How to make YouTube work for your brand

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How to make YouTube work for your brand --

Fri, 04 Jul 2014 11:05

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With over 4.5m South African users, online video content aggregator YouTube has become a valuable social media platform for brands. Michael Walker, Search and Analytics Director at 25AM, a strategic digital consulting company, outlines how companies can use the portal to attract subscribers and offer engaging video content.

Getting started

According to Walker, it is important to select visuals and artwork which represent a brand s story and identity. These should be compatible across all devices including smartphone, tablet or traditional PC.

View the technical aspects of setting this up.

With regards to content, Walker advises, Start out by creating a short but compelling introductory video that tells users what your channel is all about and what they can expect from it. This video will only be displayed to new, unsubscribed users that are viewing your channel, so it s a big chance to convert them into subscribers.

He adds that companies should write a simple but appealing channel description which includes links to other social platforms in the About Us section. Not only will this attract subscribers, but it will also optimise search engine results across your YouTube channel and other online properties.

Create organised and captivating playlists

When compiling video playlists Walker recommends taking time to write good descriptions, select attractive thumbnails and organise playlists by themes and user interests.

He adds, Video content is expensive to create and you probably don t have an endless supply of fresh TV adverts and corporate videos to leverage on your channel. That doesn t mean that your YouTube content needs to be thin, outdated and boring you can curate interesting content on your playlists from other sources to keep your channel fresh. There is plenty of good stuff on YouTube, so look for the nuggets that relate to your channel audience and resonate with your brand to keep your subscribers coming back for more.

Add annotations

Annotations are the clickable areas which appear in videos and using them produces a number of benefits including: creating non-linear video stories, driving users to a site and getting users to subscribe to your channel.

Walker explains, They are easy to set up, flexible and powerful, so start using them and reap the benefits. After all, YouTube is not a sit back medium like television. It s a social, interactive and user-controlled medium, so use it as such.

Learn more about annotations.

Visit the 25AM website for more information

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