By The Editor
Savvy business owners are always looking for new and innovative methods to get their own venture off the ground. Some of these people are turning to YouTube and becoming reality TV stars, with economic benefits.
About two days’ worth of video is uploaded to the YouTube website every minute, so it can be very hard to stand out from the crowd, but some are managing to do so, like NSW-based counsellor Jason Pinder.
While he continues his work as a counsellor during the day, Jason spends about four hours a week filming and editing a couple of new DIY cooking videos to upload to his YouTube channel, Simple Cooking Channel.
In just over a year, Jason’s videos have had more than 550,000 views in total from wannabe chefs, and advertising earns him about $1000 a week on average, he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
He was inspired by another internet chef, Rob Nixon, whose cooking videos were so successful he was able to quit his day job and make four times more money from internet advertising. His videos have had an astonishing 31 million views in five years, and have earned him exposure in mainstream media.
Most businesses are now using YouTube to help market their products and/or services to a wider audience. Brett Dudley, owner of a cruise holiday travel agency, says more than one fifth of his booking inquiries stem from people viewing his YouTube videos.
The most effective part of video marketing according to all of these people is the low costs – for an outlay of just a couple of thousand dollars on a camera, editing software and perhaps lighting, they can regularly upload videos and keep their ‘business’ ticking over.
Experts warn however that it is hard to stand out from the crowd, so businesses must offer something practical and useful in order to gain a YouTube following. Tips and advice are always sought after, as are instructional videos on a whole range of topics.
Have you used videos to establish or market your business, and how successful has it been? We’re keen to hear about your experiences.
Won’t replace but will supplement traditional marketing (YouTube also good for music videos).