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An ideal venue for marketing a small business or an entrepreneurial venture is YouTube advertising. It provides the unique opportunity to place an ad that genuinely reflects the personality and character of your business. You can provide information in the way that you believe will speak most clearly and engagingly to your ideal customers or clients.

Many small business owners and entrepreneurs have been misinformed about YouTube. Advertising on this medium has only recently increased because of misunderstandings. There are three pieces of misinformation we can correct:

1. If you listen to the champions of social media, you are likely to believe that all social media have experienced explosive growth and there is every reason to expect that this will continue into the future. This is not true. The truth is that the popularity of social media is declining. This does not mean you should ignore social media. It means you should plan what you will do and where you will promote your business. For example, the Business Journals reported last year that 75% of all Americans have viewed an online video.

2. Television news and talk shows are enamored of Twitter at the moment. There is a significant following for some businesses and media outlets on Twitter. But this is not the case for businesses, especially small business and entrepreneurs. The average business (all businesses of all sizes) has only a little over 100 followers on Twitter. Its best use might be to point to your YouTube advertising video.

3. You probably believe Facebook is more important and popular than YouTube. This belief would have been accurate last year, but during the last months of 2009 and the early part of 2010, Facebook’s popularity has declined sharply. A business or personal visibility on YouTube will be far more useful in 2010.

The ROI on YouTube advertising is mind-boggling. For little or no cost, you can upload videos that tell your story in a unique and engaging way. Here are my top four reasons for using YouTube advertising:

First, unlike television advertising, you do not need to pay for a time slot or rely on only the people who are watching when your ad runs. Posting a video for YouTube advertising is free. What is more, once posted, it is always available for people to see. Whenever someone executes a search for one of the keywords you attach to your video, it is accessible. Think of YouTube advertising as the ad that never sleeps.

Second, your video has the same chance as any other YouTube advertising video posted to strike a chord with the right group of people and suddenly go viral. In a recent survey by MarketingProfs, LLC, 20% of the people interviewed reported being very pleased that one of their videos had gone viral.

Third, YouTube advertising really can be done on a shoestring. You honestly do not need professional actors, ad writers, a director, time in an expensive studio and the rest. Just sit down and turn on your web cam or give someone your digital video camera and start filming!

Fourth, YouTube advertising videos can also be entertaining. There is no reason you can’t have fun making your video. You can inform and entertain at the same time. People don’t want to see the usual TV commercial. They want something fun and interesting.

One of the best YouTube advertising videos was a 60 second clip about a man shopping for a dog house that would be his new residence after he gave his wife a small appliance for Mother’s Day. It was only at the end of the clip that the viewer learned that the clip was made by J.C. Penny to advertise a Mother’s Day sale on diamonds.

YouTube advertising can cost you almost nothing – just make your video and post it to the site. Just be sure to add a creative and entertaining flair. Be sure there is a clear call to action. Later, if you have the budget to invest, you might want to consider some of the paid advertising programs offered by YouTube.

What can you expect to achieve? Of the people who used YouTube advertising for PR purposes, 29.1% said it worked great, while another 49.3% said it worked a little (according to the MarketingProfs Fall 2009 Survey). Of businesses that posted a video for YouTube advertising and used the analytics from the site to profile the people who viewed the video, 28.8% said it worked great and 35.6% said it worked a little.

The keys to success in YouTube advertising are creativity, entertainment value, and maybe some fun. In the process, fit in just enough information about your company, your products or services, and your brand. With some luck and the attention of the right people, you could also become an overnight sensation, just by investing some time in YouTube advertising.

If you own a small business or professional and want more information about YouTube advertising, view the short video, “How You Can Send 25,000 New Prospects to Your Web Site Every Month – For Free” at http://internetleadgenerationacademy.com/freevideo.htm

Online video has surged in popularity in the last year. With YouTube and other video sharing sites and individual websites, there were over 33 billion views in 2009. If you run a business, own or are a partner in a law, accounting, CPA, financial planning, investment, real estate or other professional services firm or you have a medical practice, video promotion must be part of your marketing plan. This marketing tool is both inexpensive and effective. It is a powerful marketing tool to build your visibility, draw people to your website, and bring them to your office.

Video promotion for businesses and practices might be the most important thing that has been introduced into the marketing toolbox since the internet itself. Google conducted a study (“The Brand Value of Rich Media and Video Ads”) which demonstrated that video promotion is the most effective advertising method for building brand recognition and brand loyalty. It is also the most effective method of creating the intention to purchase. This tool alone can significantly increase the number of people who become your customers and clients.

Another report last year from Will Richmond of VideoNuze reported clear numbers that document the growth of online video. According to Richmond, in 2009 there were 33.2 billion views of videos made for the internet. In 2007 views of online videos increased by 39%; in 2008 views increased by 46%; in 2009 views increased by nearly 124%. Growth this significant cannot be ignored. Video promotion should be part of your marketing strategy.

People ranging from social scientists to internet trend watchers and marketing experts have opinions about why video is so popular and so effective. I don’t pretend to have a scientifically demonstrated read on the situation. But I do have an opinion about why your business or practice should be putting together at least one video promotion right now.

— First, we live in a society that is accustomed to receiving information through multi-media. We grew up with television and movies. This is how we receive the news, education, information, and now, everyday communication. Thousands of studies on the effectiveness of television advertising demonstrated the effectiveness of multi-media advertising. The parallel with online video promotion should be obvious.

— One of the first rules marketing students learn is that people prefer doctors, professionals and businesses who are or who are run by people they know and like. In most cases, trust is also a factor in the choice of business or service providers. We draw clients when they know and trust us. So, the second reason is that online video promotion is a great way to help people get to know you.

— The third reason for the popularity of video promotion is that it is a low-cost tactic, it is simple to do, and it can be live on a web site in just minutes. If you have a cell phone that will record video, a digital camera with video options or a video camera, you are ready to go. You can also use a video camera in/on your computer.

— Fourth, as the popularity of current television offerings amply demonstrates, our society is hooked on reality. We want to look into the eyes of people who are trying to sell us something and decide whether we should trust them. The only way you can accomplish this without talking to everyone in your community face-to-face, is with a video clip.

— Fifth, you can use video promotion in many ways. With just small changes, you can produce a video for YouTube, your website, your waiting room, and anywhere else that will show it. You can also quickly, affordably and easily make different versions of a video for different parts of your website or for different groups of people. The limits are established only by your imagination.

It seems to me that video is the way to go if you want to bring in new clients or customers. If you want people to visit your site and then come in and spend money with you, this is the very best tool to make that happen. If you have not started making your video promotion yet, it’s time to start now.

If you own a small business or professional and want more information about video promotion, view the short video, “How You Can Send 25,000 Visitors to Your Site Every Month – For Free” at http://internetleadgenerationacademy.com/freevideo.htm