How I Increased Sales by 200% in January 2022 (And How You Can, Too)
SURPRISE! I'm not on YouTube to be a YouTuber. You won't be getting any product reviews or aesthetic day-in-the-life shots from me. Instead, I'm on YouTube to get traffic and drive sales to my biz!
Utilizing video strategy is not only popular but necessary for seeing your business thrive. Incorporating evergreen content and sales funnels into my YouTube strategy has helped me expand my growth!
The strategies I'm sharing with you here have been the catalyst for increasing sales by 200% in January alone. Want to know how you can drive leads too? Let's dig in!
New Features on YouTube
In light of Reels and TikTok’s exploding in popularity, YouTube has rethought its strategy to allow users to have more interaction with content creators.
Shorts
Shorts are a Reels/TikTok types of videos that only last up to 60 seconds. You can add stickers and cool effects to make them eye-catching! The point of these shorts is to drive engagement by grabbing attention in those oh-so-important first few seconds of your audience's attention span.
Lives
YouTube Lives are a more interactive way to make videos. Much like Instagram Lives, these videos allow you to connect with your audience in real-time. Some of the ways you can leverage YouTube Live:
Q+A sessions
Important Announcements
Guest Appearances
Polls to gauge interest in specific topics/content
These types of videos will help you generate hype around your launches and form those crucial connections with your audience as you funnel them in.
Stories
Basically, YouTube's version of IG Stories, except they last for seven days, not just 24 hours. While you can only access YouTube stories on the mobile app, these 15 seconds clips are available to those with over 10K subscribers and, again, offer a new way for your audience to engage with your content.
As for what to post, you can approach them the same way you'd make Instagram stories. Post behind-the-scenes content, promo new videos, announce a course, and give updates of what's going on in your corner of the world.
YouTube wants you to be successful. So, the more bingagble your content and the more avenues your audience has to watch that content, the better your channel will perform.
Community Tab
Even more engagement for content creators. Think of it like a Twitter feed for YouTube. The best way to utilize this feature? Repurpose your Instagram content to promote your service offers or provide YouTube-only content to keep people coming to your feed.
How to promote your content
Social platforms are ALWAYS changing, so that means you have to be ready to shift your content strategy whenever they do. (P.S. — if you're a member of my Video Strategy Academy, you'll automatically get updates on the latest, most effective ways to reach more people on YouTube!)
That being said, your content doesn't have to be perfect. Don't let your video become overproduced and out of touch. It just needs to be full of valuable information.
Short form video content is helping businesses become and stay visible, so using this in your content plan is key! Reels, TikToks, IGTV, and Stories help guide your audience through the next steps of the customer journey.
But don't think that just because short form videos are the new kid on the block with shiny new sneakers, that long form content is going anywhere. In fact, this type of evergreen content will remain king.
Creating long-term content like IG feed posts, blogs, newsletters, and pins give you a way to repurpose your YouTube videos, ultimately driving traffic back to them, then creating leads for your website. This type of content lives longer and serves a fuller purpose.
My content strategy plan for Instagram
I want my Instagram to be as informative and as engaging as possible. To do this, you need sharable and savable content, and the best way to tackle all of that promo material is to utilize all features social platforms have to offer.
You also want to use the piggyback method and repurpose as much of your content as possible.
Here's how I do it:
Stories: 4-6 times per week, with one video dedicated to promo for my new YouTube video (PRO TIP: batch record these for a faster content creation process.)
Reels: 3 times per week (and don't worry, I'm not always dancing in them. Rest assured, you don't have to either!)
Feed: 3x per week.
This doesn't have to be your setup, but this is what is realistic for me. Find out how much you can realistically take on, and then go from there!
How YouTube fits into my overall marketing strategy
There are tons of ways you can make money with YouTube, but funnels are the most important part of any content strategy. As a business owner, you need to be tactical about everything you put out.
Here's how I approach YouTube funnels:
A viewer finds me through search to learn about YouTube strategy.
They want to learn more, so they grab my freebie based on the content and CTA in my video.
Once they have the freebie, they're redirected to a landing page where I offer one of my courses.
They're added into a 5-day email sequence to build trust, regardless of if they convert on the landing page or not. They also get a reminder about the offer for my course (I.E., final day to purchase).
The best way to make your own funnel is to first know your customers' process and journey like the back of your hand. You need to fully understand each step they go through before they open their wallets.
Doing this allows you to optimize your strategy and create a growth funnel tailored to your YouTube channel.
The Firework Approach
CA-CHING! This is the strategy that has allowed me to increase my sales by 200% without using a single paid ad.
The basic principle is that one core video serves as the base for all of your other videos, ultimately driving more leads.
Throughout the month, you post one video that talks about your goal, I.E., where you want to direct your audience. Maybe it has to do with your membership or an online course. Figure out what you can promo that aligns with your business goals. This will determine all of your other content.
Then, you have four to six spark videos whose primary goal is to send your audience back to that core video.
Why is this effective?
YouTube wants people to binge (finally, no more PJ-wearing-2-am-video-binging shame!). A viewer lands on a spark video, then watches another, and another, and then your core video pops up, and they watch that too. Then, they hear your call to action and BAM! You've got a new subscriber, member, or customer.
Bingeable content also broadens your niche! By having multiple different videos that attract your audience, YouTube will suggest your content to like-viewers, giving you a chance to expand your reach.
The firework method is a way to feed the YouTube algorithm and your biz.
How to track your performance
Wondering how to figure out if all of this is even working?
Stats are super important to gauge where you're seeing growth and success and where there's room for improvement. Otherwise, you're just guessing if things are working or not, and a profitable strategy can't last on guessing games.
Here's what to track:
Monthly analytics on YouTube and Instagram
Income report from video traffic and funnels
Email list signups
Sure, there are other things to track, but these key points help you understand if the effort you're putting in is actually making you any money.
To give you an idea of what this looks like, take a look at my January goals and how I made them happen.
My overall strategy with YouTube is to make sure it's driving growth without making me feel burnt out. If I have to, I will take time away. I don't do my best work when I feel overwhelmed. Sometimes it's better to just take a step back and regroup when you feel refreshed.
Another way I prevent burnout is by having help! Having a team by my side to help me knock out all these tasks has been the biggest relief. BUT, I understand that not everyone can hire help, so if you're a team of one, take some time to get your strategy lined up before diving in.
Ready for a profitable YouTube strategy that you can actually keep up with?
The Video Strategy Academy is now open for enrollment! February 17 (so TODAY!) is the last day you can sign up, so get yourself over to that cart before it closes!
For the next seven weeks, I'll help you find your target audience and how to incorporate the strategies talked about here (like the piggyback and firework methods) into your own content plan so you can start bringing in income with your content!
Creating great content is less about getting one video perfect and more about starting with a strategic plan to make your efforts count in the long run. Are you ready to transform your YouTube channel?
