An online presence has been an important things for small businesses for years now. While we should still be making physical marketing efforts, sharing your messages online is paramount.
But what should you share? And more importantly, where should you be sharing?
This year, growth on YouTube is a top priority of mine – and here’s why. It’s the final frontier of content sharing on the internet. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook have just become so cheap – YouTube is honestly the only thing I can recognize as keeping its integrity intact.
Let me explain.
Years ago, Instagram was a photo sharing app. Just think about all the changes we’ve seen on it in such a small period of time. In what, 5 years? It’s almost unfathomable.
In my short 4 year career in this industry, I’ve seen it go from just photos, to allowing some videos as well, then reels, then you can use real music, then the ads that exist in someone else’s feed, and now we have this weird flipped profile thing?
It’s insanity. You can’t keep up. Not to mention the fact that it’s recommended that your reels are only 15 seconds long.
As for Facebook, that platform is for boomers – and most of the content that’s getting shared is in the form of ads. Now, I’m not knocking either one, and I’m going to keep using both of these platforms, playing by their rules.
However – It’s become important for me to put more focus on YouTube for myself and for my clients this year.
Aside from adding shorts, YouTube really hasn’t changed much. It’s a longform video platform that uses peoples interests and search query’s to put your videos in front of eyeballs.
It’s great from my standpoint, because I’m able to create short films how I actually want to. I create vertical videos because I have to. I create 15-30 second videos because I have to.
Where I used to share full length videos on Instagram, I literally can’t anymore. It just doesn’t land.
So – this is exciting! It’s exciting to have these platforms change so much, and to have YouTube become the obvious outlet as a creative. As far as my clients go – they’re in a good position as well.
Longform videos are valuable – they can share stories in ways that the cheap dopamine driven Reels of Instagram and Facebook cannot. And it’s a great tool for marketing.
Say you’re a construction company and there’s a potential client who wants to hire you. They like you as a business owner, but they want to see some of your work. They describe what they want, and it sounds exactly like that full home remodel you did last fall.
Go to your YouTube, grab the link from that 10 minute walk through video you and your site supervisor did, and share it with the potential client. Brilliant!
Instagram and Facebook are good for warming people up to your brand. Once they’re warmed up and they’re getting ready to sign, use YouTube to seal the deal. This is huge, and it’s a strategy I’m excited to spearhead with my new and existing clients.
As far as four32 and my personal brand, I’ll be doing the same – but I’ll be doing it from a standpoint of (1) self-expression and (2) actually being found strictly on the platform, as the type of work I do is searchable and relatable.
Both of my channels will sit in the education realm, and I’m excited to grow them.
So that’s it! For me, 2024 is a season of growth and expansion. Many of the social platforms we use all the time are changing endlessly – and I hope I haven’t put it out into the ether to have YouTube change now that I’ve made note of its consistency.
I love what the platform offers, and I’m excited to use it to grow my brand and my client’s alike. Will you be using YouTube this year? Do some research and consider it for yourself.
To Your Success,
Jay Ashcroft
four32 MEDIA
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