HOW TO START ON YOUTUBE WITH YOUR BUSINESS. YOUTUBE GUIDE FOR ONLINE BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS
What is starting on Youtube with your business
Starting on YouTube with a business or project is strategically preparing your channel and your video content to attract visitors and convert them into customers. When we talk about starting a YouTube channel for business, we are not talking about being a YouTuber, having millions of subscribers and earning money from YouTube ads or repros, but rather we are talking about putting your channel to work for your business.
You don't need millions of followers to have a video system that helps you attract new customers, you just need a good strategy, a channel that lives up to the brand and have everything optimized so that your new visitors know who you are and what you can do. for them and where to find you.
Why start on Youtube with your business
And what is special about Youtube? Well, in addition to the fact that it is the second most used search engine in the world , it could give you a list of data on the number of videos that are uploaded, seen and shared on YouTube, statistics on those who prefer to watch a video before buying... but you can see that in many places, I leave you the three things that seem to me to be the most differentiating of YouTube in relation to other social networks:
- The videos do not "expire" because being a search engine, your videos are found by searches and are always rolling. Unlike other social networks where the videos are being forgotten, below the timeline of the publications.
- You can have a personalized home. On YouTube you can choose the content to display on your home page, you can choose a trailer or presentation video of your channel and then add your playlists ordered as you want.
- You can put links to your website and your social networks within your videos, in the comments and in the info of your channel.
How to start on Youtube from scratch
I leave you 8 steps to start on YouTube from scratch, it is a YouTube guide for businesses that want to start with video but want to do it with everything prepared to create an attractive and effective video system:
1. Create a YouTube channel with a brand account
To get started on YouTube with a business, create a brand account. The difference between a personal account and a brand account is that you can put a subtitle to your name and add administrators to your channel, in case you ever need someone else to manage it.
If you are going to create your channel from scratch, I leave you this post where I explain how to make a channel with a brand account and if you already have your channel created with a personal account you can change it to a brand account with these instructions. Videos and comments will remain on the channel even if you move it to your brand account.
2. Optimize your channel and use your branding on YouTube
One of the first things to do when starting a YouTube channel is to optimize and verify it so that everything is ready to receive visits. Your channel and your videos are an extension of your business and your website, which is why it is important to note that it is an active, careful channel, made with great care and consistent with the visual identity of your brand. When you make videos you are also doing branding, everything that is seen, heard and perceived is creating a brand image in your viewers, take advantage of it to create a very clear and defined image of your business or of yourself as a professional.
– Check your channel.
To start on Youtube with the maximum options activated, you have to verify your channel. In the status and functions of Youtube Studio, you will find a button to verify your channel. You just have to click on it and follow the instructions to add the verification code that will be sent to you.
– Design the header of your YouTube channel.
The YouTube header is the banner that appears on the home page of your channel and it will be like your business card, the first thing your visitors will see when they enter your channel. That is why it is important that you make it clear at first glance what you do and what you offer in your videos. That as soon as they enter your channel, your audience knows what they are going to achieve thanks to your videos.
Prepare a 2560 x 1440 px image with your image editor, Canva or similar in which your slogan or phrase appears that describes what you do and that follows the style of your visual identity, with your colors and fonts.
– Upload a profile picture.
In the profile photo you can put a photo of yourself (if you are a personal brand) or your logo. It is the image that will accompany your name in all the publications and comments that you make in other videos, so make sure that it is representative and keep in mind that the name does not need to appear in the photo because it will always be accompanied by the written name.
– Insert links to your website and rrss.
On YouTube, in the “customize channel” options, you can add links to your website and social networks. These links will appear in the header of your channel with the icons of the different rrss. Take advantage of this option to direct your audience to your website or the social networks in which you are present.
– Write a description of your YouTube channel.
Briefly explain what your audience will find on your channel, the benefits they will get from watching your videos and how you can help them with your products or services. You can do it in the more information tab and you have 1000 characters to tell it all. You can also add, in the same tab, an email and define the country of your channel.
