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Running a YouTube business channel is a really challenging but rewarding undertaking.

That is because your channel could become a massive success over night. However, there are a lot of factors that impact how well your content is ranked on YouTube. Perhaps you have seen well-established channels which have great content, but that is only one part of the story. Apart from improving the quality of your videos, there are several things that you need to understand in order to truly master running an optimal YouTube business. This optimization process usually revolves around figuring out how the YouTube search engine works under the hood. If done right, you will be able to maximize your YouTube revenue but also promote your business to a bigger audience, with the possibility of attracting many new investors and forging new powerful partnerships. Here is a guide on how to optimize your YouTube business channel. 

Use subtitles and CC

YouTube subtitles are a great opportunity for you to add keywords to boost the ranking of your videos. This is essentially a video script in the form of a text which can be uploaded as a Subrip Subtitle File (SRT). This has some additional benefits which indirectly boost your YouTube ranking, such as improving the viewing experience for people with audio impairment. This way you can actually say your keywords, which is going to come across way more smoothly. In a way, this also creates a sense of cohesion because your video will reflect your title and video description, which is a big plus in Google’s book. 

Your thumbnails make a huge difference

One of the latest additions to YouTube is the animated thumbnails, which just used to be a static image. This has become a massive factor that many big YouTubers leverage in order to gain a massive ranking on this rapidly-growing platform. This is important because your thumbnail means much more than just a fancy image that represents minimal information about your video. It is an actual preview of your video, which means that if your thumbnail fails to capture the attention of a potential viewer your video won’t even receive a view. To some extent, on the initial search engine results page (SERP) the video itself doesn’t really mean much, but it is actually the thumbnail that makes all the difference. Your viewers don’t even have to watch the full video, but it is worth noting that every click on your video counts towards driving the click-through rate. In human psychology, first impressions matter, because people are after all superficial when browsing the internet. Luckily, there are ways you can stand out from your competition. The first thing to consider is that you should use an interesting color scheme since bright inviting colors can be truly captivating. In addition, you should use the dynamic banner and design patterns. Most of all, your thumbnails should not over-promise either since people have developed a good sense of what a clickbait video is. 

Select relevant keywords

Metadata on a YouTube page works the same as on any other site. This means that the engine will heavily rely on using keywords. This sounds complicated, but it is actually a game-changer. One of the first things to consider is adding a suitable keyword to your company name. This will make it easier for people to find your business online, as they will be hitting the relevant terms in their searches most of the time. In order to find the most relevant terms for YouTube keyword search, you should check out the amazing online tool that allows you to understand which terms are most popular for your niche. With this information, you will be able to add powerful new keywords to almost any part of your YouTube content. The description section below your videos should also include these keywords. In addition to that, you can also implement these magic keywords into your titles. This ensures that people will find your videos among the top few results.  As more and more people discover your channel using these terms you are basically teaching the YouTube and Google algorithm to retrieve your channel on the search engine results page (SERP). 

Publish longer videos

One often overlooked part about creating YouTube content is the length of the video itself. People treat this hidden feature as if they do not have any choice over it. When their ideas run out, that’s it, they end the video in a really short period of time. It has been found that the ideal length is around the 10-minute mark because it achieves a drastically higher watch time. Ten minutes is the sweet spot because people feel it is not too long so they can easily afford 10 minutes of their time, and it feels like just the right amount to actually find out something new. This is especially true in the business world, where it is of essential importance to convey your message across as concisely as possible. A great type of video for this length of time comes in the format of how-to videos. You can easily create a few main points that are going to really capture the viewers’ attention as they catch on to the pattern that you create.

Use end screens 

In 2017 video annotations have been discontinued and this created a massive change in the way people watch YouTube. This is because with the rise of mobile viewing people have realized that it is nearly impossible to watch a video with annotations popping on the screen. This means that your strategy has to change. Luckily, YouTube cards and screens have been found to drive much higher click rates and they are much easier to implement. This has another benefit as people won’t have to click off your videos because of annoying popups. In addition, you can now point to your other videos using the amazing functionality of End Screens which can also link to other website domains. This is a great option for businesses because they can link to their online shops so that viewers that watched all the way through the end have an amazing opportunity to actually get their hands on their product or service. This is, in a sense, an instant way to get qualified leads.

Managing a business over YouTube is an extremely smart move because there are loads of things you can do to maximize your business success; use closed captions, make captivating thumbnails, select relevant keywords, publish videos that are around 10 minutes long, and use end screens.

