Build an audience with how-to videos

Occasionally, we like to share stories of how businesses have achieved success on YouTube. Today we will look at examples of using how-to videos to reach the right customers online. 

How to knit a dishcloth.
How to build a deck.
How to pack for the beach.

These are just a few how-to focused searches being typed into YouTube by ambitious do-it-yourselfers this summer. Many savvy business have realized that YouTube is not just an entertainment hub - it is also an educational forum for eager learners. Here are a few tips from the pros on creating how-to content most relevant to your audience:

1. Keep things simple. Let’s take a look at Lowe's. The second-largest home improvement retailer worldwide simplifies DIY projects with hundreds of how-to YouTube videos in the form of “video snacks.” These short and sweet informational videos satisfy DIY-ers’ cravings to complete at-home projects by homing in on specific steps of the process. So if you are building a fence, you can start with a video about the layout and digging post holes and follow the series to the final step, attaching the gate.



2. Identify your audience. Know who you’re trying to reach and then focus on topics you think they’re most interested in watching. ModCloth, an online-only indie and vintage-inspired clothing retailer, has a clear understanding of the “ModCloth girl” — a girl who is into travel, art, glitter, and DIY projects of course. They create how-to videos tailored to the ModCloth girl lifestyle, whether it’s how to style a headband or how to pack for the campground.



What can you teach new potential customers? Join our conversation on the YouTube for marketers Google+ page, and if you’re looking to get started with video advertising on YouTube, sign up for Google AdWords for video, which is the easiest way to drive viewers to your videos.

Baljeet Singh, group product manager on video monetization at Google, recently watched Teach Me How To Factor (WSHS Math Rap Song)