Are you a handmade business struggling to create online visibility in the presence of big eCommerce brands? Do you want to learn how video capturing and editing work? Do you want to know more about how YouTube marketing works but get the same information on optimising SEO everywhere? If yes, then this blog is for you. It delves into why some YouTube channels get millions of views on their videos even when the content is not providing any knowledge or value addition to viewers. Later, we discuss some ways to increase the visibility of your handmade business’s page on YouTube using simple video-making techniques and hacks for increasing views as well as likes and subscriptions. Also, we’ll talk about tools and techniques for video capturing and editing.

We all love watching videos on YouTube. YouTube is a lifesaving tool full of informational, entertainment, knowledgeable, guided, problem-solving content. We cannot imagine our life without YouTube now, and that’s what handmade businesses can use to their advantage.

YouTube has 1.7 billion unique visitors, and a user spends an average of 19 minutes daily on this video streaming platform. Six hundred ninety-four thousand hours of video are streamed on YouTube each minute. Thus youtube has a lot of potential to market companies and small/handmade businesses looking to increase their customer base.

It Is Cost-Free And Simple To Use

You don't have to pay anything to start a YouTube channel for your company, make videos using free video editor and upload them. Additionally, it's pretty simple to use, so you don't need to be tech-savvy to figure it out. As a result, YouTube marketing is undoubtedly the most acceptable, cost-effective DIY marketing strategy available to business owners.

 

Visual Content Outperforms Text Content

Content marketing is one of the best ways to attract visitors to your website and turn them into customers. You can develop the YouTube videos you create further. For instance, you may post an engaging video you've made showcasing your goods or offering guidance on a subject relevant to your business on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Read this article to know why this is so.

 

To better understand why people fall into rabbit holes of binge-watching, Harvard Business Review conducted a series of studies with 6,445 U.S.-based students and working adults. Through this research, they identified three factors that influence whether people choose to continue viewing photos and videos rather than switch to another activity: the amount of media the person has already viewed, the similarity of the media they've viewed, and how they viewed the media.

In the first part of the research, they explored whether the pull of the rabbit hole would grow stronger or weaker once people had already viewed several videos. Next, they examined the impact of framing the videos people watched similar to one another. Finally, they looked at how People acted after watching several videos consecutively versus when they watched the same number of videos with some interruptions. 

Seemingly small details around the order and types of content one can have a significant impact on their decision to keep consuming similar content. 

 

But what drives this effect? 

Prior research suggests that all three factors identified earlier increase the accessibility of similar media. In this context, accessibility refers to how familiar, or top-of-mind, a given kind of content feels. When something feels more accessible, it becomes easier to process, leading us to anticipate that we will enjoy it more. In other words, people continue down the rabbit hole because viewing related media “feels right” — even if it’s at odds with what they want to be doing, whether getting work done or even just taking a break.

Platforms like YouTube are designed to trap viewers in a social media rabbit hole: They offer bite-sized content that makes it easy to consume several videos or posts in a row quickly; they often automatically suggest 

 

Similar content, many of them even automatically start playing similar videos, reducing the potential for interruptions.

That is how handmade brands can use  YouTube Shorts to market their brand and products to a greater audience. Similar to Instagram Reels and TikTok, these little videos provide viewers with a quick method to comprehend a single subject through snappy animations, parodies of popular music videos, documentary shorts, and corporate material. Let us see some of the benefits that even the smallest handmade businesses can utilise of YouTube Shorts :

• You don’t need much equipment: There’s no need for a professional camera, laptop or desktop computer. All you need is a smartphone, and you’re good to go.

• You can create accessible content: Provide viewers with digestible content they can consume on the move. 

• Convenient and easy to use: Upload multiple videos all at once and add captions.

• Huge potential audience: YouTube has 774.6 million active users on iPhones and iPad.

