As you are probably aware, YouTube is one of several video-sharing sites on the internet where anyone, including you or even your the christ can upload videos for others to view. Business’s both large and small have used this type of service to promote their products or services. There are 100 million videos viewed daily! What you may not be aware of is that YouTube overtook Yahoo as the second largest search engine. So, if you are looking for free exposure, you might be hard pressed to find something that pays a large marketing ROI other than a great church website that has been optimized for SEO.
No surprise that more and more churches are using YouTube!
The trick is determining the right kind of video to upload, and then finding a way to for people to want to see it. Because when this article was created, if you put the term “church” in the YouTube search engine, it returned over 626,000 entries. So you need to separate yourself from the rest of the clutter.
What types of videos do I post?
Sometimes churches have some difficulty thinking of videos to share. Do you already have videos of activities that have happened at your church? Below are just some ideas that will get you started. Be creative. You don’t need a pro to capture these moments. Most churches have plenty of talented people in their congregations that can perform this service. If so, you are just one click away from being able to upload those videos to YouTube.
People sharing their journey: Something that people really resonate with is sharing with other like minded people. This also is a good way to show just how you are “regular” when viewed by the un-churched or for those looking for a new church home.
> Highlights of recent events: Similar to promoting upcoming events, showing highlights of recent events can show people what your church is like and show them what they missed (so they don’t miss it next time).
> Posting of fun or funny videos: There is a reason that America’s Funniest Home Video’s endures. People like funny. If you have something, post it.
Promote upcoming events: Let people know what’s coming up at the church. People will watch far more often than they will read. This gives you a real opportunity to sell the event. Interview some likely attendees and let them help build the momentum. Having a fund raiser? This will give you the ability to really show what will be done with the funds.
Post commercials: Most churches don’t have the budget to afford TV airtime. But what if you did? Post what could be a commercial for your church. Might even be more effective than a TV buy in this age of TiVo where viewers routinely bypass commercials.
