YouTube is not a “type” of video

“We want a YouTube video for our business”.

What does that mean to you? Is it Justin Bieber getting hit in the head with a water bottle? I didn’t think so. Now don’t get me wrong – I love a slo-mo video of a cat jumping out of a cardboard box as much as anyone. It’s fun. It’s a moment in time. But that’s it.

Most clients who ask for a “YouTube video” are looking for something that isn’t highly produced – they want it to look a bit more home grown and not overly polished. Looks can be deceiving. Most of the viral videos you see What gets lost is that a successful video requires planning.

Think about the recent Old Spice Guy YouTube videos. The production values weren’t fantastic, just a guy in a towel standing in a bathroom, right? But behind the scenes was a team of writers, producers, social media experts and a video crew. It was well-planned, well-written and extremely well executed.

The next time you’re thinking about doing a video for your business/product/service, think about what you’re trying to achieve. Create a plan. Then think about putting it on YouTube.