Your social media strategy got a big boost last year. Late in 2013, Google made sweeping changes to how YouTube treats people wanting to comment on videos. This is great news for businesses that may have shied away from YouTube, in spite of its many obvious advantages.
Gone are the days of trolling anonymous comments mucking up the constructive conversation. Video owners can now report, ban and mute abusive users. They can also remove comments. Google now requires people wanting to comment on a video to provide an identity via Google+ or another form of social media, which eliminates the problem of one abusive user commenting via many anonymous profiles.
In addition to changes in who is allowed to comment, Google also increased the value of comments by integrating them with the Google+ commenting platform. Now, YouTube Mentions also appear with Google+ Notifications.
Using YouTube in Social Marketing Media Strategy Helps Move Customers Through the Sales Process
These small changes open up real possibilities for businesses committed to presenting their audience with the kind of highly sought after quality content that the marketplace demands. YouTube is an effective way to showcase expertise and answer common questions about a product or service. Integrating this form of marketing into a social media strategy only increases its effectiveness.
As noted in this article in Forbes magazine, by the time a customer engages the sales force of a company, they are 60% of the way through the actual sales process. This is accomplished via internet research and social media. This shift in the sales process increases the value of content driven social media marketing and is a trend businesses must be aware of.
With ever-increasing knowledgeable buyers waiting longer to engage, sales people have to transition from being a “product pusher” following a process, to an insight “provider” adding value to the buyer's business.
With YouTube in their arsenal of marketing tools, becoming a trusted source of information just became a little easier for professionals who want to use social media to their advantage.
