YouTube - not just cute dancing babies

It might well be a touch clichéd, but the beauty of YouTube lies in its ability to bring people together. We can now watch international news almost as it happens, share videos with any other user in the world, and see first-hand accounts, sometimes in real time, of events that will go down in history. With this one online application, we can see what each other is seeing. It has taken collaborative communication to new heights. And a big part of that communication is from business to customer.

What can YouTube do for me?

You may be thinking, great, I can watch the latest music clips and home videos of cute dancing babies, but how is this relevant to my business? The answer is, very relevant. It is a great means of getting your product or service out there in the public eye, with the added bonus of having little or no cost to your business. Not only is it handy for initial advertising and establishing your brand, but if your business has its own YouTube channel (something that is easy to set up and maintain), then you can continuously and regularly advertise your new products or services to existing customers.

Setting the trail

What's even better is that you don't simply have to post a video up and then wait for one of those 3.5 million people per day to find you, amongst the cloud of other video floating around out there. You can in fact tag your video with relevant keywords. For example, if you are a yoga business, you might tag your video with the words 'yoga', 'exercise', 'fitness' or 'relaxation'. This way, it leads yoga enthusiasts that are specifically looking for what you offer right to you. In late 2009, YouTube owners Google announced that video captioning would also now be available on videos. Having a video script for your video means that you can use the text to place relevant keywords in your video, and allow search engines to find you. Now, your video, just like your website, will be ranked in search engine results when people search for things relevant to your business.

Anyone can do it

If you're someone that gives a shudder at the sound of the word 'technical', don't fear. Uploading your video is a simple process, and YouTube gives step by step instructions on how to do that. When you have uploaded your video, it is as uncomplicated as going into your youtube account, clicking Uploaded Videos and then Edit, and then under the Video information section, simply add the terms you'd like associated with the video in the Tags area. Add as many as you'd like, and obviously just make sure they are relevant to your video's subject matter. Then when searchers look for those keywords, your video has a better chance of being viewed.

The world (wide web) is your oyster

The type of video you choose to list is entirely up to you. You could put a simple advertisement up there, or another popular choice for businesses is an informative video. Or, you could get more creative and launch a mini-series about your business and post it in installments. The famous 'Will It Blend' series of videos are brought out regularly much to the anticipation of devout viewers. This clever ad campaign is simple in its concept - a set of videos that entail Blendtec founder Tom Dickson blending objects such as glow sticks or iPhones in a blender to prove its' durability and power. Their creativity has made them a cult hit, and in 2007, over 8 million YouTube users had seen the videos. You just can't buy that kind of publicity - and they didn't. Blendtec has saved thousands of dollars on advertising by using free YouTube.

So what are you waiting for? Have a browse on YouTube and see what's out there. Then all you need is a camera, clever material, and some good keywords, and you're on your way.

For more information on online videos and to view iQuantum's YouTube video, click here.