You want to expand your customer base. You know videos are the fastest growing ad format. You know they can help your small business reach a young and growing audience, but you don’t have the budget. Or do you? If YouTube has anything to do with it, you won’t need to spend a fortune (or an eternity) to leverage the power of video ads.
That’s because the tech giant recently unveiled a new suite of products called YouTube Director. The goal? Empower small businesses to step up their marketing efforts. The pitch? Help entrepreneurs create a powerful video advertisement in less than 20 minutes. But what does it really do, how much does it cost, and do you really need it?
YouTube Director Makes Video Production Easy and Cost-Effective
YouTube Director is an app. Actually, it’s three apps, each one designed to serve a different segment of the market. At the base level, you get a free app that lets you create a polished video in mere minutes.
Put simply, YouTube for small business takes the guesswork out of video production. It guides you through every step of the creative process with clear instructions and helpful tips. The only thing you need to bring to the table is your story, and even there you can rely on the app for ideas.
The production process looks something like this:
- Decide what type of video you want. Create your own script from scratch or use templates, which YouTube Director organizes by genre and business type. Want to shoot a testimonial? The “testimonial template” gives you a step-by-step guide for interviewing subjects. Prompts are easy to follow (“Introduce your customer.” “How long has your customer worked with your agency?”) and examples provide inspiration.
- Shoot the video and record the audio, all from your iPhone. The app tells you how to shoot each scene, about how long it should be, and what you’ll need to get the job done.
- Add text, graphics, and music. Spice up your video with text, graphics, and music, all provided by YouTube director. When it comes to music, you can choose from genres like “classical,” “alternative and punk,” even “angry” or “calm.”
- Upload the video to YouTube, share it on your other social media platforms, and embed it on your website.
Three Services, Three Ways to Reach Your Audience
The basic Director app is perfect for small businesses that want to jump into video advertising without spending a fortune. YouTube for businesses also offers two other services for SMBs who need a slightly different model.
- Option #2: YouTube Director onsite – YouTube
Director onsite may be a better solution for SMBs that face time constraints, or those who simply want a higher-quality product. Spend $150 to advertise on YouTube, and they’ll send a professional to do the job for you. Unfortunately, there’s a catch: For now, at least, you have to live in one of seven metro areas (San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta) in order to take advantage of the program.
- Option #3: YouTube Director automated video – Finally, businesses who sell mobile applications can take advantage of the YouTube Director automated video, which automatically grabs your logo from the App Store or the Google Play Store, takes screenshots, then uses them to make a quick advertisement.
Do Small Businesses Really Need YouTube Director?
A growing number of internet users consume their online content in video form. More than one billion people watch videos on YouTube alone. That makes the social media giant one of the biggest platforms on the planet, and it loves to boast that watch time has grown by at least 50 percent year over year.
That means small businesses can no longer afford to ignore video advertisements. Once the exclusive province of large enterprises, high-quality videos are now a must-have for organizations of all sizes. In fact, in 2018, SMBs are set to outspend enterprises when it comes to video ads.
And for good reason. A well-conceived video can generate buzz, boost engagement, and increase conversions. On the flipside, poor quality videos can damage your brand image. To the extent that YouTube Director helps SMBs make quality videos in less time and for less money, it could be a game changer in the hands of entrepreneurs.
Make Video One Part of a Larger Digital Marketing Strategy
That being said, video ads are only part of the solution. The internet is packed with videos. With the release of YouTube Director, even more will crowd the marketplace. On its own, your ad is likely to get lost in the ether.
So how do you make your voice heard? How do you craft a video that customers will see and appreciate? The key is to make your video ads part of a larger digital marketing strategy that includes SEO optimization and social media promotion. After all, a well-crafted video can only work its magic if it reaches the intended audience.
Want more ideas on how to create and promote videos that get results? Delve deeper into the world of effective video marketing with tips designed to boost conversion and sales. Need advice on how to create a comprehensive growth strategy that includes video advertisements? Contact our digital growth agency to get expert advice tailored to your small business.