When you’re a blogger, it’s vital to continually seek ways to expand your reach and engage your audience. The problem is that many of the methods people suggest are tangential to your main area of focus, at best.

In other words, they risk actually drawing users away from your blog, as opposed to pulling them in. One investment you can make actually works without entailing that risk … and that’s an investment in YouTube.

Benefits of Using YouTube

There’s no doubt that video is the single most powerful content medium on the Internet. Time and time again, research studies, surveys, and statistical reports have supported the effectiveness of video and its anticipated growth in the coming years.

According to one report, video will account for approximately 69 percent of all consumer Internet traffic by 2017. When you look at YouTube in particular, the growth is already apparent.

The total number of YouTube subscribers is up 40 percent this year, while video shares have increased by 30 percent. But why would YouTube be a valuable supplement to your core blog? What additional value does it provide?

Here are three specific benefits of using YouTube.

• Content convergence. As the Internet grows, the boundaries between different content mediums are dissolving. Infographics, blogs, images, and videos are all converging. This means you can no longer focus on a single medium and expect to be successful. If you want to be a productive blogger, video is now a key component.
• Better SEO. Did you know that YouTube is the second largest search engine on the Internet. By ignoring YouTube, you’re essentially shunning a massive potential traffic source to your blog. If for nothing else, utilize YouTube to increase your visibility.
• Shareability. Next time you log on to your Facebook account or Twitter feed, take notice of what’s being shared. Videos are much more popular than long-form blog content. Thus, YouTube is a great tool for enhancing your blog’s social shareability.

Lessons from Successful YouTube Channels

Now that you have a better sense of the value of YouTube, let’s highlight some brief takeaways from successful YouTube channels so you can see what it looks like in practice.

Park West Gallery. The first thing to notice about Park West Gallery’s YouTube channel is that it offers a diverse collection of content. From interviews with various artists to ongoing series about a given topic, the videos can reach a wide array of people. When you create your YouTube channel, remember that content diversity is a vital goal.

Blendtec. More videos don’t necessarily mean a better YouTube channel. Blendtec understands this. Though its channel has been around for eight years, you’ll notice the company doesn’t feature thousands of videos of varying quality. Instead, Blendtec offers a few dozen really good-quality videos. The takeaway is that it’s better to invest in a few excellent videos than lots of mediocre ones.

Her Campus Media. The Her Campus Media YouTube channel does a lot of things well, but attention to detail stands out the most. When posting videos, it’s essential not to neglect video descriptions. Not only do descriptions help with SEO, but they also encourage people to click on your videos. Her Campus Media does a fantastic job of writing strong descriptions.

Don’t Ignore YouTube

There are dozens of ways to use YouTube. If you blog, it’s time to turn your attention to it. You may be surprised to learn how much it can enhance your core business model.

From driving traffic to your blog to opportunities to monetize, YouTube is the blogger’s newest best friend. Don’t ignore it any longer!

 

Creating Killer Videos with Amy Schmittauer

推荐阅读：
数学题:有一块长方形草坪，如果这块草坪的长增加8米或宽增加6米　 数学题:用一根20米长的铁丝，围成一个长、宽是整米数的长方形　 数学题:有一杯糖水，糖与水的重量比是1:20　 奥数题:如果甲先做1小时，然后乙接替甲做1小时　 数学题:服装厂的工人每人每天可以生产4件上或7条裤子　 数学题:一个长方体长，宽，高都是两位数，并且它们的和是偶数　 数学题:若115,200,268被大于1的自然数除　 数学题:一只蚂蚁从墙根竖直向上爬到墙头用了4分钟　 一位农妇上午挎了一个空篮子笑眯眯地回家　 奥数题:秋游时，小红小玲小芳三个好朋友在一个小组一起活动