You know video marketing is where it's at right now, but are you struggling to get started? Do you want to generate leads using video but not sure how to get the right viewers? Wondering how to grow a YouTube channel and leverage it for your new business pipeline? It's time to learn how to utilize YouTube to grow new relationships, make connections, and build your authority. In this episode, we'll cover: #1 thing to grow your YouTube Channel. How to leverage YouTube as a search engine. How is YouTube ranking videos? 3 steps to a successful video. Today I chatted with Sean Cannell, YouTuber at Think Media and Video Influencers, international speaker and coach. Sean spends his time helping entrepreneurs build their influence through online video. Today he is providing us with insight and tips on building a YouTube channel and generating leads with video. #1 Thing To Grow Your YouTube Channel Clarity -  your agency needs to know: Where your agency wants to go. Who your agency is, in the marketplace. Who your agency wants to reach. To find this clarity, answer these 2 questions before posting videos: 1- Who is your target audience? Remember, broader is not better The riches are in the niches (yes, really!). 2- What is your value proposition to the target audience? What consistent value are you going to deliver? Articulated messages to get viewers to think: "Wow, this is exactly what I am looking for!" How often will your agency deliver content? Start out with at least a weekly video, then increase from there. How To Leverage YouTube As A Search Engine YouTube is less crowded than Google, as a search engine, so there is a lot of white space and opportunity. Just like with Google, the search bar in YouTube will predict phrases, based on common searches. So position your agency videos on the other side of people's questions. This will set your agency up to get "views while you snooze." How do you do this? It's simple: Take the top 20-30 FAQ's your agency gets and make a video answering each question. Position the videos to leverage search by embedding them in your agency blog or linking to your agency website. Create a library within YouTube, for easy linking access. By pushing people to YouTube, this encourages 'likes' and subscribers. Video content is powerful. It builds the important Know, Like, and Trust Factor. And Sean says it is 53% more likely to rank on the first page of Google (than written content is). Video is most people's preferred content format, which leads to a higher level of engagement and can help grow your agency! How is YouTube Ranking Videos? Minutes Matter Most! Originally YouTube would track views as a success metric. But, as click-bait started popping up, YouTube started to see the benefit of measuring minutes. YouTube learned that just because viewers where clicking on a video, it didn't mean that they were actually viewing the content. Impressions don't necessarily mean impact. However, a minute of someone's time, is a big deal. So, when you go into the metrics on your agency's YouTube channel, you will see analytics of minutes, views, and subscribers. YouTube values these metrics because, first and foremost, it is a business and makes money from advertising. So, they reward people and businesses that create lengthy content that get viewers to linger longer on their platform. 3 Steps To A Successful Video Step 1- The beginning. There are 3 parts to the beginning and should all work in unison. Title - this is what gets viewers to stop scrolling. Keep it straightforward. Having numbers is powerful, so consider things like: 5 Tips, 3 Reasons, etc. Thumbnail - this is what gets viewers to click on your video. The biggest mistake Sean sees is thumbnails with too much text. Hook - this is what gets viewers to stay and watch. The first couple minutes of your video should make them want to keep watching. Another great tactic is to include a teaser for a "bonus tip" at the end, to ensure longevity.