If I told you that the second most amount of searches online are done on YouTube over any other search engine or website would you believe me? With over 4 billion video views each day, more than 60 hours of video uploaded every minute, and more than 400 million views daily on mobile devices YouTube has truly become a daily search destination for people.

When it comes to businesses talking about utilizing Social Media usually sites like Facebook and Twitter are quick to come up, but YouTube is often left off the short list. With the stats that I have listed above it is a mystery to me how more Small Businesses are not taking advantage of the great opportunity YouTube provides.

I would even go as far as saying that people now enjoy more learning and searching for information through videos online over reading. The four points below are a few of the most important reasons why I feel YouTube needs to be considered a Social Media staple for your business.

1. The Reach and Accessibility of YouTube

YouTube is not just used by the young generation anymore. As mentioned above the 2nd most amount of searches online are done on YouTube over all other sites. Over 128 million people in the US and over 800 million globally visit YouTube at least once a month. Not only is there a large population of potential customers, but YouTube is easily accessible as well. The videos on the site can be shared or viewed by almost every smart phone on the market, and now by most new televisions that are sold. People have the ability to access the site when they want and where they want.

2. YouTube Advertising is Great!

If you have used Facebook advertising or PPC adds on Google or Bing you know how ridiculously expensive and competitive those can be. With YouTube you will be paying pennies on the dollar compared to those sites. Advertising on YouTube works exactly like a PPC ad where you bid on keywords and instead of a text ad coming up searchers will see your videos pop up. When creating a campaign you choose for your ad to either show up during a video or before, have your video show in a search, or promoted on the right display panel. Along with those choices are some great demographic targeting tools as well as insightful analytics which let you see how successful your ads were.

3. Tell your Story and Show off your Products

What better way to connect with potential customers or tell your brand’s story than through video. The emotional chords that videos can string are much more powerful than text or pictures. By being able to connect on a more emotional level with potential consumers will create more interest, curiosity and excitement about your company and products. Additionally, videos are a great way to show off. Whether it is showing how to use something, product launches or just demonstrating how amazing your products are videos are a great way to illustrate these points.

4. Make YouTube Channel a Destination for Viewers

After watching your video the next step for viewers is to check out your YouTube channel. This is a page that you should put in some effort and treat it as you would your website. If people can come to your YouTube channel and be able to read about your company, look at some pictures and videos they will be much more likely to then head over to your website and make a purchase. This should be an informative, but fun page for visitors to get  more interested in your brand and products.

Do you use YouTube for marketing your brand or business? Comment below with advice on what has or has not worked! 

Meet Saman Kouretchian

About the Author >> Saman Kouretchian is an online marketing consultant, blogger, project manager and social media addict involved in the tech industry. Interests include fashion, sports, entertainment, tech industry & business. Part time data geek mixed with a creative and strategic mindset he strives to stay on top of the latest industry trends.

Original Article >> 4 Reasons why Your Small Business Needs to be on YouTube