This article by Builderfly on How to create a YouTube channel for your eCommerce Business contains steps to Follow for Creating a YouTube Channel for your Ecommerce Business starting from prerequisites to basics to finally covering the marketing aspects. It then also discusses the Ways to Market your eCommerce Business using your YouTube Channel.

Watch this video How to Make A YouTube Video for Beginners start to finish to learn video basics.

Let me guide you through the tools and instruments used in making a good youtube video. 

Let's start with must-haves, the tools necessary to capture good videos.

1. Camera to capture- Of course, you need to film something to post on YouTube, so having a camera is the number one top priority. You can definitely get started with your smartphone, you don't need to go out and buy a camera but there are a lot of great cameras underneath that $1,000 mark for shooting YouTube videos like the Sony ZV-1 Camera and the Canon M50

One thing to note is that if you are using a smartphone to record videos, record them in landscape mode and if recording YouTube Shorts, record in portrait mode.

Check Think Gear Guide if you are confused about which camera to buy. It has some cameras and lenses that are recommended to YouTubers and beginners that are just getting started on this journey.

2. SD card to store- If you're shooting on something like a camera and not on your phone, then you are going to need something to record these videos onto and so an SD card is a must-have. SanDisk is a popular and trusted brand when it comes to SD cards. The card is affordable but it's also fast enough to record 4k video. So if you are shooting in higher resolutions like 4k, this SD card is going to be perfect for you. The cards are available in storage spaces of 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB.

3. Computer to edit the videos- If you decide to shoot on your phone, there are some apps out there where you can just edit directly off of your phone. So that is an option, but if you do want to get a camera and you want to edit on a computer, Apple and their new M1 Chip would be a great choice. The M1 Chip is important because that's what's going to make your computer super fast and what's awesome is these computers have been getting affordable. So if you pick up something like the, MacBook Air it's still going to be great for you to edit videos. The Apple Mac Mini with the M1 Chip is also a great option, you're just going to need to get a monitor so that you can hook it up and start editing. These options are future-proof, safe, effective, and fast computer lineup that you can use for your videos. 

   
   

4. Internet to upload videos: Internet penetration has been great globally in the last decade but still some countries don’t have good internet connectivity, especially to their homes or workplaces. A good solution for this can be going to nearby cafes and restaurants that provide you with free WiFi.

So next, we're going to talk about the essentials.  These are necessary things to capture a good video but would improve the quality of it.

1.  Tripod: Now a tripod is that thing with the three legs that you put your camera on to set it down wherever you want to get a good steady shot. So the camera does not need to be held by somebody or placed on a table, you can set it up on a tripod and start shooting videos of yourself. If you're shooting videos, just like this where you're sitting down talking to a camera and the camera does not need to move at all, I kind of just recommend getting the cheapest Amazon Basics tripod that you can find on Amazon. You can simply opt for the Geekoto Tripod, it is convenient, flexible, and portable.

   
   

2. Microphone: You want to invest in your audio because it's sometimes even more important than the video quality because people want to hear what you're saying and if it's hard to listen then it's really hard to watch the video. The reason this is on the essentials list and not a must-have is because cameras have built-in microphones and so do our phones. So if you are shooting a video, it's going to pick up audio and you can use that just to get started but picking up a microphone and upgrading to a lav mic or a shotgun mic is going to make a huge difference for your videos. Again, to make this easy you don't have to do a whole bunch of research, Deity V.Lav, Deity D4 Duo Shotgun. 

Recording perfect crystal clear audio becomes a must-have for creative manufacturing businesses since not just the video but also the audio grabs the attention of the viewers. In many cases, it is what is more fascinating than the visuals.

3. Light: Now, no matter what camera you have, whether you're starting on your phone or you have a camera from the recommended list, lighting is what's going to make your image look good. Starting with a softbox light and putting that right next to your camera can be a good idea. It's going to give you a very nice soft light, it's not going to look harsh like someone is shining a flashlight on you and so having a softbox with your light is going to be a major upgrade for you. A nice light on Amazon, Mountdog Softbox Photography Lighting Kit that has a remote, it's by colour, so it can get warm, it can get cool, like daylight temperature, and comes under $60.

