YouTube is a video-sharing website where users can upload, share, and view videos. It was created in 2005 by former PayPal employees and has over 2 billion active users.
With so many active users, YouTube is a powerful platform for businesses and individuals to reach their target audience. You can also use it to promote your website or online store since it is the second-largest search engine in the world (after Google).
While Instagram and Facebook are regarded as some of the biggest social media platforms, YouTube is a search engine that reaches far more people than Instagram, for example.
There are different types of video content you can create to reach a wider audience. Also, you shouldn’t forget the fact that including YouTube videos on your website can increase your ranking potential.
Not only that, but YouTube marketing is also a great way to establish thought leadership and build relationships with potential and existing customers.
Why Should You Use YouTube For Your Business?
There are many reasons you should use YouTube, but here are some of the most important ones, especially if you are running a business.
1. You Can Reach a Large Audience
YouTube is an excellent way to reach a large audience. According to Statista, there were approximately 2.1 billion YouTube users in 2021. That’s a lot of potential customers or viewers for your business.
Not only that, but 80% of users say they have taken some sort of action after watching a brand’s video on YouTube, such as searching for more information about the product or service, visiting the website, or even making a purchase. (Wyzowl)
You can brainstorm ideas by looking at other people’s videos. The two most popular video marketing types you can use for your video campaigns are:
- Informational videos.
- Explainer videos.
By creating such video content, you can improve your YouTube marketing strategy and reach a wider audience.
2. You Can Drive Traffic to Your Website
In addition to reaching a large audience, YouTube can also be used to increase and drive traffic to your website or blog post. This is because, according to Search Engine Journal, YouTube is just behind Google as the world’s second most popular search engine.
Today, most people do a Google search and a YouTube search interchangeably. It only depends on the format the user wants to receive the information: text or video.
That’s a lot of potential traffic you could drive to your website. And, if you optimize your videos for SEO, you have a greater chance of appearing in the search results and attracting that traffic.
3. You Can Establish Thought Leadership
YouTube is an excellent platform for establishing thought leadership. Thought leadership is when you establish yourself as an expert in your industry or niche. This can be done by creating informative and educational YouTube videos that show your expertise and knowledge.
You build trust with potential and existing customers when you establish yourself as a thought leader. This trust can then lead to more sales and loyalty from your customers.
4. You Can Build Relationships with Potential and Existing Customers
Youtube is also a great way to develop relationships with potential and existing customers and getting product feedback, especially now with YouTube’s new integration feature. You can interact with them directly through the comments section of your videos.
You can also respond to their questions and concerns, which builds trust and credibility. Additionally, you can use YouTube to create a connection with your customers by telling stories about your brand or product. Building relationships with your customers creates loyalty and advocacy, which can lead to more sales.
Michael Nemeroff, CEO & Co-Founder of Rush Order Tees, states,
YouTube provides an opportunity to build a relationship with your potential and existing customers. If you can create informative and entertaining videos, you can establish a closer connection with your customers on a deeper level, which can lead to more sales.
Michael Nemeroff, CEO & Co-Founder of Rush Order Tees
Best Ways To Make Money from YouTube
YouTube has come a long way since YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim uploaded the first video ever uploaded to YouTube entitled “Me at the zoo.” Since then, YouTube creators have come up with great ways to make money from YouTube.
1. Sell Products or Services
If you have a product or service to sell, YouTube can be a great platform to sell it on. You can create product videos or demonstrations to show your potential customers what you’re selling. You can also include links to your website or online store in the description of your YouTube videos so that viewers can easily purchase your product or service.
In addition, you can also run a video ad on YouTube to promote your products or services. You can use Google AdWords for video to run video ads on YouTube. You can also use TrueView In-Stream Ads, which are video ads that run before, during, or after other videos.
Peter Robert, CEO & Co-Founder of ECS, says,
YouTube provides a great platform to sell products and services. As you build up a following of subscribers, you can promote your products or services to them directly. You can also run ads on your videos to reach a wider audience.
Peter Robert, CEO & Co-Founder of ECS
2. Create Sponsored Videos
Another great way to make money from YouTube is to create sponsored videos. A sponsored YouTube video is a video that businesses or organizations create to promote their products, services, or brand. You can get paid to make these videos and include links to the sponsor’s website or product in the video’s description.
To find sponsors, you can contact businesses or organizations directly or use a platform like FameBit, which connects YouTubers with brands. In addition, you could also create sponsored videos as part of a larger YouTube channel focused on a particular topic or niche.
3. Join the YouTube Partner Program
If you have a large and considerable following on YouTube, you can join the YouTube Partner Program and make money from ads that run on your videos. There is a ton of money being spent on ads, as evidenced by the fact that Apple, the largest advertiser on YouTube in 2020, itself spent nearly $240 million on YouTube ads (Statista).
You can also make money from YouTube Premium, which is a paid subscription service that provides ad-free viewing of YouTube videos, as well as access to exclusive video content. To join the YouTube Partner Program, you must have at least 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours of watch time in the past 12 months.
4. Become an Affiliate Marketer
In addition to the YouTube Partner Program, you can also make money from affiliate marketing. With affiliate marketing, you may promote a product or service on your YouTube channel and get paid for each sale you generate.
To become an affiliate marketer, you can sign up for an affiliate program, such as Amazon Associates, or you can contact businesses directly and ask if they have an affiliate program.
To find affiliate programs, you can search for “name of product or service” + “affiliate program.” For example, if you want to promote a book on your YouTube channel, you would search for “book” + “affiliate program.”
By placing your affiliate link in the video description, you’re redirecting people to the merchant’s website. You get a commission if they make a purchase within the cookie duration window.
5. Get Paid to Review Products
If you have a significant YouTube following, you can also get paid to review products. To do this, you can contact businesses directly and ask if they would like you to review their product. You can also use a platform like Influence Central, which connects influencers with brands.
According to Jerry Han, CMO of PrizeRebel,
YouTube provides a great platform for influencers to review products. Brands are always looking for influencers to review their products, and YouTube is a great way to reach a vast audience.
Jerry Han, CMO of PrizeRebel
To find opportunities to review products, you can search for “product review” + “name of product or service.” For example, if you want to review a book, you would search for “product review” + “book.”
Awesome Facts About YouTube
While we all know that YouTube is an excellent platform for watching videos, there are also some other interesting facts about YouTube that you may not know.
Did you know that…
- 500 hours of video are posted to YouTube every minute. (YouTube)
- YouTube is available in 80+ different languages. (YouTube)
- 92% of Internet users watch video content each week. (Hootsuite)
- The most popular video on YouTube is “Baby Shark Dance,” with over 11 billion views.
- The most subscribed YouTube channel is T-Series, with over 234 million subscribers.
- In an average month, eight out of ten 18-49-year-olds watch YouTube.
- You can download YouTube videos to your iPhone camera roll.
- I make money from YouTube without having a YouTube channel!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are some fascinating facts about YouTube. Whether you are a creator or a viewer, YouTube is a great video platform you can use for various purposes, including in your digital marketing models.
Many different types of users can find something useful on YouTube, whether they’re looking to promote their business or simply download some videos for later viewing.
Creating videos should be on your priority list if you’re a brand looking to promote your product. That’s because video marketing on a popular social media platform like YouTube is a very effective way to reach a wider audience.
So, if you’re seeking a platform to watch or share videos, YouTube is the perfect platform for you.
