Your Guide to YouTube Marketing for a Business that You Legally Cannot Sell Online

Businesses have to navigate through various hurdles when marketing online. But if you are in one of the contraband categories then Youtube marketing becomes especially hard. You will have to come up with clever ways to market your product.  

Marketing your product will not be an easy task as your videos can be flagged. But if you are a little crafty with them then you can easily bypass these rules and grow your channel.

These are a few tips that can help anyone looking to grow their Youtube channel and get more views and subscribers

What do you want to get out of the channel?

In short, define your goals. You should have a clear idea as to why you are making the channel and what you want to get out of it. Whether it be brand awareness or increasing sales you need to make your videos in such a way that it is apparent what you are trying to do.

Define the target audience and get them to your landing pages. Getting more views can be beneficial if you are trying to establish your brand in the public eye. Having a goal in mind helps you get a head start and streamline all your videos together. It is normal to deviate from the theme from time to time. 

This will minimize confusion in the future and also let you navigate the waters easily. Marketing things like sex toys and alcohol can be tricky so it is best you do not take a lot of risks. 

Channel Aesthetics

An often overlooked part is your channel name and aesthetics play a very large part in marketing and branding. Name the channel in such a way that it is easy to find or unique. People should not have any difficulty remembering the name of the channel and the brand associated with it. 

Work with a branding specialist and copywriter to get more ideas. Your channel icon, art, and about section are the new first impressions. People will glance at all these metrics and decide whether they want to stay or not. Make sure your channel art is vibrant and full of life.

Youtube has guidelines and full walkthroughs as to how you can get a great channel art that is compatible with their guidelines. A simple design that will be consistent with your company’s branding will be a better fit than a complicated design. Also, make sure you have the right to use the image that you are going to be using. Make sure everything looks good on your end and remember that your channel art will look different on different devices. 

About Section

Essentially this is the first part of your sales pitch to make a viewer stay when they click on your channel. This is a great section to tell people more about your company, your ethos, and what you like to do. Link your company’s website here so that people can sign up for your newsletter and exclusive deals. 

Use the correct image sizes and follow all the YouTube guidelines for the best result. If you do not do that your images can appear to be distorted or not within the frame.

Uploading Videos

Making videos can be tricky but if you show how your alcohol can be used to make cocktails or related to gun safety then it is possible. There are many channels that have made a mark by making educational videos on various topics just using their own products.

For example, the Tipsy Bartender has made a multimillion channel by uploading tutorial videos on cocktails. He uses his own brand of alcohol and sneakily markets them like this. 

Keep in mind that if you are starting out do not worry about production quality or your setup. Better video production gear can be bought later on. 
Most people need to connect with the brand, and they do not care much about the production value.

Playlists

If you have tutorials or related videos you can club them together to make playlists. Putting related videos makes it easier for viewers to get an in-depth look into a topic, and they do not have to search for the next part. In a playlist, the next video will play automatically giving them a seamless experience. 

Playlist encourages people to watch more of your videos which in turn increases your views. The autoplay features can do wonders for you as it plays one of your videos after the other ends. You can also feature playlists on your channel page so that they are easy to find. 

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Share the videos

Organic search alone will not make up the bulk of your views and likes in the long run. It is best that you advertise each of the videos you are posting on other social media handles too. Cross-platform posting really helps people know more about you and gets you engagement too.

Make sure all your social media handles are synced and you upload the notification of the video as soon as it is available. You can also email the video link in your newsletter and let people know. 

As the topic becomes more popular you will see more and more people searching for it organically and seeing the playlists. Make sure you feature a few of them on your channel page for maximizing your views.

Data Analysis

Youtube has a built-in analytics section that gives you detailed information on many aspects. Whether it be which demographics your video is popular in or how long the average user is watching your video. It is a great way to know your audience.

Use this data and cater to the demographic that responds well to your videos. This way you can get an idea of how long the video should be and how you should style them. In general, a highly engaging and short video does better than a video that is long. But certain tutorials can have better audience retention. 

Audience Engagement

This is something that companies overlook sometimes. You should not just upload the video and forget about them. Try to reply to a handful of people and clear their doubts too. Do not take too long to respond as people will find a solution themselves then. 

Within the first few hours reply to most questions and if they have any more doubts ask them to email you. This way you can establish credibility amongst the public and also start developing a community.

When people see brands responding or engaging with people on the internet they start trusting you. They then also think that your customer service will also like that and buy your product or services without any hesitation. 

Video Accessibility

Make sure the video is available worldwide. You can also add captions and subtitles to make the video more accessible to deaf or hard of hearing viewers. Not only does this make the video easier to access for people with disabilities but also makes your community more inclusive.

For long people have forgotten about everyone who has been affected by disabilities. Including them in your community and taking special actions to support them can go a long way when it comes to social media. 

Decide who will have access to the channel

If you are the only one who is working on the videos then it makes sense to have full control. But if you have a marketing team in place then it makes sense to give one of them access too.

They can respond to the comments and engage with the audience on your behalf and build a brand image. Remind them to be courteous and try to answer all their questions. Ask them to redirect the audience from the video to email or the website. 

What does it take to be successful?

Youtube views and Youtube Subscribers are two metrics by which people will judge your company. Having more of them instils trust in your buyers and have a reputation in the market. Remember never to buy followers or likes as it can hurt you in the long run. 

Always aim to get real Youtube subscribers as they will lead to organic growth and help your brand build a reputable image. Be consistent with your upload and keep the Youtube guidelines in mind always.

Your alcohol, sex toys or tobacco business still has a chance of growing on Youtube. Creative marketing tricks like these work great for any brand and will give you an edge over your competitors easily. Having a network of loyal clients helps you in the long term. If your growth is genuine and your product/service is up to the mark then you can have a long career in the field. 

A successful Youtube channel does not happen in a few days. It takes months to build up an audience and make people know more about you and your brand. You as a brand should not give up and constantly keep uploading your videos. Whether they are educational or sales-related, remember to space them out so that your feed does not look like one big sales pitch.

We will be more than happy to answer all your questions and clear all your doubts. For all your Youtube Marketing needs feel free to contact us.