From YouTube (Video Marketing)

[private].[/private]Everyone who has a computer and internet connection has heard of YouTube and has probably seen at least one YouTube video. However, even though you might have seen a YouTube video, this does not mean that you know the ins and outs of YouTube or how it can help you market your site. This is where I can help.

YouTube is so popular that more than 200 million video clips are shown every day! It is a FREE (there’s that word again) online video-sharing site that allows its members to upload their own videos and watch countless others.

How does this benefit your internet marketing campaign? Easy and the best part is that marketers are just beginning to understand its promotional benefits.

YouTube is a way to help establish a rapport with your prospective customers in a way you cannot mimic anywhere else on the internet. People can see your face on a YouTube video and that will give them a certain feeling of security. They can trust you more once they have seen your face and heard your voice.

Simply put, a YouTube video makes internet marketing more personal!

YouTube is a community and community is very important. You can choose a group that aligns with your niche and you can choose an appropriate channel to air your videos. By targeting your niche market on YouTube, you can create a targeted YouTube marketing campaign that will help you generate traffic for your site.

One of the greatest benefits of YouTube is the function that allows people to leave comments after viewing your video. I mean, YouTube really is a social neworking platform and when people leave positive comments about your videos, this can really help brand you as an expert in your field and promote your site to many others who read those comments. They are leaving Social Proof of the impact of your video and, thus, yourself.

Another advantage to YoutTube is that it helps you get your website indexed on the search engines faster. when you create your video, you will display your URL along with it (more details on that below). This will help the search engine crawlers find your site faster.

The next thing I want to talk about is creating a YouTube video in order to market your site. When you create the video, you must be scrupulous in detail to ensure your video displays the exact image you want viewers to see.

The following are guidelines when making your YouTube video:

Know your target audience: When creating your video, you need to keep in mind who you are targeting. You will make a very different video to attract teens than you will if you are targeting the baby boomers. Your video will be different if your niche is parenting than if it is about antique model trains.

Keep it short: Make sure your video is no more than five minutes in length. You don’t want to put people to sleep and you don’t want to waste their time. Everyone will attest to the fact that they are as busy as you are (and you are busy), so you need to respect that.

Make it clear: In keeping with the “keep it short”, you want your YouTube message to be as clear and concise as possible. Be direct and to the point.

Make an impact: Put your passion behind your video. You have a unique opportunity with YouTube, the opportunity to let people see the real you and see the passion that drives you. You can shock people, move them, and get their curiosity brewing enough that they will want to go to your website to learn more.

Value: Make sure the viewer will find value in your video. It could be a how-to video or some sort of informational video that will leave the viewer feeling satisfied and wanting more.

Branding: Help establish and promote your brand on your video. Identify yourself clearly and make sure your company or website name and logo are on the video. Otherwise, your message will not make a difference.

Take your time: There is no rush to get your video finished. Take your time and get it right.

Placement: Make sure you place your video in a strategic place in the YouTube net. If you make it a top-watch video, it might even appear on the YouTube homepage. After all, you want people to be able to find it easily.

Get your link in there – somewhere: YouTube frowns upon blatant advertising, but you do need to subtly get your link in the video so that people will know where to go. By putting a teaser trailer at the end of your video with the link and company info, you will let people know where to find you.

When you create your YouTube video, you will attach keywords to it for the YouTube search engine. Make sure to tag your keywords and create a play list if you have more than one video. If you need help finding the right keywords, do your keyword research with Wordtracker.

YouTube videos can be displayed in other places on the internet besides the YouTube site itself. You can place it on:

** Your own website

** Another website

** A social networking site such as Facebook or MySpace

** Your blog

You can also send it out to all of your email lists!

A YouTube video gives you a unique connection with your customers and an advantage over your competition. Best of all, it’s FREE! Get out there and get the camera rolling…