4. Drones: If you own a large factory or a mine you might want to capture it all. For this taking drone shots will be very helpful and effective. If you want to look on Amazon for a good, cheap FPV or normal drone, they will usually run you about $1000-$3000. They can be expensive but you can get great 4K video footage with drones for under $500.

Thie DJI Mavic 3 is the best drone for YouTubers. It’s a good balance between providing great quality 5.1K video (and 4K 120fps) without spending a large sum of money. With all DJI products, it makes it very easy for the user to fly and learn on the go with ease. You have the option of allowing GPS-assisted flight which allows you to concentrate on getting the best shot possible. When flying this DJI Mavic 3 you will need a smartphone or iPad so you can view what you are recording while in the air. The flight time of this drone is 25 minutes and a range of half a mile which is plenty of time and distance for capturing that perfect shot for your content.

Features

• Weight 895g

• Hyperlapse, Master shot, ActiveTrack 5.0, DJI 4G Cellular Transmission Dongle, Quick Transfer

• Video resolution: 5.1K, 4K, FHD 1080p

• Flight Time: 46 minutes

• Max Range: 15km

Other features: 4K, 1080p slow motion video at 120 and 240 fps.

 

Now that we have explained the tools used for capturing good professional videos let’s describe the process. Shooting in a working factory can seem like a daunting task, but here are tips to make it easier:

• Scout the location

• Make a list of the process 

• Look for interesting angles

• Move the camera

• Use your ambient light for fill, then create highlights with your light source

• Add colour for interest

• Tell the workers exactly what you want them to do, and be pleasant and persistent until you get the shot. 

Also, you can check out this article on How to film a creative product video -Tutorial. It describes the whole process of shooting a creative manufacturing product tutorial from scratch.

 

After filming the video, the next important step that comes is Editing. When it comes to software used for editing the videos these can be a great choice. The list includes paid as well as free software.

1. Wondershare Filmora 

• It is much more powerful than Windows Movie Maker on Windows and iMovie on Mac.

• It allows you to make a professional-looking YouTube video with hundreds of presets such as filters, overlays, elements, transitions, and mixing multiple layers of effects and audio to empower your YouTube story. 

2. Vegas Pro

• Advanced video editing features are available.

• It supports multi-cam video editing which is convenient for YouTube editing.

• It has Auto White Balance and Masking tools to make your video creative. 

3.  iMovie

• It is one of the best options for YouTube Video Creator beginners for Mac users.

• Offers background music and great visual effects.

• It can be accessed by Mac and ions users only.

• Video-sharing capabilities are impressive since it enables its users to share 4K videos to YouTube or Facebook with just a few clicks.

 

4. YouTube Studio Video Editor 

• YouTube Studio is the best choice for YouTubers to edit uploaded videos when you want to keep the original video URL, comments, and views. 

• You can use this video editor to trim the start or end of the video, remove an unwanted section from the video, blur faces, or add an end screen template.

• There are not many video editing features in the video editor tool in YouTube Studio, but it is free to use.

 

5. Adobe

• It works on all devices, it’s simple to use, and it’ll transform the way you create. 

• Adobe Premiere Rush makes going from shoot to showtime easier than ever from anywhere. 

Here are some Tips for Keeping the Audience Engaged

• The best practice is to try to keep your video short and limit the amount of information you present in videos which are usually 2-5 minutes long. The shorter the video the better, because as mentioned earlier, we humans have a short attention span.

Because we have short attention spans you want to capture someone’s attention in the first ten seconds of your video. If the first 10 seconds of the video do not catch the viewer’s attention, then you have lost a potential customer. 

• If you are introducing your brand, company or product, or service you will want to keep the video under five minutes. You have less of a chance of boring the viewer than if you were to make these videos five minutes or longer.

