YouTube is an online video sharing website that allows users to share and watch videos. Since its introduction in 2005, YouTube by way of a simple interface has provided everyone with a computer and internet connection the chance to put up a video that can be shared to a massive number of people around the world within a few minutes. Users are classified as registered and unregistered. Registered users have the privilege of uploading and sharing an unlimited amount of videos while unregistered viewers can simply view what has been uploaded by others.
The topics of videos on YouTube runs the whole gamut from mundane to profound, from frivolous to serious, from videos made by beginners to those created by professionals. Educational and training, entertainment, funny, music and dance, advertisements – you name it, YouTube has it and accountants have posted it. Since its launch, YouTube has successfully made video sharing one of the most integral parts of social media. If other social networking sites such as Facebook have changed the way we communicate online, video sharing has provided us an alternative way of expressing ourselves and gives any person, business or association the platform needed for sharing their “video creations” instantaneously.
Why Should Accounting Partners Use YouTube?
It’s simple and uncomplicated. Uploading and downloading is easy and everything you need to know about YouTube is pretty much self explanatory. No matter what kind of video you want to post; educational, informative or humorous – YouTube allows you to upload them immediately and they can be viewed instantaneously around the world by anyone with Internet access.
Website Monitoring has published some startling YouTube statistics. In March 2010 it was stated that, 24 hours of video is uploaded each and every minute. YouTube’s popularity growth is evidenced by the following; in October 2009 YouTube boasted over 1 million views each day, and in a short 6 months grew to 2 million views daily in May 2010 which is nearly double the prime time audience of the 3 major US broadcast networks combined. Over 3 million people are connected on YouTube, sharing 46.2 years worth of video daily with Facebook users.
YouTube is a fantastic tool for accounting firm partners because it gets information about your product or services with minimal associated costs (if you are not making the video yourself). Most Accounting Firms can implement YouTube in their marketing efforts and experience little or no impact on the advertising budgets making YouTube a very attractive and cost effective option.
There are an unlimited number of ways Accounting Firm Partners can choose to use YouTube. The limitations are dictated by your firm and how you choose to represent yourselves professionally. YouTube can be used to advertise, market, create thought leadership and brand awareness, boost your firm’s professional profile, research potential hires, post recruitment requirements, provide infotainment or professional development, client instruction, reputation management, customer testimonials… and more. If you can envision it, you can do it and post it on YouTube (subject of course to website terms and conditions of use).
Soon, YouTube will be an important part of your Accounting Firm’s internet communication tools. So get on board, check it out, create and post your first video.
