How to Use YouTube for Your Christian Business/Organization

YouTube can seem like a daunting platform with lots of time and effort involved in creative, editing, and uploading videos. It doesn’t have to be if you use it to its full advantage.

 

Here are 7 ways to make sure you are using YouTube effectively:

 

1.  Make Relevant Videos

—Your company/organization should create videos that are helpful, compelling, and fill a need that your client has.

—Don’t underestimate the power of your voice and message.

—If you run a Christian organization (such as a church or non-profit) post sermons, get the youth involved, or share about a cause you are passionate about.

 

2. Make Your Video Visible

—When publishing your video, make sure to use the visibility tools YouTube has provided:

Title: Name your video so that it is easy to find. Make it short and descriptive.
Description: The description bar makes it easy for you to flesh out what you have said in your title. Explain what the video is about and use descriptive keywords.
Tags: The tags section allows you to type in words that relate to your video.  Use as many as possible!
Thumbnail: A thumbnail is a small screenshot of your video. YouTube gives you a few options so choose the most interesting and visually appealing thumbnail.

 

3. Brand Your YouTube Channel

—Your brand is who you are. Make your YouTube profile stand out by creating custom artwork that correlates with your website or social media branding. This is how you create a solid online presence.

 

4. Use Annotations and Subscribe Pop-Ups

—Annotations are the little speech bubbles that pop-up on a YouTube video to tell you about another site or video you can visit by clicking on it. You can use these to link people to a similar video or site approved by YouTube.

—Subscribe Pop-Ups can be useful as people often forget they can subscribe to your channel. You can place a message that pops up when someone clicks on your video saying “Subscribe to Our Channel”.

 

5. Share Your YouTube Channel Across Various Platforms

—Cross promoting your YouTube channel is vital to increasing traffic and subscribers. Link your YouTube videos on Facebook and Twitter, add a YouTube button to your website, and even make a Pinterest board linking back to your YouTube.

 

6. YouTube Ads

—YouTube Ads can be used to increase views and exposure if you are willing to spend a little money on advertising your channel. The ads pop up on the right hand side of the screen with a little thumbnail of the video.

 

7. Measure Results

As with any social media platform, if you don’t measure your results, you won’t know how much of an impact your YouTube channel is making. You can use YouTube Insights or various other success measuring tools to help you understand the scale of your reach and impact.

 

YouTube is an exciting platform with tons of potential if you use it correctly. At the least it is definitely worth taking a look at to see if this platform is a good fit for your Christian business/organization.  Let YouYube be the way your brand socially connects with its online audience – on a personal level.

 

This post was written by Kirstin Venn. Kirstin is a Social Media Specialist with Media Connect Partners.