15 Tips for Using YouTube Video For Your Small Business

Do you want more traffic to your website and more sales?

Would you like to reach new customers?

Then, your business should be on YouTube.

Small businesses are often reluctant to start a YouTube channel as video production can seem complex and costly.

Yet, the investment can be well worth the rewards. Indeed, 70% of consumers report buying from a brand after watching a video on YouTube.

Ready to make the jump?

To help you get started, we’ve listed below 15 tips on how to make successful YouTube Videos.

Optimise Your YouTube Video Length

Even though you can create longer video content if it provides added value to your viewers, 7 to 15-minute videos tend to perform well on YouTube. The key is to always keep your audience in mind and ensure that you’re producing insightful, entertaining, and compelling videos. Indeed, if you can keep your viewers watching until the end, it’ll improve your watch time and boost your rankings on the platform.

Add a Text Overlay

What if we told you that 92% of consumers watch videos with the sound off?

That’s because many of us watch videos in public places such as public transport, or while waiting in a queue somewhere in order to keep entertained. This means that to cater to your viewers, you should always provide closed captioning. However, be careful not to overload your scenes with text. Instead, make sure your videos tell a compelling story without the sound, just like in a silent movie. You should only add captions when necessary to provide additional context.

Use Popular Video Types

Figuring out your video content strategy can be challenging and frankly quite daunting, especially if you’re new to this. Besides, as a small business owner, you’re probably wearing many hats. And this might make it hard for you to keep up with the latest trends and best-performing types of videos on YouTube.

Not to worry though, as we’ve listed the ten most popular video types on YouTube below:

• Product Reviews and unboxing videos
• How-to videos or tutorials
• ‘’Top’’ or ‘’Best’’ list videos (such as five best ways to create an effective YouTube Video)
• Q&A videos
• Behind-the-scenes
• Educational videos
• Explainer videos
• Walkthrough videos
• Product Launch
• Collaborative videos

Don’t Forget Storytelling

As the saying goes, “people buy stories, not products.” After all, human beings have been connecting through stories for millennia.

Sure, creating educational content to provide your viewers with expert tips in your niche will help build trust and establish your brand as an authority in your field. However, don’t forget the power of visual storytelling. As a result, strive to create videos that tell an engaging story and convey emotions. They should also always feature compelling messages.

You could have the best product or service in the world, if you’re not eliciting emotions, the viewers won’t connect with you or your offer.

Optimise Your YouTube Video Description and Titles

It’s no secret, these days, SEO runs the world.

And not just on Google.

Indeed, YouTube is the second largest search engine on the planet, and as such, you’ll need to follow YouTube SEO best practices if you want to rank for relevant keywords when someone is searching for a video in your niche.

And one of the best ways to do that is to optimize your descriptions and titles using well-researched and relevant keywords.

As an extra tip, we recommend that you use focus keywords both in your titles and at the beginning of your descriptions (as long as it flows).

Put Thought into Your Titles

Not only do you need to incorporate your focus keywords into your titles, but you also need to make sure these titles are catchy and descriptive. Viewers need to immediately understand what the video is about.

You also need to give them a good reason to click by providing clear value.

Finally, always incorporate your primary or focus keywords at the beginning of the title if possible. For instance, say your keywords are ‘’Real Estate in 2023’’. Instead of writing ‘’How to Start a Career in Real Estate in 2023’’, write ‘’Real Estate in 2023: How to Start Your Career as A Real Estate Agent’’.

Create Engaging Thumbnails for your YouTube Video

With over 30,000 hours of video uploaded on YouTube every hour, the competition for consumers’ attention is fierce on the platform.

So, to make sure you stand out and grab viewers’ attention immediately, you’ll need to create a relevant and compelling thumbnail. Think of your thumbnail as the cover of a book. An element often overlooked by video creators, it’s, in fact, the first thing someone looking for a video in your niche will see.

Plus, we’d recommend that you customise your thumbnail and that you don’t use an auto-generated one. After all, there is a reason why 90% of the highest-performing YouTube videos have a custom thumbnail.

