YouTube for Businesses: A Step-by-Step System for Success
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??? YouTube for Businesses: A Step-by-Step System for Success
Do you need a better YouTube strategy? Looking for a proven method to create content that attracts your ideal customers and drives sales?
In this article, you'll learn a step-by-step system for creating YouTube content that results in more leads and sales.
The Power of a YouTube Channel for Business Growth
Before diving into video marketing strategy, it's crucial to understand why YouTube should be a priority for small business owners and their marketing efforts. First, YouTube functions as a search engine, with an astonishing 3 billion daily searches. This makes it a prime platform for people actively seeking solutions to their problems.
Unlike platforms where users passively scroll through content, YouTube viewers often have a specific purpose when searching for videos. This means that the leads generated through YouTube are typically warmer, more engaged, and more interested in what you have to offer.
The depth of content on YouTube also plays a significant role in its effectiveness. The more in-depth your content is, the better quality leads you tend to get. The benefits are clear when you contrast this with short-form content on other platforms--content consumed while people multitask or are scrolling mindlessly.
Another key advantage of YouTube is the long-term value it provides. Unlike other social media platforms where content has a short shelf life, YouTube videos can continue to generate leads and sales for years after publication. You make one video, and that video will work for you for years to come.
Another benefit of focusing on YouTube is efficiency. Sunny Lenarduzzi's team creates just three videos a month, or 36 videos a year, which she finds sufficient to generate significant returns. This approach allows for a focus on quality over quantity.
Lastly, YouTube's algorithm serves as a powerful discovery mechanism. As Michael Stelzner points out, once YouTube understands that your video is for a specific audience, it will ensure that the audience sees your video, whether they're searching for it or not. This happens through search results, suggested videos, and home page recommendations, extending your reach beyond your immediate subscriber base.
The Authority Accelerator: A Step-by-Step Strategy for Creating High-Converting YouTube Content
Step 1: Identify Your Ideal Viewer and Their Pain Points
The foundation of a successful YouTube strategy lies in understanding who you're trying to reach and what problems they're trying to solve.
First, Sunny recommends defining your ideal viewer - not just someone who would watch your content, but someone who could become a paying customer or client.
Next, try to understand their search behavior. Consider why they would turn to YouTube and what specific questions they are asking. To understand this, use YouTube's search bar to type in questions your ideal client might ask. The autocomplete suggestions that appear can provide valuable topic ideas.
When you conduct these searches, pay close attention to the videos that appear in the results. Look at their view counts, especially for channels with fewer subscribers. High view counts on channels with low subscriber numbers can indicate strong demand for a particular topic.
Sunny advises watching the top two videos for each search topic you're investigating. As you watch, try to identify what these videos might be missing or how your experience and expertise could improve the content. This analysis can help you identify gaps in the current content landscape that you can fill with your videos.
Remember to examine relevant videos' comment sections, particularly older ones. Sunny emphasizes that comments can be "an absolute goldmine" of information. Look for questions viewers are asking and pain points they're expressing. These can often point to topics that aren't adequately addressed by existing content.
Throughout this process, remember Sunny's mantra: "Relevant content wins on YouTube and every other platform." Your goal should be to create content that directly addresses the needs and concerns of your ideal viewer.
Step 2: Plan Your Content Strategy
Once you have a clear understanding of your ideal viewers and their pain points, it's time to plan your content strategy.
Sunny recommends starting with eight "test" videos to help you gauge what resonates with your audience.
When planning these videos, Sunny suggests using an 80/20 rule. Aim for 80% of your content to be "bottom-of-funnel," addressing specific pain points of viewers who are close to making a purchasing decision. The remaining 20% can be "top-of-funnel" content with broader appeal.
To understand this concept better, it's helpful to think about the sales cycle of your ideal viewer.?
A top-of-funnel video for a relationship coach might be "Healthy relationship habits in your marriage." This topic has broad appeal but doesn't indicate any immediate problems.?
A middle-of-funnel topic might be "How to argue in a healthy way in your marriage." This suggests some conflict but not a crisis.?
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A bottom-of-funnel topic, however, might be "How to save your marriage when your wife stops speaking to you" or "How to save your marriage when your wife moves out." These topics address urgent, specific problems that indicate a viewer might be ready for professional help.
While it might seem counterintuitive, Sunny emphasizes focusing on bottom-of-funnel content. Although these topics may get fewer views, they often lead to higher-quality leads and sales. She shares a success story of a client who helps men save their marriages. This client generated over $100,000 in revenue from just 96 subscribers by focusing on highly specific, bottom-of-funnel content.
Sunny encourages content creators not to worry about view counts for bottom-of-funnel content. These videos target a very specific audience with high intent, which is more valuable than a high view count with low intent.
Sunny suggests using AI tools to brainstorm content ideas. She recommends using AI to generate lists of potential fears, pain points, and challenges your ideal viewer might face. This can help you identify topics that resonate deeply with your target audience.
Step 3: Optimize Your Video Packaging (Title and Thumbnail)
Before you start recording your videos, it's crucial to focus on creating compelling titles and thumbnails. These elements play a significant role in attracting clicks and views.
Regarding titles, Sunny advises keeping them under 60 characters to prevent them from being cut off in search results.
