If you go to YouTube on your office computer only when you want to de-stress by spending a few minutes watching a baby panda sneezing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAcdvmnZ_GM&feature=endscreen&NR=1) or otters holding hands (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUk3T2Kfno), you need to rethink the power of this social networking site as a business marketing tool and consider creating a YouTube channel for your company.
WHAT CAN YOUTUBE DO FOR YOU?
Don't be scared off by the word "channel." You're not buying a local television station. Your YouTube channel will simply be the home page for your account. If you are an iPod user, think of your channel as a playlist of your company videos. It will show the account name, which will probably be your company name, and display the videos you've uploaded for public view, plus any other information you've entered.
You can customize the background color scheme of your channel and include your company logo. YouTube channels also can display videos from other users (if you have their permission), activity streams, comments, subscribers and other social networking features.
Why would you want a YouTube channel for your business? Well, if a picture paints a thousand words, a video can paint ... I don't know ... a million? But allow me to explain with my meager words: Say you have a potential new customer who wants portable restrooms for a garden party on her palatial estate, but just doesn't understand what she calls "your exorbitant rates for just a few little potties." If you could show her a video of all that goes into the siting, delivery, setup, cleaning, pumping, and tear down of restrooms at special events, she just might get it.
Or, if you are trying to convince a customer that a new line of restrooms you've added would be perfect for their event, but they don't have time to come in and see for themselves, a video could walk them through the features from the comfort of their own desk chair.
SPREADING YOUR MESSAGE
Whether your goal is attracting business prospects or providing customer support, video is an effective way to present your message. Companies that advertise on TV use YouTube to get a little more bang for their buck by posting the same commercials there. And here are some other ideas of how to use YouTube:
• Post videos of customer testimonials.
• Prepare a brief instructional video on how planners should calculate the number of restrooms and wash stations needed for an event.
• Toot your own horn by making a video of the youth sports teams you sponsor, or showing any charitable events you participate in as
a company.
• Shoot a video tour of your facilities, trucks and inventory to show how spic and span your operation is. Don't forget to introduce your smiling office staff.
• Record someone in the office explaining your company's billing procedures. Try to answer the questions you get most from customers.
• Do a "ride-along" video to show customers and potential employees what's all in a day's work for your crew.
Once you get the creative juices flowing, there are endless video possibilities for your channel. With their permission you can link to channels of other local businesses or your suppliers, and have them link to your channel. It is, after all, social networking. It's OK to ask them for some positive feedback comments too.
Yes, you might get feedback on your channel, both positive and occasionally negative. That's OK. Feedback of any kind means viewers. And you can respond immediately to the feedback you get, which makes YouTube a conversation, not just a one-way presentation like TV.
GETTING STARTED ON YOUTUBE
Once you've decided to try YouTube as a marketing tactic, here's how to get started:
1. Go to YouTube.com and click on "Create Account" on the upper right hand side. Actually, you'll be creating a Google account, since Google purchased YouTube in 2006 and has implemented a cross-site account system. Your account or channel name should be your company name because it's what users will see when they visit your channel. If your exact company name is already taken, find an acceptable variation of it that will work. Just a word of caution: Setting up a company account can be a little tricky because of the pervasiveness of Google in all of our Internet dealings these days. You may already have a Google account and not realize it, so make sure you are not linking your business channel to your personal account.
2. Customize your channel. YouTube allows you to brand your channel by changing the background color and layout. Include your company logo and any other relevant graphics.
3. Add social features. YouTube has several features allowing you to interact with your viewing audience that you can include on your channel page such as subscriptions, friends and upcoming events.
4. Create a banner for your videos. This makes it easy for people who come across your videos on YouTube to find your company's YouTube channel. Say someone searches "MyTown portable restroom" on Google and one of your videos for MyTown Portables comes up. They can click on the banner you created to link to your brand channel and see all the rest of your videos.
5. Create a subscription widget to put on your website, blog and email signature. In the past, people had to go to a specific YouTube channel to subscribe. Giving them a tool to subscribe directly from your website or an email increases the chances they'll do it, thus giving you a built-in audience. Once they are subscribers, they will be notified every time you post something new on your channel. That should increase the number of views you are getting and it allows you to reach your specific targeted audience.
DON'T JUST TAKE MY WORDS FOR IT
Because many people are visual learners, posting videos on YouTube is a great way to educate them about what your company does. YouTube also is a great way to learn how to do things ... like create a YouTube channel for your company. Yes, there are lots of videos on YouTube about how to use YouTube. So if my words here didn't paint a clear enough picture, visual help is available. But don't forget to visit the sneezing panda and handholding otters too ... everybody needs to smile once in awhile.
