A Star is Born
You’ve probably seen it. I think everyone has seen it. Well, at least 47,508,506 people have.
I’m talking about Susan Boyle’s performance of “I dreamed a dream” on YouTube. She sang the song as part of a competition on the British television show Britain’s Got Talent. It hit YouTube on April 11, 2009. At lightening speed the views shot up. As of this writing, total views are 47, 508, 506. It is ranked as the #6 most discussed YouTube video of all time in the United Kingdom. It is ranked at #1 for the most viewed video in the Entertainment / United Kingdom category on YouTube. And it is ranked at #85 for the most viewed YouTube video of all time.
Incredible.
In a matter of weeks Susan Boyle, a “nobody,” was transformed into a star, a worldwide celebrity. Truly, this is a Cinderella story if ever there was one.
Your Startup Business Can Be a Cinderella Story Too
All the makings are there. You have all the ingredients. Whether you are just starting out, or have been at it for a while, it doesn’t matter. You have the tools.
It’s been said that social media is the great equalizer. It has made us all equal. With the modest cost of a computer, free or inexpensive software, internet access, and some sort of video camera, you too can become a star.
We Are All Directors and Producers
The magic of social media is that we are all content producers. Blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos enable each one of us to advertise for free. Marketing has never been easier… or cheaper.
But let’s talk YouTube for moment. YouTube is the world’s 2nd largest search engine, second only to Google. YouTube receives over 2 million views a day. It’s big.
But…
What Does YouTube Have to Do with Me and My Startup Business?
A lot.
7 Ways YouTube Can Help You Grow Your Startup Business
- YouTube makes you an expert in your business field. By uploading valuable content that demonstrates that you know what you are talking about, like: your own commercials, product and service descriptions and demonstrations, slideshows that highlight special features of provide helpful tips, customer / client testimonials, client or employee training, meetings for those who were unable to attend, personal messages to your customers / clients. There are so many possibilities.
- YouTube gives you valuable (and immediate) feedback from customers / clients (or potential ones!), even from competitors. I don’t need to tell you how important it is to listen. To be successful in today’s social media market, one has to listen. And YouTube provides tools to help you do that.
- YouTube allows you to market to a target audience. So there’s over 2 million videos viewed each day… so what? What does that have to do with me? Well, by using tags and keywords in your titles and descriptions, you can focus your marketing efforts to that targeted audience that would be interested in what you have to sell. Niche marketing may be a buzzword today, but it is so for a reason. It works.
- YouTube videos are portable. You can embed them on your website or blog. You can embed them on your Facebook business page. You can embed them in emails you send. And here’s even more good news – so can all your customers, clients, and friends! Talk about distribution streams!
- YouTube allows you to work magic with RSS. That’s right, Really Simple Syndication. This is similar to #4. It’s all about distribution. But it automates everything. Customers / clients (or potential ones!) can subscribe to your video channel, either in an RSS reader or via email. Every time you upload a new video, they get a notification. You don’t have to do anything. It’s all automatic. By the way, direct marketing email campaigns are still the #1 most successful tool for online sales.
- YouTube provides you with valuable and detailed statistics. Not only do you get the feedback we talked about in #2 above, but you also get statistics. Want to know how many people viewed your latest product demonstration? You should! And you can. Statistics are good because they enable you to know whether or not what you’re doing is working. Of course, your bank account should also show you this.
- And, finally, YouTube is a wonderful way for you to brand your business. Branding. Name recognition. People knowing who you are and what you stand for, in addition to knowing what you sell. This is where you want to be… “where everybody knows your name.”
And did I mention that it is all free?
YouTube isn’t really magic. But it can certainly help you to grow your startup business.
If you are not particularly tech-savvy, there’s always the option of hiring out the making of your videos. Professionals know what works and what doesn’t. They can produce quality videos for you, and even take care of the uploading, tagging and marketing of your videos.
If you want to start utilizing YouTube but don’t know where to start, give me a call. I can provide everything from script writing to the actual shooting, editing and uploading of your videos.
Of course, if you need any more information about ways that YouTube can help you grow your startup business, just contact me at 504-722-8422 or via email at jeff@jeffyoung.me. I’ll be happy to help you.
