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Should authors use YouTube for book marketing?

In the history of marketing, the most popular marketing spots are the places where the most people can be found, be it the town square, the bazaar, the train station, the airport, MySpace, YouTube, or Twitter.

There are over 75 million videos on YouTube, for example, and when these videos go viral they record millions of views per video. And while many authors know how to use YouTube to share videos with family and friends, very few know how to harness the power of YouTube to make money, market themselves, connect with customers, grow their business, and sell more books.

I am using YouTube in every possible way for all my clients. I really see opportunities for every type of client I represent, including authors, doctors, lawyers, business people, and even charities.

In fact, I used YouTube to help Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue make it to the “Top 10” in a $1 million shelter makeover contest sponsored by Zootoo, a website for animal and pet lovers. As part of his effort, I asked Mike Ball, who is an accomplished musician in addition to being an award-winning columnist, if he would be willing to write and record a song that could be used in an online video and for public service announcements. . That emotional song with the photos of the horses helped Angel Acres in his online voting campaign.

Another client, Mr. Duey, a schoolteacher who uses music to teach children math, science and history, is also having great success with his video. Called “Mr. Duey Fractions,” it’s featured on Teacher Tube, which is like YouTube but is for teachers, parents, and students. The “Fractions” video we promoted is now one of the top ten most viewed videos of all time on TeacherTube with 567,000 views. You know you’re good when the kids at your school ask a teacher for an autograph! The exposure has led to CD sales, media coverage and other exciting opportunities for Mr. Duey and the record label Kaas Records. As I write this, Mr. Duey is finishing up filming a new series of videos linking his musical talents to a new “book-like” product… I can’t tell you what it is, but it came as a direct result of it. video!

Another very successful application for YouTube videos is through video book trailers as part of a book marketing campaign. In an effort to get publicity for the book for my author clients, we will be creating a book trailer about the book. A book trailer is like a movie trailer in that it allows someone to preview a book both visually and through audio. A video book trailer brings the book to life and gives the potential reader a preview of the contents. Then we’ll post that book trailer on YouTube and… here’s the best part… we’ll add it to over 41 additional video sites online for even more exposure.

One of the great benefits of a book trailer is how it improves search engine rankings for an author’s main website, allowing you to carefully select the keywords and titles that drive traffic.

How can a booktrailer help? A couple of months ago, we got a great article for one of my authors at The Patriot Ledger, just outside of Boston. First, they posted a photo of the author holding the book of him. They mentioned upcoming book signings that I asked him to host after we had this story confirmed so he could capitalize on PR.

The Ledger also included a link and screenshot of the book trailer video we produced for YouTube. The best part? Boston’s ABC-TV CH-7 then saw the article and trailer for the book, realized it was a good visual story, and went to the author’s house and filmed his own story. It really proves my point that “PR begets PR, the more you get, the more you get!”

You can view an example of book trailers we’ve created on the Westwind Communications YouTube channel at: [http://www.youtube.com/thebookpublicist]

There are a lot of ins and outs when it comes to YouTube. If you really want to use it, I suggest you buy a new book How to Make Money with YouTube by Brad and Debra Schepp. In this detailed guide, the authors reveal specific steps to harness the power of YouTube to make money. The Schepps offer detailed, easy-to-understand instructions on everything from filming and uploading videos to fundraising and marketing, building buzz, and how to get your videos noticed.

They are also based on the humorous “Will it blend in?” from an infamous company. video that brought thousands of new customers to your website. You’ve probably seen it. A guy in a lab coat mixes everything from food to iPhones in his blender, proving just how powerful the blender really is. The book is packed with valuable tips and how-tos that enable readers to maximize their earning potential on YouTube.

One of the most valuable features of How To Make Money With YouTube is the real-life success stories of video marketers who have used the site to launch successful consulting businesses. A standout success story is from my own firm about Mr. Duey mentioned above. The bottom line: Create a book video trailer and put it up on YouTube right away and use it to promote your book online. You can’t go wrong.

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