How to Use YouTube to Grow Your Ecommerce Business

According to Statista, almost 60 percent of Internet users in the United States had a YouTube account in the end of 2016. Additionally, there are over 1 billion unique users on YouTube each month. Those numbers will continue to rise in 2017 as Internet users continue to consume more video content.

With the rise of video content consumption on YouTube, it’s becoming critical for businesses to have a solid YouTube presence. Look into an internet marketing agency to help you start or build a channel. To effectively grow your company, follow these tips on how to use YouTube for businesses.

Product demos and unboxing videos

Most ecommerce businesses display high quality images and detailed descriptions of their products on YouTube. One of the best ways to stand apart from your competitors, however, is to offer your customers something more when they are considering your products.

Demonstrating how to use one of your products in a video is a great way to show customers why it will be valuable to them and how they will be able to use it in their everyday lives. Whether you sell specialty software or clothing items, videos bring your products to life and actively demonstrate their value.

How-To and instructional videos

From using YouTube for ecommerce business, you can offer additional value to your audience by providing them with helpful information that’s related to your industry, product, or service. How-to videos may or may not have to include a product or service you offer. For instance, if you offer haircare products, sharing how-to tutorials on the latest trending hairstyles without explicitly mentioning your newest hairspray line will afford value to your audience without making it seem like all you care about is making a sale.

Potential and existing customers will watch your YouTube videos because they provide information that’s valuable to them. And if you offer valuable information to your viewers on a regular basis, then your brand will be top of mind when they are ready to buy a product that you offer.

Tell a Personal Story (and keep it real)

An effective way to use YouTube for business is to tell them a personal story. If your company was founded from an idea that was written on a cocktail napkin at a conference you paid your last $50 to attend, then share a video that captures that story.

If your most recent product was discovered after you accidentally mixed the wrong chemicals, then create a YouTube video that captures that story. Another way to capture the story of your brand is to share videos of your employees conducting everyday operations in the office, field, or lab. Even though your work environment might seem commonplace to you, your customers have all different types of lifestyles and backgrounds and will appreciate the transparency behind how you develop your products or services.

When customers know your story or see how you conduct ecommerce business operations on a regular basis, they feel like they know you better and they begin to trust you more. And when a customer trusts you more, they are more likely to buy more from you.

Share Live Interviews and Testimonials

Another way to highlight the reputation and trustworthiness of your brand on YouTube is through live testimonials or interviews given by individuals who have benefited from your product or service. Share videos of current customers using your product or talking about how your product helped them in some way.

It’s important that these YouTube videos aren’t scripted and come directly from your existing customers so that they are believable and realistic to potential customers who are weighing whether they should buy from your ecommerce business.

Use Annotation Bubbles Effectively

Oftentimes viewers will watch a video with the sound turned off because they are in a public or quiet place. Be sure that you include captions when necessary (such as during a long interview when someone is talking) and that you use annotation bubbles to your advantage.

Annotation bubbles are the message blocks that appear on the screen in a video. When appropriate, you should include a call-to-action in these bubbles, such as “buy this product here” or a link to your e-commerce site or latest sale.

Have a video content strategy

Just because YouTube videos are fun to make and watch, doesn’t mean you should create and post them at random for your ecommerce business. Consult an internet marketing agency to help you develop a full concepts.

Create a video content strategy that is planned, consistent, and aligned with your overall digital content and ecommerce business goals. If you offer valuable content on a consistent basis, viewers will subscribe to your YouTube channel, interact with your content, and share it with others.