• If you are explaining a concept or giving a tutorial, it is okay to take more time to ensure that the viewer fully understands the how and the why behind those videos. It is important to keep in mind that you provide the right amount of information and not overdo it with facts. This is where you will have to be picky about what you choose to put in your video. Only putting in what you absolutely know will help the viewer be successful in understanding a concept or tutorial.

 

• Begin your video with interesting information. You want to capture the viewer’s attention right from the start, so put the good stuff in the beginning. If there is something you want your audience to see, put it in the first few shots to ensure that they make it past that specific point.

• Another tip that will help is making sure that the information you are presenting is going to be useful to your audience. If you are not providing new information in each shot, then you will lose the audience’s interest and they will not have a chance at understanding why the product or service could benefit them.

 

• YouTube Thumbnails

Making a good thumbnail is an art, but there are some common trends that I have noticed that make thumbnails effective. One common trend is to use a red circle and a red arrow in the thumbnails. People use red to highlight what is essential in the thumbnail and use the color red because it stands out from the background, the more muted colors we experience in our day-to-day lives. In the famous  Behavioral Economics Framework sent to the British Government, Paul Dolan and his co-authors wrote about salience that the more the message or signal is specific and salient to us as individuals, the more powerful it is likely to be. Because of this reason, the more attractive a thumbnail is, the more chances for a person to open that video. 

Putting your face in your thumbnails is another way to increase the chances of your video getting opened. The reason behind this is that humans have an extremely heightened sensitivity to recognizing faces, a part of the brain called the Fusiform Gyrus is dedicated to recognizing faces.

 

• Tell the story behind the handmade products and their creators

People who buy handmade products are not just interested in the product themselves, they’re interested in purchasing the story behind the product, how it came to be, the story behind the brand, and the love and the care that was put into the process. And so when your brand can tell your story in a way that helps potential customers and visitors on your social platform or shop connect with you, the maker, you build trust and trust sells. So try to tell how the product came into being, and how its idea originated, highlighting the makers. Behind the scenes or showing off what's going on in your studio also forms a key aspect.

It’s important to connect with your audience and one of the easiest ways to do that is through emotion. Evoking emotion in videos tends to have a bigger impact on the consumer’s actions and the likelihood of whether they are to believe what they see or whether they will consume a product.

If you are making a video and want people to consume your product, try taking the viewer along for a small emotional ride. Show how you helped someone remodel a home or stage a home so that they could get their asking price. People relate to stories and especially stories that they can relate to and touch on their emotions.

• Describe how the product or accessory was made from scratch: Shoot how the product is made from scratch. People love watching videos that involve carving beautiful designs from solid impure metals and other raw materials.

  
  

• Convey how your product creates value

You might believe that since you make YouTube for business purposes, the entire channel should focus on your offering. But your audiences don't genuinely desire it. Nobody ever wants to watch an advertisement for a product from beginning to conclusion. It's dull. You must instil values in them. Make sure the knowledge you give to your audience is essential and will improve their quality of life. You can emphasise their challenges and how your solution can assist them in resolving them. They'll realise why they require your goods or services. If you are a handmade business and use only sustainable raw materials you can tell your audience how by the use of products you create they can contribute towards building a better and healthy environment.

 

CONCLUSION 

If you haven't started using YouTube to advertise your handmade business, you should do so right away. It's unquestionably one of the best mediums to attract new clients, boost sales, and raise brand awareness with hundreds of millions of daily active users. Additionally, it is free, simple to operate, and may support your content marketing in various ways.

Try producing a variety of different sorts of video material, from product demonstrations to how-to videos, to appeal to potential buyers. In the descriptions of your videos, don't forget to include links to your company website and online store. Additionally, you ought to use well-known terms in catchy names. Capturing and editing videos to make them more attractive is something that you’ll learn with time. You'll soon draw in a sizable viewership that you can turn into clients.

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