5 Best Tips: WHY YOUTUBE SHOULD BE PART OF YOUR AFFILIATE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
Since the last few issues have been pretty 'Google centric' due to the craziness caused by Penguin we decided to change up the topic this month and focus on an extremely powerful yet consistently under-utilized tool in the affiliate marketing toolbox it's name is youtube
YouTube is massive. It's second only to Google in search volume and has quickly become more than just a source of cheap entertainment.
With a wealth of information on almost any topic imaginable more and more, individuals are going to YouTube for "how-to" data, item data and audits, and all kinds of research that were historically reserved for more traditional search engines.
Combine that with the potential for your top-ranking YouTube videos to show up in the Google SERP and you have another potential source of high quality, free traffic.
So to jumpstart your YouTube marketing efforts, follow these five simple steps and you may be surprised at the results you get...
Step #1 - Create a Product Review Video
Get ahold of the top 3-5 products you promote in your niche and create a simple 3-5 minute video reviewing each product. If you've already written a review for the product on your site then the foundation for your video script is almost done.
Then at the end of the video (and even throughout) make sure you tell the viewer to "Visit your website for even more detailed reviews and info", giving them specific instructions (Click on the link below ).
This doesn't need any extravagant gear. A simple Flip Video or any decent video camera will do the trick as long as the lighting is good and the audio is clear.
Remember, people are looking for reviews from 'real people' so they do not expect big-budget productions. In fact the more amateur it looks the more believable it is.
Tip: If you don't want to 'appear' in the video simply film the product on your kitchen counter or desk while you narrate in the background. If you are really camera shy then go to oDesk.com or Fiverr.com and you can recruit a "guest star" on a budget.
Step #2 - Edit the Video
Once your 3-5 minute video review is complete throw it into any basic video editing program, cut it to length, and make sure your URL appears as an overlay at the bottom of the video for the entire duration.Then end the video with a call to action screen that contains static text clearly telling people where to go for more information while keeping the URL as short as possible. Also, make sure you play the call to action screen for 30+ seconds so that people have time to read the URL and type it in.
Tip: Do not use any music tracks in the background since it will distract the viewer from the important info... and not everyone appreciates ABBA as much as you.
Step #3 - Create Your Own YouTube Channel
When your video is complete and ready for the world to see go to YouTube and create your own public YouTube Channel. I would make sure this channel is focused entirely around one niche so if you have a few different affiliate sites in a few different niches you should create an individual channel or even an entirely different YouTube account for each niche.Step #4 - Upload Your Video(s)
As the channel get complete , upload your videos and ensure that you include your money keyword...
At the beginning of the title
At the beginning of the description
In the tags
Also, make sure that you include a link to your website somewhere in the first three lines of the description. If you do not include the link in the first three lines the visitors may have to click the "More" button when viewing the video to reveal the URL.
And finally, make sure the security is set to "Public".
Step #5 - Getting It Ranked
Now that your video is live on YouTube it's time to start influencing the metrics that YouTube measures when determining which videos should rank under which keywords and where. These metrics include...Views - How many people viewed the video either directly on YouTube or embedded on a 3rd party site.
Likes - How many people clicked the "Like" button after viewing the video.
Now there are some people that will argue that building backlinks to your YouTube video will affect its ranking but our experience would indicate that views and likes have the biggest effect on ranking.
Further to that, our testing has indicated that it is possible for you to outrank a video competing on the same keyword if they have more views but your video is more active. This means that if your video is brand new and is getting 100+ consistent views per day it could quickly outrank a video that has 10,000 views but has flat-lined in growth.
What are the easiest ways to drive up your views? Simple... if your website is already getting traffic then embed the video on your site.
If it's a product review video then include the video as part of the review. Each time someone views the video on your website it will count as a 'View'.
If you want to speed things up a little head on over to Fiverr.com and for a few bucks you can generate a few extra 'Views' and 'Likes' to really kick things off :-)
Then as the video starts to gain momentum from the visibility it is getting on your website YouTube will begin moving it up the rankings which will begin increasing the organic views and driving new traffic.
And finally, the Holy Grail, when you have enough views and your video is ranking at the top of the charts in YouTube it will then begin appearing in the Google SERP giving it another big boost.
All of this eventually leads to more traffic and qualified buyers plus the added benefit of a backlink to your website from a video that has authority in Google's eyes. This has to help right?
In summary, YouTube can be pretty powerful for affiliate marketers but this means creating real videos with real people and real content. Throwing up crappy videos that are cheap slide shows with bad music is to video marketing what poorly spun, scraped articles are to SEO.
So take the time and start off.
