Understanding the value of YouTube videos is often a question mark for Realtors and home sellers.  The questions that most often come up when asked if they want an Exposure Elements YouTube Video included with their marketing package  are:

1) What are the benefits of adding an Exposure Elements YouTube Video to the marketing package?

2) How do I get the most benefits from a Exposure Elements YouTube Video?

3) How will this marketing tool hlep my marketing plan?

4) Is YouTube a safe marketing option for my family?

Below are Exposure Elements' answers to these questions.

1)  YouTube videos are mobile ready.  In today's Real Estate environment home buyers are often doing a significant amount of work searchiing for properties.   Often times they are driving around their preferred buying areas looking for homes.  YouTube has done a great job getting their URL loaded as a button icon on virtually every smartphone sold today.  Couple this with the fact that most virtual tours use Flash, a software development component that typically isn't supported on smartphones and you have a vital reason for including a YouTube video in your marketing plan.  The YouTube video offers the interested party an easy way to get pictures on their mobile device in an engaging way.  More importantly, it can be stored on their phone for future reference.  Most home buyers look several times at properties that interest them before purchasing  The can review over lunch or even during a call, facilitating the review of specific features.  YouTube videos are easily forwardable as well so the video can be reviewed and added to the smartphone YouTube directory of other decision makers for the property. 

2) YouTube videos, like most digital marketing tools, are best utilized when marketing them across all marketing tools.  YouTube videos should also include the Virtual Tour of the property in the property description where the interested party can use the link for reference to see the images in a more engaging way and create a more memorable experience.  The YouTube video is not a replacement for a virtual tour as views will be limited without a good cross marketing plan.  Label your YouTube video with the street address and the Realtors name.  The title of the video is one of the most important parts of the video as both YouTube and Google seach engines place the most weight of relevancy on this element of the video.

3) YouTube videos assist in filling a void often found in a Realtors marketing plan by providing interested parties a way to get a home they are interested in on their phone.  YouTube videos can be forwarded by sending the link to other intersted persons smartphone to smartphone.  The cost of creating a YouTube video is low when done by your Virtual Tour Provider since they already have all the images they need to create the video.  Exposure Elements highly recommends YouTube videos to all their clients.

4) YouTube videos offer no less or more risk than Virtual Tours.  Occasionally, our Realtors clients, the sellers of homes, are concerned about placing images of the property on YouTube.  These images are going to be put all over the internet by good Realtors that want their listings to have maximum exposure.  We encourage that family images are taken off the walls. dresser and table tops.  Not only does this eliminate the prospect of sharing confidential photos but also improves the marketability of the home by making it less personalized.  The key factor here is that if all goes well you will be out of your home in 30-50 days anyway!

All in all, YouTube videos are an important part of a successful marketing plan.  Overlooking their value can mean overlooking sales opportunities and potential sale dollars. 

Stan Davis

Exposure Elements