Since its launch in 2005, YouTube has grown to be one of the most dominating forces on the internet. One billion hours of YouTube content are watched every day, it is the second-most visited site in the world!
Also, did you know that real estate listings that include at least one video get 400% more inquiries? And according to a 2019 Optinmonster Poll, video listings tend to produce 66% more qualified leads. With that kind of return you would expect listing videos to be everywhere, but according to research, only 9% of agents create listing videos! That leaves a lot of unclaimed real estate, pun intended.
Once you’ve decided to start your channel, getting it set up and launched on YouTube is simple. Be sure to make the topic of your channel very obvious. Anyone who views your page should be able to immediately and effortlessly know exactly what kind of content you create. Currently our header says, “Real Estate Marketing Tips, Advice and Training,” but when we started our channel our header had our company name, “Social Southern Creative”, and our first names, Stephanie and Nina. But in the beginning no one cares. No one cares about who you are or what you call your company. You have to make them care.
That’s not meant to be harsh, but realistically there are millions of YouTube Channels, and you’re just a stranger on the internet. We make “them” (the YouTube users who watch our videos) care by providing quality, useful content.
The Algorithm
Just like Google, or Instagram, YouTube uses an algorithm to rank videos. When making your videos you should be cognizant of what the algorithm is prioritizing. A short history lesson, in 2006 Google bought YouTube for 1.65 billion, and recently they have begun including highly-ranked YouTube videos as top results for search queries. That means ranking high on YouTube can increase your overall Google Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
The algorithm is an AI powered program that ranks videos based on criteria such as watch history and video performance. It judges audience response from “likes” or “dislikes” on videos and posting activity in comment section and looks at metrics like click-through-rate and watch duration.
When you’re just starting your channel the best way to make an impression on the algorithm is of course to post consistently, but also to be very calculated in writing your titles and video descriptions. An AI powered program is going to find information to output by looking for keywords that relate to what is input. Meaning, it will look for search results that are similar to search queries. Therefore, you don’t need to spend a bunch of creative energy trying to come up with a unique title. To appear higher in search results, you want to make it clear what content your video provides and put it in a format in which it can be found. There are websites, usually a paid service, that can help you optimize your keywords, such as Semrush or Tubebuddy.
A few other Tips we have for beginners, is to use a simple editing software like CapCut, or outsource your video editing using a service like Fiver. We use Fiver often to connect with all types of independent contractors, including video editing that won’t break the bank. Figuring out how to edit videos was a foreign and frustrating task for us and over time we have gotten better (quicker!) but initially we spending so much time to be left frustrated and unsatisfied with the final product.
The average attention span is surprisingly short, so make every second count- edit out any long pauses or dead air. If you notice while you’re recording that you’re saying “um” too much or you mess up, just take a 3 second pause and restart your sentence from the beginning. Taking that brief pause makes it easier to edit out your mistakes.
Learn how to talk the talk of your target audience, use words and phrases that are common to them. If your channel is directed at first-time homebuyers try to use simplistic language rather than technical jargon that they are likely unfamiliar with. Although content of your videos is not highly prioritized for the algorithm, connection with your audience will affect your video performance by increasing audience engagement (which the algorithm does care about)!
If you’re not sure what type of equipment you will need to get started, unfortunately the answer I have for you isn’t straight-forward. or are filmed with an iPhone or even just a webcam. Whether you choose to buy the latest and greatest tech, or make it work with what you have on hand, you will face challenges no matter what. Better equipment will have higher quality images and better audio, but an iPhone video can be edited to achieve nearly the same effect. Take an honest look at your finances and your general workload and ask yourself what works best for your budget and your lifestyle. But also consider what you want the style of your channel to be. If you have the resources to purchase the nicest equipment and to outsource your editing for you, but want to make a quick-news-update style channel, it would make more sense to invest money into a ring light attachment for your iPhone than to purchase a top of the line video camera.
Think of your channel “style” as being your channel “brand.” Style relates to the content of your videos and your delivery of that information. For example, when you think of a director like Tim Burton or Quentin Tarantino a very distinct style comes to mind. Throughout their careers they have consistently made films in a style that was authentic to their creative nature. To develop your style, you should be consistent and authentic, but it will require some trial and error to find your niche. When you’re just getting started, pay attention to the videos that are performing better than others. Which videos are getting the most views and shares, what topics are they engaging with the most? YouTube provides a lot of metrics and you should be looking at them! After a little beta-testing, find your style and stick with it!
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