MasseyMedia, Inc.

YouTube is a place where literally billions of videos are stored and viewed.

In January 2012, YouTube reported that more than four billion videos were being streamed on the site per day. As a subsidiary of Google, it‘s no surprise that YouTube is not only the No. 1 video sharing site, but also one of the top social media networks. There is some serious power behind these clips and blurbs being posted across the Internet, and this influence can be harnessed and utilized to the benefit of your business.

When not used in an organized and purposeful fashion, many of the social media outlets available today have the potential to be a black hole of information and content. Some of that content can be helpful and interesting, while much of it can be crude, unnecessary or downright silly.

YouTube contains an extremely vast range of such content, so how is a business supposed to sort through the madness and stand out above the others? What‘s the point of YouTube other than cute pet videos and funny TV show clips? Should a serious company or business add a YouTube account to their social media marketing plan?

YouTube is a wonderful tool for sharing videos and building community. The great thing about YouTube being part of Google means that videos are often included in search results.

While eyes can tend to glaze over at the sight of link after link and even more black and white text, a video clip stands out. A video is engaging and intriguing. A link to a video clip begs to be clicked and played. If your search engine optimization is lacking, try adding some relevant, interesting videos to YouTube. Employ a keyword-rich title, list it under the appropriate category, and use important keywords as tags. You may get some valuable attention from your YouTube creation.

By providing videos as a company, you will stand out above the others. While smaller operations are jumping on board with Facebook and even Twitter, businesses with YouTube accounts are not nearly as widespread. YouTube videos can be shared through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets, as well as embedded into your company blog or website.

The highest goal of any company is to drive traffic to the business, whether on or offline, ultimately resulting in an increase in sales. YouTube is another tool to add to the marketing arsenal to help you accomplish that.

Another great thing about YouTube videos is the potential to be shared across a large audience over a short amount of time via other social media outlets. This type of video is called a "viral video", and can be quite beneficial for a company or organization.

The highest number of views of any user generated YouTube video is more than 300 million. That‘s quite an audience! And because creating a YouTube account is free, video marketing can be a relatively inexpensive way to promote your business.

Consider what benefit your business might gain from a YouTube account. Think about relevant videos to create and post, and then give YouTube a try. Your customers may find the videos interesting or helpful, and perhaps even feel inclined to share them with their social networks, resulting in publicity for your business.

Video marketing is a different way to advertise, and something businesses should consider when evaluating their marketing plans. Marketing doesn‘t have to be cookie-cutter and boring; rather, it should be fresh, progressive, and even fun. Who knows? With the right tools and content, your company may just produce the next big YouTube hit.