– Create a trailer for your channel.
The trailer is the presentation video of your channel. Prepare a very short video, less than a minute if possible, in which you briefly tell what your channel is about, introduce yourself and encourage your audience to subscribe. If you have a defined publication day and time, count that too! So your audience will know when you play video and will be eagerly waiting for your content.
– Prepare playlists.
Youtube playlists are collections of videos that you can make on the same topic. When entering your list, all the videos will be played in the order that you have put them. Take advantage of the lists to sort your videos by themes or categories, as if they were the categories of your blog.
– Structure the home of your channel.
The YouTube home is customizable, you can decide which videos you want to see and in what order. Add your trailer as an introduction video for non-subscribers and combine horizontal and vertical playlists to set up a channel landing page that guides your viewers between your topics.
3. Tailor your video strategy to your goals
To create a YouTube strategy that will help you attract visitors and convert them into customers, you will need to create content strategically, always thinking of your ideal customer. To do this, you have to investigate the problems and desires that this ideal client has and generate content that is very useful to them. Here are the key points to start creating your video strategy:
– Define your ideal client.
You already know that your product or service is not for everyone, surely there is an ideal type of person to consume it. That person who is going to be delighted to buy what you are offering because she knows that it is just what she needs right now.
When you know who this type of person is, research their problems, wants and needs in relation to your specialty and make a list of content ideas that will help them solve those problems.
– Find your keywords.
Keywords are the words and phrases by which your videos and channel will be found. It is important that you do a search for the words or phrases that are most used to search on Google and on YouTube to know which words are best to use in your videos. You can use Google Adwords, Google Trends or the same Google and YouTube search engine in which the 10 most common searches related to what you have started typing in the search bar appear.
– Choose your goals.
What do you want to achieve with your videos? Why have you created the YouTube channel? Define what you want to achieve with your YouTube channel and with your videos, so it will be much easier for you to prepare content that helps you achieve those goals.
– Specify what kind of videos you are going to make.
"How to" or tutorials and reviews work very well on YouTube, but that doesn't mean you have to make that type of content, there are a thousand more options: interviews, entertainment, informative, explanatory... The important thing is that you make videos that you enjoy creating so that your channel reflects your passion and does not become an obligation.
– Create a content calendar.
When you have your content ready, put a publication date on it. Create a calendar to know what videos you are going to make in the following months. It will be much easier for you to organize the recordings and things you have to do to prepare your videos. Plus you won't have to stumble every week or every time you post because you'll know exactly what to do next.
4. Write your well-structured video scripts
That the content of your videos is well structured is essential for them to be effective, I leave you the ideal structure to write the scripts of your videos:
– Start by capturing attention.
In a YouTube video it is important to start capturing the attention of your audience. First of all they have to know what you are going to talk about in the video and if it is what they are looking for. Remember that they have gone to Youtube to find a solution to their problem or desire and the first thing they want to know is if your video is going to help them find a solution. So always start your videos with a question or statement with your keyword and that alludes to the problem or desire of your ideal client.
– Briefly introduce yourself.
Once you have the attention of your audience, briefly introduce yourself. Who are you, where can they find you and a very short sentence that explains what you do for a living. Avoid going too long in this part so as not to lose the interest of the public, think that they are watching the video to solve their problem or desire, not to get to know you thoroughly (yet).
– Explain your content.
Now is the time to tell everything you have to say. Structure the content so that it is easy for the person you are speaking to to understand. And above all, use a language adapted to that person, if you use very technical terms and your audience does not have a technical profile, they may not know what you are talking about.
– End with a call to action.
Always end your YouTube videos by telling your viewers what to do next. You can indicate that they subscribe to your channel, that they share your video, that they visit your website, that they sign up for your newsletter... it depends on the objective that you have determined for that video.
