[youtube KIceRvSxn18]
YouTube can be a fun and effective way to market your optical business, particularly if you are targeting a younger demographic (although the YouTube demographic is getting older every day). Even if your production does not become the next viral sensation, embeded video hosted on YouTube can add an extra dimension to your website or blog.
Producing Your Video
Here are a few tips to consider when you get ready to produce your next YouTube blockbuster:
1. Use a tripod (the folks who shot the above did not)!
2. Make it informative; provide value to folks you are targeting.
3. Make it simple.
4. Make it entertaining.
5. Use humor.
6. Include the unexpected.
7. Make sure you display your business name and URL at the end of the video.
8. Don't expect to become the next Numa Numa Boy or Star Wars Kid.
9. Be creative, experiment, and have fun!
Marketing Your Video
Simply shooting a video and puting it YouTube, no matter how catchy, entertaining, or clever it may be, will not get attention. Your video will be lost among the millions of other videos hosted on YouTube, never to be seen or heard from again. So, here are some suggestions on getting the word out about your new video:
1. Embed the video on your website or blog.
2. Email the link for the video to all your friends, family, and customers (being careful not to spam, of course).
3. Get people like me to link to your video.
4. Post your video on forums.
5. Ask the blogs and websites your customers are likely to read to link to your video.
6. Cross you fingers and hope that everyone who sees your video will like it enough to tell all their friends.
7. Learn from the experience and do it better next time.