Words are awesome. They can be factual and precise or deliberately ambiguous.

But as our collective attention spans fall away and our need for ‘quick fix’, visual information grows exponentially, the foundation is set for video marketing on YouTube to be the next big thing.

YouTube is HUGE!

If you’re not convinced that video marketing on YouTube is crucial to your marketing, consider this:

• YouTube gets 2 billion views per day
• Over 24 hours of video are uploaded every minute
• The average user watches 15 minutes per day
• Viewers are evenly split between men and women
• The most popular video has been viewed over 350 million + times

Key Considerations for Video Marketing on YouTube

Your video must get found in order for it to get viewed

That means, if you’re going to make videos, they need to be searchable. Tag and categorize correctly at every turn to ensure your videos are found. Be sure to include keywords and phrases that might drive related clicks-throughs.

Related videos are the top referral source

Referral sources are critical to any form of marketing. How do you take advantage of related videos? By creating content that fits into a community or adds value to a tribe. Align yourself with video content creators in your niche and position your video to receive referral traffic accordingly.

80% of views occur more than two months after upload

Unlike most online content which sees it’s largest traffic shortly after release, online video goes through a maturation phase. Don’t expect your videos to gets thousands of views right off the bat.

People need time to sift through them, view them and then share them with their friends. You won’t reach critical mass after 12 hours, so manage your expectations and keep promoting your videos even long after you’ve uploaded them.

Length of video doesn’t matter

Seems odd doesn’t it? The fact is that as long as your content is quality, people will stay tuned for as long as it lasts. So whether you’ve got a stacked script to read or just a few scrawls on a napkin, hit record anyway.

Diverse video types are popular

Stunts, rehearsals, interviews and bloopers all count as content. Now, although there’s only so many times falling off a ladder can be re-branded, a look behind the scenes and aftermath would be hilarious.

Your content needs variety and the more open you are to different types of content, the more successful your channel will be.

Embed It!

Notice that little embed code in the details of your YouTube video? It’s marketing gold. While many of your viewers may be viewing your videos on YouTube.com, remember that your video could very easily start popping up on social networks and blogs all over the place as peopke use the embed code to post your video on their website.

That’s how content “goes viral”. Whenever possible, create viral-friendly content which translates across many platforms.

Are you on YouTube? Share a link to your YouTube channel and leave a comment below.