YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine. It’s easy to see why it’s a goldmine of leads – just think how much time you spend browsing YouTube content. And who can benefit from YouTube more than agents?
That’s because real estate is a visual industry. Quality hi-res photos and videos do a great job of showcasing your listings and local area so you definitely want to put this content in front of your leads and promote your real estate YouTube channel.
If you have a YouTube channel, here are a bunch of ways to make it more visible to potential leads.
10 ways to promote your real estate YouTube channel
1. Optimize your YouTube content
Uploading videos to YouTube is the first step but there are some more to take. Lots of agents do not grab the chance to optimize each piece of video content and so it ranks lower than it possibly could. Optimize every video you upload so it starts ranking higher and redirects more traffic to your site.
Here’s what you should do to promote your real estate YouTube channel:
- figure out the keywords you want this video to rank for – if you’re promoting a listing, this would typically be a location-based keyword;
- include it in the file name, title and description;
- in a video description, consider adding a few related keywords that you could also rank for with this video – just don’t spam;
- in a video description, include a link to the property page on your website;
- link to the video from your blog and other social media.
All in all, this takes you a few minutes while providing you with higher rankings over time.
2. Write a good title
Keep it short, concise and make sure it triggers curiosity. You need people to click to the video and view it, and the title is one of the first things people see.
3. Create an attention-grabbing YouTube thumbnail
When you’re looking at the YouTube video in search results, you can tell what that video is all about by seeing an image preview. This preview is a video thumbnail and you can easily customize it to your liking.
There are actually two ways to do this:
- use one of the thumbnail options YouTube generates automatically when the new video is uploaded;
- add a custom thumbnail.
The first option is faster but the second gives you more flexibility to add a better-looking and compelling thumbnail. For example, you might want to add more brand visuals or larger logos to make the preview look professional.
Either way, if you decide to use a custom thumbnail to promote your real estate YouTube channel and videos, YouTube Help recommends to follow these tips:
- have a resolution of 1280×720 (with a minimum width of 640 pixels);
- be uploaded in image formats such as .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG;
- remain under the 2MB limit;
- try to use a 16:9 aspect ratio as it’s the most used in YouTube players and previews.
4. Add YouTube videos to your blog
To get more eyes on your videos, always include them in your blog posts where it fits the topic. It’s easy as:
- go to your YouTube video;
- find the Share option below the video;
- click and select Embed. Copy and paste a piece of code in your blog post and you’re done (you can also customize the height and width of the video).
5. Add end cards
Remember the boxes that pop up when you’ve finished watching the video? Some of them invite you to view a related video, subscribe, watch the next episode or check out a product.
You can easily add the end cards to any of your videos (provided it’s at least 25 seconds long). YouTube Creator Academy has a great guide detailing every step.
6. Promote real estate YouTube videos on other social media
Of course, you’d want to promote your videos via every available channel. It’s a good idea to promote them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram and any other media you’re using. Schedule them to be re-posted at certain intervals so more of your fans see them.
7. Send an email with your new video
Not all contacts in your database are your YouTube subscribers. Why not launch an email campaign to existing contacts to promote your real estate YouTube channel? Invite them to subscribe and they’ll be automatically notified once you add a new video to your channel.
8. Build playlists
Another way to promote your real estate YouTube channel is to create playlists. This can help you get more people to watch your content as the videos are closely related and the next ones are played automatically. It’s also another opportunity to do some SEO work as you can optimize the title and description for a playlist with keywords.
9. Run YouTube ads
If you already have some experience with running online ads, this can be a good strategy. YouTube has a lot of advertising options and there’s no minimum budget threshold so it’s easy to keep your expenses under control.
Source: Entrepreneur Magazine
YouTube Creator Academy has a great guide to get you started.
What’s next?
People spend lots of time on YouTube. If video is part of your marketing strategy, make sure to take the next steps to promote your real estate YouTube channel.
