By Bryan Orr
We have a YouTube video for our business that has over 120,000 views titled “How to Test an Air Conditioning Condensing Unit.”
You’re thinking, “It’s a pretty sexy title, that has clearly what brought in all those viewers.” Okay, I know, it’s a horribly boring title on a seemingly abstract topic, but as it turns out, there are a lot of people who want to know how to test an air conditioning condensing unit. There are a lot of people who want to know how to do a lot of things and when they do, they either go to Google or YouTube or both to find the answer.
You might think you need to give out all sorts of trade secrets to DIY folks who are never going to buy your products or services.
False.
You don’t need to talk complex topics, instead choose simple topics, things you take for granted, subjects you figure everyone already knows or that are so simple that they could figure out themselves. If you do concise, step-by-step how-to articles or videos, the simpler and more specific the subject the better.
So where do you start? First, think about the most common questions your customers ask you. The ones that you repeat the answers to every day. If you run out of topics there, go to Google and start typing the start to questions and see what Google suggests. For example for a roofer I typed “Why do roofers” and Google completed the question with “Why do roofers use hatchets?”
For a florist I typed, “Why don’t flowers” and Google completed it with: “Why don’t flowers smell anymore?” This little trick ensures that you will write or record about topics that people are searching for. If you want to convert these to a how-to video or article, you could make a “How to use a hatchet while roofing” or “How to keep flowers smelling fresh.”
When making how-to content you will be tempted to write or record long content on broad subjects. As a realtor you may be tempted to write about “how to sell your home”… STOP. That’s too broad and crowded. Instead, do something narrow like “How your mailbox can turn into a faster home sale” or “How to use social media to help sell your home.”
Also, be patient. You will usually make 10 videos or articles before one really takes off and often once one does take off, the viewers / readers will carry over to your other content (Company website/blog, etc.). Stay consistent and eventually it will pay off.
Don’t focus on fancy production, just make it clean, clear and focused. If you are making videos make sure your audio is clear. Often, audio suffers in amateur video. If you do end up with imperfect audio, I suggest running your file through Auphonic.com before publishing.
The possibilities for how- to content are endless and can often relate directly to web traffic, credibility and sales.
Better than running ads if you ask me.
