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Have you heard of YouTube? Perhaps the better question is, how many hours have you squandered browsing interesting videos on YouTube? For those that are unfamiliar, it is a platform for original content creators and people all across the globe to connect, inform, and inspire others via short videos. There are millions of people that watch millions of videos every day on YouTube. In fact, more content is uploaded to YouTube in a 60 day period than the three major U.S. television networks created in 60 years. With YouTube, 800 million people across the globe have access to your voice—a staggering reality that the world has never seen.
So, I’m sure you’re wondering—So what? As a Financial Professional, how can I use this platform for my business? As an expert in social media, I can assure you there are an infinite number of ways to integrate YouTube into your marketing strategy. Below are three key points to get the ball rolling:
How Advisors are using YouTube: It’s obvious that millions of businesses are using YouTube—but how are financial professionals, as a niche, using the platform?
- To Establish Credibility and Reach Target Audience: Similar to your blog, it’s important to position yourself as an expert in your videos. By producing interesting, useful, and timely content, you send the message that I know what I’m talking about. This is essential to retaining clients and attracting leads and potential clients. Perhaps one of the most renowned financial video content creators is Mark Matson’s Matson Money. He creates videos that address a plethora of financial topics. Some examples are: “The Benefits of International Investing”, “How to Build an Inefficient Portfolio”, and “Real People, Real Problems”. The College Funding Connection also has videos that engage their target audience while establishing credibility. Check these out: Why do so Many Middle Class Parents Pay so Little for Children’s College Education? (Part 1 of 7) and Why High School “Financial Aid Nights” can be Hazardous to your Wealth! (Part 2 of 7). The key here is putting yourself in the shoes of your consumer. What would you want to watch?
Strategies for going Viral: Did you know that Google owns YouTube? That means that by signing up for YouTube, you are building a friendship with the largest search engine in the world. Google loves to give preferential search engine treatment for YouTuber’s. Therefore, by creating a YouTube account you’re already well on your way to boosting your search engine rankings. But it doesn’t end there. What are some other strategies for increasing viewership?
- Length: The optimal length for a video is a gray area.You have a maximum of 15 minutes for your video. But before you max out the length, make sure you’re effectively getting your message across while engaging the audience. If you use the entire 15 minutes, the video better be extremely engaging and entertaining. To hover on the safe side, make your video 60-90 seconds. Research indicates that viewers have a short attention span and, more often than not, will quit watching your video if it’s longer than that.
- Entertaining: The most highly viewed videos on YouTube are entertaining and have some degree of shock effect. This doesn’t mean your video has to contain outlandish content, but it helps to integrate humor, quirkiness, honesty, and perhaps a dash of controversy. Similar to your blog, speak to your audience. What are the pressing issues in their lives? What do they want to hear and learn about? How can you address them in a unique, engaging manner?
- Interviews and Stories: To add an extra flare to your video library, aim to integrate relevant interviews and stories. Perhaps you know somebody who can share interesting experiences or insights about retirement or 401(k) planning. Or maybe you know of an individual that paid off his/her credit card debt who can offer advice to others. Be creative. Your videos don’t have to be strictly informative, they can be awe-inspiring too.
- How To’s: There will always be a demand for “how-to” and Q&A videos. What are some of the frequently asked questions that you receive as a financial advisor? What are topics that people struggle with or are unsure of? At FSM, We love to create videos and blogs that address real concerns we have with clients. You should do the same.
- Don’t make it an ad: Steer clear of explicit self-promotion. People don’t want a commercial, they want rich, engaging content. There are billions of videos on YouTube-do you think people are going to waste their time watching a self-promoting piece? Instead, include brief calls to action, such as “download our free compliance guide to learn more” or “visit our blog to learn more about budgeting”.
SEO and Synchronizing Videos on other Social Platforms: YouTube is an incredibly utilitarian platform. Once you’ve established a personalized channel and built a video library, you can feature your videos anywhere. In fact, I recommend that you embed and weave your videos into all of your social platforms, including your website, to maximize marketing results. Post it to your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, embed it in your blog, submit it to StumbleUpon, post it on your wife’s Pinterest page, and send it in your e-newsletter and mailing list. Blast the video everywhere! In addition to posting the video to your social networks, The Social Media Examiner offers some additional advice on video SEO:
- Title: Make sure your targeted keywords are in the first few words of your title. Another trick is to add a colon after your initial keywords and rephrase your title for maximum effect. For example, your video on saving money for college might be called “College Savings Plans: The 529 Plan and Your Child.”
- Description: Two things to keep in mind here: 1) start your description with a full URL, and 2) don’t be stingy with your description—more is… well, more. Be as descriptive and keyword-rich as possible. This will help you get found more easily by people searching YouTube for your type of content. You can also include more URLs throughout your content.
- Tags: Be sure to include any and all related keywords in the tags field.
If you want to stay on the cutting edge of online marketing, it is essential to build a branded YouTube account and use it as much as possible. With the rapid growth of videos, it would not be surprising if they completely replaced written content within the next few years. Now is the time to jump on the bandwagon.
