We team up with a lot of video editors to help businesses do YouTube better. Here are the top 9 principles video editors say that we’ve helped them incorporate into their YouTube process.
1. Help first, sell second.
The best YouTube business channels have a help-first approach, rather than sales or self-promotion. On YouTube, potential customers want to get to know the business first by watching a few videos. Only after they begin to feel a personal connection to the company will they consider investigating how to actually do business with that company.
2. Mobile first.
Assume the viewer is watching on mobile. So graphics, screen recordings, color and contrast must work for the mobile viewer.
3. Talk about your expertise, not your business.
For the most part, YouTube viewers want to hear your expert advice about what you know about in your industry. They have questions about solving their problems, which may or may not overlap with what you sell. Spend 80% of your time on YouTube answering the questions they would be asking if they didn’t know your company existed. In this way, you are building a community around people who are interested in your topic. Spend only 20% of your time on YouTube selling your services on your channel. YouTube ads are also a great way to sell.
4. Video pacing and structure is different.
YouTube videos need to have a different pacing and structure compared to “corporate videos.” YouTube viewers will quit a video within the first few seconds if that video doesn’t give them value immediately. If they leave the video, this negative feeling may cause the viewer/customer to never again watch any videos from this business channel. So the video script must be crafted to provide an informational narrative that has a faster cadence.
5. Fast-changing visual elements are key.
Along with value, the YouTube viewer/customer will watch longer and engage more when the visuals change quickly within the video, every 5-15 seconds or so. Visuals can include zooming in on the presenter, text animation, motion graphics, panning and zooming in a screenshare, and more.
6. Audio accents are key.
YouTube viewers will watch longer if there is a subtle musical soundtrack that makes the “learnings” more enjoyable. Modest sound effects can also accentuate the viewing experience and call attention to video information.
7. Repurposed content doesn’t work on YouTube.
YouTube is its own platform and works in its own way. Some things that don’t work for growing your business YouTube channel are repurposed videos from other social media. Also, interviews, PowerPoint presentations, recorded Zoom calls, Webinars, and videos from conferences will significantly harm the overall viewership of a business YouTube channel. Videos need to be custom-made for YouTube.
8. The end screen is key.
The End Screen, which is the last 20 seconds of a YouTube video, needs to be a call to action to watch another video, subscribe, or download. The end screen of a video is structured and edited differently than the rest of the video.
9. The presenter/talent has got to love it.
The best person to represent your business on camera is generally the person at the company who likes being on camera the most. They should be friendly, speak with ease, and be genuinely interested in the content they are presenting. It’s also helpful to have multiple people at the business do videos, so if someone can’t do it that week or gets a new job, the team is already cross-trained and doesn’t miss a beat. The on-camera presenters need to bring 2x the energy they would have in a normal conversation, and yet speak to the camera as if it’s a single person, not an entire room. This will help make a strong connection with the viewer/customer.