Step #2 - Optimize Real Estate Channel & Videos for Watch Time and Audience Retention

 Audience retention is one of the most important YouTube metrics, and it's measured by the time the average user spends watching your content. By following specific practices on YouTube, you can increase the number of views that your videos get. Your videos will start to fall into "recommended" lists if their audience retention is very good. Here are some of how you can boost audience retention for your real estate brand's YouTube channel content.

•  Structure Your Playlists Properly

 The goal is to provide your audience with a linear viewing experience. To do so, you need to structure your videos and playlists properly. It is also the best way to guide viewers towards a longer video experience - optimizing the audience retention and total watch time.

• Choose Proper Titles & Thumbnails

 The views and rankings of your videos will be affected by the titles and thumbnails that you use. The title and the thumbnails are the primary triggers that persuade people to tap/click on your video. Optimizing these can help improve your audience retention.

• Make Use of YouTube Cards

 YouTube cards are versatile and can be used in lots of ways. However, the best way to use them is to link them to other videos on your channel. Make sure that the cards link to content that your viewers would be interested in.

• Make Use of YouTube Keywords

 It's a very good idea to create content based on high-ranking YouTube keywords in your specific niche. YouTube's algorithm can use these keywords to suggest your videos to viewers looking for specific keywords. You can do this by typing the keyword into the search box.

 Getting More Viewers for Your Channel & Videos

 If you figure out a way to increase the number of video viewers, you will reach the key target demographic that you intend to. Here are some of the best ways in which you can boost your channel's view stats.

• Develop a Signature Production Style

 The best way to develop a signature brand identity for your real estate business is to develop a signature production style for your videos. Try to do something special and off the beaten path to draw viewers to your unique content.

• Optimize Videos & Channel for Greater Discoverability

 A great way to optimize your YouTube channel is to get it "partner verified." Doing this will help you monetize your content, upload large videos, and create customized thumbnails for all of your content. It will ensure that your discoverability is very high.

• Do Research On Your Target Demographic

 It's also a good idea to do some in-depth research on the target demographic you intend to reach. For a real estate business and any other business, understanding the audience's wants is paramount. Use your YouTube content to address this issue.

• Deliver a Strong CTA

 Good content will inevitably result in lead generation, but only if you deliver a strong CTA at the end of your video. Make use of end screens and video description cards to reach out. Make sure the CTA is related to the content of the video.

• Don't Forget to Promote Your Video

Lastly, it's very important to develop a promotional mechanism for any content you upload on the channel. You can use platforms like Google Analytics to figure out what social media platforms your target audience uses and reach out to them using those.

Optimizing The Content And The Video Itself

You also need to optimize the content of the video itself if you want to increase your total number of views and subscribers. The end goal on your end is to take advantage of the YouTube algorithm and rank higher. You also need to understand that your video should appear at the top on Google/YouTube searches. It should also be at the top of the list of suggested videos. To do so, here are some of the steps that you can take.

• Use Google Trends to Look Up Trending Topics

It's always a good idea to use tools like Google Trends to figure out what's "hip" currently. If people aren't interested in the topic of your videos, then they won't view it at all. Do in-depth research, figure out trending topics in real estate, and then produce videos related to them.

• Do Keyword Research with UberSuggest

As mentioned before, choosing proper keywords can make all the difference for a YouTube channel. This is especially true in the case of a competitive business niche like real estate. After you come up with keyword ideas, you can analyze them with the help of tools like UberSuggest. They'll provide keyword volume and competition stats.

• Find Keywords by Mining YouTube Suggestions

Take a leaf out of the YouTube book and look for keywords by mining their algorithm. Enter your primary keyword in the YouTube search bar - and all the suggested search results that appear will be your secondary keywords. This is a very simple hack you can use to look up trending-related keywords.

• Use VidiQ to Research Video Tags

A great way to figure out what tags you should be using is to use VidiQ, a simple Chrome extension. It will allow you to analyze your competitors and figure out what video tags they are using. If you want to rank higher on the list, use VidiQ to find related keywords and tags.

Step #3 - Advertise on YouTube & Scope Out Your Target Audience

YouTube has a mechanism where you can pay other creators to run your ads on their videos. You can also accept payment from other creators by running their ads on your videos. It is a great way to increase the level of brand awareness for your real estate brand. Taking part in remarketing and retargeting is another way in which you can improve brand awareness.

Remarketing and retargeting is a process where you reach out to those users who visited your site but did not engage in the desired action. For example, you should target someone who visited your site but didn't purchase or download anything. Retargeting them using cookies will remind them of your offerings and stand a higher chance of them returning to you.

As many marketing gurus have said, the key to good remarketing & retargeting is to match the message with your market. The goal of your real estate brand should be to reach the target audience with the perfect offer at the perfect time. A novel way to do this is to invest in a Google AdWords account for all your marketing campaigns.

