Video is a powerful medium, and no other platform offers the community and sharing capabilities for video like YouTube. Local businesses can utilize YouTube to push videos that are informative, engaging, and ultimately convert users.

How it’s done

Create content that solves problems. People are increasingly taking to YouTube to find out how to complete everyday tasks like putting on make-up or tying a tie. Creating a series of how-to videos on a focus subject like home improvements or small engine repair will make you a resource of evergreen content. Optimize for YouTube Search. Utilize the videos title and tags to include any phrases that users would use to search for a video of your type and in your vertical. Use both broad and focused descriptions. Use in-video annotations only when necessary. Place them during slight pauses in the video to keep from overwhelming the viewer. Use them to provide short background information, like price or feature options for products being used in the video. Understand that clicking on a linked annotation will take the viewer away from the video to a different page, at which point they may lose interest in the video. See how to create annotations here. Place relevant links and information in the description section. This the best place to provide greater detail about the processes and products depicted in the video. Provide explicit instructions in the video to view the description for further information, as many users will not know to look there. Provide detailed product descriptions, options, and pricing, and a follow-up action to close the conversion loop. Brand your channel. French Connection’s YouTube channel is a prime example of a branding. It contains the full experience of the brand with numerous calls to action and videos full of interesting, relevant content. Placing the full experience directly within YouTube removes another webpage view, and another step, from the conversion process.    Create definitive calls-to-action. These can be placed in video annotations and the description, as described above, but also at the end of the video. Provide exact knowledge of the products used in the video, why the viewer should buy them, and where and how they can buy them. Promote your videos through other platforms. Thousands of videos are uploaded to YouTube hourly. In order to stand out a video requires a great deal of promotion through multiple channels. Promote videos through Facebook, Twitter, and your company webpage where customer naturally look for content about your business and your vertical.

Bottom Line for Local Business

You don’t need a large budget to make interesting videos. Michelle Phan creates simple, personal videos about how to apply make-up which receive millions of views. Keep the video content focused and moving. Keeping the viewers attention until you can provide a call-to-action is the key to conversion. Above all, even if you’ve run out of video ideas, do not neglect your channel. Keep a close watch on comments and engagement. Don’t lose a sale by not acting quickly enough.