[intro]Before you begin this guide, you need to ensure that you have an existing Gmail account for your EKM online shop as this is required to open a YouTube Channel. If you have not yet created one, click here. You also need to ensure that you have added the Social Plugins feature to link your YouTube Channel to your EKM online shop.[/intro] 

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Most products sell well when accompanied by a video, and YouTube is the ideal platform to generate additional traffic for your EKM online shop. Most mobile phones and tablets these days have a video camera function and you should use this to your advantage. You don’t need expensive software to edit your videos either - many computers, tablets and even mobile phones have default video editing programmes and a broad variety of apps for you to install and produce your videos with. You can also edit videos on YouTube itself, where you can also access a wealth of royalty-free music that can be used too. 

It’s also worth considering that if you want a professional video produced to promote your EKM online shop, you should have a look at our Partners Directory, where you’ll be able to find the perfect partner to bring your visions to life. YouTube has a strong community upon it and creating your own channel, interacting with other channels and regularly providing fresh content is a great way to raise awareness of your Products and your brand and encourage sales on your EKM online shop. 

How to create a Youtube account

On your browser, log into your Google/Gmail account (if you’re not logged into it already) and then click this link. This will take you to the Youtube homepage and lists videos that YouTube thinks you may be interested in:

1. Click the Profile icon on the top right of the screen and select My Channel from the drop-down menu:

2. You’ll then see a window where you can select what name you would like to give to your YouTube Channel. Add your company name to this window and click the blue Create Channel button:

3. This will then launch your channel. Click the blue Customize Channel button on the top right:

How to customise your Youtube Channel

4. You’ll now be able to see the ‘front-end’ of your new YouTube Channel - this is what other users currently see when they view the account. Click the blue, Add Channel Art button to upload a cover image.

Cover Images need to be 2560 pixels wide by 1440 pixels high, and if you plan to add text to the image, be sure not to make it too small as your image will be scaled down automatically depending on whether it’s being viewed on a desktop, laptop, mobile phone or tablet. 

5. Click the blue Select A Photo From Your Computer button, and select the image from your computer.

6. When you have uploaded the image, YouTube will give you a preview of what your image will look like on different devices. If you’re happy with the image, click the blue Select button:

In my example, as I have no Profile image added to my Google Account, the Profile icon displays a default image. However, if you have already created a Google account, the Profile Image on that is used on your YouTube Channel. 

7. Click the Add Channels button:

8. This allows you to link to other YouTube Channels that are related to your own. It’s worth having a look around YouTube for channels that your own target market will be interested in and link to these within the window by adding the username and then clicking the blue Done button:

9. You’ll then see the Featured Channel appear on the right-hand side of your profile:

How to upload a video

1. Click the Upload A Video link:

2. Click the arrow icon to select your video from your computer:

3. When the video has uploaded, click the Video Manager button:

4. Click the Edit button:

5. You then need to complete the field for the Basic Info. The video needs a name, a description and some tags so YouTube knows where to list it in search results. Add these and click the blue Publish button:

6. Click the return button on the top right of the screen:

7. This will display the Video Manager screen. When you upload a video to Youtube, it needs time to process, which depends on the duration of it. Click Edit:

8. Here you can see all the different options you have for further editing your video if need be. You can select music to use from the royalty-free music library, add captions and subtitles, and amend the name and description of the video. Make any changes you feel necessary and then click the Save Changes button in the bottom right:

9. You can also select the Analytics tab from this screen which you need to become familiar with as your YouTube Channel begins to grow. It’s important to monitor this to gauge how well your content is being received which of your videos result in the most sales on your EKM online shop. As my own Channel is an example, the look of my YouTube Channel is very limited. However, if we take a look at EKM’s Channel, you can see that’s a lot more established in terms of content:

As well as Featured Channels (which are companies that EKM is partnered with), there’s a title video (‘Little Things To Cherish’), a collection of videos and matching branded graphics populating the landing page of this YouTube Channel. 

