You’ve been told time and time again that video is essential to a successful marketing strategy. And while that’s true, what often gets left out of the conversation is how to optimize your video marketing strategy for maximum impact.
With over 300 hours of video being uploaded to YouTube every minute, it’s more important than ever to make sure your videos stand out from the crowd and are optimized for search.
Here are a few tips on how to do just that:
1. Create Compelling Thumbnails
Your thumbnail is what will show up in the search results, so it’s important to make sure it’s both eye-catching and informative. Include keywords in the thumbnail text so viewers know what to expect when they click on your video. And if you can, use an image that tells a story and leaves viewers wanting more.
2. Write Compelling Titles and Descriptions
Just like with any other piece of content, your title and description need to be keyword-rich and descriptive so viewers know what they’re going to get when they watch your video. But don’t stuff your keywords in there so much that it sounds unnatural – you want people to actually want to watch your video, after all.
3. Use Tags Wisely
Tags are small pieces of information that help YouTube (and other search engines) understand what your video is about. When adding tags to your videos, be as specific as possible and use a mix of broad and long-tail keywords. For example, if you have a cooking channel, some tags you might use could be “cooking, recipes, how-to, meal prep, etc.” The more specific you can be, the better chance you have of showing up in relevant searches.
4. Optimize Your Channel Page
Speaking of search engine optimization (SEO), don’t forget about optimizing your YouTube channel page as well! Make sure your channel name and description include relevant keywords so people can easily find you when they’re searching for topics related to your business or brand. You should also include links back to your website or blog so viewers can easily find more information about you and what you do.
5. Promote Your Videos Across Multiple Channels
While YouTube is obviously the biggest player in the video world, it’s not the only one worth paying attention to. If you want maximum exposure for your videos, make sure you’re promoting them across all of your social media channels – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. – as well as on your website or blog (if you have one). The more places people can find your videos, the better chance you have of driving traffic back to your site or blog – which could lead to more customers or clients down the road!
