Marketing takes on many forms. You can market by having a great website, sending postcards in the mail, posting on social media, having someone spin a sign on a street corner; the list goes on and on.

In the last few years however, one marketing tool has been pulling way ahead of the others - way ahead.
 

It’s YouTube

You’ve probably watched your fair share of funny cat videos or clips from your favorite TV shows, but did you know that YouTube is one of the most effective marketing platforms there is? It might even be the most effective marketing platform.

Here are the seven most powerful reasons why your business should be using YouTube as a marketing tool:

#1 - YouTube can greatly increase your exposure.

Studies show that mobile consumption of YouTube videos goes up 100% every single year. That’s an insane amount of growth for a business not to take advantage of. Additionally, 55% of consumers watch at least one video online each day.

#2 - YouTube encourages word of mouth referrals.

Videos are unbelievably “shareable.” Sure, people still share articles or photos, but they share videos a lot more ; 1200% more to be exact. In fact, 92% of the people who watch online videos will share them with others.

#3 - YouTube helps consumers through the decision making process.

And we all know how hard making a decision can be - what to eat, where to go, when to get there, etc. Any tool that can help customers make up their minds is incredibly valuable and a whopping 90% of consumers say product videos help them decide whether to buy.

The best part? It doesn’t even have to be lengthy. On average, 2-4 minutes is enough for businesses to convey their message.

#4 - YouTube is cost effective.

Yes, you can advertise your YouTube videos; but you don’t have to. Did you know that videos posted to Facebook have 135% more organic reach than photos do?

You might be thinking, “Okay, but what about production costs?” Don’t worry. You don’t need a sound stage and high quality equipment to make a great video. All you need is a decent microphone, a cell phone with a good camera,  and engaging, informative content to make YouTube marketing cheap but valuable.

Which brings us to our next point...

#5 - YouTube can increase the value of other marketing efforts, too.

Once you’ve gone through the process of making online videos, you can use them to drive traffic to your website fairly easily. Tuck those videos into social media posts, slip them into your monthly e-newsletters, or attach them to promotional emails and watch your website traffic increase.

Don’t believe us? Statistics show that adding a video to an email can increase click-through rates by 200-300%.

#6 - YouTube marketing can lead to sales.

It’s not a guarantee by any means, but it certainly increases the chances of successful conversion. For example, simply adding a video to a landing page has the potential to increase that page’s conversion rate by 80%.

#7 - YouTube can be used to build trust.

Consumers need to trust your business and its products in order to feel comfortable buying. Using videos to gain trust is a way to convey valuable information in a way that is non-confrontational.

Videos allow prospective customers to sit back and absorb information on their own time while simultaneously helping them feel like they’re making an informed decision. Statistically speaking, this means that consumers are 64% more likely to purchase products online if they watch a video about them first.

A cheap, easy, and, dare we say, fun way to engage your consumers that also has endless potential to boost sales? Well yes... but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There are a couple of cons to YouTube marketing you should consider.
 

One is that you could waste time. Obviously this is a marketing tool that requires you to invest a certain amount of time in its production. If time management isn’t your strong suit, you may went to determine your objectives and develop an outline to help you stay on track through the course of your YouTube marketing efforts.

The other is that there is a potential for backlash. If you don’t know already, the internet can be a rather harsh place. Bullies and trolls are out there and they have nothing better to do than to rip your marketing efforts to shreds. It’s natural, it’s going to happen, and there’s often not much you can do about it. That said, you can (and should) interact with the YouTube community by thanking users for positive comments, answering questions, and exhibiting overall good customer service.

But don’t let that scare you. Overall, YouTube as a marketing tool is fantastic. You can use it to improve your brand awareness, increase engagement amongst users, and generate new leads. It’s a unique platform for explaining what you do, what you sell, and what you believe.

If all of this isn’t enough to convince you, here are a few fun bonus facts on video marketing :

• Customer testimonials, tutorials, and demonstration videos are the three most effective forms of video content.

• Of all video consumers, 80% can remember a video they’ve seen within the last 30 days.

• Live videos are viewed for three times longer than prerecorded videos, making "YouTube Live” extremely valuable.

• Businesses who use video on their websites get 41% more traffic than businesses who don’t.