[tips] Download the YouTube app to your tablet or mobile device. You can then edit and upload videos on the go, and interact with the YouTube community wherever you are. This will encourage traffic to not just your YouTube Channel, but to your EKM online shop too! [/tips]

What to share

When it comes to creating your own videos to promote your EKM online shop, it can be a little daunting however, these suggestions should get you started: 

How-Tos

  • How-To videos are very well received on YouTube, and it’s a good chance for you to show off your Product knowledge as well as providing advice for YouTube users:


Top Tips

  • Similar to How-Tos, Top Tips are useful to show customers better ways of using your Product:


Stories

  • How did your company get started? Make a video about the story of how you began your company which will encourage viewers to form a relationship with you and your brand:


Weblog

  • A ‘weblog’ - or ‘video blog’ is a Channel made by the same person who simply provides a commentary on a specific aspect of their life, business or both. Our CEO Antony is a video blogger, and he uploads content every few days related to EKM, e-commerce and family life:


Coming Soon

  • Producing a video to advertise new lines is an excellent way to create a buzz surrounding these new Products. This method is also good for advertising time-sensitive discounts or promotions a few weeks in advance to encourage potential new customers to visit your EKM online shop:


Linking to the Social Plugins feature

When you have created your YouTube Channel and uploaded your first video, you need to link this to your EKM online shop. To do this, you need to have created a custom URL for your YouTube Channel. Whilst this step used to be part of the general setup process when opening a YouTube account, it has now changed. For you to obtain a custom URL, you need:

  1. 100 or more subscribers to your Channel;
  2. The Channel must be over 30 days old;
  3. The Profile Image and Channel Image must have been populated.

Whilst you can easily upload images to your Channel, you may have to rely on friends and family subscribing to you at first to get the Subscriber limit reached. Share a link to your YouTube Channel on other social media platforms to encourage people to subscribe to you. A custom URL looks like this:

Having a custom URL makes it easier for YouTube users to discover your channel and its content. To see if you are eligible for a custom URL, click Creator Studio:

Click Channel:

This will reveal the setting on your YouTube Channel. When you are eligible for a Custom URL, it will be indicated here:

1. When you have added your custom URL to your YouTube Channel, you need to log into your EKM online shop and open the Social Plugins feature. Drag the YouTube logo from the top field into the bottom field:

2. Add your Custom URL - without the rest of the YouTube address - into the Username field and then click the green Update button:

You have now linked your YouTube Channel to your EKM online shop!

How to embed Youtube Videos

As well as having the Social Plugins icon linked to your YouTube channel, you can embed your videos on your EKM online shop too. This is a good way to get subscribers to your YouTube Channel as well as providing an extra layer of media to encourage new customers to establish a relationship with you, your brand and your Products. 

[caution] Do not embed YouTube videos onto the homepage of your EKM online shop, as this does not make for a good customer experience; the page will take longer to load when it contains an embedded video, and for customers using the data on their mobile phone or tablet, this can be expensive. We recommend embedding YouTube videos in specific Webpages, or if the video is Product-specific, add it within a tab on the Product page. This then allows customers on mobile devices to decide whether they want to watch the embedded video on the go. [/caution]

1. View the video you want to embed on your YouTube button, and then click the Share button beneath it:

2. This will open a window. Click the Embed icon:

3. You then need to copy the iframe code on the right-hand side:

4. You then need to log into your EKM online shop to embed to code for your video.

Embedding a YouTube video on a Webpage

5. From the Dashboard, click the Design tab:

6. Then you need to click Webpages on the top right-hand side of the page:

7. Click Edit Page for the Webpage where you would like to embed the Youtube video:

8. In the Edit Webpage window, you need to click the Source button:

9. This will reveal the code which displays the content of your existing Webpage. You need to scroll through this code and paste the iframe from YouTube, before clicking the Source button again. You'll then be able to position the YouTube video. Once you have the right position, click Save & Close:

10. You will then be able to see the YouTube video on your Webpage when you visit the front end of your EKM online shop:

[tips]You can also add videos to your Product Images and if you're not sure where to begin when making videos, this Guide will help you learn the basics. [/tips]

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[contact] If you need our help with your EKM online shop, contact your Ecommerce Expert or the Customer Support Team, who will be able to point you in the right direction. We're open from 8am-6pm weekdays and 9am-5.30pm weekends. If you'd like to suggest a feature or an upgrade on any of the EKM platforms, please let us know on the EKM Suggestions Board. If you have a non-account-specific question to ask the EKM Team, join us in the EKM Community. [/contact]