Focus on a concrete and easy action for the person who is watching your video. If you give too many options or they are complicated actions to carry out, it is possible that your audience gets lost along the way. Make it simple and easy.
5. Prepare your recordings well
Ideally, once you prepare the recording set, you record several videos. This way you will have content prepared for the following publications without having to rush at the last minute to record, edit and the whole story. Here are some tips that I consider most important when recording your videos for YouTube:
– Use the camera you have at the moment.
It can be your webcam, mobile phone or your video or photo camera. It doesn't matter if you don't have the best camera on the market, you can make incredible videos with your mobile.
– Stabilize your camera.
Ideally, you should use a tripod or anything that helps you stabilize the camera so that the video does not come out very shaken and gives the feeling of dizziness. If you don't have a tripod and don't want to invest in one yet, you can use boxes, chairs, tables or anything else that allows you to keep your camera still and stable while you shoot your videos.
– Look for good lighting.
You can make great videos with natural light. If you do it outdoors, avoid direct sunlight to avoid very marked shadows. It is preferable that you look for a shady place. Cloudy days are ideal for shooting outdoors.
If you are going to record indoors you can take advantage of the light that enters through the window. If it is very direct, you can blur it with a white curtain or sheet.
You can also get a pack of spotlights or a led ring, which is a special ring of light to record videos with a person in the foreground.
– Take care of the sound.
It is important that the sound is heard well in your videos. To improve the sound you can use a tie mic that works with your camera or your mobile. There are brands like Boya that have options for about twenty euros. If you still do not want to invest in a microphone, you can use a headset with a microphone.
– Look at the target!
We tend to look at our image when recording ourselves, especially with the mobile. And this makes it seem that we have a lost look. To give the feeling that you are looking at the person who is watching your video, it is better that you focus your gaze on the lens of your camera.
6. Choose the best program to edit
There are countless programs to edit videos that you can use to make your audiovisual creations. Some free, others paid, easier, more complete or designed to make video tutorials... I think the important thing is that you choose the one that best suits your needs, depending on the type and number of videos you are going to make.
- Free: Openshot, Da Vinci Resolve, Imovie (mac only), Lightworks...
- Easy editing: Filmora is a paid video editor but it is very easy to learn.
- Professionals: Premiere, Final Cut (mac only), Pinnacle Studio (pc only)…
- Video tutorials: Screencast-o-matic, Camtasia, Filmora Screen…
- Applications to edit videos: Inshot, Kinemaster, Power Director, FimoraGo, Quik, Videoshow, Premiere Clip, Imovie...
If you want to see more information about programs to edit videos and see some more programs, I leave you a link to the post where I explain in more detail some tips and programs to edit with your computer and another with applications to edit videos with Android.
7. Do SEO for YouTube when publishing your videos
Uploading a video to YouTube is very easy, you just have to hit the upload icon on your channel and choose the video you want to post from your device. But if you want your video to be found in YouTube or Google searches, things change.
YouTube is like a video store from before. The videos are classified and ordered perfectly to be able to access them easily and quickly. In a video store you could search for a movie by title, genre, director, actors... well, exactly the same thing happens on YouTube, we have to add as much information as possible about our video so that the platform can classify it and show it to anyone looking for something related with what you are telling in your video. We have to make it easy for Youtube to show our video.
I leave you some indications to apply when uploading your YouTube videos that will help you improve your positioning and appear in searches:
– Put an attractive title with your keyword.
Write a good title for your video that contains your keyword and is attractive to your audience. Avoid robotic titles and focus on what and how a person interested in the subject of your video would do a search on Google or YouTube.
– Write a detailed description of your video.
Even if you think that no one on YouTube reads the description, everything you write is information that you are providing to YouTube and Google to classify your video. It is a way of confirming what you are talking about in the video. That is why it is important that you extend your descriptions as much as possible by adding your keywords, links to other videos, to your website and to your social networks. (Remember to always put the http:// in front of your url so that you can click on the link).
