As you know, social media is huge with Internet marketers and everyone who’s anyone has a solid foundation in the top three communities: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Folks are diligent about maintaining their profiles, updating their statuses or feeds, and staying as current as possible to be an active member of the online communities. What a lot of those people forget about is the power of video.

Go into any eating establishment with a television to see what we’re talking about. Although they’re surrounded by friends and fried food, people are drawn to the screen and will crane their necks to see what’s going on, even if they can’t hear the audio or don’t really care about the content. Maybe it’s the flashing lights or maybe it’s because television was their babysitter – whatever it is, people love a video. Don’t you think it’s high time you take advantage of that fact?

With an inexpensive video camera and YouTube, creating and uploading your own videos is impossibly simple and there’s no better time than the present.

Maybe you could write a how-to video for one of your products. Perhaps put together a showcase of your company’s employees and skills. You can even do an introductory video of yourself and what services you provide for your clients. The point is to interact with your potential customers and create a relationship that goes beyond just buyer and seller.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Make your content entertaining, engaging and informative.
• When you upload, make sure you make your video public so that it’s searchable.
• Be sure to put your video in the correct category.
• Use appropriate tags.
• Watch out when using music or other material that isn’t yours; copyright infringement is serious business.
• Respond to any and every comment you get. This conversation has to be a two-way street.
• Write a concise, accurate description of your video so your target market can find you.
• Make friends with other users in your field or target market to widen your reach.

Now that you know a little more about making your own YouTube video, write that content, have a great time shooting, smile for the camera and good luck. Once you get started with YouTube videos, you’ll see that it’s not only another effective way to use social media as a marketing tool, it’s also a lot of fun. Here’s to going viral!

Whether you’re explaining a service that your company provides or offering an instructional reference for a product you sell, video is a fantastic way to reach out to your customers and connect with them on a level that is hard to achieve with mere copy on a webpage. Because your customers can get a glimpse of you and your products in action, you can further personalize your services and create a relationship with them that you may not otherwise achieve.

No longer restricted to holiday gatherings and family vacations, personal videos these days span a wide range of subjects from pranks trying to capture the big prize on America’s Funniest Videos to DIY marketing and promotional materials. Thanks to the Internet and easily accessible video cameras, you can create and upload your very own product commercials in less time than it will take us to finish writing this article.

With your marketing videos, you have fresh, inexpensive content that you can add to your website, electronic marketing materials, Facebook page and link to via Twitter. Then, of course, there’s Youtube, the online video distribution platform that has skyrocketed the success and notoriety of businesses of every kind imaginable.

As they write on their site, “YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe,” and, it’s free! Similar to other social networking sites, YouTube allows you to create a personal page and solicit followers so that you have one more avenue for reaching out and communicating with your community.

Grab your best products, pull out that Flip camera you got last Christmas and get ready to reap the benefits of video marketing. Lights, camera, action!

For most Internet start-up businesses, there isn’t a lot of extra cash lying around to spend on marketing. Luckily, there are many ways entrepreneurs themselves can promote their products and companies online without dropping lots of dollars.

Facebook:            Create a Facebook profile for your company then develop a Fan Page for each of your products.

Twitter:            Update followers on the latest news at your company or provide helpful tips and hints, 140 characters at a time.

You Tube:            Like having your very own TV station, You Tube lets you post your own informational or instructional videos online.

Linked In:            Stay connected to business contacts and clients and make new ones in your industry.

Newsletters:             Keep your client base updated on your business and product offerings while keeping your name and company on their radar.

Blogs:            With regular blog postings you can develop an online community centered on your company’s industry while updating readers on your offerings and products.

Articles:             Establish your expertise in your area by writing and submitting articles to online websites that promote your industry.

Take advantage of all that the Internet has to offer. From social media communities to a customized blog for your company, there are tons of ways you can freely promote and market your products to old and new clients alike!