YouWho? Why YouTube May Not Be Your Most Effective Video Marketing Option

As consumer touch-points in the car buying journey continue to increase, it’s ever more important to ensure that your video content is available at each and every one of those pit stops the car buyer takes. Your digital touchpoints are in essence your brand’s points of customer contact, from start to finish. For example, customers may find your business online in an ad, see ratings and reviews, visit your website, or receive an email, to name a few. Often, the problem is getting your videos on all these touch-points. It may be very time consuming to upload each of your videos to each touch-point. For that reason, many choose to “host” their videos with a hosting service and then hyperlink or embed their video URL’s to get additional exposure and visibility.

YouTube has long been the king of video hosting platforms and may seem to be the obvious choice. However, there are some things that you should consider when developing your video marketing strategy that may or may not make YouTube the best option for you and your marketing partners. “Self-hosting” or using a “3^rd party host” that specializes in the automotive marketplace may be a better option for you.

If you are spending a lot of money to rank your website, certain pages of your website, landing pages, etc., then embedding a YouTube video on those pages may not be your best option. You see, when you upload a video to YouTube, YouTube claims the metadata and SEO value of your video. So, if a consumer were to find that content via a Google search, they will most likely be taken to your video on YouTube, versus to the page of your website that your video resides on.

However, if you self-host, or utilize a third party host that allows you to claim the SEO value of your videos, then you can apply a meta tag and video sitemap strategy on your web pages that can create the same (or better) visibility for your video on Google, but bring shoppers, when engaged, back to YOUR website, or the webpage that the video resides on.

One of the most powerful advantages of self-hosting or utilizing a hosting platform within the auto industry is that you now have real-time access to your data. You can also integrate that data into your CRM. For example, you can follow the customer along their path as they watch your video on a third party listing site; and again, as they view a video email you sent them; and later, when they start viewing inventory videos on your own website. All of this behavioral data provides clues as to where in the funnel – and what vehicles specifically – these customers are considering. This enables the delivery of precise messages that are extremely relevant to the consumer, at the exact right moment in their buying process. Because this video content is hyper-relevant, consumers will engage with it more. In addition, the ability to follow the customer on their path (and see the vehicles they are interested in and where they are watching your videos from), enables video remarketing opportunities in real-time via the video the consumer is watching, such as geo-targeted messages for shoppers who are showrooming from your competitor’s lot.

Utilizing a hosting service that specializes in the automotive industry could also open up tons of advantages such as automating the process of getting your video content on many of your most valuable touch-points. Now you can control how and where the video is delivered. Industry-specific companies also allow you to integrate third party conversion widgets straight into your video. Because you have this level of control, you can generate dynamic rule and behavior-based content in real time. This transforms all of your videos into content that has greater informational and emotional value.

Don’t misunderstand me -- YouTube and other video platforms are also touch-points on a consumer’s journey and can provide video search engine optimization benefits. You can absolutely upload your video content to YouTube as well, to maximize your exposure on their network.

Chances are your automotive specific host could automate that part of your strategy for you as well. That being said, those VSEO benefits from YouTube, while valuable, cannot trump the level of personalization and customizability that an industry hosting service can provide. So, rather than relying on YouTube to host your video, take your content back under your control by leveraging all of the benefits an industry specific hosting platform. You’ll find out very quickly that you can implement a more effective video marketing strategy.

1 member likes this

Comment

You need to be a member of DealerELITE.net to add comments!

Join DealerELITE.net

Comment by steven chessin on June 6, 2016 at 1:09pm: An inventory marketing content expert once said "Youtube is a destination not a source".

Excuse me ... it was you. It was here. In an article you wrote about the heavy wasted valuable HR it takes to send the variety of Youtube links and codes to all of the necessary 3rd-party lead sources. Per car. Manually.

If your store is doing that --- STOP ! The skills needed for this position are far too valuable more worthy tasks. If someone is making you do that plead with them to read Tim's previous article about this topic. The problem I find is that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing". Dealers --- or their marketing people - think they know "VIDEO CONTENT AND DISTRIBUTION" and then they do it wrong. And make no mistake dealers - or their marketing people - getting video content and its distribution wrong is not an option. Get it right. Or find someone that knows what you do not.

Whatever Tim wrote here about the search data is one thing - the step after the search - when the content that is found must be converted into a lead is the critical conclusion step to this process. All of the steps NOT resulting in a lead wastes it all. All of the money. All of the people working so hard. Wasted. And who is at fault ? Many are responsible because they merely dabble in video. Not just at stores and groups but on the larger level --- website providers and inventory sites also.

And yes --- I understand VIDEO is not absolutely critical for lead generation. But --- all things being equal -- a car with a PROPER VIDEO PRESENTATION will get the lead more often than one without.

I want to add one thing to what Tim wrote.

I have spent an enormous amount of time working-out ways to "Win At Craigslist" getting leads. One of the bricks in that wall is that VIDEO links and code are not allowed. The ONLY company I have found that has any kind of fix for that is Tim's. ALTHOUGH .... the solution by itself is just technical .... which is not enough. So unless your video content is both original and compelling --- already an advanced step --- just having a platform that can your videos seen from Craigs won't be a benefit. Making it work with photo-based video doesn't make it any more effective. As I said it is an advanced level that even top stores don't reach --- but since such a large amount of the marketing budget is CRAIGS - it is good to know that there are ways to beat Craigs - INCLUDING VIDEO - ARE possible !

Lastly - in terms of all of the other major sites --- from dealer sites - to all of the 3rd party providers -- their utilization of video is shamefully awful !! The only one that used to get it right was Cars.com until they foolishly changed their design that killed video. Autotrader ... useless and clueless. Cargurus .... doesn't offer it. eBay ..... well it is only possible IF you know secret tricks. So unfortunately ----- the real benefits Tim's company could provide are so greatly diminished by the destination sites themselves being far behind the times. The very best sales / marketing tool is denied all dealers --- so why am I the only one outraged and Yelping ?