Who’s afraid of… YouTube?
How to use the video to boost your Online Store
There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. How much more words is a video worth then? For starters, let’s just say that, as a propagation tool, video increases conversions and sales. YouTube has become something of a destination for finding and learning about products, so if you haven’t started shooting, you should definitely start thinking about it to say the least! And here’s one simple copybook example why: according to his YouTube channel, probably the most famous YouTuber in the world has received over 13.5 billion video views (as of October 2016)! Interested now?!
In today’s article you’re going to learn more about how to make your customers even more active thanks to your very own YouTube channel — oh yes, create one if you haven’t done so already! And now, let’s dig into the importance of using videos to promote your online store, brand and products, reasons why not to be afraid of making videos, what kinds you can create and of course, some examples. Without further ado, let’s do this!
Use in your eCommerce business!
Everybody loves video, especially Google
According to Kissmetrics, there’s a 64–85% chance that a customer will purchase after viewing a video, crazy right? No wonder though, that customers watching videos usually spend more time on a website and go through more sub-pages. And it’s not just YouTube, sharing videos on other social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter can help in attracting audience to your online store and increasing sales of the promoted product. Nowadays, it’s not just about viewing, rating, sharing, and commenting on videos. There are many call-to-action buttons on social media, and YouTube is no exception as they introduced the ability to shop for products directly from their video ads.
You’ve most likely noticed how the Google search engine arranges results in different tabs (images, maps, news, and also videos). To have your own product video, especially in the case your competitor doesn’t have any, increases the chance to rank higher in the search. Google gives preference to pages including videos, particularly when connected to YouTube.
Also, let’s face it, time flies so fast, people have less leisure and almost no spare energy. It implies that it’s so much easier and more comfortable for a customer to see and hear you than spend their time reading detailed product descriptions, manuals and articles. And you want to make your customers happy, don’t you?
Because, why not?
It is well known that most people prefer sharing videos rather than texts and their click-rate is higher as well. According to eMarketer, the average American spent 5 hours and 31 minutes watching video each day last year. Isn’t that a reason compelling enough to attract your customers to your online store via video content?
A video helps you to excite your customers’ interest, evoke emotions connected to your products, make them buy supplemental or related stuff, show them how / when / where to use it, etc. And it’s not just about product videos! Be creative, let your imagination run wild, try creating video newsletters, tips & tricks, vlogs, tutorials,…
Third-party promo
If you can’t create your own videos for some reason, there’s one more thing that can help you promote your store and product without making videos on your own. Instead of paying YouTube to advertise or post your videos, you can contact YouTubers popular in your business area, appealing to your target market! Simply send them your products for free and they’ll promote it for you via an unboxing, tutorial, how-to, photoshoot, give-away, review, DIY, whatever.
Post everywhere — get inspired by your own customers!
Not everyone has enough money in their budget so that they can spend on hiring a professional cameraman. Pull your phone out of a pocket and film a short video of one of your friends using your products. Create a YouTube channel. It’s free. Post the video there, share it on Facebook as well. Even the famous Jamie Oliver shares his cooking videos lasting just a few second on Instagram and gains loads of views and likes! So don’t forget to add a YouTube button on your website, online store, individual products and blog, and keep track of your results.
One last tip: let’s just say it’s the best to think as your own customer. If you were them, what would you like to find out / learn about products through videos? What would be useful, relevant, amusing, good to know? Use them as your inspiration. For example, simply take the top FAQs in your business and start there, shoot videos answering customers’ questions (shipping options, payment methods etc.)
Summary
Don’t be afraid of making videos. Hopefully this short article persuaded you to create your own YouTube channel and thus make your customers even more active with minimum expenses. If you want to learn more on how to promote your eCommerce business using YouTube, read this cool article by SweetTooth or this GetResponse blog post.
