YouTube for E-Commerce: How to Sell Without Selling

Posted 4 years ago by Mark Xavier Quadros

YouTube is桂an桂excellent platform for桂promoting your e-commerce business, but many stores haven�셳 capitalized on桂what it桂has to桂offer.

At桂some point, you�셶e probably contemplated creating videos to桂market your e-commerce business. But issues like affordability and桂lack of桂time have gotten in桂the桂way. That�셲 how it桂is桂for桂most businesses, but the桂ones that invest their efforts into video marketing often separate themselves from the桂pack as桂far as桂having a桂memorable brand that drives engagement.

In桂this article, we�셪l dive into why YouTube is桂a桂worthwhile platform for桂e-commerce marketing, along with some strategies to桂boost sales by桂leveraging this super popular video social media channel.

But first, let�셲 get down to桂some basics.

Why YouTube is桂Essential to桂Marketing

To桂better understand how YouTube might be桂a桂vital resource for桂your e-commerce marketing toolkit, take a桂look at桂:

70% of桂businesses say that videos boost brand awareness
51% of桂businesses agree that videos increase traffic
Videos help businesses get 66% more qualified leads
85% of桂people say that videos help them connect with brands more effectively
88% of桂businesses that use video report a桂positive return on桂investment.

Trends forecast that video traffic will make up桂82% of桂all consumer traffic by桂2022. This means that thriving businesses will likely become more and桂more reliant on桂some form of桂video marketing for桂your e-commerce business.

Here are six reasons YouTube is桂essential to桂your e-commerce marketing strategy:

It桂elevates your brand

With more than 2.5桂billion monthly active users, Youtube reaches more US-based 18��34-꿎깎껸곶-늡깜삣끅 than any桂TV桂network桂�� on桂mobile alone! Everyday, users watch over a桂billion hours of桂video, and桂generate billions of桂views.

YouTube is桂also the桂 and桂second most visited site after Google. It桂processes more than 3桂billion searches a桂month and桂is桂a桂more significant traffic driver than Bing, Yahoo!, Ask, and桂AOL combined.

So桂rest assured, your audience is桂already hanging out on桂YouTube. All you have to桂do桂is桂introduce them to桂your business�셲 videos, and桂voila! Increased engagement.

Besides blogging and桂, all businesses strive to桂succeed with YouTube, no桂matter how big or桂small their current subscriber count.

By桂doing so, brand recall and桂your overall online presence will grow. People will start taking your brand more seriously because being active on桂YouTube proves you are willing to桂invest significant time and桂energy into your brand.

Consumers like the桂idea of桂engagement, not just on桂the桂consumer level, but also on桂the桂management level: they want to桂see that you are passionate about what you sell. In桂other words, your enthusiasm is桂infectious. Showing it桂off over YouTube is桂an桂easy and桂effective way to桂get others to桂care about your brand.

It桂builds a桂following

They say: follow your passion, and桂the桂money will come. When it桂comes to桂building a桂successful e-commerce business, you need to桂find your target audience and桂get them interested enough to桂follow your brand桂�� then the桂traffic and桂sales will come.

The bigger your following, the桂better your credibility and桂thus, . To桂build a桂genuine brand following, you need to桂connect with your audience authentically right from the桂start, and桂YouTube is桂the桂perfect platform to桂do桂that.

Posting authentic videos (that aren�셳 overly promotional) on桂YouTube can help you connect with users and桂build a桂sizable fanbase.

Don�셳 believe us? Take Daisy Jing, CEO of桂, a桂natural skincare e-commerce brand. She realized that she needed to桂create an桂authentic connection with her target audience, who had the桂same problem she was trying to桂solve: acne.

Instead of桂a桂flashy marketing video, she used her YouTube channel as桂a桂way to桂share her story桂�� and桂it桂worked.

She created her own line of桂skincare products and桂grew her e-commerce business to桂$3桂million in桂revenue. Her channel now has nearly 70桂million views, and桂it�셲 turned into a桂community that still drives sales.

To桂meet your end goal of桂generating truckloads of桂traffic that convert that into sustainable sales, you need a桂strong audience and桂that�셲 why Youtube is桂where you need to桂be.

You can create informational videos

Did you know watch explainer videos to桂better understand a桂product or桂service, and桂that 93% of桂millennials watch how-to videos on桂YouTube? 44% of桂people are more likely to桂buy a桂product after watching a桂video about it.

All this points to桂YouTube being an桂ideal platform to桂share how-to and桂informational videos that explain complex topics to桂the桂layman.

The key here is桂to桂find out what problems your audience is桂facing and桂then create videos that answer their queries in桂a桂helpful way.

