Nearly 25 percent of all global mobile bandwidth is now used by YouTube watchers. With mobile now the fastest-growing side of the Internet, you’re missing some splendid marketing opportunities if you’re not leveraging the growing power of YouTube:

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  • YouTube is responsible for 52 percent of all global mobile video streaming.
  • Video streaming accounts for 39 percent of all mobile traffic.
  • Web browsing, by comparison, now accounts for only 25 percent of mobile traffic.
  • Video streaming increased by 93 percent in the first half of 2011.

YouTube videos are probably not the best place for direct selling. It might be better to use YouTube as a way to engage customers. Show them the “inside story” of your business and industry. Tell stories about your business and its satisfied customers. Offer opinion and commentary. Build relationships. Build trust.

How can you do that? First, respond to frequently asked questions from clients. Keep your answers brief and general, especially if you’re in a professional field like law or medicine. Secondly, report and comment on news and issues that impact your business, industry, and customers. It’ll show that you stay abreast of trends and developments, and you’ll establish yourself as an expert whom customers can trust.

A video that’s clever, creative, and backed by technical prowess can still be a flop; don’t forget the videos you make are for an audience, not for yourself and your colleagues. Always focus on engaging, entertaining, and educating your viewers. Give them something of value that they’ll want to share, not a TV-style commercial. And don’t post your YouTube videos on every social media site; if they’re good videos, your audience will do the sharing for you. Build a YouTube channel that focuses on your area of expertise and specialization and that distinguishes you from your competition.

It’s a lot of work, so don’t hesitate to get help and fresh ideas from others. A social media marketing firm can create the videos and other social media content that will grow and retain your audience and turn viewers into buyers. With YouTube, you have a unique opportunity to reach potential new customers all over the globe. Don’t miss out on it.