YouTube is a great way to reach your audience; videos are becoming more and more popular. If you haven’t jumped on the YouTube bandwagon yet, it’s time to consider it.

Last year we did a series on how to use YouTube. If you wish to refresh your memory you can find information on the series at, Using YouTube for Your Business.  If you’ve already started created videos but aren’t getting many views, or you’re not sure if you’re posting the right content, you need a plan.  A plan will help your industrial or manufacturing business to be successful on YouTube in 2018.

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If you’re ready to start using YouTube to it’s fullest advantages, here’s what you need to know.

Set a Goal

You can’t be successful just throwing a bunch of videos up and hoping for the best, not knowing what you want to accomplish. What is your purpose for using YouTube? Do you want to share links? Do you want to convert viewers to paying customers? How about increasing your YouTube channel’s subscribers? Do you want to collect email addresses? Knowing “why” you want to use YouTube will help you figure out what kind of content you need to post.

Plan for Your Goal

Now that you have a goal, you need to make a plan for reaching it. Do some homework and research what kind of content is engaging your potential customers to get the result you’re looking for. Know who your audience is and what they need from you. Visit online forums and groups on LinkedIn and Facebook where your audience hangs out. Ask questions and read their responses to other content that’s posted.

Create a Strategy

It’s unlikely that just one video will help you achieve the results you’re looking for. Create a strategy for the kind of content you will post and how often. Are you solving your prospects problems? Are you providing information about your company? How many videos will you need to create to help your viewers reach your end goal and what will those videos be about?

Optimize Your Content

Your great content won’t matter if no one sees it. Make sure that you’re optimizing your videos for SEO rankings. Just like using keywords for your blog posts, you need to use your keywords in your titles and descriptions to help your prospects find your channel. Use those keywords in your channel description as well. And don’t forget to include your social media links and website link in your channel description; you want viewers to be able to find you everywhere you are.

Promote Your Content

Now that you have great videos and you’ve uploaded them with keyword rich titles and descriptions, it’s time to get them out into the world. Promote your channel on your blog, website, and social media. Include a link in your email signature. Write blog posts about the content you’ve created videos about then link the post. Share them on your own social media sites as well as StumbleUpon, Google+, and Tumblr. Perhaps run a contest that encourages people to view and share your videos.

YouTube is a great way for industrial and manufacturing businesses to get your name out there and get new customers, but only if you’re committed to continually providing content your prospects are interested in and making sure they can find your content.  Consistency is key!