By Katie Mientka
YouTube has become ubiquitous in our daily lives; we turn here for everything from our favorite artist’s new music video and cute cats to how-to’s and product/services research. It’s entertainment, sure, but this platform has transcended even that important niche. Today, it is a critical conduit for information. And your brand videos need to be there.
YouTube’s reach, and that of video, is astonishing:
- There are 1.9 billion monthly users
- 60% of people prefer online videos over live TV
- 80% of those aged 18-49 watch YouTube
- On mobile devices alone, more people age18-49 watch YouTube than any broadcast or cable network (1)
- More than 500 million hours of video are watched on YouTube every day
- 72 hours of video are uploaded every hour (2)
Brands often think they need to go viral in order to stand out and achieve the results they want and need. While reaching this status does put a lot of eyes on your videos, there’s no guarantee that people will do more than say, “Fun/cool/crazy video,” and move right to the next video without a second thought. Reaching the right people matters far more than reaching all the people in terms of seeing a positive ROI.
And you can do it with these types of videos:
Brand Stories
This type of video tells a story that helps you connect to your audience; the goal is to engage them on an emotional level. You’re not detailing your features and benefits or “selling” in a traditional sense. Instead, you’re highlighting experiences, challenges and successes, and other key stories that allow potential and current customers to get to know – and love – the humanity behind your brand.
Heineken does this brilliantly with their “World’s Apart” ad. They’re not selling beer; they’re selling an experience, a point of connection, commonality in a world that is often hyper-focused on differences:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKggA9k8DKw&t=6s
Brand Histories
A subset of brand stories, these videos show your audience how your company came to be. Maybe you detail how you started your construction business with a set of basic tools and a can-do attitude. Let your viewers know how you grew into the success you are today. Or maybe your business started with a bold, innovative idea. Tell that story.
The point is that you have a history, and when you tell it creatively, it builds trust, awareness, and connection with your audience. Nike does a great job of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=45&v=2U6vKwAAmqY
Product Features
Show, don’t tell! Product videos offer a great opportunity to show your audience how your products look in action. For example, if your showroom includes top of the line kitchen appliances, create a video showing how they work, how they make life easier (e.g. integrating smart features), and how they can help solve common homeowner challenges.
This product video from Hafele is a simple visual presentation of how their Connect app works.
Bonus: it can be played without sound, which makes it a great fit for Facebook too (most viewers on this platform watch videos on mute). Leveraging your video assets across multiple channels helps you boost both your reach and your ROI.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMF10C5vj8w&list=PLrlVfIC0SXD2ga8i4vZ6yrUq9FQRKBoQZ
Product Comparisons
This or that? When homeowners undertake a new build or remodeling project, they face a seemingly endless list of decisions. Which faucet is best? Which exterior door is better, steel, wood, or fiberglass? Should I go with marble or granite for my countertops.
Help them out. Give them a side-by-side look at their options (limit them to two or three of the tops so they don’t get overwhelmed), highlight advantages and disadvantages, and steer them in the direction you think is the best fit.
Check out this product comparison video pitting the Surface Pro 3 against the MacBook Air for inspiration. What can you take away and use for your company?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=JGlmehmT-ZY
Product comparisons in both video and text format are huge: people are actively searching for this information. When you’re the one to present it, you’ll win their trust – and, ideally, their business.
How-Tos
Cats and Ariana Grande notwithstanding, one of the most popular categories on YouTube is “how-to.” Collectively, we watch hundreds of millions of hours each year, learning how to do everything from hair and makeup to fixing the leaky faucet.3
Get in on the action with clear, easy-to-follow how-to videos that address problems your customers face. For example, if you sell and/or install flooring, provide a how-to on cleaning tile. If you are a design firm, you can teach viewers how to pick the best paint colors.
This is just what Lowe’s does in this video.
Are you creating and using these brand videos? You should be! Leveraging YouTube for business can help you increase awareness, reach, engagement, and, ultimately, conversions and sales. Lights, camera action: it’s time to get started! Connect with us today to learn more about creating valuable video content.