If you promote your YouTube videos and channel with Google AdWords, then you will begin to see tangible returns on your investments in a jiffy. While it is true that investing only in ads will not get you anywhere, having a robust ad-based marketing strategy can be a major plus. It can boost your channel's momentum and help it grow. Here are how Google AdWords can improve the delivery of your YouTube content:

• Use language and location targeting to improve the delivery of your content
• Optimize your ad expenditures by using keyword and cookie targeting
• Using proprietary technology to develop a custom affinity niche audience
• Find a target audience based on search history/live events
• Reach the viewers of other YouTube channels by using proper placement targeting

Step #4 - Monitor the Analytics for Your Real Estate YouTube Channel

Let's face it - not all ad campaigns work. Some ad campaigns are great, and they result in lots of conversions. Others, on the other hand, are clear misses and don't resonate with the target audience. The best way to understand which campaigns are working and which aren't is to use Google Analytics. You can measure important metrics like conversions, audience tracking, and more. The very first step is to set up Google Analytics for your channel.

Once you do this, you'll get a generated ID number. Enter this number into YouTube's advanced settings, and soon you will have access to much data about your ad campaigns. When this task is done, here are some of the metrics that you will receive first-hand access to -

• The total number of visitors to your YouTube channel in a customizable time frame
• The source of the new visitors to your YouTube channel - ads, organic, social media, etc.
• The websites and platforms that people are visiting your channel from
• The videos and playlists that people look for in your channel
• The set of metrics/insights related to your channel

Here are two other ways in which you can monitor the performance of your YouTube ad campaigns besides Google Analytics -

1. Assess Video Watch Behavior Using Creator Studio

Video watch behavior is a powerful metric that will help you assess how your channel and videos are doing. The best way to do this is to use a tool called 'Creator Studio.' Using this tool, you need to go to the 'Watch Time' reports to locate the data about watch behavior.

2. Assess YouTube Channel Performance Using YouTube Audit

First, you need to evaluate your channel's audience engagement by looking up the number of views, subscribers, shares, comments, upvotes, etc. You can also assess the performance of your entire real estate YouTube channel by using a tool called YouTube Audit. You can track metrics for an extended period, allowing you to discern patterns within the data. You can use these insights to change your channel and videos - and increase the total views and subscribers.

Step #5-Generate Leads Successfully Using YouTube

If used properly, YouTube is one of the most powerful lead generation tools that you can use. It is a platform that's chock full of ways that you can use to capture and collect leads. Using these tools, you can figure out the target demographic of people (audience) interested in the services your real estate business has to offer them.

Tip #1 - Use YouTube Video Cards to Generate Clickable CTAs

You can also use YouTube cards to create clickable CTAs for your channel. All audience members and viewers have to do is click on the card, and they will be redirected to your business website. Video cards are also very engaging and interactive for the users - and are the best way to add outbound links and information to your videos.

Here are the five different types of YouTube cards that you can add to your video to ramp up on lead generation -

• Link to a related video or playlist in your own YouTube channel
• Link to a YouTube channel that's related to the content in your video
• Link to a donation for a non-profit or NGO that is doing charity work or raising funds for humanitarian reasons
• Link to a poll that encourages your viewers to participate in a multiple-choice question
• Link to an approved website

Tip #2 - Use Landing Pages with End Screens for Mobile-Users

End screens are a fantastic mobile-friendly YouTube feature that will allow you to link to related videos and links in the form of a CTA. The end screen can be used to prompt your viewers to go on to a different video, playlist, or website after your video is finished. It is an organic lead generation tactic that you can use for all your real estate videos. It's also a great idea to encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel.

Tip #3 - Use Video Descriptions to Improve Search Engine Discoverability

Finally, it would be best to consider adding an in-depth video description to every video that you upload. Apart from a well-written summary, adding timestamps, outbound links, product descriptions, etc., to the video description is also a great idea. It will help you isolate and use contextual keywords, the most important element of any Google or YouTube query. You can also take advantage of the video description option to add optimized long and short keywords.

Step #6 - Successfully Monetize Your Real Estate Videos Using YouTube

Product mentions are an amazing way to advertise for other brands. You can also try out "sponsored videos," where you talk about a certain topic related closely to your sponsor. Come up with sponsorships with other related brands to successfully monetize your videos. Here are some common monetization methods.

• Reveal Products Through Conversation: Instead of an obvious plug, you have to reference the sponsored product casually. Talk about how the product helped you personally, and make sure that all of your content is conversational and light.
• Hype the Products Directly: This is a tactic used by YouTubers who talk about stationery and tech. They just launch into a description of the product and why it's so awesome. The product becomes the main topic of conversation here.
• Conduct Product Reviews: A fantastic and balanced way to give the limelight to sponsored products is to conduct a product review. Use the product and then review it - by providing your audience with a contextual list of pros and cons.
• Mention the product in a Break: Like a casual television production, you can also plug the product in before or after the main content of your video. It is a great way to introduce your audience to the sponsored product.

Summing Up

In summation, you need to optimize your real estate brand's YouTube channel, pay much attention to the videos on your channel, and devote time to in-depth keyword research. You also need to figure out ways to advertise on YouTube, monitor all ad-related analytics, lead generation, and monetize the channel completely. Lastly, it would help if you stay current on all the latest tactics and advances in YouTube marketing. Well, this has been an in-depth guide that will let you get started on your channel ASAP.