Jennifer MonacoI have a very important question to ask all you Youtubers out there. Do you think of your channel as a brand? If you don’t you might want to start.
There are many similarities between you and a traditional clothing or service brand. You are always trying to reach more viewers and gain a wider audience. Brands do that too, but instead of calling them viewers they call them customers. I know what you are thinking, you don’t sell anything. Just because you aren’t trying to get your viewers to by something doesn’t mean they don’t fall under the category of customers. You provide your viewers with entertainment, and many times advice. Gaining the attention of a viewer and gaining the attention of a customer are very similar. One of the best ways to do this is through social media.
How to reach your customer
To make my point I am going to refer to your audience as your customers. I want you all to start thinking of your channels as the product you are “selling” to your customers. Proper promotion of your product, aka your channel, is important for it’s success. What is great about marketing today is that so much of it is done through social media. Think about it, I bet you all follow your favorite brands on social media, or how about your favorite celebrities? We all do, that’s why a major marketing focus has shifted from tradition magazine and television ads to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Using social media correctly
Think about this, you have used social media since it first started. Back when Facebook first came out and we all posted hundreds of pictures every time we hung out with our friends. We have been part of the evolution of social media, so it’s safe to say we know how it works. The great thing about Youtube is that you can interact with your customers. They can voice their thoughts about your video and in return you can learn from them. It is important to continue that dialogue outside of Youtube through social media.
Loyalty is very important for the success of your channel. Studies have shown that 53% of Americans feel more loyalty toward the brands that they follow on social media. This relates to you as well, your customers will feel much more loyalty toward your Youtube channel if you actively interact with them through social media. You can then be on their mind when they aren’t on Youtube. Social media allows a personal boundary to be knocked down. Your subscribers can better understand you and love you.
Gaining traffic
One of the biggest benefits of social media is that it drives traffic. 97% of marketers participate in social media. 80% of those marketers said that social media was a direct result to increase traffic to their website. Okay, I’m done with the percentages. But you have to admit they are pretty impressive. You can not only interact with your customers, but you can also gain new ones through social media.
Some steps that you should be making regarding social media. First, you should always respond to any customers who reach out to you via social media. If people want to interact with you that is great. You should never ignore them, unless they are trying to start a negative interaction. When you post a new video you should let all of you followers know to go heck it out. Remind them to visit your channel as often as possible. Your channel is only a click away, it really can’t get any easier than that. Incorporate your channel into your social media post as frequently and appropriately as possible. Do the same in reverse. If you don’t have all of your social link on your Youtube channel you should add them ASAP. You are a brand and you want to be connected with your customers in every way possible.
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