There has never been a better to time to be involved in network marketing or direct sales. Why you may ask? Simple: because of the internet. The internet has made it easier than ever for home-based business owners to find customers and business partners anywhere in the world.
One of the most powerful tools you can use to spread the news about your products, services or business opportunity is YouTube. Video is the most effective format for engaging people on-line, partly because we’re so conditioned to “watch TV” and movies. We’re comfortable with this kind of visual communication. Bottom line, if you want people to pay attention to what you share over the internet, use video to get your message across!
With over a billion users YouTube is an internet powerhouse. Every day, people around the world tune into YouTube to watch millions of hours of video content. In fact, about 10,000 of those videos have generated over a billion views. According to YouTube stats, “YouTube reaches more 18-49-year-olds than any other cable network in the U.S.”
If you’ve ever watched a YouTube video and wondered how you could use this powerful tool in your own biz, here’s some simple steps to get you started.
Create a Channel & Content Strategy
Before you pick your channel name or upload your first video, you need to think through your strategy first. Ask yourself:
~ Who am I trying to reach? What kinds of prospects are the best fit for my products and biz opportunity? Stay at home moms, people who want to lose weight, baby boomers, college students, travel lovers, foodies, etc?
~ What type of content (tips, how to’s, etc) would these people find helpful? What info make sense for the kinds of products I sell?
For example if you have health or wellness products, you might share weight loss tips, or ideas to help with stress or energy. If you sell makeup, skincare or jewelry, you might share beauty or fashion tips, etc. If you sell travel products, you could share travel planning ideas, etc.
~ How can I set things up so I can create and share regular content, and keep a consistent posting schedule? (Consistency is key if you want to build a regular following and engage people on the internet!)
Optimize Your Channel Page
The next step in building a successful channel is to create a detailed channel page. You want to provide anyone who watches your channel with as much information about you, your biz, and where and how to connect with you.
- Add Channel Art to “brand” your page and make it stand out.
- Provide a clear, concise description of your Channel. Who are you? Who do you help? How do you help them?
- For example “I’m a wellness expert who loves to help baby boomers get fit, have more energy and create financial freedom”. Or “I love helping women look and feel beautiful from the inside out”.
- Be sure to include links to your website and other social media pages and encourage them to visit for more info, to stay in touch, etc.
- Spend some time exploring the Creator Studio to learn more about setting up your channel, as well as managing your content, connecting with viewers, and much more.
- Once your channel is up and running, create a short channel trailer. Think of it like a movie trailer for your channel. You want viewers to get a feel for the type of content you create so they’re more likely to subscribe to your channel.
Create the Set
They say content is king, but the way your videos look and sound is also important. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, however, to create some great looking videos.
- You can use your cellphone, or computer’s camera, or your digital camera to record your video to get started. Once your channel is more established, you can invest in lighting and audio/visual equipment.
- Next, find the perfect background or backgrounds. You want to film in a place that isn’t too loud or too distracting. You also want your location to be filled with plenty of light. Many YouTubers use natural lighting, which is great, though it can be unpredictable. You can also invest in ring lights or key lights, which will put the focus on you and provide you with more control.
- For more information on creating backgrounds and lighting, checkout James Wedmore’s YouTube Channel for his Video Backgrounds & Lighting Playlist.
Also – if you are super “camera shy” or just don’t feel confident filming yourself on video yet, there’s an alternative way to use YouTube.com. You can still share about your products or create similar “how to” videos by recording a powerpoint type of presentation (or keynote if you have a Mac). Using this approach isn’t quite so nerve wracking (and it’s easier to stop, edit and re-record with this format than with live video).
Create Engaging Videos
The best way to build out your channel is to start creating and sharing content. Just make sure your content is engaging and not boring. Keep your videos short and to the point (2-3 minutes is best).
Have a focus for what you want to accomplish in each video. What’s the main tip or idea you want to share? Can you communicate that in 1-3 points, or do a demonstration that makes it easy for people to follow?
Be your authentic self! Show off your personality and share your excitement for your product, biz opportunity, or topic you’re discussing.
- Talk to the camera to help draw your audience in and keep them watching. Imagine you’re speaking to a close friend, your favorite customer or someone on your team. You want to sound conversational, not overly rehearsed or “canned”.
- At the end of your video, encourage your viewers to take the next step. Ask them to comment on your video, visiti your main website, or follow you on social media.
- Deepen your relationship with your audience by asking viewers to post questions or suggestions for content below your video. What would they like to see on your channel? What are they most interested in learning from you.
- Once you have several videos up, start creating playlists for your videos. (Playlists allow you to segment your videos into categories for easier search and viewing.)
Be Consistent with Your Content & Your Posting Scheduling
If you don’t want your viewers to lose interest, you need to post on a consistent basis. If you want more people to find you, you need to post on a regular schedule. However, this doesn’t mean you have to post every day.
Start out by posting once or twice a week, and try to do it on the same day(s) every week. This will help increase your engagement, viewers, and subscribers because people will know when to look out for your content. It will also allow new people to find you because your videos will appear in their recommendations feeds.
YouTube is a great platform for finding new leads, customers and biz partners. With a little preparation and practice you might become the next big YouTube Network Marketing Star.
For more tips and tricks on creating a successful YouTube Channel, visit YouTube’s Creator Academy.
Check back for Part 2 of this series (our next article) and I’ll show you some specific ways to use YouTube to generate more leads and grow your biz.
