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youtube event marketing

Why YouTube is Critical for Event Marketing and Venue Promotion

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, and it’s owned by Google, the largest search engine in the world. In other words, if people are looking for information or content (including information about events or venues), they’re probably using YouTube or Google to find it. That means savvy event marketers understand the importance of including video marketing, specifically on YouTube, in their marketing plans.

Another statistic you should consider is this – the top two most searched for terms on YouTube in 2017 were music and songs. If you hold concerts or music festivals, then YouTube should be a top priority to promote your events.

And one more stat to think about – YouTube is the second most popular social media site with 1.5 billion active monthly users (Facebook has 2 billion). If you think YouTube marketing isn’t right for your event or venue because your audience isn’t watching video content on YouTube, there’s a good chance you’re wrong.

How to Get Started with Video Marketing on YouTube

There are five basic steps you can follow to get started with video marketing on YouTube so you can promote your events or venue as soon as possible. Each is introduced below so you can get up and running quickly.

1. Create Your Event YouTube Channel

The first step to leverage the reach of YouTube for video marketing is to create a YouTube channel for your event. Your YouTube channel should be branded with your event logo, name, images, and colors. Here are key tasks you should complete:

  • Choose a channel name that matches your event name (or is close and relevant). If possible, include relevant keywords in your channel name but only if they fit naturally.
  • Upload an image to use as your channel art. This important visual content appears in your channel’s header area.
  • Upload a square avatar image like your event logo. This avatar will show up in various places on YouTube and can display very small, so choose an image that is clear at 800×800 pixels and 98×98 pixels.
  • Write a channel description that hypes your event and includes a link to your event website and ticket sales page. Be sure to include relevant keywords in your channel description, so people can find your videos when they’re searching for related content.
  • Add relevant keyword tags to help more people find your channel in searches.

2. Create Videos

Next, you need to create some videos to upload to your YouTube channel. A channel with just one video is boring and not engaging, so be prepared to upload a selection of videos when you first launch your channel.

Your videos don’t have to be professionally made, but the quality should be consistent with your brand. You can follow the link to find a great list of video ideas for event marketing.

Always brand your videos at the beginning and end. Also, include a call to action at the end of your videos at a minimum. This could be as simple as including a message at the end telling people where to buy tickets along with displaying the ticket sales page URL.

You should continue to create and publish videos on your YouTube channel in the months, weeks, and days leading up to your event to build an audience, jumpstart excitement, boost word-of-mouth marketing, and increase ticket sales.

3. Upload Your Videos

With some videos created, it’s time to upload them to your YouTube channel. Make sure you follow YouTube’s recommended file format and encoding settings. Choose a relevant title for your video, and if possible, include at least one relevant keyword in the title. You should also add keywords in the description and tags for your video to make it more searchable. If you’re ready to learn more about YouTube search engine optimization (SEO), HubSpot published a great guide here.

Always include a custom thumbnail image that makes your video more meaningful and intriguing. This is the small image that appears with your video in search results and before someone hits the play button. Many people will decide whether or not to click and watch your video based on the thumbnail, so make it a good one!

When you upload a series of related videos, take a few minutes to create a playlist with those videos in it. This can increase the number of views to your video content, which improves engagement, helps you build a relationship with your viewers, and turns more of them into ticket buyers.

4. Promote Your Videos and Channel

It’s essential that you make all of your YouTube videos shareable, so ensure people are allowed to share your videos directly to their preferred social media networks, email links to your videos, and embed your videos in their own websites or blogs. Also, embed your videos on your ticket sales page and event website to give prospective ticket buyers an irresistible insider’s view into your event.

Simply publishing videos on your YouTube channel without spreading the word about them is a waste of time. You need to promote your videos to drive traffic to them and encourage people to share them with their own audiences. Therefore, include your videos in your email newsletters and share them across your social media networks as part of your social media marketing efforts multiple times leading up to your event.

5. Track Your Results

YouTube offers a variety of metrics and reports that you can use to track the results of your video marketing efforts. Consider using unique links to your ticket sales page from your video and channel descriptions that you can track individually, so you can see which content is most effective.

In addition, ensure your ticket sales page and ticketing platform integrate with Google Analytics so you can set up goals and conversion tracking and identify which of your YouTube event marketing efforts are generating sales. You can follow the link to learn more about boosting ticket sales with Google Analytics.

Your Next Step to Use YouTube for Event Marketing and Venue Promotion

The key to using YouTube for event marketing and venue promotion is to get started! That means you need to create your YouTube channel and some videos. Once you publish your first video, you’ll see that it’s not as intimidating as it seems.

If you need help with your event ticketing, venue ticketing, event marketing, or venue promotion, contact Gary Bradshaw at AttendStar (615-223-1973) or use the Contact Us Form.

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