Most people are familiar with the internet sensation YouTube, which in the past few years has become the single largest platform in the world for sharing and watching videos. When YouTube first hit the scene, it was primarily intended for users who otherwise had no way to display their videos to the world. Thus, for the first few years, YouTube was primarily a repository of cat videos and other home movies.

Businesses Take Notice

However, many businesses have since realized YouTube's potential as a mass-marketing platform, a way for them to give information about their products or services to millions of viewers. YouTube differs significantly from conventional advertising, which has pros and cons for businesses interested in using it as a marketing platform. Putting a video on YouTube is free, so it is a very cost-effective strategy, but unlike commercials, videos on the web do not have a guaranteed audience.

For that reason, a YouTube marketing campaign will only succeed if the videos are appealing enough that users want to watch and share them. The following are a few tips on how to market successfully on YouTube.

• Make it Entertaining—Much like conventional commercials, videos on YouTube will only get views if they are entertaining enough to capture the audience's attention.
• Make it Short—Most people who watch videos on the web aren't looking for a lot of complicated information. Instead, they want the essentials of whatever you're promoting.
• Make it Memorable—Some internet videos “go viral,” meaning they are liked and shared by thousands and thousands of people. Videos that go viral are videos that people remember.
• Make it Offbeat—Potential customers on the web have different expectations about content. They want to see something unusual and relatable.

YouTube marketing is a burgeoning and powerful tool, and businesses that utilize it well will reap the benefits.