When we talk about today’s most skyrocketing social sharing websites, YouTube often gets left out of the conversation in favor of new age sites like Snapchat and Instagram.
But don’t be fooled: YouTube has a lot going for it. Although Facebook might be the largest social networking site, YouTube has the second greatest reach after Facebook in terms of general usage. It’s also the second biggest search engine behind its parent company, Google.
And why not? Video is a marketer’s Holy Grail these days. Several native searches are biased to videos and our multiscreen culture is making sure engagement comes from content that says what it has to, entertains while it does, and gets out of our faces quickly. That is exactly where videos are winning.
If you are new to video or YouTube marketing, here is a quick list of cool hacks that not many know about:
#1. Create links that let viewers start a video at a certain time
- Click ‘share’ just below the video title.
- Under the first tab, you will see a box that says ‘Start at’ the box next to ‘Start at:’.
- Check and enter when you need the video to start in HH:MM:SS format.
Pro Tip: Pause the video at the exact moment you want it to start and it will auto fill this field.
#2. Upload transcripts to enhance your chances to show up in search
Transcription is one of the criteria that Google and YouTube use to rank videos. If you already have one at hand, use it.
You only need to click on CC (stands for ‘closed captions’ or subtitles) and you will be presented with three options to:
- Upload a transcript file
- Paste a full transcript and YouTube will generate subtitle timings
- Type as you watch the video
Pro Tip: Typing as you watch the video is not as painful as it sounds – YouTube gives you the option to pause the video when you type.
#3. Add clickable links to videos
YouTube lets you add clickable links, or as they like to call them, ‘annotations’, to your videos. Brands can use these annotations to direct viewers to their website or campaign site, subscribe to the channel, etc.
Pro Tip: Only verified accounts can add clickable links to their videos and your account would also need external linking turned on.
- Go to Video Manager and find the video you want to add the link to.
- In the ‘Edit’ drop down menu, select ‘End Screen and Annotations’, go to ‘Annotations’.
- Now, select from the five types of annotations that YouTube allows – Speech Bubble, Note, Title, Spotlight, and Label.
- You can then customize the fonts and general sizing and placement for your annotation.
- This is where you have a checkbox labeled ‘Link’ – click on it.
- Once done, click ‘Apply Changes’ and you are done!
#4. Get high-quality, royalty-free sound effects
Want to add some cool sound effects or music to your videos? YouTube has a large library of royalty-free, high-quality, 320kbps audio tracks and sound effects at your disposal. All you have to do is go to YouTube’s Audio Library in the Creator Studio.
You can also look for music. You will probably not find Ed Sheeran here, but you will find reasonably good music for your videos, ranging from Alternative & Punk to Reggae and Rock, and everything in between.
You just know where to look, we are sure you won’t find video marketing hard or expensive anymore!
#5. You can also add an end screen or cards to promote content
You can create a customized end screen, too. They help keep viewers on your channel by suggesting other videos and sites they can check out.
Now, learn how you can add an end screen to your videos.
- Navigate to your Video Manager, tap “Edit,” and select “End screen & Annotations” from the drop-down menu:
- From there, you’re taken to the End screen creator studio, where you can play around with different templates and background to determine how you want your end screen to appear.
- Then, click the “Add element” menu to decide where you want to send viewers from your end screen.
YOUr success lies in the TUBE
We hope we’ve opened your eyes to some of the most amazing YouTube marketing tips, hacks and features out there that may transform your marketing this 2017. Now log on to YouTube and start spreading the magic among your target customers.
Will the above Youtube marketing tips work for your business? Do you have other tips or tactics that have worked well for you in the past? Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