– Add the tags with the keywords of your video.
They are the words for which you want your video to be positioned. Add several words or phrases that are related to what you are telling in the video, from the most general to the most specific.
– Insert cards with links to other videos.
Youtube cards are links that you can add inside your videos. They appear with the information i icon at the top right of the video and when you click, a menu appears with all the cards you have placed.
You can add links to other videos, do a survey to fill in your audience, promote another YouTube channel or put links to your website when you have more than 1000 subscribers. In this post you can see more about how to use Youtube cards.
– Prepare your Final screen.
Youtube end screen is a tool that allows you to add links at the end of your video, in the last 20 seconds. It is very useful because you can guide your viewers by offering a certain video or playlist to watch next. This way you can get your viewer to spend more time on your channel because he can jump from one video to another without leaving your channel.
On the final screen of YouTube you can add a subscription button to your channel, links to other videos, promote another channel or links to your website when you have authorization. You can see more about how to use the Youtube end screen in this post.
– Include subtitles to your videos.
The subtitles on YouTube play an important role because they allow your video to be seen without volume and it is also information that you are confirming to YouTube. You can add the subtitles manually or have YouTube make an automatic transcription for you. This option is very fast but you will have to review them to verify that YouTube has captured you correctly and does not put other words different from those you have said.
8. Share your videos on your website and social networks
Give the maximum diffusion to your videos, especially when you are starting and you do not have many subscribers. There are many ways to share your videos to get more views such as:
– Share it on Facebook
In addition to sharing the link of your video on Facebook, you can also notify us through a live that you have a new video or upload a piece of your video directly to encourage your followers to watch the full video on YouTube. These last two options usually have more impact on Facebook because it considers that you are creating content for its social network and not taking your audience to another such as YouTube.
– Promote it on Instagram
On Instagram you cannot share the link of your video but you can make stories to notify your followers, a publication with the thumbnail or a piece of video, even a direct one to notify that they can now see your full video.
– Send a newsletter to your subscribers
Add the link to your video in your newsletter and send it to your subscribers so they can view and share your video.
– Embed it on your website
In the share button of your YouTube video you have the option to “Insert”, in which a code appears to insert the video on a website. Copy the code and paste it on your website, you can do it both in a post and on the home page or on a product or service page. In addition, in this way you avoid overloading your website with video files and it takes much less time to load.
– Share it in groups of the same theme
It is not about spamming but about sharing your video in groups where you think what you are commenting on your video may be of interest or in response to a question.
– Add a link in your emails
Another way to give visibility to your videos is to put the link of your video in the signature of your emails, so each person you write to can see the video, if they are interested, of course!
Tips to get started on Youtube
And to finish this mega guide, I leave you some tips to start on YouTube that can help you in your new quest:
be consistent
YouTube rewards perseverance, it wants to see that your channel is active and that you are taking it seriously. It is better to post one video a month than upload 4 today and not appear again for months. The best thing is that you consider how many videos you will be able to publish per month (being realistic) and commit to publishing on a specific day and time. So your viewers will also know when you play video and will be attentive to your news.
Provides a lot of value
Content is king, of that there is no doubt. If your content amazes your visitors, it does not matter so much if it is longer or shorter. Focus on adding a lot of value to your audience and the rest you will improve.
Take care and optimize your YouTube channel
Respond to comments, comment on other videos, constantly upload videos, interact, collaborate with other channels... give your channel a lot of love, YouTube will thank you.
Be patient!!
Succeeding on YouTube with organic traffic is not exactly fast, that's why I always insist that you choose a theme that you are passionate about. It will seem like an eternity at first to see how your subscribers and reproductions go up little by little, but focus on creating brutal content and persevere. All, absolutely all the channels, have started with 0 of everything. Also, you don't need to be a YouTuber with millions of followers to have a YouTube channel that attracts new customers for your business, you just need to reach the right people ;).