Have you been wondering which social media platform could best help you promote your business? Are you unsure which fits your lifestyle and personality the most? Perhaps, you are uncertain how you can manage your site in the long run yet. Although there is numberless useful information available online, you are also aware, there is no one solution or outcome that fits everyone. So you have to explore and see what best works for you.
Even though a social media presence can feel highly competitive these days, many small business providers don’t want to get overwhelmed by their presence. Even if they just start. If you are one of those entrepreneurs who don’t want to grow sick and tired of thinking up new content to post every day here are a couple of hints on how you could spare a headache over this. YouTube could be a great option to support your business while building community.
Avoiding The Social Media Trap
The average life span of current social media posts is as follows:
- Facebook posts: 6 hours
- LinkedIn posts: 24 hours
- Instagram posts: 48 hours
- YouTube videos/podcasts: 20 days or more
- Pinterest: 4 months
Do you see how planning your social media presence and creating content can get super mind-boggling? Most of us already have enough on our plates, and we don’t want to cut down on the already tiny time left to spend with our beloved ones, or recharging. So if you don’t want social media platforms to get the better of your life, think carefully about where you want to upload content! YouTube could be a beneficial platform to start since contents have a longer expiry.
Sometimes, a few years old YouTube video can even drive traffic to your channel. By using this platform, you don’t have to stress over constant content creation. If you keep uploading quality content consistently, it’s up to you whether you want to do it weekly, a few times a week, or even daily, YouTube can eventually help you build up your desired audience. Even though it might take several hours to create a prime video that draws attention, it can yield long-term results.
The Perks of YouTube
Since Google owns YouTube, it also offers a search function, unlike for instance Instagram, or TikTok. Google highly values video content and places it in front of written content when searching because people prefer watching videos to reading. If you are smart, your related blog post could also pop up below your videos after a Google search. These can be achieved organically, without having to pay for any ads. The key is constant, unique quality content.
So after uploading your video on YouTube, write a blog post about it and include your video for best placement and SEO combo in Google. Depending on your business needs, and if you have co-worker help, you could reformat the same post or parts of it to upload on Facebook, Instagram, etc. By informing people via newsletters that include a weekly video, you could get great results. Creating four videos every month for a weekly upload can work!
How the Algorithm Works
It could take you one or two hours to build up the following you want, and make YouTube the source of your primary income. YouTube can work without getting you burnt out! Even if you don’t want to become a YouTube superstar, you can create specific videos that address your tribe. So, how could you best reach out to your target audience, and how can you perform above averagely? Also, how could you achieve that YouTube suggests your video?
If you want to focus on getting the best out of your YouTube presence, you need to focus on five key elements of the algorithm. These are:
- Click-Through Rate
- Audience Retention
- End screen Clicks
- Engagement
- Tags
Even though you still need to provide tags, they are the least important to focus on, along with engagement. You must focus more on your click-through rate, audience retention, and end screen clicks.
Click-through Rate
Your Click-through Rate is your title and thumbnail. Are your videos visually outstanding to grab attention, and are your texts engaging enough? These are essential factors for your audience to click on your videos. Your new video can appear on the Home page, but if not enough people click on it, other videos will replace yours. YouTube of course makes money from people watching so it is in their interest to prioritize the most sought-after videos.
You were perhaps advised to rank your videos, but the algorithm is customized to what people view. The platform suggests content based on your view and search history. If you optimize your SEO well, but people don’t click on your video, you will lose out on receiving a high rank. That’s why thumbnails are crucial.
Thumbnails
You don’t have to use Photoshop or similar apps to create thumbnails. If you prefer fancy apps it’s OK. But simple tools such as Keynote, PowerPoint, or the free and fast Canva are sufficient. Minimize your thumbnail text to 3-5 words, so they are visible on mobiles. You should use your photo for the thumbnail. Research has found that people click on more videos with faces showing whites of eyes because of trust.
Try to attract attention, promise, and deliver value. You also need to show the results, like before and after, including how did it help you create change. If you showcase emotions like how frustrated you were before finding a particular solution to your problem, the more views you may have. Remember to create Headlines that raise awareness and are unique so viewers will pick your video!
Try to come up with your title and thumbnail idea before creating content. Firstly, you need to think of a catchy image including your thumbnail, secondly, you need to spark your audience’s curiosity through the title. It might surprise you, but some YouTubers spend more time creating their thumbnails than on their video content. They know if they don’t perfect those, they won’t get enough viewers! Strive to get better by competing with yourself!
Audience Retention
The audience retention report enables you to see where your audience drops out while watching your video due to lack of interest, etc. This helps you to create better quality content. The report usually takes 1-2 days to process. The third point, therefore, which you need to focus on, is where you are placing the hook. Ideally, you should hook your audience within the first 5-10 seconds. If you keep studying your audience retention graphs, you can get better at this!
Summary
Put aside enough time to plan your YouTube videos, the fewer and higher-quality, the better! Come up with a script for each video. After giving a catchy thumbnail and title, make sure to deliver on them! Hook your audience no later than in the first 10 seconds, and find ways to maintain their interest to be willing to watch your video until the end. For best results, study your audience retention graphs to excel!
