Does My Business Need A Youtube Channel?

Looking for something to do over the holidays season when you’ve had enough family time but can’t stop thinking about your business? Why 2019 is the year that you will need to step up with your content marketing by moving into video.

If you’re like me, when you want to figure out how to do something, you go straight to YouTube. Often even the most specific and obscure question can be answered by a simple YouTube search. You find some business owner or hobbyist who specializes in that that “thing” you’re trying to learn, and they walk you step-by-step. That was sure nice of them to post that video, wasn’t it? In fact, they seem to have an entire YouTube channel based around that subject. Have you ever wondered why they would take the time to do this?

Why You Should Start a YouTube Channel for Your Business

1. The Law of Reciprocity

A huge reason for starting a YouTube Channel and creating video content has everything to do with something called the “Law of reciprocity.” What that basically means is, if I go out of my way to genuinely help someone, that person is naturally going to feel inclined to return the favor in some way.

In our business, this may come in the form of them buying your services, giving you a referral, wanting to collaborate with you on a project, etc.

The key here is to be genuinely helpful – not expecting anything in return. Through this concept of “sowing and reaping,” I firmly believe that the good things you put out there are going to come back to you in some form or fashion!

This is what we are doing on YouTube: providing free value to people. Now, I know a lot of people are very hesitant to give away all of their knowledge for free. They feel that if they give away their “secret sauce,” no one will be willing to pay for it.

But the truth is, by openly sharing your knowledge and expertise, you’re demonstrating your willingness to help. Yes, some will take the information you provided and go do it themselves (these type of people probably weren’t going to buy from you anyway). But realize that not every person is the do-it-yourself type. Many people who watch your videos will see how well you do your job, and as a result, they want to hire you to do that exact thing!

2. Building Trust

YouTube provides an opportunity for you to build trust with your target audience. You’re not only showing people what you’re capable of, but you’re also showing them your personality.

This is especially important when you’re the sole person running your business because in this case, you are your brand. It’s important that potential customers get to see who you are as a person.

People will buy from who they know, like, and trust. Having a YouTube Channel is a great way for potential customers to come to know, like, and trust you.

3. Catch Customers’ Attention

YouTube is an important tool for business owners because marketing is moving towards video. This is because we’re being bombarded with more and more information every day. It’s easy to begin to tune a lot of it out.

Video is a way that you can catch your customers’ attention in a way that you haven’t before. Video allows them to just passively consume the content, instead of needing to actively read something.

4. Good for SEO

Lastly, you want to incorporate a YouTube Channel in your business for SEO purposes. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essentially about getting found on the Internet. We often think of SEO when it comes to getting our website ranked well on Google, but it’s actually more than that.

You can be found through YouTube, the world’s second largest search engine, just like you can be found through Pinterest, Instagram, or any other major social site that attracts attention. These are all ways to optimize how people find you online.

What makes YouTube unique is the fact that it is owned by Google. So if someone Googles the exact problem that your business solves, one of your videos may show up on the search page. In addition, YouTube itself is a search engine, and people go on there all the time for practical “How To’s.” That’s when they have the potential to stumble across your Channel, and you begin to build trust with them with your helpful videos.

Will This Work in My Industry?

You might be asking whether this could work for your business, or if YouTube is only for certain industries. I have to tell you that I’ve seen so many different industries do this very well and no matter what industry you’re in, YouTube can be a very valuable resource for you.

I hope that you’ll consider creating a YouTube channel for your business to start building trust with your target audience and grow your business in 2019!

While we mainly discuss Youtube in this article, there are other video content distribution outlets to consider such as Facebook and Instagram. LinkedIn is largely rumored to be working on video capability that we could see in early 2019 as well. Need help putting together your video content strategy? Schedule a time to chat with our team and we can help you figure out your next steps!