It goes without saying that YouTube receives some of the highest levels of traffic to its platform, which is why every business should be publishing video content on a weekly basis. But the question is, how do you really grow your outdoor brand on YouTube?
Be Consistent
The key to successfully growing your outdoor brand on YouTube is consistency.
You need to consistently create and post video content on your YouTube channel and I would recommend posting at least one piece of video content a week.
Viewers like to consume content regularly. The more content they watch about your outdoor brand, the more invested they will become.
They will start to understand your brand, the services/products you provide, and how you can help solve their problems. This will make it much easier to push them down your sales funnel as a result.
Regular viewers will also begin to see you as trustworthy as they get to know more about your business and the faces behind it.
My top tip for staying consistent is planning.
Brainstorm your video content ideas and come up with a plan that outlines:
- Goals
- Intended outcome
- Target audience
- Timeline/filming schedule
- Where you'll market your video and so on.
Create Content Your Audience is Looking For
You’re not a mind reader so how do you know what content your audience wants to see and is actually looking for?
The good news is you don’t have to be a mind reader, there are some brilliant tools out there that can give you can insight into what your target audience is actively searching for.
One of those tools is Answer The Public.
You type in a keyword or topic and Answer The Public will come up with hundreds of suggested, what, why and how style questions. This is a clever way of finding out which questions your audience want answering, enabling you to create videos around those questions.
Not only will this ensure you’re adding value to your audience but it will also increase your chances of ranking higher in searches.
Other ways you can find out about the type of content your audience wants to see is:
- By directly asking your audience.
- Looking at Google Trends.
- Setting up Google Alerts for key search terms or topics in your industry.
- Take part in online discussions through sites like Reddit and Quora.
- Look at website analytics to see which services/products your audience is looking at most.
Search Engine Optimisation
You might be creating great content for your outdoor brand but what if your audience just can’t find your videos?
This is why SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is so important. For those who don’t know, SEO aims to improve, your video's position on search results pages.
Getting your SEO right increases the chances of your video content getting found by your target audience in searches, whether that’s searches on YouTube or Google.
I’m going to explain the four key areas where you can optimise your YouTube videos to boost your search ranking.
Titles
Video titles not only help the audience to understand what the subject of your video is about, but it helps the search engines too.
When writing a title, think about keywords. Once you have identified your keywords, start expanding from there.
If you are working on a how-to or educational video that provides information or answers to a specific question, consider putting this question in the video title.
This not only tells the viewer what to expect, but you’re more likely to rank in search results as your title is mimicking the question a viewer is likely to search for.
Try and keep your video title short and sweet. Ask yourself, can I get rid of a word or two without the title losing its punch or meaning? If the answer is yes, go for it. Short and catchy video titles are more memorable and are more likely to be clicked on.
Descriptions
When writing your video description, remember to include keywords and phrases to increase your ranking and the videos searchability. Don’t just copy and paste your video title into the description, that isn’t going to cut it.
A well-optimised description can boost your video’s ranking on YouTube, so take the time to craft a well-written paragraph or two of text.
Don’t forget to add a strong call to action at the end of your description. Directing viewers to your website, blog or contact information will help convert viewers into paying customers!
Tags and Hashtags
One of the best ways to keyword-optimise your videos for YouTube is by using tags.
Tags help YouTube to grasp your video’s content and context. This way, YouTube can understand your video’s topic and category, and associate it with similar content, which can amplify your video’s reach.
I would recommend using 3 hashtags on your video at the bottom of your YouTube description. Then in the YouTube tags section, make sure to fill up as much of the tag character allowance as you can.
When deciding on which tags to include, always think about keywords or phrases that viewers are likely to search for.
Use Eyecatching Thumbnails
Millions of videos get uploaded and shared onto social media every day, so it’s up to you to make your video content stand out from the crowd by grabbing viewers’ attention as they scroll.
One of the easiest ways to catch people’s attention is through your video thumbnail.
Thumbnails are the most important part of your video, and that's because your videos thumbnail is the first impression a potential viewer has of your video.
So how can you make your thumbnail more clickable?
I would recommend uploading a high-quality image that clearly conveys your video’s subject. Where possible, show the face of the person speaking in a fun and inviting way, after all, people like people.
To make the image stand out even more, try playing around with colour saturation or contrast. This will really help your imagery pop. You could even add bold text to that image to help catch the eye of the viewer and encourage them to click play.
If you add text or any digital graphics to your video’s thumbnail, make sure they are on-brand and clear to read but refrain from using clickbait. Clickbait will hurt for videos performance in the long run. Also, don't use too much text.
Start Your Video With A Strong Hook
People’s attention spans are getting shorter, making it harder to keep your audience engaged.
If your audience isn’t engaged with your video, they won’t watch it all the way to the end, so they might miss key messages or your call to action.
One way to engage with your viewers is to include a 15-30 second hook at the beginning of your video, compelling them to keep watching.
An idea for a hook might be a question such as, ‘Do you want to know the best spots across the UK for the ultimate outdoor experience?’. Asking questions that relate to the subject of your video as it will engage viewers brains and get them thinking.
Engage With your Viewers
Once your video is released, don't end the conversation there. Make sure you stick around in the comments section and interact with your community.
You also ask them for their opinions on specific topics which they can leave in the comments section. In a later video, you could refer to specific comments and name an individual follower.
If they ask a question, answer it. The more you can do to build a community, the better.
Your target audience wants to be a part of your community. People love it when brands interact with them - it makes them feel like valued customers.
