How businesses can use YouTube to tackle the COVID-19 business crisis

The outbreak of COVID-19 has led global businesses to a scenario where business continuity has severely been challenged. All kinds of businesses – be it food and beverage, apparel and footwear, beauty, automotive, travel, or hospitality all have been severely impacted. Opportunities that help businesses navigate the strategic, operational, and financial change through the usual ways of marketing and promoting a business might not work anymore.

In the “coexisting with COVID-19” world, an average user is now spending “Remote” is the new usual. Hence, utilizing the avenue of YouTube for your business can be an open-ended option for organizations to help with their marketing and product promotions. So, if you think this is an approachable recommendation for your business, here’s how YouTube can help you out in the COVID-19 situation.

1. Get exposure to international clients

Either they post their own videos or watch the works of other YouTubers. With such a large audience in the funnel, bringing your business marketing to YouTube would be a good move. This holds true for businesses because they can register their presence on YouTube to showcase their resources. So, if you can create a channel on this platform and upload your organizational videos, you are opening yourself to a prospective audience that can be a potential clientele. If you are a setup based on any of the online business ideas, this can increase the sales as well as the overall recognition and reputation of your company.

Here are a few examples of YouTube video uploads for a business:

• YouTube podcasts with an expert panel
• Listicle videos of “Top 10”
• Explanatory videos for your business offering
• Product/service reviews of your business offering
• YouTubeLive
• Company presentations
• New product launch videos

If you are concerned about the geography and language for your videos, it was never a barrier to YouTube, thanks to subtitles. While it is not feasible and easy to record your videos in multiple languages, YouTube does provide adding subtitles almost free of cost. So, that’s a box ticked off.

YouTube is heavily based on the viewership and subscription count of a channel. So, to increase the viewers and subscribers on YouTube, you would have to stay consistently active on this platform.

Tip

Skip the old content format. Create your new blogs in the video format with a voiceover and some animation. Listicles are by far one of the most popular YouTube video formats.

2. Become more visible on Google

As you probably already know, the Google search engine does not only pick up blogs and articles but also accumulates SEO juice from YouTube videos. Since videos are very high on engagement percentage, it is a great time to get on the video platform of YouTube. So, if you create a lot more unique content regularly, then it will be easier for your channel to appear in the search results.

You would also have to choose a suitable title for it. A relatively neutral title can help your videos show up on the “Trending” page. You would also have to provide some brief yet proper descriptions under your videos. This will make it easier for search engines to pick up your video content. Choosing the right time to post your videos should be based on your audience if you really want to maximize engagement.

As YouTube is a part of Google, you can also increase your website’s authority on the search engine by incorporating the same. In simple words, the more popular your YouTube channel is, the higher your website will rank in Google’s search results. It is also highly recommended that you employ the right SEO tools to further amp up the SEO game of your content.

Tip

If a YouTube video has a view time of fewer than 10 secs it’s going to count as a negative count – A huge factor that loses rankings!

3. Build revenue through AdSense

Besides getting popular on the business side of YouTube, you can also generate some amount for your business through YouTube’s AdSense. Almost every full-time YouTuber earns a lot more money than many people. Revenue from YouTube ads came to $4.7 billion in the fourth quarter, up 31% year over year. However, all sectors have been differently impacted by the eventual change in Ad spend.

This is something that can be achieved if your channel has enough of a viewer base. Firstly, a viewer would see your video’s or business’ ad through the video of any other channel and click on it. However, you will have to pay a small amount of revenue for it. Here’s an ideal scenario.

• After clicking, the viewer would proceed with your video and watch it. Nevertheless, if you already have added some ads from other content creators, then your viewer would watch them, too, in the process.
• With each click on those ads, you will earn some.

It does not sound really massive, right? But, if more than one million people watch your videos regularly, then, through AdSense, you can definitely earn some good money.

Tip

Figure out the categories of monetized videos on YouTube and try to jot them with your business content so that you don’t miss those AdSense dollars.

4. Seek inspiration from standard businesses and their YouTube channels

Almost every popular or highly-established company has its own YouTube channel. Check out the YouTube channels from Y Combinator, TED, Skillshare, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Neil Patel. These are a bunch of very popular business-oriented channels that are worth seeking inspiration from. So, if you do follow them, then you will be able to gain a lot of insights about marketing strategies and campaigns.

This can help you learn more about the crucial aspects of business and come up with your own ideas, and self-branding that can boost the growth of your organization.

Tip

YouTube is a trend-heavy platform where creators follow several patterns to bring their video to the “Trending” slot. While those can effectively help you, staying original in your pursuit can carve a niche for you.

5. Keep your content alive with YouTube repurposing

Before COVID-19 hit us, all businesses were on their usual path to creating their marketing content in several formats such as blogs, infographics, videos, whitepapers, eBooks, and more. However, now is the time to repurpose all the content or videos that you have created before and utilize them for aggressively claiming the YouTube business space for your industry.

You do not have to waste your time on the same project again and use it on another channel or place to reach your target audience quickly and easily.

For repurposing, you can use four different formats, which are – video series, infographics, podcasts, and presentations. This approach would help you to keep your audience engaged with works, which, in turn, might help you gain some new audience and clients.

Tip

Repurposing old content for conversion into YouTube videos not only saves your time but also keeps you in a mode where you are able to churn good content and post it out consistently.

6. Make use of YouTube influencer marketing

Based on your take on marketing budget, you can seek Influencer Marketing and rope in YouTubers to promote your products/services through their videos. This way, you might be able to gain some business through the means of their loyal fanbase.

Moreover, if you do enable the comment section of your videos and be active with the interaction, your business might be able to get some active leads for potential customers who are keen to engage with your business offering.

Tip

Influencer marketing is witnessing Micro-influencers making waves. So, do consider tapping this opportunity.

What else matters?

Once you have created your business YouTube channel, you have to focus on optimizing and growing it. Here are some of the checkboxes you need to tick off:

• A channel trailer is a great way to welcome new visitors who are coming across your channel for the first time. They would instantly know what videos to expect.
• Figure out the video length that works for your business. Too short or too long videos can kill the channel’s growth even before you know it.
• Channel art is crucial and can work its way to attract new audiences to your channel and make a lasting impression. Check out GaryVee’s channel art.

• To provide your channel with a visibility boost, paid promotion can always help.
• Organic growth can be your thing. All you have to do is keep producing high-quality videos that are relevant to your business and its audience.

Conclusion

It is true that this virus has highly impacted various segments in the business industry. Businesses are now looking to figure out possible steps and responses to mitigate risks in these uncertainties. As apparent, YouTube is a great platform to grow your business, especially during the time of COVID-19. So, stop waiting for the grass to grow and create a channel on the website and start working on it today.

Catherrine Garcia is an experienced Web Developer at WPCodingDev and a passionate blogger.