouTube helps your customer acquisition strategy by offering a faster medium to communicate your message. With videos, you can explain complete concepts in minutes. 
• YouTube is free: Because YouTube is free, you don’t have to pay to grow your audience and attract ideal customers. Create a channel, start uploading your videos and implement effective video promotion strategies.
• Your videos can go viral: Videos are also some of the most shared online content, so there’s always a chance that some of your videos may go viral, allowing you to grow your business quickly without spending a dime.

5. A YouTube channel diversifies your marketing efforts. 

Channel diversification is crucial for marketers ― and YouTube can help. In today’s ever-evolving digital landscape, you must focus on multiple marketing channels to tailor your messages and reach the largest possible audience across different platforms.

As the world’s second-biggest search engine, YouTube can help grab your target audience’s attention and create an emotional connection with customers.

Why it’s not too late to start a YouTube channel

If you decide it’s time for your brand to be on YouTube, you may worry that the platform is over-saturated. Fortunately, YouTube continues to grow and provide new opportunities to creators. 

Here are three reasons why it’s not too late for your brand to create a YouTube channel:

1. Your perspective is unique: Although your videos may cover popular topics, your brand’s unique perspective and personality will differentiate you from competitors.
2. Interests will change: New channels come to YouTube all the time as interests change and old channels languish. There’s always room for new talent.
3. YouTube’s algorithm can assist you: As long as you create high-quality video content on topics relevant to your audience, YouTube’s algorithm pushes your videos to the top.  

It may take time to see results, but with effort and dedication, you can create a successful YouTube channel for your brand. With 78 percent of marketers calling YouTube the most effective social media channel, now is the perfect time for your brand to get involved.

How to make a YouTube channel for your business

Many business owners don’t consider creating a YouTube channel because they think it might be challenging or expensive. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Here are five steps to start a YouTube channel and use YouTube to create a community:

1. Define your YouTube channel goals: Before starting a YouTube channel, determine your primary purpose and what you hope to get out of the endeavor. You should also determine your target audience and how often you’ll create new content. 
2. Start creating videos for your YouTube channel: Once you understand your goals, start making and publishing new videos. Don’t feel like you must invest in expensive equipment immediately ― you can always upgrade later.  
3. Create playlists for your YouTube channel: Once you have videos on your channel, start organizing them into playlists. Playlists will make it easier for subscribers to sort through your content and can help you rank higher in Google search results. 
4. Repurpose content from other social platforms: If you’re struggling with new video ideas, repurpose content from other social media channels. For example, if you’ve already created blog posts, you can use this content to make new videos (more on this below).
5. Track your YouTube channel data: Tracking and analyzing your data is essential to see how many people interact with your content. Data analytics will reveal the topics that interest your audience so you can improve your channel. 

How to turn your blog content into YouTube videos

It’s easy to repurpose old blog content for YouTube videos. Turn the business blog post into a video script and discuss the main points in your video. 

You can also use videos to expand on individual points in your blog post. Videos help you explain complex concepts more easily than written text. 

Here are four other effective ways to turn your blog posts into YouTube videos:

1. Microsoft PowerPoint: PowerPoint is one of the easiest ways to transform blog posts into videos. Use the blog post to create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation with subheads, paragraphs and images and then convert it into a video.
2. Online tools: Use video creation software to turn posts into videos. This approach helps you create videos with minimal effort.
3. Free video editing tools: Many free video creation resources exist, including Unsplash, Pexels Video and HookSounds. These tools help you create unique, engaging brand videos. You’ll find helpful tutorials online on how to get started making your own videos using these tools.
4. Freelancers: If you don’t have the time or bandwidth to create videos for your YouTube channel, consider hiring a freelancer. Several freelance marketplaces specialize in video content creation, including animated videos, product videos, explainer videos and more.

Take time to grow your YouTube channel

Every business can benefit from a YouTube presence, but growing your video channel will take time. With patience and perseverance, you can soon have a thriving channel that attracts viewers and subscribers and helps you generate more traffic and leads to your website.

Jamie Johnson contributed to this article.