The title should clearly state who the video is for and what problem it solves. Use simple, direct language your ideal viewer can immediately understand and relate to. Sunny emphasizes, "If you can't read the title and know exactly who it's for and what situation that person is in, we need to do work on it."
For thumbnails, the goal is to visually represent the benefit or outcome of watching the video. Use large, readable text, but limit it to a maximum of four words. Keep the design clean and simple to ensure it's easily understood even when viewed as a small image on a mobile device.
Sunny highly recommends utilizing YouTube's thumbnail A/B testing feature. This allows you to upload three different thumbnails for each video and see which performs best. She advises making these options as distinct as possible to get precise results on which style resonates most with your audience.
Step 4: Use The HOT Script Formula for Scripting Videos
When structuring video content, Sunny recommends using the HO formula: Hook, Outcome, Testimonial.
The Hook is where you tease the benefit of watching the video. This should grab the viewer's attention and make them want to keep watching.
The outcome is where you assure viewers they'll get what they need from the video. This builds trust and sets expectations.
The Testimonial establishes your credibility and answers, "Why should the viewer listen to you?"
Sunny emphasizes the importance of getting to the point quickly, especially in the first minute of the video. She advises, "Make the video for somebody who doesn't know you and actually needs your help." This means avoiding lengthy introductions or rambling and focusing on delivering value right from the start.
An example of how this might look in practice is: "This is Josie and Macy. Macy used to attack their kids, and now Macy is a great dog." This brief statement hooks the viewer with a relatable problem, hints at a positive outcome, and establishes the speaker's credibility all in one go.
Incorporating Strategic Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
One of Sunny's more unconventional pieces of advice is to include not one but three calls to action (CTAs) throughout your video. She recommends placing these CTAs at your content's beginning, middle, and end.
The first CTA should come right after your HOT intro. This is where you briefly mention your product or service. For example, "If you have an aggressive dog at home, I'd love to be able to help you. There's a link below to book a call."
Weave the second CTA into the middle of your content, relevant to what you're discussing at that moment. For instance, "The next step is crucial, which is knowing the right terms to use during an argument. I will get into that in a second, but if you're really serious about getting help with this, I've created an entire ebook on this topic."
The final CTA comes at the end of your video and should be a strong pitch for your main offer, followed by an engagement CTA. For example, "If you're serious about saving your marriage, I've created an ebook for you that you can download below. And if you found this helpful, I've created another video on a similar topic [mention specific topic]."
Sunny explains that she's extensively tested this approach. She found that including three CTAs throughout the video doesn't negatively impact retention rates but significantly improves lead generation. She emphasizes that providing these CTAs isn't about being pushy or greedy but about helping viewers take the next step in solving their problems.
Step 5: Create and Publish Your Content
When it comes to actually creating and publishing your content, Sunny advocates for quality over quantity, she recommends publishing one video a week or every two weeks, depending on what works best for your schedule and resources.
Don't get hung up on video length. Instead, focus on providing comprehensive, valuable information that thoroughly addresses your viewers' needs and questions. Remember, Sunny, noted earlier that more in-depth content often leads to better quality leads.
Pay particular attention to the first minute of your video. This is where you need to hook your viewers and convince them to keep watching. Avoid rambling or lengthy introductions; get straight to the valuable content.
Use storytelling techniques to illustrate your points and maintain viewer interest. Personal anecdotes or client success stories can be particularly effective here.
Pro Tip: Don't stress too much about production value, especially when you're just starting out. Sunny shares that her own business really took off when she was "filming with a window and a webcam." The quality of your information and how well you address your viewers' needs are far more critical than having a perfectly polished production.
Step 6: Analyze and Iterate
Once you've published your initial set of videos, it's crucial to analyze their performance and use these insights to refine your strategy going forward.
Sunny recommends focusing primarily on two metrics: Click-Through Rate (CTR) and retention. CTR tells you how compelling your titles and thumbnails are, while retention shows how engaging your actual content is. As Sunny puts it, "CTR and retention are best friends, and they're my main metrics that I focus on on YouTube."
Don't just look at the numbers, though. Pay close attention to the qualitative feedback you receive in the form of comments and questions from your viewers. This can provide invaluable insights into what your audience wants to see more of.
The retention graph for each video can be particularly illuminating. Sunny advises looking for peaks and valleys in this graph. "You can actually see little peaks and valleys where people have rewound and watched again because maybe they didn't understand the concept or it was something that really hit home." These moments of high engagement can guide you toward topics or presentation styles that resonate strongly with your audience.
It's also essential to check how YouTube is categorizing your channel. Look at the "similar channels" section in YouTube Analytics. Sunny warns, "If you're seeing similar channels to yours that they're categorizing you with that are way off base, we've got a problem. You're not creating relevant content for that ideal viewer, and YouTube is confused about categorizing the channel."
Use all of these insights to guide your future content creation. Double down on topics and styles that perform well, and don't be afraid to pivot away from approaches that aren't resonating with your audience.
Sunny reminds us that despite all the preparation and research you do, you won't truly know how your content will perform until you publish it.
This iterative process of creating, analyzing, and refining is key to long-term success on YouTube.
Today's advice is provided with insights from Sunny Lenarduzzi, a featured guest on the Social Media Marketing Podcast.
Until next week, be sure to share your feedback and let us know what you’d like to see more of in our LinkedIn-first releases.
Michael Stelzner
Founder and CEO of Social Media Examiner