Yes, the marketing power of YouTube

YouTube is one of the most powerful media tools on the planet today. Yet, many businesses don’t use social media of any kind to their marketing advantage.

YouTube started as a fun diversion to check out strange videos of cat/dogs doing tricks or something similar. Today’s You Tube has gained acceptance as “the Global Everything Network” because of the depth and breadth of its reach, according to Social Times. It states YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, after Google. Many artists and DIYs use YouTube to gather ideas and watch the “how to” videos. Just about any topic you can imagine may have a YouTube video — some professionally produced, but most done by the amateur on phone or tablet.

Users watch more than 6 billion hours of YouTube monthly. That’s a staggering number. Search Engine Land columnist asks, “Is your brand capturing any of the billions of video views that take place daily?” Those in the know all write a strong presence on YouTube can have an incredible impact on brand reach allowing businesses to engage with millions. The days of a static image or written directions are soon becoming a relic of the past since so many of us are visual and a video is so much more effective. Seeing is believing, as the saying goes.

A visual journey through a store highlighting products is worth thousands of dollars. Showcasing a service creates familiarity. There are so many ways for businesses to reach customers that’t is a wonder more don’t.

The Carson City Chamber has engaged the personable and knowledgeable UNR Extension instructor Lindsay Chichester, PhD, to walk students through every phase of creating a YouTube video from the initial shoot to the final edit using free software to posting on YouTube. The three-hour session is a great introduction to today’s marketing and sales techniques. Session takes place at the Chamber office, 1900 S. Carson Street, Tuesday, June 14 between 1-4 p.m. Cost is $30. Must RSVP to 882-1665.