By Jean McIntyre ( Marketing Angels)
Last year I posted on 5 things small business owners can do over the slow period to boost their business. One of those was to make a YouTube video. This month I’d like to explore that a bit because it’s a lot of fun and can be a great tool for your business.
So here’s my ideas on what you could do on YouTube:
- Get someone you know to write a song about your business and how great it is, get your staff and some customers together to sing it and record it with a video camera. Get some free online editing software and add your logo, credits and some key messages on the end.
- Record yourself working on your computer doing whatever you do (writing a training program, designing a logo, entering bookkeeping data, preparing a tax return). Record a commentary over the top about the key steps in the process – of course with your branding attached.
- Identify 5 tips in your area of expertise and record a video of you with a whiteboard – going through the 5 tips and explaining them in detail. Tip: if you are going to record yourself wear a nice suit or dress, do your hair and makeup so you look your best.
- Think of something you are expert at (let’s say it’s staff recruitment), write a script about it and hold (and film) a puppet show about it. You can get your family or your staff to make some really interesting puppets and nice backdrops.
Those are the cheap ways to get on You Tube. Of course if you have some resources to put into it you can get a short video professionally produced and put it up.
A warning about both options though, people love to share videos – particularly of people doing interesting things. But if your video is just a film version of your marketing material – trust me – people won’t view it or comment on it and certainly won’t email or re-post it for others to view.
The way to get it shared online is to make it intersting. Videos that are funny, quirky, controversial or tug at the heart (or purse) strings will more easily get traction on YouTube.
So get to it.
Nothing to stop you from sitting in front of your webcam and giving it a go. Don’t forget though to put a link to your website on your video so people can find you. Also use the tools on YouTube to post it to Facebook, Twitter, your blog and any other social media sites you are involved with.
I’d be really pleased to see some links from readers to videos they’ve put on You Tube.
Jean Mc
Hi…I really like your blog.It is too good and helping for me.Thanks !
Hi there,
Sorry it’s taken me so long (many months in fact) to reply. I’m glad you enjoy the blog. We’ve taken a little bit of a holiday but hope to be back to it soon.
Jean Mc
One word of advice – have an external party view your youtube creation before putting it live. An unbiased acquaintance can point out weird things you didn’t notice, or give you advice on if the direction you went was clever, funny, annoying, confusing, etc.
Don’t let your youtube efforts be wasted time but not opening up to a few trusted external opinions!
Good advice
Hey! Great idea about filming yourself “doing” what it is that you are doing! I love that! I think I will do that for the information product I am creating now.
Brad,
Good luck with it. Send me a link I’d love to see it.
Jean Mc