Once you build a桂decent following, you can continue using YouTube to桂share informational content related to桂your products too. This helps build your authority and桂convince people that your product/offering is桂better than your competitor�셲 might be.

It桂expands your content portfolio

Most modern businesses are aware of桂the桂importance of桂content marketing.They churn out blog post after blog post in桂the桂hopes of桂boosting their search rankings and桂online visibility.

Research has shown that the桂modern audience has a桂 than that of桂a桂goldfish. This makes the桂case for桂expanding your content portfolio with to桂attract and桂engage new audience segments.

After all, to桂the桂brain is桂visual桂�� and桂a桂great way to桂do桂this is桂through videos.

Videos invite more engagement from potential customers, as桂they feel more connected to桂your brand in桂the桂early stages of桂their buyer�셲 journey. Videos also tend to桂be桂more memorable, bolstering your brand�셲 customer experience in桂an桂indirect yet powerful way.

Depending on桂what your business is桂about, you can:

Create screencast tutorials
Try
Interview experts and桂thought leaders
Share quick video testimonials from happy customers
Show behind the桂scenes of桂your e-commerce business (say, how you�셶e due to桂the桂pandemic)

The easiest way to桂start leveraging YouTube is桂to桂repurpose your top-performing blog posts into videos. That way, you already know that you audience is桂invested in桂what you have to桂say.

Source:

These two content formats complement each other well. Embedding videos within your blog posts can dramatically increase engagement through social shares, and桂also boost the桂average time spent on桂your page.

This will lead to桂an桂overall increase in桂your store�셲 rankings on桂Google.

You can provide product reviews and桂FAQs

84% of桂people and桂testimonials as桂much as桂they would a桂personal recommendation. Furthermore, 69% of桂online shoppers from e-commerce sites, and桂 use videos for桂purchase decisions.

What does that all mean? That people are more likely to桂purchase a桂product if桂they know how to桂use it桂or桂know that it桂works for桂others. As桂a桂business, this often means that you should be桂providing information beyond product descriptions.

Social proof in桂the桂form of桂product reviews and桂testimonials (on your store, , and桂review platforms like Yelp) is桂pivotal to桂turning strangers into customers. Product reviews in桂the桂form of桂YouTube videos work exceptionally well. It�셲 a桂simple formula: tell a桂story, educate, and桂recommend, all in桂one neat video package.

YouTube is桂also an桂excellent option for桂posting FAQs about your brand or桂its products. And doing so桂is桂a桂good idea because if桂people have to桂work too hard to桂learn about your offerings, they may shop elsewhere instead.

By桂answering frequently asked questions before they even pop up桂in桂a桂potential customer�셲 mind, you address concerns surrounding your brand and桂its products before your buyers second guess their purchases.

Short (30-to-60桂seconds) FAQ videos are an桂easy way to桂address common customer service questions and桂free up桂your support team for桂more complex issues. This leads to桂happier customers who feel like your brand truly cares桂�� these customers are then more likely to桂remain loyal and桂become repeat buyers.

깝넨桂깎꾈껸끓깜깎끅 cross-promotion

YouTube already boasts highly established channels in桂every niche. When you partner with a桂channel, you get a桂considerable increase in桂visibility and桂credibility.

For example, to桂promote their new drone, and桂within a桂week, the桂video garnered nearly five hundred thousand views and桂twenty-four thousand likes.

Peter McKinnon has over five million subscribers. If桂he桂gives a桂thumbs up桂to桂the桂product, his following is桂more likely to桂check it桂out, trust the桂product, and桂even buy it.

Partnering with influencers will help your brand�셲 YouTube channel grow. Often, the桂YouTuber will link out to桂your channel from their video description.

Cross-promotion can take other forms as桂well. These include partnering up桂with a桂non-competing brand to桂recommend each other�셲 products, for桂more coverage, or桂using your YouTube videos in桂other marketing materials such as桂newsletters and桂social media.

Strategies for桂YouTube Marketing

Many e-commerce brands try their hand at桂YouTube, don�셳 see substantial results, and桂give up桂almost immediately. This is桂a桂big mistake! Considering are uploaded to桂YouTube every minute, it�셲 an桂intimidating landscape.

To桂steer clear of桂 and桂correctly leverage this platform for桂growth, here are five great strategies you can get started with.

Use paid ads

Paid ads are a桂quick way to桂get in桂front of桂your audience and桂generate leads from YouTube.

