Hey, it’s 2024, so it’s time to shake things up a bit. Today I continue to expand my horizons, and hopefully yours, by talking about YouTube. No, I don’t intend to talk about funny commercials or old TV shows that are popular on the video-sharing website.
I want to talk about YouTube as a Personal Branding tool. As a supplement to your blog. As a way to help you get found. I want to talk about the 5 reasons why you should start your own YouTube Channel.
Personal Branding in is about proactively managing your online identity so that
- you can be found,
- when you are found, you are being perceived in alignment with your brand.
The first step for professionals in social media has been to have a branded presence on LinkedIn, followed by Twitter and/or Facebook (although many people are not as cognizant about their personal brand on Facebook, as they should be).
Over the last several months I have seen a lot of professionals rightfully start blogging. Why you should start blogging is a broader topic, but let me simplify by saying that blogging can be a powerful personal branding tool in that you can share your expertise with the world on any subject you so desire. If you have expertise, why not share it for the world to see? You become a better Windmill Networker, and it becomes easier to find you with all of the content that you add to the Internet.
YouTube can serve as a powerful extension of your personal branding for the following five reasons:
You Can Share Your Expertise in a More Effective Format: Video
You have a lot of expertise to share with the world from your own unique experiences. By showing off your expertise in a video format, you can be showing off your entire package, not just your writing skills.
Do people say that you present well in front of others or have a knack for speaking? Is your profession naturally outward-facing?
If so, videoы may be a better personal branding platform for you when compared to the written world of a normal blog.
Get Found More Easily: YouTube is the 2nd Most Popular Search Engine After Google
Youtube is the second most visited site in the world.
Enough said. It is simply not a platform for anyone to neglect! If you want to be found on Google, why wouldn’t you want to be found on YouTube?
It’s Easy: You Don’t Even Need Your Own Content to Start!
Get in front of your iPhone or laptop camera. Record video. Upload to YouTube. DONE! You have just created your first YouTube video! Easier way to start? Just favorite another video that aligns with your brand and it will show it up in your channel.
It Helps Further Differentiate Your Brand… Especially if You are in Transition
VisualCV was the first platform for jobseekers to introduce the power of video to us all. So using video as part of your job search strategy, while not being new, is still considered cutting-edge for a lot of professionals.
Taking this one step further by creating compelling videos on a YouTube channel can only help further differentiate yourself from the crowd… and the people who are competing for the same job that you are! Pick a memorable channel name, and add videos consistently!
People Love to Watch and Share Videos!
If there’s one reason why YouTube became as big as it is now, it is because people love to watch and share videos! Don’t you want this power to work in favor of your personal brand?
Takeaways:
- YouTube is an effective platform to showcase your expertise and talents through video. If you present well and have knowledge to share, video can be more compelling than writing alone.
- YouTube has a massive audience as the 2nd largest search engine. Having videos on YouTube makes you more findable online.
- Getting started is easy – you can simply record quick videos on your phone and upload them. You can also share other videos that align with your brand.
- YouTube further differentiates your personal brand, especially if you’re in a career transition. Video stands out compared to traditional resumes/profiles.
- People love watching and sharing videos. If you create compelling content, it can spread rapidly on YouTube and expand your reach/impact.
