The secret to achieving YouTube success for SMEs

(3) Answer your customers’ questions

A good example of how YouTube can be used to answer common customer questions is Vape Club. Vaping is a fairly new phenomenon, with many new products appearing on the market all the time.

That means that there is a constant stream of questions coming from both existing customers and people interested in trying e-liquids for the first time.

Vape Club saw an opportunity to position itself on YouTube as experts in this field, producing videos that answer those common vaping questions. Vape Club produced the first ever video guide for e-liquids, which was called “A Beginner’s Guide to Vaping”.

Providing simple and easy to understand answers to typical questions asked by those new to vaping, the video has now been viewed over one million times, and directs more than 2,200 visitors to the Vape Club website every day.

Clearly, that one YouTube success is an investment that has paid off handsomely, and one that other SMEs should be inspired by.

(4) Understand what your customers are looking for

YouTube content should always be developed to appeal to the target demographic of the company producing it. Irrelevant or gimmicky content that has little to do with the company’s products or image is unlikely to prove successful.

US toy firm Hot Wheels has found a way to use YouTube to grab kids’ attention, in order to market successfully in a very crowded marketplace.

Hot Wheels’ videos show action-packed footage of its toy cars racing in realistic competitions, instantly getting across the thrills and excitement of these toys. It’s not particularly sophisticated, but it’s certainly effective.

As well as using the key points above to guide your YouTube strategy, it’s also important to keep abreast of news, trends and events that might be of interest to your target audience.

Tapping into the latest celebrity news or happening can be a great way to create a YouTube buzz around your own brand. If you’re aware of what your target demographic is following and talking about, you can present yourself as being 100 per cent in tune with their needs and interests.

Your first YouTube video is unlikely to be an instant success, but perseverance is key. If you keep a tight focus and produce regular high-quality content, your audience will soon grow.

YouTube videos don’t have to be highly-polished, professionally-produced masterpieces, so long as they are interesting and relevant to the target audience.

Anyone can produce a viral hit, with potentially huge rewards for online success. For SMEs looking for a low-cost marketing opportunity, YouTube certainly has to be worth a try.

Matt Foster is content strategist at marketing agency Distinctly

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