Hook Your Viewers In

Since you only have 8 seconds to grab your audience’s attention, you should use these precious first few seconds wisely. As a result, create a killer hook to suck your viewers in and spark curiosity. Some examples include using a joke, an emotion, a quote, a question, an animation, or a shocking fact.

Get Your Customers Involved

Let’s use two powerful facts; 88% of people trust online testimonials as much as recommendations from friends or family, and 88% of consumers say reviews influence their purchasing decision.

With that in mind, involving your loyal customers in your video content strategy could be a fantastic way to boost your sales while building trust. As mentioned before, you could record testimonial videos or product reviews where they’d talk about their experience with your offer.

Interact with your Audience

Whenever people leave comments, make it a point to respond as quickly as possible. After all, if you want to grow your views and turn these viewers into loyal advocates, you’ll need to nurture your audience. Interacting with people on your channel will not only humanize your brand and make you more approachable, but it’ll also make them feel special.

Besides, engaging with your viewers will allow you to learn more about them and understand their pain points. You’ll also understand what makes them tick and what content they like or dislike.

You could even be more interactive and gather more valuable insights by using Q&A videos, answering all of their questions, and asking for their input or feedback.

Work on Collaborative Videos

Collaborative videos are very popular and can significantly boost your views.

In fact, just like partnering with an influencer on Instagram or TikTok can improve your brand awareness, collaborating with someone well-established as an authority in your niche can have tremendous benefits for you.

So, research and select a few relevant YouTubers with a decent engagement, and make sure that they resonate with your target audience. Then, reach out to ask whether they’d be open to feature in one of your videos.

Use High-Quality Equipment for Your YouTube Video

Sure, you’ll hear many YouTubers say that all you need to make amazing YouTube videos is great content and a smartphone.

Yet, the reality is that if you want your video to look professional and your audience to take you seriously, you need to use high-quality video production equipment. It’ll allow you to record striking images and shoot crisp and professional-looking videos.

And remember that the equipment you’ll need if you want to create high-quality videos is not just about the camera. It also includes using a good microphone for great sound, LED Panels for optimal lighting, and a good stabilizer to add visual value.

Be Consistent

Being consistent is key in ensuring that your YouTube videos and channel are successful. That’s because YouTube rewards content creators who post consistently, are active on the platform, and regularly upload fresh and engaging content.

What’s more, consistency allows your audience to know exactly when they can expect your next video to be up. Indeed, if you post randomly and go for weeks without posting anything, you run the risk of them losing interest and forgetting about you no matter how good your content is.

Add End Screen and Cards in your YouTube Video

Cards and end screens are interactive elements that you can add to your video in order to encourage viewers to take action or promote your products or service.

Cards are a great way to point your audience to your other videos, your website (using a link card), or ask them questions (poll card) throughout a video. This, in turn, can help boost your engagement and increase your traffic and sales. As a result, don’t hesitate to use them to present your calls to action.

Note that end screens (or end cards) can only appear in the last 5-20 seconds of the video.

Don’t Forget to Add a Clear Call to Action

Talking about calls to action, this step is often overlooked by small businesses and new content creators.

Yet, even though providing value to your viewers is important, so is moving them to action.

So, unless you’re making videos because you enjoy the process, you should have a goal in mind for each of them.

For instance, do you want to capture leads? Do you want more customers?  Are you trying to grow your channel to build credibility as a business?  Or perhaps you’re looking to reach a new audience and increase your website traffic?

Whatever your goal is, spend time crafting an irresistible call to action to turn casual viewers into loyal customers.

Don’t Try to Do Everything Yourself

As a small business owner, it might be tempting to try and do everything yourself to keep your costs low. We get it. However, this can, unfortunately, also prove counterproductive. Video marketing is an art that can only be mastered with practice, resources and time. Things you might be lacking as a busy entrepreneur. So, if you’re looking to grow your business through high-quality and compelling videos, get in touch with our team. Tapping into our years of expertise and experience will allow you to optimise your marketing budget and increase your return on investment. Plus, it’ll free up some time for you to do the other million things that require your attention.

You can also check out our other resources on Everything you need to know on video SEO and Does size matter? Social video specs for 2021 to help you get started. Good luck!