The medium is the message and YouTube is that medium. Marshall McLuhan hit the nail on the head with that one. Most times, it’s not about the content you create. It’s how you choose to spread it that makes the difference.

What may seem like a mediocre concept in a print ad may resonate as brilliant on film. In this day and age YouTube videos are arguably the medium that will best spread your intended message. Not only because of YouTube’s abundant reach or its ability to tremendously increase website traffic. More importantly, it’s the best storytelling tool available to a marketer. Andy Nulman, a founder of Just for Laughs and Play the Future, said that YouTube can be a Garden of Eden at its best and the Angel of Death at its worst. To a class full of McGill students he also said that YouTube videos, if done correctly, have the potential to speak a million words. We couldn’t agree more. Here are a few reasons why we believe YouTube should be a marketing medium for all entrepreneurs.

REACH
It is no secret that YouTube is a very crowded space. With 300 hours’ worth of videos uploaded every minute. YouTube can seem like an intimidating platform to be on for entrepreneurs. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world with 1 billion daily users from all parts of the world. Having just a small percentage of these people find your video through a search or from a recommendation is the best of any type of lead you could hope for.

TRAFFIC
Traffic works both ways for YouTube. You can get traffic to your YouTube videos from your website and other platforms. You can also attracting new customers to your other platforms from your YouTube channel. This can be done because YouTube videos can be easily embedded onto your social media platforms, blogs, and company websites. There are also many SEO tactics that can be utilized for you to stand out in the crowded space and attract your intended target market from worldwide markets.
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STORYTELLING!
Storytelling at a budget; the most important and fruitful gift a YouTube video can offer. A short 30 second video will say more than a billboard ever will. Whereas conventional advertising initiates a one-way message, YouTube offers engagement. Dove would not have been able to excel at marketing self-esteem, and TedTalk would not have their motivational speeches spread like wildfire, if it weren’t for YouTube. There is a misconception that 6 or 7 figure budgets are needed in order to be successful at making YouTube videos. This is a myth. Today we have so many tools available to us instantly at low costs that weren’t available ten years ago. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs have made their living with just themselves, and their computers. Budget aside, what all successful channels have in common is that they are able to tell a story that resonates with their YouTube audience.

It all comes down to one thing: YouTube is rapidly replacing both conventional and online platforms as a prime destination for information and leisure amongst consumers, especially since its smartphone accessible. As all marketers know, progress must be measurable. This is what makes YouTube so great. Your progress is measurable through detailed analytics. YouTube analytics tell you a lot about who your audience is, their preferences, and what kind of content you should create moving forward. If your business is currently not managing a YouTube channel or making plans to launch one, reconsider. The pros will most likely outweigh the cons.