Youtube is the world’s leading search-based video platform. However, the adequacy of the platform for your business isn’t enough; you have to learn to maximize it.
Alongside Dmitry Lipinskiy of Roofing Insights, we’re discussing things you can do to make your roofing Youtube channel blossom — tools, tips, and tricks to get the best of Youtube.
Why Youtube for Roofing Contractors?
For roofers, what makes Youtube better than the common Google search? Is the stress of shooting and editing videos worthwhile? Yes, it is! And here’s why:
Free Organic Advertising
Think about how people will meet you for the first time. They come on Google, enter a question with specific keywords you’ve used for your video, and boom! They find you. Who knows what step they’ll take next?
Let’s say you created a video with the topic “Clay Tile Roof Repair.” If this topic gets 2000 searches per month, and your YouTube video tops Google’s result page, guess what? All those searchers will find your video and come check you out.
Facebook and Tiktok are great for entertainment, but people will always return to Google and Youtube for trusted reviews about products and services.
Youtube Recommends Your Videos
Once someone watches one of your videos and likes your content, youtube recommends more of them when they return. Good for you if your channel has videos that answer other questions, as you will start to gain trust with viewers the more they see content from you.
YouTube Creates Familiarity
After viewing your videos for a while, most homeowners subconsciously think they already know you well enough to trust you and your services. With YouTube, your leads can get to know you before they know you. Unlike short-form video content like Tiktok and Instagram Reels, the longer-form-content style of Youtube videos helps your leads see and hear you extensively.
YouTube is Central to Your Brand Campaign
While your followers get notifications of your new piece of content on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, and other social platforms, the full content itself (on YouTube) is the real meat.
An attractive Instagram picture of your newly uploaded video is enough to send them over to your Youtube channel. You have to be on as many channels as possible for effective brand awareness (vital), but it’s difficult to build a trusted audience just on Instagram or Tiktok.
Now that you have some context on the importance of YouTube in your marketing strategy, here are some tips on how to maximize your videos and channel.
# Tip 1: Stop Talking About Yourself
To win on Youtube, you might need to stop talking about yourself. 🤐 As tough as it is to hear, it’s important to remember that no one cares about you or your business; they only care about what you can do for them.
If the purpose of your Youtube channel is to show the world how great you are, it won’t work out. The best YouTubers provide the most value—answer questions, review products, and react to issues in the industry. So if you want to be successful on YouTube or in your marketing across the board, stop talking about yourself.
# Tip 2: Be Yourself!
People want to see the real, authentic you, not a fake personality you put up. Your audience will probably connect more with the simple and natural you way more than with a pretentious image you create or an over-edited video.
Why’s everybody in love with Tiktok? The unedited realness of it! Your most sincere and faithful followers are those that have seen you for who you are, bloopers and all, and still like you!
# Tip 3: Use Irresistible Thumbnails and Titles
Catchy thumbnails and titles get people to watch your videos in the first place. So, they cannot afford to be bland or ordinary. Also, something about a video’s title has to strike a chord ⚡with your audience. Here are some tips to consider:
Be Specific
You cannot make videos for everyone. Before creating a video, ask yourself, “What kind of videos do my followers need?” Who’s your target audience? Identify someone influential in the audience you’re making a video for, and create your videos based on what he’ll like and think about it.
Do they like dramatic videos or straightforward ones? What does your ideal homeowner want to see? Is he rich, poor, or middle class? Identify and use that to create specialized content for them.
Review and Critique Products
An excellent recommendation to all roofers trying to succeed on YouTube is to create product reviews. Who doesn’t love reviews? You don’t build trust by blowing your trumpet but by showing your expertise. And don’t be afraid to critique things; people believe you more when you talk about both the bad and good stuff.
React to Something!
React to bad workmanship. Go on a roof and point out the mistakes of previous contractors. When homeowners discover something new about their house through your lens, they’re left with no choice but to trust you more.
Homeowners aren’t experts, so the problem might never have crossed their minds. But on your explanation, their confidence in you can only spike. ⬆️⬆️
Use The Catchiest Title Possible!
After creating any of the above types of videos, you want to ensure people click on them. Creating good content is not enough; you have to promote it. Youtube doesn’t know which videos are fantastic or not without people clicking on them yet.
So you have to bring attention to it by using a catchy title. There are ten or more different ways you can write a title. Here are some key ideas to create killer titles:
- Less is More: Think of movies; their titles hit with only two to five words. “Why I Quit Youtube,” A viewer goes, “Whoa! Why did you quit?” They click and watch.
- Ask Questions: By asking other team members, you can also “test” the effectiveness of your title and thumbnail. Write the same topic about five times in different ways and ask people which one stood out or caught their attention the quickest. The same goes for thumbnails.
- Be Mysterious: Try creating titles that leave the viewers curious and intrigued. Something like “Five Shocking Facts About Shingles You’ve Never Heard,” for example.
If your video’s content is good and you don’t get them to click, you’re not giving them value. Your job is to promote the video until everyone knows about it, and you achieve that on Youtube with catchy thumbnails and titles.
Include Conflict in Your Videos
You also get more attention when your video has some conflict in it. Great stories and movies are spiced up with conflicts. No one would watch Hollywood movies if they didn’t have conflict. Without conflict, it’s nothing worth following. It’s either “Honest vs. Dishonest contractor,” “Poor vs. Rich,” or “Lazy vs. Hardworking salesman.”
It could be anything. And unlike the general connotation, conflict isn’t a negative thing. It’s only a means to compare and contrast two opposite products or ideas.
# Tip 4: Tactical Changes to Improve Your Videos
Breakdown your Video into Chapters
If your videos are interviews or long-form content, timestamps make it easy for viewers to skip to the part they’re interested in. Adding chapters (or timestamps) to your videos shows your respect for your viewer’s time and their ability to navigate through your video.
Use the Tools Youtube Provides
If a platform gives you some tools to use, then use them! They do it for a reason. Who do you think Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook will promote more? Someone who “dumps” content onto their platform or someone who optimizes their content based on the provided tools — adds tags, keywords, and chapter breakdowns.
The Best Youtube Assistants
- Youtube Channels: Some Youtube channels talk about ideas to help you better understand the platform. Spend time on those channels to improve your use of Youtube.
- VidIQ: VidIQ is an excellent assistant for generating titles, descriptions, and keywords. If you intend to boost and track your views and subscribers, VidIQ might be your answer.
- TubeBuddy — This is similar to VidIQ. Talk about advanced keyword research that provides high-performing video topics, excellent tags and titles, and an array of time-saving templates to publish videos faster; TubeBuddy’s got you!
Other platforms provide this kind of assistance. Find and make the most of them.
Youtube and Tik Tok — Which works best?
Both platforms are great, but you must decide which is best for your business. If your audience is on Tiktok, or if you can monetize your videos and find sponsors, great! Go get them! If not, there’s no reason to spend much energy there looking for views.
You’ll likely find serious-minded home and business owners looking for contractors and businesses to invest on YouTube, not Tiktok. So know your business and audience to win with them.
Final Thoughts
One exciting fact about creating a roofing Youtube channel is its affordability. You can kick off your Youtube channel with an iPhone camera, a video editor app, and a creative mind. Your channel will be massive in no time by consistently using the tips and tricks discussed here.