YouTube offers several ad桂formats to桂choose from to桂engage viewers with your content:

- TrueView In-Stream: This ad桂appears before, during, or桂after other videos on桂YouTube and桂instantly immerses viewers. After 5桂seconds, they can keep watching or桂skip it. You pay when a桂viewer watches 30桂seconds (or the桂whole duration, if桂shorter) or桂interacts with your ad.

- TrueView Discovery: This ad桂appears next to桂related YouTube videos, YouTube search results, or桂the桂YouTube desktop and桂mobile homepage. You pay when a桂viewer clicks your ad桂and桂begins watching your video. Use this format to桂reach people in桂moments of桂discovery, when they�셱e searching or桂browsing videos.

- Bumper Ads: This ad桂is桂6桂seconds or桂shorter and桂plays before, during, or桂after another video. It桂cannot be桂skipped. Use this format when you�셝 like to桂reach viewers broadly with a桂short, memorable message.

All you have to桂do桂is桂create your video, set your ad桂budget, and桂target the桂desired audience (demographics, location, context based on桂the桂data in桂your CRM software). There�셲 no桂minimum price to桂run an桂ad, and桂you can change your targeting and桂budget at桂any桂time.

The most effective ads:

Make the桂first 5桂seconds count by桂evoking curiosity.
Drive interactions through interactive elements.
Provide exact next steps, such as桂clicking through to桂your landing page.
Have an桂enticing title with a桂short and桂compelling narrative.

Partner with influencers

As桂we桂touched upon earlier, teaming up桂with established YouTube influencers is桂a桂great way to桂build your brand�셲 visibility and桂credibility.

YouTubers with a桂large subscriber base charge heavily for桂a桂sponsored video. If桂you have a桂smaller budget, pitch to桂smaller channels with a桂more focussed and桂engaged audience that aligns with your target buyer persona.

You can partner up桂with a桂YouTube influencer by:

Sending free samples of桂your products for桂a桂review video.
Providing them with an桂affiliate coupon code that they can share with their viewers.
Helping them create content for桂their video by桂showing them your business behind the桂scenes.
Hosting a桂sweepstake, giveaway, or桂contest with them.

When you build a桂win-win relationship with a桂YouTuber, you turn them into a桂brand advocate for桂your e-commerce brand. They may speak for桂your brand even after the桂partnership ends, providing long-term benefits.

Add links in桂the桂description field

Linking back to桂your e-commerce store in桂the桂description of桂your videos is桂a桂super effective way to桂send your viewers to桂a桂relevant landing page.

As桂such, YouTube viewers expect and桂look for桂links in桂the桂description. Make sure to桂leverage this space to桂drive traffic back to桂your store.

In桂any桂YouTube video, only the桂first three lines of桂the桂description are made visible. You have to桂make them count. Shorten longer links to桂make them cleaner, easier to桂read, more trustworthy, and桂more uniform.

Use end screens in桂videos

End screens are a桂powerful tool to桂engage your viewers when they�셱e done watching your video. It�셲 the桂perfect time to桂nudge them to桂check out your store, recommend videos for桂further watching, or桂invite them to桂subscribe to桂your channel.

뇟끅桂끅농늡령꾈 , when you hover over the桂image, the桂card expands and桂prompts you to桂download the桂free eBook. YouTube offers various types of桂calls to桂action to桂choose from, such as桂download, buy, visit, and桂more.

However, linking to桂websites is桂only available to桂members of桂the桂. You can link to桂your merchandise site as桂long as桂it�셲 on桂the桂.

Engage with your audience

Finally, interact with your viewers in桂your videos. Show them the桂혫human혬 side of桂your e-commerce brand, and桂ditch the桂salesman approach.

Ask questions, and桂encourage feedback. Strive to桂respond to桂every comment you receive in桂a桂personalized, one-on-one way.

Your viewers will only remain interested in桂your channel if桂you put in桂the桂efforts to桂engage with them, and桂show that you value their opinions.

Wrapping Up桂Selling on桂YouTube

Video marketing might be桂more expensive and桂time consuming than or桂blogging, but when done right, it桂can bring in桂greater returns.

With e-commerce, potential customers can�셳 touch, taste, or桂try your products first-hand before taking the桂plunge and桂clicking 혫buy혬. Videos go桂a桂long way in桂reassuring them that they�셱e making the桂right decision by桂providing a桂more dynamic sense of桂your products. It�셲 also a桂great way to桂educate potential customers without being salesy, and桂improve customer service by桂enabling a桂self-service alternative.

YouTube is桂the桂perfect platform to桂get your videos in桂front of桂your audience, build brand credibility and桂authority in桂an桂authentic way.

If桂you haven�셳 already, it�셲 time to桂get started with a桂branded YouTube channel for桂your e-commerce store.

桂

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