The post A Guide to Optimizing your YouTube Business Channel appeared first on noupe.

Without an established online presence, it can be incredibly challenging to grow your small business. That is exactly why digital branding is so important for your company. It enables you to connect with your consumers easily, stay relevant to your audience, and even stand out from your competition without much effort. But even though it might seem simple at first, establishing your business as a brand online can be a difficult process if you don’t have the right tools and resources at your disposal. To help you reach online success, here are some of the most essential digital branding guidelines you should follow:

Invest in branding

Just like any other branding strategy, your digital campaign should have established branding elements in place as well. This means creating the perfect logo your audience can easily associate with your business, as well as choosing a distinct color palette that helps to build brand identity. Aspects such as fonts and typography, graphics and imagery, taglines and slogans, and the overall tone of voice you use in your writing are also crucial. All of these elements come together in order to create unique and instantly recognizable online branding for your small business.

Focus on messaging

Brand messaging represents what your company says and the way it says it. The messaging should convey the main goals, core values, beliefs, and overall purpose of your business, and it should also speak directly to the desires and needs of your target audience. For that reason, your brand messaging must include mission, vision, and positioning statements, as well as your unique value proposition and the differentiators that set you apart from the competition.

Create buyer personas

In order to target your audience efficiently with your digital marketing efforts, you must first determine exactly who you’d like to reach. Chances are high that potential consumers will learn about your small business and connect with it through your online presence. So, try to create buyer personas by identifying demographics through markers such as age, gender, and location, creating surveys, utilizing social media channels, or even using specific marketing platforms. When you pinpoint your target audience, any digital branding tactic you implement will be that much more effective.

Shift to social media

With billions of people around the globe using social media each day, it’s truly essential for your digital branding. It allows you to reach a wider audience, engage consumers more effectively, and even encourage them to make a purchasing decision. But not all social media platforms are created equal. To ensure success, focus only on those channels that are truly relevant to your target audience and most frequently used by them, whether that’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. Then, create a posting strategy based on the platform and the unique interests of your audience.

Build a great website

Websites are crucial for businesses of all types and sizes, representing your digital storefront and an easy way for consumers to find all the necessary information about your company. That is why it should be as clean, simple, and easy to navigate as possible. Along with a memorable or branded domain name, consider using a more personal .me extension as well, as it’s the ideal solution for a small business. When it comes to web design, focus on branding throughout and maintain consistency, while brief and concise pages might be the best solution for the overall efficiency of your website.

Prioritize SEO

If you want to ensure your target audience can find your website easily when performing a Google search, you will have to invest in search engine optimization (SEO). This means posting interesting and high-quality content on your website regularly, using relevant keywords, filling your content with useful backlinks and internal links, increasing the loading speed of your website, optimizing it for mobile and voice search, etc. The more you focus on great SEO tactics, the higher you will be able to position your website on search engine results pages, and the more potential customers you will be able to reach.

Consider advertising

Using the power of the internet in an effort to promote your business, online advertising is another great way to enhance your digital branding efforts. If you create a social media marketing campaign, social media ads will likely be an important part of your strategy. Apart from that solution, there are a number of other online advertising options you could go for, including search engine ads, mobile, and desktop feed ads, display ads, and retargeted ads. Choose a solution that suits your marketing tactics the most, as well as one that is most relevant to your target audience.

Try email marketing

Email marketing is a tried-and-true branding tactic that can enable you to effortlessly reach your target consumers, especially those demographics that don’t use social media. If you want to implement this strategy, begin by building a list of leads that are most likely to convert into subscribers or website visitors, and then focus on creating branded marketing emails for promotions, raising brand awareness, or simply conveying information. Keep in mind that the most efficient email marketing campaigns are always carefully scheduled, simple to read and understand, and have a clear end goal in mind.

Analyze competitors

There are likely a number of companies that offer similar products and services to yours, and it can often be challenging to differentiate your brand from the rest. That is why doing a thorough competitor analysis could be of great help. Set some time aside to research the market and review the tactics that are currently working well for your competitors. Based on their strategies, you can identify what will be efficient for your business as well, see which aspects you can change and improve, and even pinpoint exactly how to stand out from the crowd, thus accelerating success.

In terms of digital branding, growing a loyal and dedicated consumer base that buys frequently and believes in your company is absolutely essential. Do some research and utilize the tips above to find the best strategies that will bring growth and success to your small business online.

The post Digital Branding for Your Small Business: Essential Guidelines to Follow appeared first on noupe.